David Cicilline actually said...
The return of these children is incredibly important to us, and we pledge to work to do the best we can to get these children returned, but I don't think that we are going to sanction Japan, or threaten them with sanctions, because I think that would be detrimental to our bilateral relationship.
Context
Cicilline emphasizes the importance of returning children without threatening Japan with sanctions.
05/08/2013