{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-house-approves-hr-158-visa-waiver-improvement-and-terrorist", "Cramer - House Approves H.R. 158 Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015", "2015-12-08", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "ND", "Kevin Cramer", "C001096", "cramer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Congressman Kevin Cramer announced the House of Representatives passed H.R. 158 Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015. The bill addresses the vulnerabilities in the Visa Waiver Program by requiring participating countries to provide counterterrorism information and other critical intelligence, identifying and allowing for the suspension of high-risk countries, and denying Visa Waiver Program (VWP) status for those who have traveled to terrorist hotspots, like Iraq and Syria, since 2011. Congressman Cramer is a co-sponsor of the legislation.\nEstablished in 1986, the VWP allows more than 20 million people annually from 38 participating countries to more easily travel to the United States for a period of up to 90 days. Instead of going to a U.S. consulate or embassy, citizens of participating countries must provide detailed background information which is then screened against U.S. security databases. (Below is a list and map of the 38 nations participating in the VWP program). The Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 fixes vulnerabilities in the visa program by giving the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to suspend a countrys participation in the program if it fails to share counterterrorism information with the U.S.; denies Visa Waiver Program status to those citizens from participating countries that have traveled to certain terrorist hotspots since 2011; requires all Visa Waiver Program countries use fraud resistant e-passports; and allows for the suspension of high-risk countries.\nPassage of this bill is a good start, but more needs to be done to ensure our nation is safe from terrorist attack, said Cramer. Reform of the Visa Waiver Program is essential to securing our nations borders. We have learned thousands of terrorists have left Europe and gone to fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The estimated number is 5,000 and most of them come from Visa Waver Program countries where they get a 90-day pass to go to another country in Europe or enter the United States and possibly commit terrorist acts. This is an unacceptable risk for the safety and security of the United States.\nSummary of H.R. 158 Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015\nDenying VWP status to individuals who have connections to terrorist hotspots\n VWP country citizens with ties to terrorist hotspots such as Iraq and Syria pose an increased risk if allowed to enter the United States. H.R. 158 denies VWP travel to travelers who are nationals ofor have visited during the past five yearsIraq, Syria, and other countries with significant terrorist activity. Instead, these travelers are required to seek a visa for entry into the United States through a more stringent process.\n Demanding strong intelligence and law enforcement information sharing\n When VWP countries fail to share counterterrorism information with the United States, it puts our security at risk. H.R. 158 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate a country from the program if the country does not share such dataand doesnt allow the country back into the VWP until it complies with the program requirements. Such authority will improve information sharing and help the U.S. better identify potential terrorists and foreign fighters.\n Enhancing screening of all travelers in VWP countries\n Ensures all travelers are thoroughly screened well before they attempt to travel the U.S. H.R. 158 requires all VWP countries to check travelers against INTERPOL databases, in order to determine whether the traveler is wanted by law enforcement agencies based on ties to terrorism or criminal activity. Better screening against INTERPOL databases will close a glaring gap in the global travel system.\n Preventing extremists from using fraudulent documents to evade detection\n Secure documents make it harder for extremists to falsify their identities. H.R. 158 requires all VWP countries to issue to their citizens fraud-resistant e-passports, containing biometric information and requires countries to be able to confirm that such documents are legitimate when they are scanned.\n\tTerrorists have used lost and stolen travel documents to cross international borders. H.R. 158 forces all VWP countries to submit lost and stolen passport information to INTERPOLs stolen and lost travel document database and to notify INTERPOL within 24 hours when their citizens passports go missing.\n Increasing threat monitoring of VWP countries \n The threat environment can change quickly, which is why we need regular reviews of security in VWP countries. H.R. 158 requires top U.S. security agencies to conduct more frequent intelligence and threat assessments of VWP countries to determine whether they pose a high risk to the national security of United States. If a VWP country is designated as high risk, they can be suspended from the program.\n Taking steps to ensure VWP travelers do not falsify their background information\n Background checks on VWP travelers must be accurate. H.R. 158 requires DHS to take steps to better detect false information, improve the validation of data supplied by travelers, and add new data fields to enhance checks on each traveler.\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-house-approves-hr-158-visa-waiver-improvement-and-terrorist"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4384398236870766, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}