Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. I, along with my Democratic colleague, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, reintroduced our legislation yesterday that establishes March 9 as the National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. On March 9, 2007, Robert Levinson disappeared in Iran. He never returned home. The commemoration of this national day brings attention to Americans that are being unjustly held as wrongful detainees and hostages in a foreign land. Since the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act was signed into law 2 years ago, we have heard from families and organizations that are dedicated to helping bring wrongful detainees and hostages home and how that law is working. We are learning more about how the Levinson act is being used since it has become law. It is time for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to conduct oversight and see what potential changes should be made. I helped create in the last Congress the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongly Detained Abroad because one of my constituents disappeared on a visit to Syria. Majd Kamalmaz is still being held by the Assad regime in Syria. Majd and his wonderful family lived for a time in my hometown of Little Rock. Every Member of Congress is dedicated to the more than 50 Americans who right now are held against their will wrongfully in a country around the world.…”