Expressing Concern Over Detention of Austin Tice

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairperson of the committee, Mr. Engel, and the ranking member of the committee, Mr. McCaul, for supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am on a mission of mercy. I have been on a mission of mercy for 8 years because it has been more than 8 years now that Austin Tice has been detained in Syria. Eight years it has been. That is also how long this family has been grieving.

I, too, know the Tice family. I have met with them multiple times and talked with them multiple times today, in fact.

I am grateful to many people who have made it possible for this resolution to come to the floor, so I think it important that I immediately thank them.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi because I talked to her personally about the Tice situation. I thank Majority Leader Hoyer; I had a conversation with him. I want to thank Congressman Hill for his steadfast resolve to not only help Austin but to help Dr. Kamalmaz, his constituent.

Again, Chairman Engel has been stellar, superb, and supreme in allowing this to come to the floor. Mr. McCaul has been a great partner. He has demonstrated the kind of bipartisanship that the public expects from us on issues such as these. Of course, I thank the 41 cosponsors of this legislation.

Finally, I thank the Tice family for having the courage, the strength, the intestinal fortitude to stay with it. Never one time have they given up on the belief that their son, their eldest son, can be returned home to them.

Who was Austin Tice? Well, he loved his country. He loved his country. He went to the Marines. He was a Marine captain, a veteran Marine captain. He is such. He played by the rules. At 16 years of age, he was in college. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Services. He played by the rules.

He went on to get an opportunity to help others. He believed in helping other people. This is why he went to Syria.

He went to those places where few of us would dare to go, and he went because he wanted the world to know what is happening in these distant places. And while he was there, he went missing. A month after he was not heard from, a 43-second video emerged with the title ``Austin Tice is Alive.''

We know that he is alive. We want him back alive. We are asking all who can be of service to do so.

The President has weighed in. He has sent the Tice family a message indicating that he is going to work hard to bring Austin home.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution today is another step in the direction of bringing Austin Tice home. He is a great American. He has played by the rules. He is the kind of son that any one of us would want to have and the kind of son that Debra and Marc Tice are blessed to have. But their blessing should not end with having a son; their blessing should end with having their son with them.

Again, I thank all who have played a role in getting this resolution to the floor.

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on an issue such as this, no one should be left behind who has played a role in helping with this cause. We have mentioned that it is bipartisan, but it is also bicameral.

Senators Cruz and Cornyn have played a role in helping us to get this message to the world. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank them, the 41 Members who signed on, and all others who signed on to a letter that we sent to the President.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to say these words of gratitude and thanks.

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