"The earlier in the travel and visa process we begin to conduct security checks... the safer the homeland will be."
"It looks like there is a gap there in the system. So we should pursue that."
"Pushing our borders out gives the Nation's security professionals the time and space to interdict plots before they reach the homeland."
"The vetting these programs do has created an outer ring of border security which has become even more important due to the significant and growing threat that fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq a..."
"it is a very sober reminder of the challenges that we face."
"We learned on 9/11 and again with the Christmas day bomber that we cannot wait to act until terror plots reach our shores."
"I want to thank the gentleman very much for his opening statement because, as this subcommittee hearing is about the outer ring of border security as we think about terrorist activity, it is stopping ..."
"If we find that some of the Visa Waiver countries are not sharing information in the form that we need to be--to have our comfort level where it needs to be, that he has the ability to suspend these c..."
"Some--you know, and I appreciate their concern--have actually suggested eliminating this program. I am not in that posture."
"I certainly would agree that Visa Waiver is a component and as we look at the thing in the overall."
"The threat that these foreign fighters pose is significant and growing in large part because the terrorists with Western passports are eligible for visa-free travel to the United States through the Vi..."