Ted Deutch: “I thank my friend, the ranking member, for yielding. I thank the chairman. I especially went to thank my friend and…”

“I thank my friend, the ranking member, for yielding. I thank the chairman. I especially went to thank my friend and colleague from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for spearheading this resolution and for his tireless efforts to bring back his constituent. And I want to thank the fellow original cosponsors, Mr. Huffman and Mr. Labrador. Each of us here has the solemn responsibility to represent the families of these American citizens--in this case, our constituents who are missing or held in Iran. Each of us has seen the suffering of these families firsthand. We have also seen a remarkable strength of purpose as they live this real-life nightmare and do everything they can to bring their loved ones home. For the family of Robert Levinson, my constituent, 8 years is 8 years too long not to have their husband, their father, and their grandfather home. Bob Levinson went missing on Iran's Kish Island on March 9, 2007. Since his disappearance, the Levinson family has received proof of life in the form of pictures and videos. Iran's leaders have never provided any information about Bob's disappearance, despite repeated pledges to aid in the investigation. As negotiations with Iran have taken place over the past year and a half, many of us have doubts about the ability to trust Iran to follow through on the terms of any nuclear deal.…”