[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6086-H6090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER DETENTION OF AUSTIN TICE

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 17) expressing concern over the detention of Austin 
Tice, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 17

       Whereas Austin Tice is a 39-year-old veteran, having served 
     in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer, a Georgetown law 
     student, and a graduate of Georgetown University, from 
     Houston, Texas;
       Whereas Austin is an Eagle Scout, National Merit 
     Scholarship finalist, and eldest of seven children;
       Whereas Austin was a contributing freelance journalist to 
     McClatchy Newspapers, the Washington Post and other media 
     outlets, and a recipient of the 2012 George Polk Award for 
     War Reporting;
       Whereas, in May 2012, Austin crossed the Turkey-Syria 
     border to report on the intensifying conflict in Syria;
       Whereas, on August 11, 2012, Austin celebrated his 31st 
     birthday in Darayaa, Syria;
       Whereas, on August 14, 2012, Austin departed for Beirut, 
     Lebanon, was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus, Syria, 
     and contact with family, friends, and colleagues ceased;
       Whereas, in late September 2012, a video clip appeared on 
     YouTube showing Austin blindfolded and being prodded up a 
     hillside by masked militants;
       Whereas in the years since Austin's disappearance, no group 
     has claimed responsibility for his capture;
       Whereas the Syrian government has never acknowledged 
     detaining Austin and has denied the same to Austin's parents;
       Whereas officials of the United States believe Austin is 
     alive and being held in Syria and that the Syrian government 
     should assist in locating and returning Austin to his family;
       Whereas Austin Tice's parents, Marc and Debra Tice, have 
     been diligent in their efforts to find their son, repeatedly 
     meeting

[[Page H6087]]

     with senior officials of the United States Government, the 
     Syrian government, the United Nations, and many others;
       Whereas the Tices have traveled to the Middle East multiple 
     times, most recently in December 2018, seeking Austin's safe 
     release, and Debra Tice spent four months living in Damascus, 
     Syria, for the same purpose;
       Whereas the Tices have partnered with Reporters Without 
     Borders to launch campaigns with nearly 270 newspapers and 
     media organizations, highlighting Austin's case in their 
     publications and on their websites;
       Whereas institutions and organizations, including 
     Georgetown University, Georgetown Law Center, the National 
     Press Club, the Committee to Protect Journalists, McClatchy, 
     and the Washington Post, have collaborated to raise and 
     maintain public awareness of Austin's detention;
       Whereas, on November 18, 2018, then-United States Special 
     Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Robert O'Brien, said 
     that the United States Government believes Austin Tice is 
     alive;
       Whereas at a press briefing on March 19, 2020, President 
     Trump expressed concern for Austin and called on the Syrian 
     government to release him;
       Whereas Majd Kamalmaz is a 62-year old Syrian-American 
     psychotherapist, father of four, and resident of Texas;
       Whereas Majd is a well-known mental-health professional 
     with experience in disaster relief and post-traumatic care;
       Whereas in February 2017 Majd traveled to Syria to visit an 
     elderly family member and aid civilians traumatized by the 
     Syrian civil war;
       Whereas on February 16, 2017 Majd's family received word 
     that he had been detained at a checkpoint on his way to 
     Ghouta, outside of Damascus, Syria;
       Whereas since February 2017 Majd's family has not heard 
     from him;
       Whereas the Syrian government has never publicly 
     acknowledged detaining Majd;
       Whereas Majd's family and the Syrian-American community 
     have advocated tirelessly for his immediate release;
       Whereas in July 2020, United States Ambassador and Special 
     Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens 
     publicly stated, ``The U.S. Government is in frequent contact 
     with the Kamalmaz family to provide support and information'' 
     and that ``Bringing home Majd, along with all U.S. citizens 
     held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, has the attention 
     of the highest levels in the U.S. government.''; and
       Whereas, as described in the Caesar Syria Civilian 
     Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note), Congress calls 
     on the regime of Bashar al-Assad to release all political 
     prisoners forcibly held within its prison system and to allow 
     access to the same facilities for investigations by 
     appropriate international human rights organizations: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its ongoing concern regarding the capture of 
     Austin Tice in August 2012 and Majd Kamalmaz in February 
     2017, and their continuing detention;
       (2) encourages the Department of State, the intelligence 
     community, and the interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell 
     to jointly continue investigations and to pursue all possible 
     information regarding Austin and Majd's detention;
       (3) encourages the Department of State and the Special 
     Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to engage the Syrian 
     government to facilitate Austin and Majd's safe release and 
     return;
       (4) encourages the Department of State to work with foreign 
     governments known to have diplomatic influence with the 
     Syrian government; and
       (5) requests that the Department of State and the 
     intelligence community continue to work with and inform 
     Congress and the families of Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz to 
     the extent possible regarding efforts to secure their safe 
     release and return from detention in Syria.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.

                              {time}  1630


                             General Leave

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H. Res. 17.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in August 2012, American journalist and Marine veteran 
Austin Tice was abducted while reporting on the ongoing conflict in 
Syria. Eight years later, Tice continues to be held captive, his family 
and friends unaware of his condition and whereabouts.
  Five years later, another American citizen, Texas resident and 
psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz, was detained without cause in northern 
Syria while visiting an elderly family member and aiding civilians 
traumatized by the civil war. Kamalmaz has been imprisoned by the Assad 
regime in Syria ever since without access to the outside world.
  The Tice and Kamalmaz families have worked tirelessly to secure the 
immediate release of their loved ones. Still, Austin and Majd continue 
to suffer inside Syria. H. