Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate approved an appropriations bill that bans the use of funds for the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a program designed to better track foreign nationals who enter the United States. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn), who fought to include nationals from Saudi Arabia on the list of those tracked by NSEERS and who is a member of the House Homeland Security Task Force, released the following statement:

"By cutting funds to a program designed to track visitors to the United States, the Senate seems to be unlearning the lessons of 9/11. The NSEERS program was created to close the gap in our laws that allows business, vacation and student visa applicants to enter our country without much scrutiny.

"There is nothing un-American or un-Patriotic about asking foreign visitors to submit to a little extra scrutiny."

In June of last year, Attorney General John Ashcroft established the NSEERS program, under which nationals from five countries-Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Syria-were subjected to heightened tracking measures when they entered the United States, including fingerprinting and photographing at their point of entry, periodic checks by INS during their stay, and a required departure check-in when they leave. The list was expanded to include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen last November, prompting Rep. Weiner to call on the Bush Administration to add Saudi Arabia to the list. Saudi Arabia was added in December.

###