[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 20, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S102-S103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRANIAN HOSTAGE RELEASE

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I rise on January 20, 2016, on the floor 
of the Senate to acknowledge this day as the 35th anniversary of the 
return of 53 Americans by the Iranian Government to the shores of the 
United States of America after captivity for 444 days in Iran. As the 
Members of the Senate will remember, they were employees of the U.S. 
Embassy in Iran who were brutally attacked, sent through mock 
executions, subjected to beatings, subjected to brainwashing, subjected 
to torture, and for 444 days were out of communication with their loved 
ones and our country. Fortunately, we successfully negotiated their 
release, and on January 20, 1981, they were released back to the United 
States.
  But that release included the execution of the Algerian Accords 
between the United States and the Iranians, which prohibited any 
hostage from suing the nation of Iran for compensation for their 
captivity. Since that release, many Americans in the House of 
Representatives and the Senate, including myself, have worked hard to 
try to right that wrong. I am very pleased to acknowledge that under 
the passage of the omnibus in December, we were able to secure funding 
to be able to compensate those hostages as they should have been 
compensated 35 years ago. We were able to take money from the Paribas 
bank forfeiture of Iranian funds to the U.S. Government to see to it 
that they were compensated in some measure for the sacrifice they made 
for our country.
  A lot of people have written: Why would you compensate people for 
their captivity? Why would you go to the effort for 35 years to see to 
it these people got some amount of money to compensate them for their 
captivity? Why would we not do it? There are Americans all over the 
world serving in very dangerous places, serving as ambassadors and 
diplomats through the State Department. They should know we have their 
backs, not just on the days they are serving but 35 years later if they 
were tortured, beaten or if they were held captive.
  We all rejoiced to see the Americans that were released by the 
Iranians. We know there were Americans taken hostage in Iraq and 
Baghdad 2 days later. Taking Americans hostage and using them as tools 
of war is something that has been happening for years and years, and 
the Iranian Government is at the head of it. These Americans deserve 
fair treatment, compensation, and recompense for all they suffered, and 
I am proud to say that because of a bipartisan effort in the House and 
Senate, we were able to do so.
  I want to thank Senator Corker, the chairman of the Foreign Relations 
Committee; Senator Cardin, the former chairman; Senator Menendez from 
New Jersey; Senator Reid from Nevada, who was instrumental in helping; 
and Senator Blumenthal, my ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee of the Senate, for help on this bill and for all the help 
they brought. I want to thank the entire body of the Senate, who in 
December voted unanimously to see to it that the Paribas money was made 
available to the survivors of the people who were taken hostage in 
1979.
  You might remember the show ``Nightline'' that we see on television 
started with the original report in 1979 by Ted Koppel about the 
hostage taking. It became a television show when

[[Page S103]]

they were held that long. I am glad now that the ending of that show is 
a successful ending, because we brought them home and we saw to it they 
were compensated. Some of them have passed away. Some of them had taken 
their own life. Some of them had difficulties. Some were never able to 
rid themselves of the scars of the torture and brainwashing. But this 
Senate and this Congress did what it was supposed to do, stood up for 
Americans and sent a signal to everybody who works in the State 
Department, who is a diplomat for our country, and who works overseas 
that if you are taken, we will stand behind you and we will never ever 
forget--whether it is 444 days or 35 years--once an American serving 
our country, always an American serving our country. We will always be 
there for you, and we will go to every effort and every length, even if 
it does take 35 years.
  On the anniversary of their release in 1981 when they came back to 
the United States, we pay tribute to those great Americans who served 
our country and were held hostage in Iran. We give thanks that we have 
the kind of men and women who are willing, day in and day out, to 
sacrifice on behalf of our great country. May God bless each and every 
one of them, and may God bless the United States of America.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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