The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on December 8 to tighten restrictions on travelers to the United States who have visited Iraq, Iran, Syria, or Sudan.
The measure would require visitors from 38 countries whose citizens are not usually required to have visas for short visits, including much of Western Europe, to obtain visas if they had been to the four countries, deemed to be terrorist hotspots, during the past five years.
It also would also require countries participating in the visa-free program to share information with U.S. authorities about suspected terrorists.
The bill, which passed 407-19, is the second major piece of security legislation approved in the House since the November 13 Paris attacks. President Barack Obama has promised to sign it.
But the White House has promised to veto a second security bill passed by the House, imposing tough new screening requirements on refugees from Syria and Iraq.
The Senate has not voted on either measure. Both could be included in a trillion-dollar spending bill that Congress must pass in the next few days to keep the government open.