releases: http://renacci.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-column?ContentRecord_id=69016233-1043-4201-8080-E7B175912660
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| http://renacci.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-column?ContentRecord_id=69016233-1043-4201-8080-E7B175912660 | American Safety Comes First | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | OH | Jim Renacci | R000586 | renacci.house.gov | legacy | Like many of you, I am very disturbed by the shooting in San Bernadino, California earlier this month, and the details we are learning about the attackers. Recent reports include the female shooter, Tashfeen Malik, was able to gain legal entry into the U.S. by receiving a nonimmigrant visa for a fianc through the State Department. After the attacks in Paris, where Islamic terrorists were able to exploit the refugee system, it is clear we need to take action to ensure every person coming into the U.S. is thoroughly vetted. We cannot compromise our national security. Congress must consider common-sense, bipartisan reforms to our immigration system before there are any further attacks. One of these solutions is to reform the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). VWP is a partnership among 38 countries whose citizens are allowed to travel to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days, and in return U.S. citizens may travel to those countries visa-free. In order to participate, VWP countries must agree to strengthen their own security screening measures and to share crucial counterterrorism and law enforcement information with the United States. However,in light of the high terror threat environment, we need to urgently close looming VWP security gaps. Before Congress finishes up 2015 legislative business, the House passed in a bipartisan fashion - legislation to add additional layers of protection to VWP and to close potentially dangerous loopholes in this partnership. There are around 5,000 Europeans estimated to have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight with terrorist groups like ISISand many are from VWP countries. The Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015 would deny VWP status to individuals who have recently travelled to certain terrorist hotspots, demand strong intelligence and law enforcement information sharing, prevent extremists from using fraudulent documents to evade detection, and would terminate VWP partnerships with countries who fail to screen travelers against INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) and terrorism databases. This is only one step in ensuring that our nation and Americans are safe. It is my hope that partisan politics do not get in the way of the safety of Americans, and these reforms are enacted. I look forward to continuing to work to secure our borders and to improve our national security, and will continue to keep those impacted by these terrorist attacks in my thoughts and prayers. If you need any additional information, please visit my website at renacci.house.gov or call my Washington office: 202-225-3876, Wadsworth office: 330-334-0040, or Parma office: 440-882-6779. If you have a concern about your VA claim, please contact my Wadsworth office and I will inquire about your claim. I also encourage you to subscribe to my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages to get updates on my work in Washington and the 16th District. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |