Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10) released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015: 

“Last week’s attack in California was yet another tragic illustration of the grave threat posed by radical Islamic terror and the urgent need for action to protect our homeland. Today, the House continued that effort by passing H.R. 158 which addresses glaring vulnerabilities in our Visa Waiver Program (VWP). 

“The VWP is a well-intentioned program, designed to support our tourism industry by allowing visitors from our closest allies abroad to travel here more easily. However—like many government programs—it includes loopholes and vulnerabilities that radical jihadists could seek to exploit in order to attack our homeland. Our bipartisan bill makes sensible reforms to address these vulnerabilities such as requiring those who have traveled to terrorist hot spots to obtain visas and allowing the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to alter the list of participating countries and those that require greater scrutiny.

“Today’s legislation is but a first step and House Republicans remain fully committed to doing all in our power to confront the threat of ISIL and ensure all Americans can live without fear for their safety.”