'Frightening…Deplorable…Outrageous' Situation" - Say Some Senate Democrats

Will Dems Back Their Calls To The Iranian Regime To 'Immediately Release All Americans Who Are In Jail'?

Senate Dem To Iran: 'Immediately Release All Americans Who Are In Jail'
The Senate voted unanimously for a resolution calling on Iran to release American prisoners. (S.Con.Res. 16, Roll Call Vote #175, Adopted 90-0: R 47-0, D 42-0, I 1-0, 5/11/15)

SEN. BILL NELSON (D-FL): "We are hopefully and prayerfully expectant that if it is a successfully concluded negotiation to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, that the Government of Iran will immediately release all Americans who are in jail whom we know about and likewise will make the effort to find Bob and bring him home to his wife and seven children. That is what humanity would absolutely require." (Sen. Nelson, Congressional Record, S.2746-7, 5/11/15)

• NELSON:" It is unbelievable that it has been 8 years… it is rather inexcusable that the only answer Iran has is, We don't know anything about Bob Levinson."  (Sen. Nelson, Congressional Record, S.2746-7, 5/11/15)

SEN. DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI): "We have a very special man who unfortunately is being held as a hostage in Iran, and he needs to come home now. … He is a patriotic American from Flint, MI, who served his country honorably and bravely as a marine between 2001 to 2005 in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is an American citizen…"

• STABENOW:  "… it is frightening, it is deplorable, it is outrageous, and he needs to come home—now." (Sen. Stabenow, Congressional Record, S.2749, 5/11/15) SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): "The United States must also continue pressing for the release of all U.S. hostages senselessly imprisoned in Iran, including my constituent Amir Hekmati." (Sen. Peters, Press Release, 9/11/15)

• "In order for Iran to re-enter the international community, it must among other reforms, release the U.S. hostages they are senselessly holding in their country, including Amir Hekmati,' said Senator Peters. 'I call on Iran to immediately free Amir and the other Americans they have imprisoned and put a stop to these political hostage-taking stunts.'" (Sens. Stabenow & Peters, Press Release, 5/12/15)

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY): "There are legitimate and serious concerns about this deal. For example... Hostages remain in Iranian custody. We will have to work hard to fight Iran's malign efforts to wreak havoc in the region." ("Why I'm Supporting An Imperfect Iran Deal," Medium, 8/6/15)

House Dem: 'It's Really Important That This Congress Speak With One Unified Voice'
The House of Representatives voted unanimously for a resolution calling on Iran to 'immediately release' American prisoners.  (H. Res. 223, Roll Call Vote #364, Adopted 391-0, R 225-0, D 166-0, 6/15/15)

• 25 Democrat Congressmen voted against approving the President's agreement with Iran.  (H.R.3461, Roll Call Vote #293, Bill Failed 162-269, 9/11/15)

REP. ELLIOT ENGEL (D-NY):  'We're sitting with them to discuss a new arrangement between our two countries, and they continue to poke us in the eye and continue to spit in our face. I don't know how else to say it. It's ludicrous' "We'll do everything we can to bring them home. And that's why we're having this hearing, because we hope that at this crucial juncture, with less than a month to go before there is supposedly an agreement with Iran, this is the time to really bring forward the cases of your loved ones. This is the time. I must tell you that I feel so angry that at a time when we are sitting with Iran - and a number of you alluded to this, mentioned this in your testimony - we're sitting with them to discuss a new arrangement between our two countries, and they continue to poke us in the eye and continue to spit in our face. I don't know how else to say it. It's ludicrous, Mr. Rezaian, that your brother, at this juncture, when we're a month away from perhaps having an agreement, that they would dare to put someone on trial in a show trial. It just infuriates me. It just infuriates me. And while we don't want to tie your cases to our talks because we don't want Iran or others to bring in other issues, the fact of the matter is that it's just infuriating and outrageous that they would do this; they would just spit in our faces. So I just want to tell you that we are not letting any of these four cases drop." (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15)

• ENGEL:" I can tell you, for me, it would just be ludicrous and outrageous for us to have a deal with Iran that doesn't include the bringing home of our hostages." (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15) 

REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): "We're here today to hear testimony from families whose loved ones are imprisoned in Iran, including my constituent, Amir Hekmati. It's important that we hear their stories. It's important that the American people hear the names Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, Bob Levinson, and not let their cases or their stories fade. Congress should know their names. The American people should know their names. They're being unjustly held in Iran, and they should be released so they can be with these family members. The world is watching Iran. And today Congress and this committee will speak with one voice considering House Resolution 233 that calls on Iran to simply do one thing - release the Americans that it holds. It's very simple. It states - this resolution states and this Congress will say with one voice that Iran cannot hold Americans as political prisoners, people like Amir Hekmati, if it wants to be taken seriously in the global community. Let me be clear. The onus is on Iran to do what is right, to release Amir and the other Americans that it holds." (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15)

• KILDEE: "…at a time when there's very little agreement often on big questions that we're trying to wrestle with here in Congress, it's really important that this Congress speak with one unified voice on behalf of the millions and millions of people that we all represent and make sure that Iran hears loud and clear that they cannot be accepted into the international community if they continue to hold innocent Americans, who are guilty of nothing other than being Americans, against their will, for whatever political purposes they think they are achieving."  (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15)

REP. JARED HUFFMAN (D-CA): 'Whatever issues or even disagreements we may have about broader issues, we are able to speak with one voice on this important matter today, and that is important for all of these Americans who are unjustly detained' "And I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here to welcome my constituent, Ali Rezaian, and to express my solidarity for - with him and his family and all of the families here and the many people around the world who are watching this important hearing today. It's important that we do speak with one voice today, especially given the fact that there is a spectacle of a trial taking place in Iran involving Jason Rezaian. It's important that the Iranian regime understand that the whole world is watching. And our bipartisan expression by passing this important piece of legislation is one of the best ways we can make that statement. ... Whatever issues or even disagreements we may have about broader issues, we are able to speak with one voice on this important matter today, and that is important for all of these Americans who are unjustly detained and for their families and supporters around the world." (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15)

REP. TED DEUTCH (D-FL): "Let me say to each of you today, we will not rest until your brothers, fathers and husbands return home. I represent south Florida, Coral Springs, Florida, especially today, home to the Levinson family. Bob Levinson disappeared from Kish Island in March of 2007. Since his disappearance, Bob's family has received proof of life in the form of pictures and recording. Yet Bob's whereabouts remain unknown. No family should have to go through eight agonizing years of not knowing when their husband, father and grandfather will come home. … The United States government must not rest until Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini and my constituent Bob Levinson are home." (U.S. House Of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hearing, 6/2/15)

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