Rep. Hurd: Tightening Visa Waiver Program Key for US Security

Getting the right information to the right people is key for keeping terrorists out of the United States, and tightening the nation's visa waiver program is key to doing that, Rep. Will Hurd, a former undercover CIA officer, said in Saturday's GOP address.

"I spent nine years as an undercover officer in the CIA," the Texas lawmaker said. "I was the guy in the back alleys at four o’clock in the morning, chasing bad guys like al-Qaeda and the Taliban. So when we talk about the threat we’re facing right now — from ISIS and other terrorist groups — I know from first-hand experience, that they are a clear and present danger to the United States".

But the threat can't be contained, he said; it must be defeated.

"That’s why the House passed a bill that requires the president to come up with a real strategy to defeat ISIS," Hurd said. "Taking down ISIS will not be easy and there are many things we need to do. One of them is to tighten up the visa waiver program."

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