Letter to Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Tom Carpenter, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee - Visa Wavier Program
Letter
January 12, 2015
The Honorable Ron Johnson, Chairman
The Honorable Tom Carper, Ranking Member
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20150
Dear Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Carper:
Last week's terrorist attacks in Paris serve as a solemn reminder of the evolving threats our nation confronts from Islamist terrorism. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "this attack on France is an attack on us all." We must do everything we can to protect the American people from these threats. For that reason, I respectfully request a committee hearing to examine the Visa Waiver Program in the context of the growing foreign fighter threat to our homeland.
While details of the circumstances surrounding last week's events are still emerging, many reports indicate that the terrorists in the Charlie Hebdo attack were French nationals who allegedly traveled to Yemen to train with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and subsequently returned home to France. Reports also indicate they may have had ties to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab-the 2009 Christmas day "Underwear Bomber."
U.S. and European officials have long warned of the serious dangers posed by Americans and Europeans traveling to Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, in particular, to train and fight with jihadists, and the possibility they could then return to their home countries to carry out attacks. At this time, it appears this was the case in the Paris attacks.
As you know, the United States' Visa Waiver Program provides for the temporary lawful entry into the United States of nationals from specified countries without having to first obtain a visa. France is a Visa Waiver Program member country.
In light of the growing and evolving threats to our homeland, it is important to scrutinize the Visa Waiver Program to ensure that it does not provide terrorists an opportunity to travel to the U.S. to conduct an attack against the American people. Thank you for your consideration of my request for the committee to hold a hearing to address this important issue.
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