William F. Smith: “Mr. Speaker, section 621 of H.R. 1 requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress how it plans to…”

“Mr. Speaker, section 621 of H.R. 1 requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress how it plans to implement an automated biometric entry-and-exit data system. A decade ago, Senator Alan Simpson and I authored the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 which required the Federal Government to develop such an automated entry-and-exit system. This would enable us to know who is entering the United States and when they leave. Forty percent of all illegal immigrants come to the United States legally but overstay their temporary visas. We can never begin to solve the illegal immigration problem if we don't deal with overstays, and we can never deal with overstays until we have a functioning exit control system. Instead of mandating completion of the exit component of a U.S. visit, this bill simply requires that the administration submit a report, a report already required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The failure to fully implement an exit control system is more evidence that it will be a long time before our country has secure borders. Instead of helping to change that, this bill only requires a report. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that we have missed an opportunity to better secure our homeland.”