Dan Kildee: “I thank my friend for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 317, calling for the unconditional…”

“I thank my friend for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 317, calling for the unconditional release of United States citizens held by Iran. Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with this issue. My constituent, and now my good friend, Amir Hekmati, a Marine veteran, was held by the Iranian regime in Evin Prison for 4\1/2\ brutal years. Thankfully, after a long struggle with the help of many voices across the country and across the world, including my friends, the ranking member and the chairman of this committee, who both used their good offices to advance the interests of Mr. Hekmati, ultimately he was freed. On January 16, 2016, he came home. But it is long past time for Iran to release those Americans that they are holding, particularly Mr. Levinson, with whom I became quite familiar and whose family I came to know during the period of time that I sought freedom for Mr. Hekmati. Mr. Levinson's family has endured 10 unspeakable years of anguish trying to bring their father and husband home. If Iran ever wants to be taken seriously in the global community, it has to stop this practice of taking innocent people as political prisoners, people like Amir Hekmati, people like Mr. Levinson, and those other Americans being held today.…”