GAO Report Highlights Serious Gaps in Counterterrorism Information Sharing

Press Release

A report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights glaring security gaps in our counterterrorism cooperation with overseas partners. The report concludes that many countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are not living up to their agreements to exchange information with the United States about terrorism suspects. Two years ago, Members of the House Homeland Security Committee requested GAO review the security of the VWP, which allows foreign travelers to come to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days. Countries that participate in the program are required to share information about known or suspected terrorists, but GAO found that of the 38 countries participating in the VWP, more than one-third have failed to share terrorism identity information under the agreements.

Chairman McCaul: "GAO's report is disturbing, particularly in light of the high terror threat environment. Thousands of Europeans have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, and most of them are from countries that have visa-free access to the United States. These extremists are only a plane-flight away from our shores, which is why overseas counterterrorism cooperation is critical. But if our partners do not share data about terror suspects quickly and transparently, such fanatics might be able to slip through the cracks to enter our country. This is unacceptable. We need to put more pressure on our allies to live up to their obligations or face the prospect of being suspended from the Visa Waiver Program. We passed a law in December demanding that foreign partners live up to these agreements, and I urge the Department of Homeland Security to implement that legislation aggressively."

Note: In December of last year, the House passed a bipartisan bill, H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, requiring that VWP countries fully implement information-sharing agreements in order to participate in the program. The legislation was included in the end-of-year omnibus spending bill, H.R. 2029, and signed by the President.

Committee Action: Last year the Committee's bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel released a report highlighting additional security gaps that make it easier for extremists to cross borders undetected. The panel outlined 50+ recommendations from enhancing America's counterterrorism defenses at home and abroad, and the House has now acted legislatively on half of these recommendations.

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