July 16, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 153, Pt. 14 19103 temporary dip either. Ever since Janu- gia said ‘‘no’’ to the bill that was being under the visa waiver program. At first ary, their approval ratings have con- cooked up on the Senate side and could it was just a temporary program in sistently trended negative, dropping not be amended to their satisfaction. I 1986, and then it was expanded to more from 37 percent to a low of 23 percent. am proud of them for that. countries. And finally it was made per- These sorts of ratings are so low that But there is another problem, Mr. manent in about the year 2000, this visa they have even turned heads in Wash- Speaker and my colleagues, something waiver program. But we began to real- ington, where unpopularity in the polls that maybe the American people are ize maybe there was a little bit of secu- seems to be a way of life. I will submit not sufficiently aware of, and that is rity risk, and so we said, look, we want for the RECORD a chart showing the the fact that so many people come into to make sure these passports that we plummeting of the Democrat job ap- this country every year on a program are just looking at and stamping and proval. called the visa waiver program. I want letting folks come in from these so- But I am concerned about the public to repeat that because I want each and called friendly countries, that these dialogue at stake. If Congressional every one of you to remember this, the are legitimate passports, that these are leaders can’t be trusted with the basic visa waiver program. It too was started not fraudulent documents. facts and insist on creating a track back in the mid-1980s, about the time Those of my colleagues, and most of record of truth distortion and promise of the amnesty bill we were talking you are either parents or grandparents, breaking, I see it as my duty to voice about. What it does is this: it allows and you have gone through those teen- opposition. Even if I am the only one citizens from 27 countries, mostly age years yourself and with your chil- raising the alarm, I will continue to Western European, and it didn’t start dren and grandchildren, and you know call for integrity in all aspects of pub- as 27, but basically the initial coun- it is pretty darn easy to get a fake lic life, and especially in that most im- tries were the United Kingdom, Ger- driver’s license. And of course my chil- portant of arenas, communicating with many, France, some of the countries dren, adult children now, never did the American people. that are really our best friends and that. They wouldn’t do anything like The facts are important. The Amer- best allies, there is no denying that. that, Mr. Speaker. But some of their ican people deserve the respect that Without question, over the history of friends did, and they showed me how it comes with not taking liberties with our great country, we have had wonder- was done. You can go on the Internet the facts. ful friendships in Western Europe. and just take your picture and paste it So the thinking back in 1986 was we on. That is the kind of thing that is f need to not spend our time on worrying bad enough if it is a fake driver’s li- b 2100 about doing background checks and cense in this country, but when we are AMNESTY our consulates, and those are the of- talking about a fake passport, and they fices of our Department of State that are pretty easy to fraudulently pre- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under exist in all of the other countries. They pare, that is where the danger arises. the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- are part of our embassies. There are Some of the countries, the 27 coun- uary 18, 2007, the gentleman from Geor- more consulates in a country than em- tries that are participating with us in gia (Mr. GINGREY) is recognized for 60 bassies. My colleagues know what I am the visa waiver program, have reported minutes as the designee of the minor- talking about, and hopefully folks lis- that they have had literally hundreds ity leader. tening understand that you have State of passports stolen, and we don’t really Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I come Department employees in all of these keep a close record on that but we to the well this evening to talk about countries so when people come and should. We should be very worried a very, very important subject that we apply for a visa and they want to come about that, as a matter of fact. just went through some very conten- visit the United States or come over So in 2000 we said, look, here is the tious debate on, and my colleagues are here to study, or get permanent legal way we prevent passport document familiar with that, and it is the immi- resident, a so-called green card, they fraud when people are coming into this gration issue. The American people are have to go through our consulates. country under the visa waiver pro- familiar with it. And the people in the They have to fill out forms and pay an gram. It is a passport issued by Spain, great State of Georgia, the 11th Con- application fee. They are all checked to France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, gressional District that I serve, are fa- a fare-thee-well, as the old Georgia ex- Australia, and I’m not going to name miliar with it as well. pression goes, but it was decided in all 27 of the countries, but we want to And the big concern was to not do 1986, you know, for the countries where say, look, we want a digital photograph something in a, quote, ‘‘comprehensive these are our friends, they look like us that we can scan. We don’t want some way’’ that resulted in granting am- and in some instances they speak our fake overlay laminated on a passport, nesty to up to 12 million people, pos- own language, we don’t need to worry and we also want to be able to machine sibly more than that, that have over about them, and so let’s just let them read this document. the last 20 years, since 1986, the last come in without a visa. Therefore, the So, therefore, all of you countries time we granted amnesty to 3 million visa waiver program. that are participating in this program, at that time, we have not secured