Western governors call for pre-screening of more tourists outside U.S.

 


LAS VEGAS (AP) — Governors in the West are calling for expansion of a program that screens travelers at airports abroad, in a bid to encourage tourism and stop terrorists before they arrive in the United States.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced Friday in Las Vegas that Western Governors' Association members approved a resolution calling for expanding an existing program.

The document points to U.S. passenger screening currently conducted at 15 airports in Ireland, Canada, Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the United Arab Emirates.

The governors want to add airports in Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and England.

The governors also approved calls for federal funding for sustainable forest management in the West, implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill and safe transportation of defense-related radioactive waste.