[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 41 (Thursday, March 9, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination, 
which the clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read the nomination of Seema Verma, of Indiana, to be 
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.


                        freedom for bob levinson

  Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I come to the floor with a heavy heart 
because 10 years ago today, Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent, was 
detained in Iran on the tourist island of Kish Island in the Persian 
Gulf.
  Bob is a very respected, long-time FBI agent who had served his 
country for 28 years and had since retired. He is the longest held 
civilian in our Nation's history. He is a husband, a father of seven, 
and now a grandfather of six, and he deserves to be reunited with his 
family.
  Since Bob's detention, American officials have sought Iran's 
cooperation in locating and returning Bob to his family. Of course, 
Iranian officials have promised over and over their assistance, but 
after 10 long years, those promises have amounted to nothing. Bob still 
is not home.
  The bottom line is, Iran is responsible for returning Bob to his 
family. If Iranian officials don't have Bob, then they sure know where 
to find him. So today we renew our call on Iran to make good on those 
promises and return Bob, return him to where he ought to be, with his 
family.
  Iran's continued delay in returning him, in addition to the very 
serious disagreements the United States has with the Government of Iran 
about its missile program, its sponsorship of terrorism, and its human 
rights abuses, is just another obstacle Iran must overcome if it wants 
to improve relations with the United States.
  We also urge the President and our allies to keep pressing Iran to 
make clear that the United States has not forgotten Bob and will not 
forget him until he is home. Obviously, we owe this to Bob, a servant 
of America, and we certainly owe it to his family.
  To Bob's family, we recognize your tireless efforts over those 10 
long years to bring your dad home, and we offer our sympathies.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.