our Now it has been expanded to 27 coun- that is promoting business and tourism borders and because of porous borders, tries and growing. So they just show a in exchange between countries, you are it is estimated that something ap- passport. Our customs agents at our going to have to prepare your passport proaching 400,000 a year, and some are ports of entry, airports mainly, simply in that manner so we know that you turned back, obviously, but approxi- look at the passport. If the passport is have done a background check and we mately 400,000 get through. I am talk- from one of the 27 countries, they put can do a background check. We look at ing about illegal immigrants now. And a stamp on it and in the person comes. that passport. We know we have a when you do the math over 20 years, The thinking is this is good for rela- watch list, a terrorist watch list, a that is how we got to the 12 million tions with other countries and we want criminal felon watch list, so that we do that are here today. So that bill was to be on a friendly level with them. not just let them come in that minute, all about we need to have the triggers. And of course it promotes tourism. And 11⁄2 minutes that a busy custom agent I am very proud of my Senators, our certainly folks involved in the travel has at the Atlanta Hartsfield Inter- senior Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS and industry, and maybe it is businessmen national Airport. They have to do this JOHNNY ISAKSON. JOHNNY ISAKSON who coming over for a 2-week or 2-month quickly. If you spend 10 minutes per obviously had the trigger so you period of time. Actually, under the visa passport, you are going to have some couldn’t do any of this stuff even if you waiver program, the maximum amount people outraged, and that is not ac- didn’t call it amnesty, you had to se- of time that can be spent here under ceptable. They have to be able to do cure the borders first. that program is 90 days. that quickly. In the final analysis, because of their In the year 2005, Mr. Speaker, 15 mil- We knew this back in 2000, and keep great concern, our Senators from Geor- lion people came to the United States in mind, my colleagues, I am talking

VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:26 Jun 17, 2010 Jkt 059102 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR07\H16JY7.001 H16JY7 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD 19104 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 153, Pt. 14 July 16, 2007 about a year, a year and a half before those things that the 9/11 families the things that we’ve really recognized 9/11 occurred. We said in the reauthor- asked us to do. in the past is the review and the over- ization of the visa waiver program and After all, they suffered then, are suf- sight of who we allow to come into this making it permanent, the countries fering now, and will suffer forever. We country is one of our big responsibil- had to have these passports based on listened to them on both sides of the ities. biometrics, and we called that program aisle, and we passed a bill. We did most Let’s face it, it doesn’t take an act of US-VISIT. It has not been completed to of what they asked in the 109th Con- Congress for a community to hire a this day. And after 9/11, of course, a gress under different control, and now teacher or hire police officers, but it huge wake-up call on many aspects of we have added a few things in the 110th takes an act of Congress and it takes how we can do things better in regard Congress, and we are waiting on the the Federal Government to make sure to maybe we need some armed guards other body. There are some provisions that the people that are allowed into on the planes, and maybe we need to in their version in regard to this visa this country are people that are going secure the cockpit door and maybe we waiver program that gives me a little to be friendly to us, to help us, to actu- should allow in certain circumstances heartburn; we will talk about that as ally add to the quality and security of the pilots, if they are trained properly, well. America rather than threaten it. to carry a weapon, we have done a lot I am expecting that some of my col- The visa system has always been sort of these things to improve. leagues will join me during this hour, of the minimum we’ve done in the past, And of course all these lines, and Mr. Speaker, and certainly when they and the visa waiver actually is an ex- every Member of this body, every one get to the floor after their busy meet- traordinary concept of saying we are so of you, probably waited in line today ings that they are attending right now, sure that these countries are so secure for a good little while getting through I am going to yield time to them to and so safe that we’re willing to waive security before you were allowed to go give a little different aspect to this the traditional international policy of to the gate to board your plane, and visa waiver issue or some other issue of having people kind of report in and hopefully the plane was on time. If you concern to them. prove that they are who they are and were delayed too long going through I am a proud member, Mr. Speaker, we allow them into the country. security, hopefully the plane was de- of the Immigration Reform Caucus. In And we’ve allowed this with many layed. this 110th Congress, the Immigration countries like Britain, my mother’s We continue to do these things, but Reform Caucus under the leadership of home country, and Australia, and yet this very important aspect, US- the gentleman from California (Mr. we’ve allowed it with many countries. VISIT, to make sure, Mr. Speaker, BILBRAY), we have worked hard to But it’s almost as if we’ve taken this those 15 million folks that come in for make sure that the Immigration Re- concept that a little is good, a whole business or tourism or whatever, to form Caucus is a bipartisan group of bunch must be great, where the polit- promote goodwill with these other Members, and it is. ical pressure is to expand this program countries, and I am for that, but they to such a force that there’s no counter- b 2115 are to stay 90 days. We don’t know balance of saying, no, wait a minute, where they