The Baltic Countries' Entrance Into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program

THE BALTIC COUNTRIES' ENTRANCE INTO THE U.S. VISA WAIVER PROGRAM -- (House of Representatives - May 18, 2006)

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in opposition to the perceived exclusions of the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from an amendment offered by the Senate in the immigration bill yesterday.

While I approve of this amendment to allow for a 2-year trial expansion of the Visa Waiver Program, I disagree with the requirements that are placed upon countries that would want to participate. This program enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

According to the language of Senate Amendment 4000, a country must provide ``material support,'' which means that current provision of the equivalent of but not less than of a battalion, which consists of between 300 to 1,000 military personnel, to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom to provide training, logistical or tactical support or military presence.

I feel that it is ineffective to place a number requirement on these smaller countries in the region. All the Baltic countries have been steadfast in support of allies of the United States since they gained their independence following the fall of the Soviet Union and have continued to be supportive in the ongoing war on terror.

While these countries are short of this amendment's required troop number, it seems to me that the best way to evaluate a country's eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program is to determine whether the country is a good ally and friend of the United States, not put a number on their commitment.

All these former Soviet satellite countries are continuing to actively work to implement the highest of technology with their border security, including biometric passports far ahead of some of their western European neighbors.

Currently, several of the 27 countries already in the Visa Waiver Program have committed zero troops to either mission. Why should such a requirement be placed on those countries that have already made a sacrifice, when others are rewarded for their non-participation?

Furthermore, small countries like Lithuania, with a population of 3.5 million, Latvia, with 2.8 million, or Estonia, with 1.3 million, clearly do not have as large a military as a country like Poland, which has over 38 million citizens, 30 million more than all three Baltic States combined. I feel that this is irresponsible to belittle the commitment and sacrifice to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom by not allowing them into the Visa Waiver Program with the specifics of this amendment.

Maybe if you combine the total deployment of the Baltic countries and add them up, which is as of my count today, 287 troops deployed, that is very close to the 300 minimum number. But, remember that these three countries combined still are 30 million people less than a country like Poland.

Also each of the Baltic States have troops participating in out-of-area NATO missions. One of the provisional reconstruction teams in Afghanistan is led by Lithuanian troops. Do these soldiers operating within the North American Treaty Organization not count toward their troop commitment in the language of this amendment? These are important questions that need to be addressed.

As Cochairman of the House Baltic Caucus, I understand the concerns that the Baltic countries have with this amendment, and I urge the conferees of the immigration bill to keep their concerns in mind as we work through the differences between both the Senate and the House.

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