The U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs Jonathan Grella issued the following statement in response to congressional moves that would undermine the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in the wake of terror activity in Europe:
“It would be a grave error by Congress to scapegoat a successful program—without as much as a hearing—that had zero to do with a recent tragedy. On crucial matters of security above all others, Congress is obligated to be as clear-eyed and deliberative as possible, and not fall prey to the time-honored tradition of rushed, emotional overreactions.
“We are concerned that VWP critics are not taking the proper time to listen to security experts, who overwhelmingly extol the security benefits of the program. We are concerned even more by the unknown consequences or expenses of an elaborate new ‘system’—devised and deployed in an instant—to overhaul VWP without appropriate vetting or scrutiny.”
For the full statement, click here.
