releases: http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-votes-address-national-security-gaps-visa-waiver-program
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-votes-address-national-security-gaps-visa-waiver-program | Tipton Votes to Address National Security Gaps in Visa Waiver Program | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | CO | Scott Tipton | T000470 | tipton.house.gov | legacy | Continues call for Sen. Bennet to lead WASHINGTON Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO) voted to pass legislation in the House to address national security concerns in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Each year over 20 million people from 38 participating countries take advantage of the VWP, which allows participants to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days without going through embassy or customs screening. With thousands of citizens from participating European countries estimated to have traveled to Iraq or Syria to fight for ISIS, there are numerous security challenges posed by the VWP that could potentially allow for these individuals to enter into the U.S. under the programs eased screening procedures for their countries of origin. The Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, which passed the House, would address those challenges. Following the Paris attacks, Tipton has been Colorados leading voice on addressing national security gaps that could be exploited by ISIS terrorists looking to come to the U.S. to inflict harm. "There are vulnerabilities in the visa waiver program and in the Syrian refugee program that need to be addressed, and the House has taken action on both fronts. We have now passed legislation in the House to better ensure stringent verification of Syrian refugees takes place, and to address vulnerabilities in the Visa Waiver Program, said Tipton. These issues are not mutually exclusive, and the Senate needs to take up both of these important bills. While I welcome Senator Bennets commitment to address concerns with the Visa Waiver Program, I continue to call on Senator Bennet to give equal consideration to the serious challenges posed by the current inability to stringently vet refugees coming from Syria, and join me in prioritizing the safety and security of Coloradans and all Americans. This is a significant gap in our national security that shouldnt be ignored. The Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, H.R. 158, would ensure that citizens from other countries who have traveled to known terrorist hotspots in recent years are unable to participate in the program, require participating countries to share counterterrorism information, and mandate countries use fraud resistant e-passports in order to be eligible in the visa waiver program. The SAFE Act, H.R. 4038, would strengthen the national-security vetting process to better ensure terrorists are not able to enter the U.S. by exploiting humanitarian programs. The bill would require that the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence unanimously certify to Congress that a refugee does not pose a security threat before being allowed to enter into the country. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |