As mayor of Cleveland, governor of Ohio and now a U.S. senator, I’ve been a consistent voice for strengthening public diplomacy while bolstering our homeland security. Now, as we get ready to consider the 9/11 bill in conference, he have a chance to do both by passing my Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2007.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) was established in 1986 to promote relations with our allies by permitting nationals from selected countries to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days for tourism or business without standing in line to get a visa. The program has been a very successful tool in strengthening our public diplomacy, with 27 countries currently participating.
Despite the strong desire of many close and trusted allies to participate in the program, many of which help us wage the Global War on Terror, new countries have not been admitted into the VWP since 1999. 

The current freeze on expanding the VWP has discouraged hundreds of thousands of peaceful people from visiting the United States for business and pleasure, hurting both our economy and our public diplomacy. By limiting legitimate travel to the U.S., we are dampening international good will and losing economic opportunities totaling millions of dollars.

As a member of both the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, I believe it is time to update the Visa Waiver Program to maintain strong relations with our allies. 

To address the need for modernization of the VWP, I recently introduced S. 653, the Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2007, along with Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). This legislation passed the Senate last March as part of S. 4, the Improving America’s Security Act, because my colleagues understood the need to update U.S. visa and travel policies. I am hopeful my colleagues in the House will agree and will support H.R. 1543, the House companion legislation introduced by Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and John Shimkus (R-Ill.). 

Our legislation seeks to simultaneously enhance travel security policies while allowing additional countries to be considered for program status. We also aim to improve the overall security of the program while facilitating legitimate travel. These two goals are not mutually exclusive.

The legislation will provide the secretaries of DHS and State the flexibility needed to expand the program to additional countries that meet criteria to ensure they do not pose a threat to the security, law enforcement or immigration interests of our nation.

New and existing program countries will be required to implement enhanced travel security requirements to establish common security standards and policies designed to limit illegal entry and prevent travel by terrorists or transnational criminals. The new provisions will close existing security gaps and require of participant countries biometric passports, strict passenger screening through an e-travel authorization system, passenger information exchanges, strict reporting of lost or stolen passports, airport and baggage security standards and agreements for home-country repatriation of any visitors who violate U.S. laws.  

The legislation will also require the Department of Homeland Security to monitor when Visa Waiver Program participants exit the country and improve procedures for measuring any potential overstays in order to ensure compliance with the program.  Capturing travelers’ information upon exit, not just entry, is an important aspect of our border management system. 

The term “visa waiver” is misleading. The only steps waived are the expensive application fee and backlogged visa issuing process. But there is no waiver when it comes to security. In fact, my bill would require far stricter travel security standards and passport policies for the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program than for nonparticipating countries.

Expansion of the VWP is not only important to some of our closest international allies, but also for U.S. long-term strategic interests. In addition to substantial benefits for U.S. foreign relations and homeland security, expansion would advance U.S. economic competitiveness in the global economy by preventing undue impediments to the free flow of people.

The opportunity to modernize and strengthen the Visa Waiver Program comes at a particularly important time in our nation’s history as our country faces multiple foreign policy challenges. 

The Visa Waiver Program is an important tool that can help solidify key relationships and increase good will toward the U.S. for years to come, while also enhancing travel security standards for visitors and boosting our economy.  


Voinovich is the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, and he also serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.