are or how to find them if I’m not going to stand here and try who’s there really checking and keep- they don’t go back home in 90 days. to name names, but we have got great ing a tab on what is reasonable from a And to think that even after 9/11, we Members on both sides of the aisle security point of view. still keep putting off that date certain under the leadership of Congressman And I think what’s important tonight these countries have to have and abide BILBRAY from California, and I think for us to say is tonight is a way for the by US-VISIT and have to have the bio- that’s good. I think that’s refreshing Immigration Caucus to sort of push metric passports and we have to have that Members know that this is not for back and balance. And I don’t mind all of the equipment at our ports of politics. This is for policy, and this is people that are wanting to have this entry so the custom agent can simply for protection. waiver expanded, but I do mind that swipe that passport and it is fine, or a I see that Mr. BILBRAY is actually on when we do not balance the perception, red light goes off. the floor now, and I will look forward that those who may for business rea- This is what I am here tonight to to hearing his perspective on the visa sons or for their own special reasons talk about, and hopefully you are waiver program. And then we’ll develop want to throw away the paperwork, aware of it. I think most of my col- a colloquy during the next 40 minutes throw away the procedure for security leagues are. But we need to be thinking or so. At this time, it’s my distinct and say it’d just be easier to do with- about this. We need to be thinking privilege to welcome him to the floor out it, they can say that but then there about it in a bipartisan way. This is and to this Special Order hour. I’m should be those of us who are willing to not one of those issues that we should grateful to our leadership, the Repub- stand up and say, yes, but it’s there for be fighting about politically. We know lican leadership, for making this the a reason and that reason is very impor- that this is for the citizens of this minority party’s Special Order hour for tant, the protection of our families and country, whether they are Democrats the evening and that Congressman our homes and our neighborhoods. And or Republicans, whether they are BILBRAY is going to share the time only the Federal Government can pro- young or old, whatever their occupa- with me. So I yield to my friend from vide this protection. tion, their religion, ethnicity. This is California. Remember, if we allow somebody for everybody. This is not for PHIL Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I appre- with harm in their heart to enter this GINGREY’s district, the 11th Congres- ciate the gentleman from Georgia for country, there is no defense once sional District of northwest Georgia. yielding, and Mr. Speaker, I want to they’re in this country from gaining This is for all of my colleagues’ dis- congratulate you in holding the Chair access to those neighborhoods, those tricts. That is why I am here tonight tonight and thank you very much for playgrounds, those schools, those hos- talking about such an important thing, the courtesy of allowing us to speak to- pitals that we take for granted are pro- and I hope we can get everybody’s at- night. I appreciate the privilege. tected. tention on this. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that Local government cannot check a Later on in the hour I am going to the American people have not only visa once the United States Federal talk about a bill that I introduced in asked, they have demanded, is that the Government allows them into the regard to the visa waiver program, talk Federal Government live up to its re- country. A county sheriff cannot check a little bit about what is going on in sponsibility of defending our neighbor- a visa once we’ve allowed them the other body in regard to the 9/11 bill hoods from forces from afar that may through that port of entry at the air- that we passed I think the first day we be entering this country with harm in port or at that seaport. were voting on anything in this 110th their hearts and weapons and vicious- So it is incumbent on us that we’re Congress, the so-called 6 for ’06, to do ness in their hands. I think that one of extraordinarily vigilant to make sure

VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:26 Jun 17, 2010 Jkt 059102 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR07\H16JY7.001 H16JY7 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD July 16, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 153, Pt. 14 19105 that only those that we are sure should do what is the Federal Government’s tors, medical doctors, health profes- be in this country are in this country, responsibility and, that is, check these sionals that just within the last couple, and it is extremely important that we documents and make sure that the 3 weeks in London and at the airport in only allow the waiver process in those right type of people are coming into Scotland, Glasgow, tried to blow up the extraordinary situations where we can the country. terminal with the car bomb, laden with look the American people in the eye Local government, the mayors, the highly explosive material, and there and say we really believe this is a safe city council members, the county su- was a warning in fact. Someone had and prudent way of treating our immi- pervisors, county commissioners, sher- said in some text messaging, beware of gration policy. iffs, police chiefs, they have to live those who would cure you, meaning the I think people will say then, well, with the repercussions and the chal- doctors will kill you; those who cure why is there debate here? And I think lenges once someone’s here, but they you will kill you. that the gentleman from Georgia un- don’t get the chance to be able to re- Well, these doctors in the United derstands, there’s people that want for view and approve this. And so that’s Kingdom were citizens of that country. business reasons, for personal reasons, why it’s essential that the Federal I mean, they had passports, British to have people coming, going from all