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<home> -- <press releases> News from Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo Congresswoman Bordallo Reaffirms Commitment to Extending Visa Waiver for China and Russia to Guam FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 18, 2009 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today issued the following statement on the issue of the inclusion of China and Russia in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and the discussion about this issue during her meeting with officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, November 17, 2009. “I remain strongly committed to ensuring that the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program is in line with the original intent of the bill that Congress passed and that President George W. Bush signed into law in 2008,” Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said today. “Guam’s market already stands to benefit from the addition of Hong Kong to the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, but ultimately, it is the addition of China and Russia to the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program that we are working towards. I did raise this issue during my meeting with officials from the Department of Homeland Security yesterday. The interim rule, which takes effect on November 28, does not include China and Russia in the joint Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. Due to the impact on the CNMI economy, the Secretary of Homeland Security will be using her parole authority so that Chinese and Russian visitors can continue to visit the CNMI until a final rule is issued by DHS. I hope the successful implementation of the interim-final rule and the use of parole authority will lead to a pathway that will ultimately allow Chinese and Russian tourists to visit Guam. I emphasized to DHS that this was the Congressional intent, to have one regional Visa Waiver Program for Guam and CNMI, and that Chinese and Russian visitors would be able to visit both Guam and the CNMI. I also put the DHS officials on notice that I believe that the parole authority should be extended to Guam at some point in the near future once we are sure that this program has been successful for Chinese and Russians visiting the CNMI and if the final rule has not resolved this issue by then. We expect that DHS would establish a good track record in the CNMI where there are no violations or overstays of the visitors admitted under parole authority. This track record in the CNMI will give the DHS confidence that there is minimal, if any, risk posed by Chinese and Russian tourists coming to Guam. I stated that we will also use this time to work with DHS so that the final rule, when issued, reflects Congressional intent that Chinese and Russians are included in the joint Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. I have been working closely with the Governor, the Legislature, the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, and the Guam Visitors Bureau on this issue and I remain strongly committed to working cooperatively with them in the months ahead to open the China and Russia markets to the Guam visitor industry.” # # # matthew.mateo@mail.house.gov or derek.mandell@mail.house.gov |
