US Senator Wants to Kill Visa Program to End Trump Conflicts of Interest

Amid controversy over US President son-in-law Jared Kushner's affairs in China, US senator Dianne Feinstein called elimination of the controversial investment visa program "the only way" to kill potential conflicts of interest for the president and his inner circle.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Congress should scrap the controversial investment visa program in order to eliminate potential conflicts of interest for President Donald Trump and his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Senator Dianne Feinstein said in a statement.

"Given that President Trump and Jared Kushner refuse to divest from their vast financial holdings, the only way to eliminate this conflict is for Congress to allow the program to expire in September. I will continue to press for the elimination of the EB-5 program," Feinstein said on Monday.

Kushner is facing a wave of criticism after his family staged events in China last week that encouraged wealthy Chinese to invest in luxury developments in exchange for US green cards through the EB-5 program.

"I’ve long called for an end to the EB-5 program. It says that visas – and eventual US citizenship – are for sale, a terrible message for the 4.4 million people waiting in line for visas – some for as long as 23 years," Feinstein said.

The EB-5 program allows foreign nationals to obtain green cards if they invest as little as $500,000 in a US development project that would create jobs.