Government, which is the only agency passports, and in fact, a couple of them kinds of different countries, and they that can do this, the one line of defense had actually, Mr. Speaker, made an ap- have their personal reasons to do that. that we have over inappropriate entry plication to come to the United States, Some may be profit and some may be in this country, has to be strong and I think to come to a hospital in Phila- convenience, but those reasons and vigilant and effective. delphia, Pennsylvania. They wanted to those pressures need to be counter-bal- Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank practice medicine here. Everybody does anced. the gentleman from California. want to practice medicine in the And the Federal Government must be Mr. Speaker, the next slide that I United States because, despite the pre- reminded again and again that there’s want my colleagues to focus in on now vious hour from the other side, we do not just one agenda here, convenience is really the kind of a passport that we have a great health care system. Cer- of people coming into the country. are wanting, and that U.S. VISIT, and tainly it needs some improvement, and There’s not one agenda here, people indeed the law in regard to the visa we’re going to work on that hopefully making money by tourists coming and waiver program that was made perma- in a bipartisan way, but these terror- going. There’s not one agenda, just nent in 2000 requires them to have this ists, those who would cure you that business wanting to be able to have type of passport because let me make would kill you, were trying, at least their partners come and go as they one thing perfectly clear to my col- some of them, to come into this coun- want. There is the major agenda that leagues. try. needs to be introduced into the for- The visa waiver program trusts the And they could have come in under mula, and that is the defense of the security of our Nation to the back- this visa waiver program and simply communities. ground check capabilities and the pass- showed a passport that did not, by the Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I wanted port procedures of all these foreign way, have a digital photo or any digital to make the point to the gentleman governments, the 27 countries that I text or iris scanning. And we didn’t that the first slide that I wanted to mentioned and expanding all the time. have a U.S. VISIT machine that we show, and let me read this quote from Basically, what we’re saying, and if could run that passport through that the 9/11 Families for a Secure America. you will look at this next slide, on one so that that would immediately come, I can’t tell you how many of the 9/11 side of the passport would be a digital go into a data bank so when the 90 days families are a part of this group, but photograph, again, one that is scan- were up or the period of time that they this is how they feel. This is a quote. nable. We have these iris scans, not planned to stay, that we could find ‘‘If Islamic extremists commit another just the old-fashioned finger prints, but them, ferret them out and have the 9/11, it will not make any difference to everything in a digital way, including ICE, Immigration and Customs En- the victims of that attack that the the photograph on the passport. And forcement, agents go after them. people responsible carried French pass- then I’m going to have to get a little So this is not child’s play that we’re ports rather than ones issued by Iran, closer to read this, but a machine read- talking about here. This happened just Saudi Arabia or Lebanon.’’ able passport has two lines of text, has within the last 3 weeks, and these were This is when they endorsed the bill letters, numbers and something called homegrown British terrorists that had that I introduced, and we will talk chevrons. Those are those greater than ties to al Qaeda in Iraq. about that a little bit later, but I want- or less than, these little upside down I don’t doubt the United Kingdom ed to yield back to the gentleman for Vs that you put, but it’s a way of was one of our closest allies. Indeed, his additional thoughts. But I thought bringing a secure method to make sure they are. Tony Blair has been our best it would be good at this point to inter- people are not using fraudulent docu- friend and Gordon Brown will be and ject this quote from the 9/11 Families ments. has been one of our best friends, but for a Secure America. I want to talk a little bit now, Mr. this just goes to show that even our Mr. BILBRAY. I think the real key Speaker, about some of the things that greatest friends can be vulnerable to there, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that the have been happening lately. It’s hard these homegrown terrorists possessing outcome does matter when you talk to believe that 9/11 was almost 6 years legitimate citizenship documentation about the security of our Nation, and ago. 2001, we’re now 2007 and approach- and authorized legal passports. we forget sometimes when we talk ing September. It’s almost unbeliev- So this is where we are, and this is about the security of the Nation that able, but people tend to forget, and what’s going on this hour, and I will be we’re talking about the security of our that’s part of the problem. happy to yield back to my good friend neighborhoods and our homes. One of my colleagues, whenever he and colleague, the chairman, once I had the privilege of serving as gives a 1 minute or a 5-minute speech again of our Immigration Reform Cau- mayor and chairman of San Diego or has an opportunity to speak from cus for additional thoughts. I proudly, County and mayor of a small county on the well, he always says, and this is the by the way, serve on his executive com- the border, and I know and I think any gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. mittee of the Immigration Reform mayor will tell you that those of us in WILSON), as he concludes, and we will Caucus, and I yield to my friend from local government just assume the Fed- never forget 9/11. God bless him for California. eral Government’s going to do its part. doing that. Sometimes it gets a little Mr. BILBRAY. Thank you. I appre- The trouble is the mayor and the police trite, but JOE WILSON knows of what he ciate the gentleman from Georgia’s chiefs and the county sheriffs end up speaks. kind words, and let me just say that in having to take on these responsibil- But it’s easy to forget, but nobody the words of the former Inspector Gen- ities, and they don’t have the right to has forgotten about these doctors, doc- eral of Homeland Security, specifically

VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:26 Jun 17, 2010 Jkt 059102 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR07\H16JY7.001 H16JY7 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD 19106 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 153, Pt. 14 July 16, 2007 said that we should be abolishing the I think reasonable people should say This is crazy that we haven’t com- waiver system, not expanding it. So, on the administration, rather than look- pleted this. It’s just outrageous, out- a minimum, we’ve got to stop the ex- ing into expanding this program, rageous to suspend a program like that pansion. should be looking to reduce it, at least when we need it more than ever. I think that it just shows a lack of temporarily, and ratcheting down and I know my friend from California has understanding of just how far the pres- reducing the opportunities for people a thought on that, because he just sure’s going to back off on our due dili- to come in here unreviewed. Because stood up. I look forward to your com- gence when it comes to border security for every country, for every person ments. by those people that don’t see the big that we allow in this country that we Mr. BILBRAY. Just a couple of picture, and to think that at this time have not done our due diligence, we are weeks ago, the Senate was shocked, the where we’re talking about threats, es- exposing the Nation to that threat, and White House was shocked at what they pecially what just happened in Eng- we are exposing ourselves to a lifetime saw was a groundswell from America land, where somebody who they of regrets that we did not do the right against a proposal that America right- thought was a safe immigrant, literally thing by the American people. fully thought was amnesty. They won- drove a fire bomb into the front door of Mr. GINGREY. Colleagues, what Mr. der why is there so much animosity a terminal, if I remember right, and BILBRAY is talking about, of course, is against Washington on the immigra- what will happen when we allow some- almost unbelievable, but what he says tion issue. body to do that? is true. He knows of what he speaks. It’s exactly because of things like the Frankly, I haven’t spoke a lot about In December of this past year, just 8 US-Visit system. The American people this, but on 9/11, I was in the immigra- months ago, the Department of Home- think that the political leaders of tion commissioner’s office the day the land Security said that they were Washington just don’t get it and aren’t plane started crashing into American going to temporarily, not dismantle, willing to do the heavy lifting. It has buildings. thank God, but temporarily suspend been how many years that since, is it b 2130 the US-Visit program. I am not sure 1996, that the US-Visit system was sup- why they made that decision, maybe I was actually in the office, and we posed to be implemented. It still hasn’t too much work, they don’t have been implemented. Now we have people watched the second plane crash into enough money, I don’t know. But we the second tower. That commissioner at a point where they say let’s just for- asked them to do it in 2000, we asked get about it. said, can you imagine being the agents them to do it again in 2001 with the who let these guys into the country. This is much like the commitments PATRIOT Act. We asked them in 2002 and promises, much like building the Now, we didn’t know who did this. We with the Secure Border Act. We put didn’t know who was responsible. We fence that the American people have deadlines on it. heard so many promises and seen their had no idea. I guess it’s kind of like the fence bill. promises broken so often that they as- But the immigration commissioner I know my constituents in the 11th Dis- sume this town just does not care or, had the foresight of saying, my God, trict of Georgia know all about that. worse, has been enticed by whatever somehow I know I am responsible, and They asked me, didn’t you guys, PHIL, forces for whatever reason not to do you imagine being the agent who per- weren’t you part of a group that had an the right thing. sonally let these people in. amendment in the 109th Congress I think when it comes down to devel- I don’t think we think about this, but where when you guys were in control, oping confidence on the immigration tightening up and controlling the waiv- when the Republicans were in control, issue, the American people are saying, er process is going to be one of the wasn’t it your amendment that was before you ask us to trust you one things we have got to do so we don’t adopted that called for 700 miles of more time, we want you to prove to us look back and say, my God, we were fencing along the 2,100 mile southern that you deserve to be trusted. warned, we knew this was coming, and border where we have got some severe Go back to the things that you have why didn’t we do more. Why weren’t we problems, not just people coming, seek- been promising us for 20 years and do there to stop this from happening? ing jobs, but potential drug lords and those, get your House in order and take All I have got to say is that I was out gang members, and, yes, terrorists car- care of it. Things like finish the visit of politics. I was just meeting with rying maybe even a nuclear weapon in them about immigration issues, but I a suitcase or a briefcase? system to where you know who has saw the anguish and the frustration in I said, yes, I was part of that. We did come into the country and who has his eyes and his voice realizing that pass it. I am very proud of it. Then we gone out of the country. Without that, somehow he knew the immigration came back and passed it again. They both, you don’t know who stayed in the agency that he was in charge of some- want to know why we have only got