Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5826, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the intent of this measure brought to the floor by my friend and colleague from South Carolina, Representative Wilson, which is to help better prevent hostile governments such as Iran from taking Americans hostage or wrongfully detaining them overseas. I believe Democrats and Republicans must work together and ensure the State Department has all the resources and authorities from Congress that it needs to bring Americans home who have been unjustly held abroad and to offer them the support they need when they return home. I understand and agree with my colleague's intent to disincentivize bad behavior by hostile actors, and to make clear to anyone who would wrongfully detain any of our citizens that it will not be tolerated. However, I am concerned that some of the messages sent in this bill risk undermining our key partners in the battle to protect American citizens. I want to make sure the State Department's Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs is given the latitude to negotiate and get the job done. I would like to offer my appreciation to the SPEHA team for the hard and difficult work it continues to undertake on behalf of the American people. We need to empower that office and the families of wrongful detainees that rely on its vital assistance and advocacy, not inadvertently burden it with extensive reporting or overly restrictive policy prescriptions.…”