Conservative Principles Now

Last week Greece was admitted as the 36th member nation of the Visa Waiver Program, (VWP). While this is certainly a welcome move for a program that hasn’t added a new member since 2008, it also highlights a real lack of willpower and effort by the White House to keep adding new member countries. In fact, DHS can barely add any new members right now because of the biometric exit mandate Congress linked to its waiver authority. The biometric mandate—which hasn’t gotten much of anywhere is a real stumbling block for the program—yet, the White House hasn’t even tried to pressure Congress to decouple them.

For a President who once emphasized, how we need “a new era of American diplomacy” he has done little to support VWP—which betters relations between the U.S. and its member nations. As explained by Heritage Analysts, the VWP offers many benefits to the U.S. and its allies. When travelers come to the United States, they spend billions of dollars in American restaurants, stores, and hotels, and also have the opportunity to bring positive experiences of the U.S. back to their home countries to be shared with others. While diplomatically, membership in the program serves as a real sign of trust to our allies—something they have expressed repeatedly throughout the program’s existence.

Prior to Greece’s admission, the Department of Homeland Security had identified several “road map” nations, that is, nations that were on the right path to becoming member nations. Yet as the White House has done little to foster their admittance and countries such as Poland, Romania, and Taiwan have clearly become frustrated.

The President needs to go out and make the case to Congress for VWP. He needs to talk about the 2007 security modifications that made this program a valuable counterterrorism tool. And he needs to explain how DHS should be granted permanent waiver authority to allow nations to join the VWP more readily. Likewise, the Visa Waiver Program must be decoupled from the mandate for biometric air-exit, which seriously limits the ability of the program to grow further. At the same time, ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, must remain user-friendly to allow member citizens to easily apply for entry, and older member nations must be held to the same security standards as new nations.

Bringing Greece into the program is progress for VWP, but other American allies are waiting…

Knowing what we know now, would the U.S. be able to stop another attack like that of Christmas Day 2009? This is certainly the question on the minds of many Americans today.  It is also one that Jamie McIntyre, veteran journalist and blogger for Military.com, had the opportunity to ask of Rand Beers, Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs Directorate from DHS, at a Heritage Foundation National Security Bloggers Luncheon.

Mr. Beers’ response can be seen here at LineOfDeparture.com thanks to a video posted by Jamie on his blog. However, to summarize the answer, Mr. Beer’s explains that while “Murphy’s law is alive and well…. the probability is considerably higher.”

To make sure that Mr. Beer’s is right, however, the Administration still has work to do.  As Heritage expert James Carafano outlined, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security must seek to enhance visa coordination between DHS and the Department of State; place more air marshals on passenger flights; accelerate the Secure Flight Program, Real ID, and the Visa Waiver Program; and, also, end the 100 percent interview requirement on visa applications.

Indeed, Mr. Beer’s will never be able to say that he is 100 percent certain that the U.S. is able to thwart the next terrorist attack, but actions by the Administration can at least ensure that he is right to say that the probability for success is higher.