country. how contributed to this disaster. about 15 miles of the 700. It’s hard to What’s your excuse, Washington? The fact is, I hope all of us start explain, and we need to have some con- Why are you doing all of these other looking at this as being what are we versations with the administration in things that everybody talks about? doing today to make sure that we are regard to things that the Congress says You can talk about health care. It not faced off in saying, my God, why need to be done, and we vote them into doesn’t take an act of Congress to hire didn’t I do more. Why didn’t I push law, and appropriate money. Yet things a doctor. It does take an act of Con- harder? Why wasn’t I the bothersome either don’t happen or happen far too gress to stop a terrorist from crossing one that told the administration, I slowly. the border. know you are being pressured by these To think, though, that they just de- I want to say that it was very scary guys, but I am going to pressure you cided we are going to suspend this US- in February that the Senate was actu- back? I am going to give some balance Visit, and as Mr. BILBRAY, the gen- ally looking at expanding the visa to the process here in Washington? tleman from California, just said, this waiver. Frankly, I was very proud of I think that’s all the American peo- is not the time to suspend US-Visit; one move my Senators, Senator FEIN- ple have asked for, a little balance. this is the time to ramp it up, to make STEIN, for standing up and saying, Again, as the Inspector General said, sure that we have a machine that reads whoa, whoa, whoa, we are going a little now is not the time to expand this pro- these passports at every port of entry. faster. I want to thank her for that. gram. If the President and the adminis- Hey, if American Express can do it, it It’s important that we have bipar- tration honestly believes that this seems to me the United States of tisan effort here. The American people country is under a threat, that this America can do it. American Express are tired of both parties finding ex- country must do extraordinary things and Visa and MasterCard, they have cuses and not doing the right thing. to defend our neighborhoods, then the been doing it a long time. They don’t They want both parties working to- minimum is not to expand this pro- get any cash unless they know you are gether to protect their neighborhoods. gram. who you say you are. When a neighborhood gets blown up,

VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:26 Jun 17, 2010 Jkt 059102 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR07\H16JY7.001 H16JY7 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD July 16, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 153, Pt. 14 19107 it’s Democrats, Republicans and inde- called pizza delivery guys who were will be more than that. So I introduced pendents whose lives are at stake. going on the military base at Fort Dix, H.R. 1342, the Secure Entry Act, and It doesn’t draw political lines where New Jersey. Many of my colleagues on this would suspend not end, not end. the threat is. both sides of the aisle that represent And I want to say to the ambassadors Frankly, the issue of being able to New Jersey understand the potential from the State Departments for these address these commonsense things like horror that these guys, these guys, other countries, I have talked to them. implementing the US-Visit system, to these terrorists that were here with a They say, well, you are going to hurt implement or reduce the impact of the passport from a visa waiver country tourism. Well, tourism is great, but waiver system is something that we were about to inflict on one of our you tell it to the families of the 9/11 need to work together. I want to pub- major military installations. victims, the over 3,000 that are no licly thank Senator FEINSTEIN for Well, what I want to talk about now longer with us. We can do this. standing up on that issue. I think that is what I plan to do about this problem But it seems like in this body and in we need to push more on that. with the visa program, not to expand any situation where you have to ac- But this one right now is that if we it. The gentleman from California is complish things, people for some rea- can’t get the visit system in, what are absolutely right. The other Chamber, son want to wait until the 11th hour we doing expanding the visa waiver? there are Members in this 9/11 bill that and they won’t do it and they will pro- That’s an extraordinary, extraordinary we passed back in January, and it’s crastinate and they will drag their challenge. about to go to conference, the Senate feet. It’s too much trouble, don’t have Again, this is why the American peo- version being a little different than the personnel, don’t have the money. Well, ple are saying, I don’t understand it. House version, there were some Sen- you have got to make them do it. And How can you ask me to trust you with ators that wanted to expand the visa you say, we will suspend the program another law that could be 300 or 1,000 waiver program, not limit it to the 27, and you can come to this country only pages when you haven’t taken care of but to expand it far beyond that. if you have a visa, not with a passport, the promises you have made over the As my colleague pointed out, his Sen- until you have done what we have our last 20 years? laws require you to do. That is it. That Mr. GINGREY. How does the saying ator from California, Senator FEIN- is the bill. And I think when you con- go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool STEIN, said maybe we ought not to do sider the safety of our people, it is not me twice, shame on me. I think that’s that yet. Well, I do commend her. I join too much to ask. exactly the point the Congressman is him in commending her for that. We have another. This was someone making in regard to the American peo- But I want to go a step further. What that came in 1993. I am going back now ple. I want to do, and this is called for in They are not happy about being my legislation, H.R. 1342, H.R., House a little bit. Remember, my colleagues, fooled about border security and the of Representatives bill, 1342, the Secure