US Flag and the Captiol Dome

Washington, Oct 3 -

Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), today, sent a bipartisan letter to the Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza Rice, asking the Bush Administration to expand the visa waiver program to include Eastern European and Baltic allies.

Currently, many residents of United States allies in Western Europe are granted visa waivers to enter the US temporarily without a visa, while those same privileges are not extended to Baltic and Eastern European countries. Kucinich, and 24 of his colleagues, are seeking an expansion of this important program.

Today’s letter follows a press conference held last week on Capitol Hill in which Kucinich was joined by Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) and the Ambassadors from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovak Republic and Poland.

“Our friends and allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries should be granted the same rights and privileges as our friends and allies in Western Europe,” Kucinich stated after sending the letter. “This isn’t an immigration matter, this a matter of basic fairness and is good for our economy and our relations with these important nations.”

The letter, today, states:

Dear Secretary Rice,

We write today out of concern about the exclusion of several friendly nations from the visa waiver program. 

As you know, under this program nationals from included countries are allowed to enter the United States as temporary visitors without obtaining a visa.  The benefits of this program, however, extend far beyond the increased ease with which visitors are able to travel to the United States. 

The visa waiver program facilitates international travel and substantially eases the workload of consular offices abroad.  Currently, 27 countries participate in this program, including most EU member states.  Several newer EU member states, however, are not currently included in the program, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Slovak Republic.  These nations, also member countries of NATO, have expressed the desire to be included in this beneficial program. 

Concerns over this issue were raised at the U.S.- EU Summit held this past June in Austria.  At the time, the United States agreed on the importance of reciprocal visa free travel between the EU and the United States.  While we are encouraged by this step, tangible action is necessary to further encourage friendly relations and ensure citizens of these nations are able to make use of the visa waiver program. 

We urge you to begin dialogues with these nations regarding the visa waiver program and support continued cooperation with them to ease travel for temporary visitors. 

Joining Kucinich on the letter are Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL), Tom Lantos (D-CA), John Murtha (D-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), John Lewis (D-GA), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Pete Stark (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Dale Kildee (D-MI), John Conyers (D-MI), James Oberstar (D-MN), Diane Watson (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Phil English (R-PA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Major Owens (D-NY), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Nick Rahall (D-WV), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Mike Doyle (R-PA), and Shelley Berkley (D-NV).

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