Calling for the Immediate Release of Ryan Corbett, A United States Citizen

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 965) calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a United States citizen, who was wrongfully detained by the Taliban on August 10, 2022, and condemning the wrongful detention of Americans by the Taliban.

The Clerk read the title of the resolution.

The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 965

Whereas United States citizen Ryan Corbett has lived a life of service, by supporting humanitarian projects in Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people start and operate small businesses;

Whereas Ryan Corbett moved his family to Afghanistan in 2010 to help the local population and lived there for over a decade aiding the local Afghan population;

Whereas in 2017, Ryan Corbett founded ``Bloom Afghanistan'' to provide consulting and microloans to Afghan small businesses to help build a self-sustaining local economy of Afghan small businesses;

Whereas Ryan Corbett is known to his family, friends, colleagues, and associates as a loving father, as well as a kind, service-oriented man;

Whereas Ryan Corbett was forced to leave his life, community, and Afghan partners behind during the August 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the ensuing evacuation of American citizens;

Whereas in August 2022, Ryan Corbett traveled to Afghanistan for a 10-day trip to check in on his business and employees and was detained by the Taliban;

Whereas the Taliban detained Ryan Corbett without being charged with a crime or granting him due process in any judicial proceedings;

Whereas, on October 10, 2023, Ryan Corbett was designated as wrongfully detained by the Department of State;

Whereas Ryan Corbett is being held in a 9-foot by 9-foot cell with two other detainees, and has been held in solitary confinement for months at a time;

Whereas the Taliban has not granted Ryan Corbett any consular visits by Department of State personnel;

Whereas during his detention, Ryan Corbett has only had 3 phone calls totaling 22 minutes with his family, and has only had 2 in-person visits with representatives of the United States protecting power in Afghanistan, Qatar;

Whereas three non-American individuals previously detained with Ryan Corbett have been released and have reported on Ryan's conditions;

Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates stated that prisoners at that facility must survive on scraps of fatty meat, only have access to sunlight once a month, and cannot use the bathroom without permission;

Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates stated that during their captivity, Ryan Corbett was suffering from seizures, fainting, and discolored extremities; and

Whereas Ryan Corbett turned 40 years old during his wrongful detention, and his physical and mental health is rapidly declining due to the stress and harsh conditions, such that his family fears he will not survive his wrongful detention: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) calls on the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally release Ryan Corbett and all other American detainees;

(2) urges the Taliban to respect Ryan Corbett's human rights and to provide full, unfettered, and consistent health and safety visits to Ryan Corbett while in detention;

(3) encourages the Government of Qatar, as the protecting power of the United States in Afghanistan, to continue in its efforts to conduct basic health and wellness checks on Ryan Corbett, thanks Qatar for its efforts thus far, and encourages Qatar to be involved in securing the release of Ryan Corbett;

(4) urges all United States executive branch officials to continue to raise the case of Ryan Corbett and to press for his immediate release in all interactions with the Taliban;

(5) condemns the Taliban's practice of hostage taking and demands the Taliban to stop detaining United States citizens for political gain;

(6) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the families of all other citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States wrongfully detained abroad; and

(7) expresses support for the family of Ryan Corbett and a commitment to bringing Ryan Corbett home.
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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, on August 10, 2022, Ryan Corbett was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Ryan Corbett is a loving husband to Anna, and father of three wonderful children: Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb. I spent quite a bit of time with the family.

In 2 weeks, his oldest daughter graduates from high school, but instead of being home with his family right now celebrating his daughter, he is suffering in a Taliban prison.

Ryan Corbett and his family lived in Afghanistan for over a decade. He supported humanitarian efforts and provided opportunities for the Afghan people. He is a good man who has dedicated his life to helping others. He is not a criminal.

Despite pressure to act from the committee I chair, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, it took over a year for this administration to declare Ryan as wrongfully detained.

After constant engagement with this administration, the Corbett family has yet to receive any information regarding a plan to secure his release. Many of these requests for meetings with high-level administration officials have been repeatedly ignored. This is unacceptable. This administration must put a priority on bringing Ryan and other wrongfully detained Americans home now.

Ryan's situation is dire. Ryan's wife, Anna, reports his mental and physical health have significantly deteriorated in recent months.

The Taliban has refused to allow Ryan the voice to advocate for himself. He has only spoken to his wife a handful of times since he has been detained. Ryan is being held in inhumane conditions in a tiny cell with unreliable access to food and no ability to go outside. He is fed only scraps to eat, and he has faced solitary confinement for weeks on end.

Ryan is facing serious medical conditions, experiencing seizures and often fainting. I want to assure Ryan's wife, Anna, along with his family, friends, and coworkers that we will continue our fight every day until we bring him home.

As the father of five children myself, I cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering Ryan's family is feeling right now.

This Congress and all Americans stand with Ryan, and that is why I am proud to support this bipartisan resolution today that condemns the Taliban regime for its illegal imprisonment of Ryan and demands his immediate release. It calls upon the Biden administration to prioritize bringing all American citizens home who are wrongfully detained overseas.

The President must project strength on the world stage and secure the immediate release of Ryan. Anything less is a failure of American leadership.

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the author of this measure. The Corbett family resides in her district.

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), a member of the Committee on Financial Services and an original cosponsor of this measure.

One American hostage is too many. We remember each one of them, and we will not rest until they are safely home.

It is clear that the Taliban is holding Ryan for its own political gain and using him as leverage to extract concessions from this administration.

Anna, who we all know very well, has appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee several times to discuss Ryan's unjust imprisonment. She has bravely shared the horror story of her husband and his family and what they are living through day in and day out.

A single day of unlawful detention is too long, and Ryan's nearly 2- year captivity must be resolved. Otherwise, we must question what the value is of an American passport and citizenship if our government fails us in our greatest moment of need.

We should be projecting power, levying sanctions, and holding governments accountable for their human rights abuses. This administration, at times, has projected weakness on the world stage, and when you do so, it is hard to negotiate from a position of strength.

Ryan's case is very dire. It is time to bring him home to his family and country.

This resolution, as Mr. Keating stated, will send a very strong message to the Taliban that America, Republicans and Democrats alike, will not tolerate the illegitimate detention of American citizens. Our message is clear: Congress will not rest until Ryan is brought home.

We stand with Ryan, Anna, and their children. We have not, and we will not, forget them. It is hard to look Anna and her children in the eyes knowing that her husband is in solitary confinement in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with Ryan Corbett and support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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