Nick Lampson: “last week the Committee on Government Reform held a hearing on women and children who are being held in Saudi Arabia. It…”

“last week the Committee on Government Reform held a hearing on women and children who are being held in Saudi Arabia. It was an emotional hearing on a situation that unfortunately exists in countries all over the world, not just in the Middle East right now. I have been telling the story of trying to help a father whose son is being held in Italy, one of our supposed closest friends. His son, Ludwig Koons, has been in Italy for 8 years and is being held in a pornographic compound by his abductor mother, and the Italian authorities and our State Department let it happen. I applaud the gentleman from Indiana (Chairman Burton) for bringing this issue to light in his strong statement to his committee. For years I have been working with left-behind parents who are trying to get their children back to where they belong. For years I have witnessed a State Department that does nothing tangible to help. We need a State Department that fights for U.S. citizens, not an idle information agency. This issue is one that none of us can afford to ignore. We need to be aware, and we need to put pressure on other countries that are not sending American children home. American parents are asking for someone to take action and help them bring their children home. The State Department is not stepping up to the plate for Ludwig Koons or for anyone else. Bring our children home.”