the first attack on the World Trade nonbuilt fence. They are not happy Entry Act, it’s time to suspend this Center? They didn’t bring it down, but about this either. They are not happy program. It’s not time to suspend US- they came close. They came very close, one bit about suspending this US-Visit Visit. It’s not time to expand the U.S. killed a few people, caused a lot of program. visa waiver program, as Representative damage. And we treated it as some I have the next slide, and I think my BILBRAY and Senator FEINSTEIN so well criminal act, not as an act of terrorism colleagues will recognize some of these know. which is what it clearly was. Well, one infamous characters. I want to point We need to suspend this program and of those characters we were able to them out to you, though, once again. say to those countries, the 27 or any catch, Ahmed Ajaj. And the slide, if Over here, I will point to him, this gen- others that we expand to, I am not op- you look closely says, ‘‘On September tleman right here, is named Richard posed in the future to expand it if they 1, 1992, Ahmed Ajaj fraudulently pre- Reid, but he is better known as the have those biometric machine-readable sented a Swedish, and, yes, my col- shoe bomber, the shoe bomber. passports, and they have done the due leagues they are one of the 27 visa The shoe bomber flew from Paris diligence before they have given those waiver countries, presented a Swedish with a passport, a citizen from a visa passports, just like you would with a passport without a visa for INS inspec- waiver country, got on a plane, had no visa. If somebody is going to come over tion when he arrived at JFK Airport in intention, of course, with a visa waiv- here for two or three years to study or New York on a flight from Pakistan. er, he could stay in the United States something, they have to answer some- Thank goodness, on secondary inspec- for 90 days. He had no intention of get- thing like 40 different questions and all tion Ajaj’s luggage was searched re- ting to the United States. He just these background checks. vealing six bomb making manuals, six wanted to blow that plane to smither- Not so with a passport. Getting a as if one wouldn’t do, videotapes call- eens. Fortunately, we caught him, passport is about like getting a driver’s ing for terrorism against Americans, from a visa waiver program country. license or a bank credit card or some- multiple fake passports, maybe some of The guy next to him, that’s thing. It’s just a question or two. those stolen visa waiver passports that Moussaoui, Zacarias Moussaoui. He is What’s your name, where do you live, we are not keeping up with, and a known as the 20th hijacker. He was give us a photo. cheat sheet on how to lie to United from Morocco, a French citizen from We are not going to be safe with this States immigration inspectors. They Morocco, living in France. He flew program, this program that was initi- are good at that, these people. Fortu- from London to Chicago and then, as ated, I said at the outset of the hour, nately, Ajaj was arrested for passport we all remember in the 9/11 report, in back in the mid-1980s to promote tour- fraud, and he was serving, long since particular, this guy, this terrorist with ism, friendship and cultural exchange over, with a 6-month sentence at the a passport, a legal passport, then en- and to promote international trade and time that his fellow conspirators, his rolled in flight school in Oklahoma business. The Statue of Liberty says it co-conspirators attacked the World City. all. But we are living in a different Trade Center February 26, 1993. Thank goodness that we had very at- time now. Mr. Speaker, I want to show another tentive FBI agents who recognized that slide, and this is from the Associated here was someone that was in this b 2145 Press dated July 13, 2007, 3 days ago. country under the visa waiver program We are living in a time that we are And here is what the Associated Press who overstayed his visa. Well, not real- not safe with this program. 15 million, said: ‘‘Al Qaeda is stepping up its ef- ly a visa, but he overstayed the 90 days, I mentioned this earlier, Mr. Speaker, forts to sneak terror operatives into and, fortunately, we caught him. He in the hour. 15 million people used this the United States and has acquired was the 20th hijacker. program in the last year that we were most of the capabilities it needs to To my near side are the photographs counting, 2005. It is probably more than strike here, according to a new U.S. in- of the Fort Dix Six. These are the so- that now. Certainly if we expand it, it telligence assessment. The group will

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But here, when member second to JOHN LEWIS, and ev- these visa waiver countries are, in the you talk about these countries that are erybody knows JOHN LEWIS; but NA- continent of Europe, ‘‘because of a pro- under the visa, you are talking about THAN DEAL says we ought to end this gram that allows most Europeans to some of them with massive amounts of nonsense of birthright citizenship, Mr. enter without visas.’’ immigration. So somebody could come Speaker. You sneak into this country, That is where we are, Mr. Speaker. in from Iran, immigrate to Australia, the husband and wife both illegals, and That is exactly why I am here tonight. like I said, my mother’s former coun- have eight children and all of a sudden That is why the chairman of the bipar- try, could immigrate from Morocco they are all United States citizens. A tisan House Immigration Reform Cau- into France, and then once they get lot of countries, most countries have cus is with me during this hour. It is their citizenship in that country then stopped allowing that. So, I am glad that important. It is that important. use that citizenship as being a free ride my colleague gave me an opportunity And we deeply appreciate you listening into the United States. So in reality, to pay tribute to some of my Georgia to us because it is not all about, as we because immigration has become so colleagues. talked about at the top of the hour, fluid and nationalization of foreign na- Mr. Speaker, when we started I didn’t this bill that just went crashing down tionals has become so easy in so many think it would take an hour, but when in flames. Because I think, and many countries, that the issue of allowing you are passionate about something of my colleagues feel, and fortunately some countries to be exempt from re- the time goes by pretty quickly. And the Senate rejected anything that view and oversight and others not real- this is such an important issue. looked like amnesty, we have got to se- ly are becoming antiquated, and we Who supports, other than me and I cure those borders first and foremost, need to get back there. If you do not hope the majority of my colleagues in and that was what everybody has said. want a terrorist coming in from the the House of Representatives, sus- Well, maybe, a sigh of relief certainly West Bank, going through France and pending the visa waiver program? I will from Georgians. But this is a different coming into this country, then we have tell you who: The 9/11 families for a Se- issue but equally important. This is to review everyone who comes into this cure America, the Federation for what you call internal security. Not country. American Immigration Reform, and necessarily just securing the southern So, in reality, we should be reducing last but not least because they rep- border, but who do you let in, and the visa waiver, because we are not resent thousands of people in this under what terms do you let them in, talking about people who have come country, Numbers USA. They are all and where are they going? Are they from those countries, born in those strongly supportive of this bill. And I going to do what they say they are countries, and have long term loyalty hope that we can get it passed, Mr. going to do, or are they who they say to those countries. We are also talking Speaker, because here again I am not they are? And if they overstay, even if about people who have moved to those calling for eliminating the visa waiver they are legitimate, who is going to countries and might have moved there program; I am saying let’s suspend it, round them up? 15 million of them. 15 just a few years ago with the intention let’s don’t expand it, I agree with Sen- million in 2005, maybe more now. of getting their citizenship or getting ator FEINSTEIN, and let’s get it right. Listen to this, Mr. Speaker, some of legal residency to use that residency We can get it right, and then people the participating countries, and I for the next move. And I think the doc- will be safe here. would like my colleagues to pay atten- tors that tried to kill so many in Eng- Listen to what the European ter- tion. The 27, I may not mention them land this last few months is an example rorist cells have said recently. A quote all, are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, that we really do have to be careful from Taliban military commander Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, how we get it. Who would have thought Mansoor Dadullah, as reported by Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liech- that doctors from England could be Brian Ross of ABC News. This was just tenstein, Luxembourg, the Nether- terrorists. History has proven that a couple of days ago. ‘‘These Ameri- lands, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, those assumptions are wrong. And how cans, Canadians, British, and Germans Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the many other assumptions are we mak- come here to Afghanistan from far- U.K. I left out a few, but you get the ing today that could be proven wrong away places. Why shouldn’t we train picture. You get the picture. I think in a much more graphic way? them?’’ That is what I am talking there is something like 43 countries in I appreciate the chance, Mr. Speaker, about, Mr. Speaker, and that is why we Europe. Most of them, 27 at least, are for your patience of allowing us to ad- are here tonight. We need to suspend part of this visa waiver program. dress you here tonight and the Amer- this program until we can get it right We are getting close to the hour that ican people here tonight, and I thank so that we can protect the American we need to wrap up, but before I do the gentleman from Georgia for his people. that I want to yield back to my friend leadership on this issue. And I do Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from California, who is really a stal- thank the Georgia delegation for for their attention, and I yield back wart on immigration reform because he standing so strong and so firm and de- the balance of my time. knows the problems that it has created fending our national sovereignty and f if we don’t do the due diligence that defending our neighborhoods by stand- the American people have elected us to ing strongly for immigration control CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE do. And he knows what has happened and proper regulation. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under and the havoc that it has created in his Mr. GINGREY. I thank the gen- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- State, our most populous State, the tleman from California. And it reminds uary 18, 2007, the gentlewoman from State of California. me, Mr. Speaker, as we talk about my Pennsylvania (Ms. SCHWARTZ) is recog- Mr. BILBRAY. I appreciate that. colleagues from Georgia, Dr. Norwood, nized for 60 minutes. And, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about Charlie Norwood. We will elect tomor- Ms. SCHWARTZ. Mr. Speaker, I am a visa and we talk about a proposal to row someone to replace him, but you very pleased this evening to introduce go to a $10 visa processing fee, I go to can’t replace him. Dr. Norwood was so the subject of children’s health insur- Latin America on most of my family’s strong on all these immigration issues ance and what has really been a re- casual time; it is kind of the untold in regard to that CLEAR Act that markably successful Federal-State, story that the chairman of the Immi- would let State and local law enforce- public-private initiative that has real- gration Caucus spends so much time in ment departments participate in appre- ly helped to make sure that middle

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