Tom Weimer Sworn In as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget

Tom Weimer Sworn In as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today announced the swearing-in of R. Thomas Weimer as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget. President Bush announced his intention to nominate Weimer to the post on May 2, 2005. The nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 21st.

Weimer has most recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science and was named Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science in December of 2004.

“Tom Weimer possesses a unique combination of leadership and management experience and a commitment to public service,” Secretary Norton said today. “I am confident in his ability to further advance the President’s agenda of management excellence at the Department of the Interior.”

Weimer has 18 years of federal experience, previously serving at Interior as chief of staff to Secretary Manuel Lujan, Jr. He began his work with Secretary Norton in July 2001.

Weimer worked on the professional staff of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and served as a subcommittee staff director on the House Committee on Science. Before returning to Interior in 2001, he was legislative director for National Laboratory Affairs at the University of California.

He has also directed the Program Office at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C., and has worked as a technical staff member at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., and at the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Weimer received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in systems engineering from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif., and a master of electrical engineering degree from the University of Washington, Seattle. He is a registered professional engineer.

Office of the Secretary, For Immediate Release: December 30, 2005 Contact: Dan DuBray - 202-208-3172 SOURCE: Department of the Interior

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DHS Completes Foundation of Biometric Entry System

DHS Completes Foundation of Biometric Entry System

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) US VISIT program has completed installation of biometric entry capabilities at 104 land border ports, as mandated by Congress. Biometric entry capabilities are now deployed at all fixed ports of entry open to US-VISIT travelers.

“The U.S. Government’s efforts to strengthen our nation’s immigration and border management system have taken a giant leap with the deployment of US VISIT entry capabilities at all our ports and visa-issuing posts abroad,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “US VISIT is making America safer by enhancing our border management system with next-generation technologies and processes to address the emerging threats, challenges, and opportunities of our 21st century world.”

US VISIT installed biometric entry procedures at the 50 busiest land border ports along the U.S. Canada and U.S.-Mexico land borders as of Dec. 29, 2004; meeting the Dec.31, 2004 deadline. The deployment of biometric entry procedures to each of the remaining 104 land border ports of entry is also ahead of the congressional deadline of Dec. 31, 2005.

US VISIT is a continuum of security measures that collect biometric and biographic information from visitors at U.S. visa-issuing posts upon their arrival and departure from U.S. air, sea and land border ports. The program enhances security by verifying each visitors’ identity and by comparing their biometric and biographical information against watch lists of terrorists, criminals, and immigration violators.

Since January 2004, US VISIT has processed more than 44 million visitors, which makes the program the largest-scale application of biometrics in the world. Biometrics have enabled US VISIT to intercept, at U.S. ports of entry, more than 970 people with histories of criminal or immigration violations, including federal penitentiary escapees, convicted rapists, drug traffickers, individuals convicted of murder, and numerous immigration violators.

Additionally, the State Department’s BioVisa program, which is fully integrated with US VISIT, has resulted in over 14,000 hits on individuals applying for visas to travel to the United States.

At many land border ports of entry, US VISIT has decreased processing time in secondary inspection as a result of the automation of Form I-94 issuance process and US VISIT’s simple, fast and clean biometric processes.

US VISIT currently applies to all visitors entering the United States, regardless of country of origin, or whether they are traveling on a visa with certain exemptions. Canadian citizens are exempt, as are most Mexican visitors who apply for admission using a Border Crossing Card, also known as a laser visa, and travel within the border zone during the 30 day time limit.

For more information, visit dhs.gov/us-visit.

### For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, Contact: 202-282-8010, December 30, 2005

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