Political Quotes

“Mr. President, from dark prison cells in Tehran to the FSB's prison in Moscow, autocrats and dictators are unjustly detaining innocent Americans as pawns to advance their geopolitical goals. So I come to the floor today, as families of these Americans have gathered in Washington, to shine a spotlight on the plight of their loved ones and to support passage of the Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act of 2023, which is a bipartisan effort I am leading with the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Risch, as well as Senators Shaheen and Hagerty. This bill would make a simple yet meaningful change to lessen the burden on these families as they work toward the release of their loved ones. It would allow the State Department to cover travel and lodging costs for families to advocate for their loved ones' release in Washington. It would also advance efforts to support the mental health and well-being of detainees and their families. It will eliminate a completely arbitrary distinction under U.S. law. Currently, if your loved one is being held hostage by a nonstate actor--for example, a terrorist group like ISIS or al-Qaida--the government pays the costs for limited family travel to Washington, but if your loved one is being unlawfully detained by a foreign government--Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and the like--there is no such funding available.…”