The House approved legislation that would overhaul the Federal Visa Waiver Program and bar those from Iraq, Syria, Iran and the Sudan, or those who have visited those countries in the last five years, from traveling to the United States without a visa. Action on the proposal comes in response to the recent attacks in Paris from ISIS operatives and the shooting in California by a couple that expressed support for the terror group on social media. According to House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday, the measure “will help neutralize the threat from foreign terrorists entering our country.” Referring to President Obama’s speech on Sunday, Ryan refuted the president’s stance that the U.S. “contain ISIS,” insisting the U.S. needs to “defeat ISIS.”
The GOP proposal, which top House Democrats have endorsed, calls for greater sharing of information among the 38 countries that participate in the program with the United States. Currently, those eligible can travel for limited time periods without having to apply for a visa. The bill would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to terminate any country’s participation in the program if it doesn’t adequately transmit data. The number two House Democrat, Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, said he worked closely with GOP leaders on the visa waiver bill and that the measure is “reasonable” with a “measured” plan. He contrasted the plan to presidential candidate Donald Trump’s plan to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S., saying, “The important issue here is no one is excluded by this bill. There are however additional requirements designed to ensure that those who come in this country are in fact not a risk to this country.” Senate republican leaders have not yet confirmed when they will address the bill.
