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

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MEUSER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul very much for his assistance and leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor and for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I also thank Representative Tenney, my good friend, for everything she has done to advocate on behalf of Ryan Corbett, as well as Representative Keating and others who are engaged in this important resolution.

I do rise today in strong support of this resolution, which calls for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, who has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban since August 10, 2022.

Ryan, who is originally from Susquehanna County in my district, relocated his family to Afghanistan in 2010 with the mission of aiding and assisting the Afghan population, eventually founding Bloom Afghanistan, a firm that provides consulting and microloans to Afghan small businesses.

After evacuating his family in the wake of the Afghanistan withdrawal, Ryan returned to Afghanistan in 2022, during which time he was imprisoned by the Taliban and forced to endure the most inhumane conditions, rarely being able to communicate with his family. He has never been accused of a crime.

My team and I, and many teams, as you can see here, have been involved in efforts on behalf of Ryan Corbett. We have all met with Anna Corbett, who has been mentioned here now several times, and her children many times.

Anna Corbett is working tirelessly, covering every department that she possibly can, having meetings from the top people at the State Department to all Members of Congress and with other nations' ambassadors, doing everything possible for the release of her husband, Ryan.

Today, we continue to implore the State Department to use all appropriate pressure to ensure Ryan's release.

Alongside calling for his immediate release, we also recognize Qatar for its effort in helping free Ryan and facilitating many visits, calls, and medical check-ins.

The humanitarian funding from USAID for the Taliban should be, Madam Speaker, scrutinized, minimized, or perhaps terminated until all wrongfully detained Americans in Afghanistan are returned home.

Ryan has been held hostage, as has been stated, by the Taliban for 671 days. Any sign of appeasement from the Biden administration should be hardened, and we should deal from strength. We certainly need more stick and less carrot when it comes to the release of American hostages.

We appreciate the work of the State Department, but we need to get the job done. That means getting Ryan and other American hostages in Afghanistan home immediately.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source