May 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 77 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S2761-S2762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Tribute to John Wagner

  Finally, Mr. President, I want to recognize John Wagner from Ashburn, 
who serves as Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner of the U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection. For those of you who might actually 
follow some of this and are keeping score at home, John's name might 
sound familiar. He has been recognized before, including by me on this 
floor, for strengthening the passport control process through the 
Global Entry Trusted Traveler Program and the Automated Passport 
Control Program, which are widely familiar to many international 
travelers. That alone would have been enough to gain recognition and be 
good enough for a whole career.
  Since then, John has spearheaded facial recognition systems at 
several major U.S. airports, which offer a fast and paperless method of 
screening incoming and outgoing travelers. To

[[Page S2762]]

date, the software has identified 45 fraudulent travel documents and 
approximately 7,000 visa overstays.
  These innovative processes conceived by Mr. Wagner have increased the 
efficiency, minimized costs, and allowed CBP officers to focus on 
keeping our country safe.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Ambassador Kozak, 
Ms. De Castro, and Mr. Wagner and thanking them for their great work.