Strengthen visa security

Visa security bill didn’t reach full House vote

Updated: Tuesday, November 20th, 2012 | By Becky Bowers

A new House Republican majority pledged in 2010 to strengthen visa security to protect against terrorists.

"We will require the Department of Homeland Security to review all visa applications at high-risk consular posts and prevent aliens from attempting to avoid deportation after having their visas revoked,” their Pledge to America said.

H.R. 1741, the Secure Visas Act, got on a House calendar, but never made it to the full House for a vote.

The bill, which Republicans offered in an effort to fulfill their promise, would have authorized the secretary of Homeland Security and the secretary of state to, among other things:

• Refuse or revoke visas to aliens if in the security or foreign policy interests of the United States.

• Require the secretary of Homeland Security to review visa applications before adjudication.

• Provide for the immediate dissemination of visa revocation information.

Since the bill didn't become law, we rate this Promise Broken.

Sources:

Email interview with David Popp, spokesman, House Republican Conference, Nov. 15, 2012

Speaker.gov, "Keeping the Pledge to America: How Republicans Have Fought to Create Jobs, Cut Spending, & Change the Way Congress Does Business," Sept. 20, 2012

Library of Congress' Thomas, "Secure Visas Act," accessed Nov. 20, 2012