e-News 12/11/15

• Keeping Americans Safe
• Iranians Defy the UN – Again!
• Fighting for New Jersey’s Veterans
• Salute: Thank you to VFW Post 3401 in Morris Plains!

 

Keeping Americans Safe

This week in the House of Representatives, approved the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act (H.R. 158).  This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent our enemies from entering the United States through our visa-waiver program, a program intended to make it easier for citizens of friendly countries (including Britain, France, Belgium, etc.) to come to the U.S.  Currently, citizens of those countries could stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

As it has not been widely known that this program was vulnerable, H.R. 158 became essential. Under the measure, citizens from countries that qualify for the program would be denied visa-free entry to the U.S. if they have visited Iraq, Syria or other countries deemed to be terror hotspots in the last five years, or if they are citizens of those countries. Those individuals would instead have to pass through a more stringent security “vetting” process.

The measure would further direct the Department of Homeland Security to remove a country from the visa waiver program if it does not share counterterrorism data with the U.S. It would also require eligible countries to screen travelers against INTERPOL databases for links to criminal activity.

It is no secret that ISIS is recruiting people from many “friendly” nations.  In fact, the suspected mastermind of the attacks in Paris was a citizen of Belgium.

Among others, this is a security weakness that we must address.  TheVisa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act would strengthen the visa-waiver program, barring citizens of visa waiver nations who have traveled to Syria or Iraq within the past five years (since the start of the Syrian civil war) from participating.  This bill would also allow for the Department of Homeland Security to suspend a country’s ability to participate in this program.  A similar proposal is moving through the Senate as well.

Approval of this bill, by a bipartisan vote of 407-19, follows House passage last month of the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act (H.R. 4038), which would suspend the Syrian refugee resettlement program.

Though they are significant, targeted first steps, the SAFE Act and theVisa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act will not solve all of our national security problems.  In fact, I submit that one of the most serious security problems with which we are currently grappling is the radicalization of American citizens or individuals already in this country legally or illegally.  That is why I am working so hard to ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement communities have all the resources and tools they need to root out would-be terrorists hidden in our midst.

In addition, we are looking for ways to improve our entry system, increase our border security, and tighten up our laws for those who overstay their work, travel, or student visas.  Proposals such as these will strengthen our national security. 

Learn more about H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act here.

Iranians Defy the UN – Again!

In July, the Obama administration reached a highly controversial nuclear agreement with Iran.  I strongly opposed this agreement along with a bipartisan majority of the House. 

This week, we learned that Iran recently tested a medium-range ballistic missile in direct violation of two United Nations Security Council resolutions. In fact, the nuclear agreement itself calls on Tehran to stop its ballistic missile program for at least the next eight years.

This marks the second time Iran has illegally tested a ballistic missile since the nuclear agreement was signed. And yet the response from the Obama administration has effectively been nothing – a posture that encourages Iran to “spit in our eye” and further support terrorism in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. 

Not surprisingly, Iran apparently feels immune to pursue its illicit behavior despite the so-called binding, international agreement it reached with the Obama Administration. The administration may give the mullahs another free pass, but Congress will not.

This week, the House will consider bipartisan legislation to sanction the Lebanese-based terrorist group Hezbollah—a long-time Iranian proxy responsible for hundreds of American deaths. Deal or no deal, we cannot allow Iran’s threatening activities to continue without consequence.

Read more about Iran’s missile test here and here.

Fighting for New Jersey’s Veterans

For over a year, I have been working with the Sussex Freeholders, state legislators and veterans leaders to bring greater access to health care to our veterans in Sussex County by convincing the Veterans Administration (VA) to establish a community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC).  After a promising summer, the effort suffered some bureaucratic setbacks this fall.  But now is not the time for our veterans to take "no" for an answer from the VA and I will continue to demand that the VA to do its job to serve those who have served.

The VA's New Jersey Health Care System consists of two "main campuses" in East Orange and Lyons in Bernards Township with additional satellite clinics in Brick, Elizabeth, Hackensack, Hamilton, Jersey City, Morris Township, Paterson, Piscataway and Tinton Falls. Many veterans from Sussex County use the Morris Township clinic, which is more than an hour's drive from parts of the county.

Rob Jennings covers the issue in the New Jersey Herald here.

Salute: Thank you to VFW Post 3401 in Morris Plains, recently awarded the Guardian Angel Award for their donation to Operation Chillout and their Rapid Response Team members who provide shelter, warm clothing, and other resources to homeless veterans.  I am proud to be a member of this active Post.