U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is pushing a proposal to give the White House more power to sanction nations and groups that hold Americans as hostages.
Deutch, the chairman of the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, paired up with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, to showcase the ‘‘Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act" which would give the president more power to sanction hostage takers, promote the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs to the rank of ambassador and create an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and a Hostage Response Group.
Weighing in on the bill on Monday, Deutch and Shaheen pointed to a report from the James W. Foley Foundation which found "there is still a need for more honesty and transparency from government officials," and that "confusion remains over roles within U.S. government agencies."
In going to bat for the bill, Deutch pointed to the case of Bob Levinson, a Florida resident who has been missing in Iran for more than a decade. Levinson worked for the FBI and DEA went missing in 2007 during a private investigation case in Iran involving cigarette smuggling. Back in 2013, the Associated Press ran a story insisting Levinson worked for the CIA. Deutch has been active on Capitol Hill in efforts to find out information about Levinson and bring him home.
"Our government must prioritize bringing American hostages and detainees home and offering our unwavering support to their families. Unfortunately, the United States still lacks a robust and effective hostage policy," said Deutch. "While executive directives issued by President Obama in 2015 moved us closer to that goal, there are still major areas for improvement. This report brings to light the important perspective of the families who have to face these challenges every day, including the family of my constituent Bob Levinson who has been missing for over 12 years. For them, I'm committed to finding solutions to bring their loved ones home and end their nightmares."
Shaheen pointed to the case of New Hampshire resident James Foley who was held hostage and killed by Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.
“Any time an American citizen is held against their will, it demands the attention of the United States government. That includes support for hostages’ families as they experience immense fear and uncertainty,” said Shaheen. “The harrowing and tragic murder of James Foley reminds us of what’s at stake and that ensuring the safety of Americans, and support for their families, must be a top U.S. policy priority.”
