Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, thank you for the time. As we witnessed President Biden's State of the Union speech last night in this historic House Chamber, the gallery was filled with families that are in mourning, Mr. Speaker. They are in mourning because their loved ones are captive by a rogue terror group or by an authoritarian country or by a Nation not living up to the rule of law. Some 56 Americans, Mr. Speaker, are held wrongfully detained by another country or by a terror group. This week, we had many of those families in the gallery last night. We had the parents of Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal reporter, held in Russia. We had families whose loved ones are somewhere in Gaza, held by the terrorist group Hamas--Americans, and we don't know where they are or what their condition is. In last year's defense authorization bill, Congresswoman Haley Stevens and I created a provision that was passed by this House and by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden that designates March 9, tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, as U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, so it is perfectly appropriate that last night in this gallery those families came. Why March 9? The death of Bob Levinson, the longest held American held hostage abroad. This week, Congresswoman Stevens and I met with the Foley Foundation and the McCain Institute who are working mightily with Members of Congress and with our diplomats to free those 56 Americans identified as being held illegally and wrongfully abroad.…”