On the recordSeptember 23, 2011
I came to speak on a different subject. A retired FBI agent named Bob Levinson, over 4 years ago, disappeared when he checked out of his hotel in the Iranian tourist attraction of Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. He disappeared. It is only recently that his family--and he leaves behind a family of a wife and seven children--only recently have they had the belief that he is alive. We have brought this to all levels of our government. This Senator, who represents the State Christine Levinson lives in, went to the Iranian Ambassador at the United Nations years ago trying to intervene. Our Secretary of State has, in fact, pushed this very hard. Why am I saying all this? Because on the occasion of the release of the hikers by the Iranian Government, for whatever compassion they have shown--the government bringing together disparate parties that had their own little power centers in Iran--whatever success they had in bringing that together and releasing those hikers back to their loved ones, we pray that same decisionmaking apparatus in Tehran would now activate the process to bring Bob Levinson home to his wife and seven children. Mr. President, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
