WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to deliver remarks calling for Senate passage of his Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act of 2023, bipartisan legislation to bolster support for families advocating for the release of their loved ones who are wrongfully or unlawfully detained abroad.
In addition to authorizing the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department to cover the costs of travel to Washington, D.C. for family members of Americans who are wrongfully or unlawfully detained abroad, the legislation also encourages the Department to make available mental health support for detainees and their families.
“This is not, and should not, be controversial. This is the least we can do for families who lay awake wondering if their son or daughter, sister or brother, will return home. Who wonder if there is something else—just one more thing—they can do that would make a difference, that would break the deadlock of their loved ones’ detention. Maybe one more meeting with a U.S. government official or member of Congress. Maybe the right confluence of events to bring their child back home,” Chairman Menendez said. “I ask this body to give these families just a little bit of peace as they navigate an unimaginable nightmare. Surely, cutting a bit of red tape, getting them a train ticket or a plane ride to Washington once or twice a year is not too much to ask.”
Find a copy of the Chairman’s remarks as delivered below.
“Mr. President,
From dark prison cells in Tehran to the FSB’s prison in Moscow, autocrats are unjustly detaining innocent Americans as pawns to advance their geopolitical goals.
And so, Mr. President, 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—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 as they advocate for their loved ones’ releases in Washington.
It will also advance efforts to support the mental health and well-being of detainees and their families.
And it will eliminate a completely arbitrary distinction under U.S. law—currently, if your loved one is being held hostage by a non-state actor, for example a terrorist group like ISIS or al-Qaeda, 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.
That does not make any sense, and Senator Risch and I are trying to fix it on behalf of American families who find themselves in unbearably difficult and painful circumstances.
This bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Let me repeat that—unanimously.
This is not, and should not, be controversial.
This is the least we can do for families who lay awake wondering if their son or daughter, sister or brother, will return home.
Who wonder if there is something else—just one more thing—they can do that would make a difference, that would break the deadlock of their loved ones’ detention.
Maybe one more meeting with a U.S. government official or member of Congress. Maybe the right confluence of events to bring their child back home.
So Mr. President, I ask this body to give these families just a little bit of peace as they navigate an unimaginable nightmare.
Surely, cutting a bit of red tape, getting them a train ticket or a plane ride to Washington once or twice a year is not too much to ask.
So I am here to seek passage of this bill. I was going to seek unanimous consequent. I understand my colleague, the Senator from Kentucky, Senator Paul, has a fiscal issue. I just met with him and look forward to hopefully working it out, and then being able to return to the Floor to seek its passage.
Until then, I yield the Floor.”
Remarks edited for clarity.
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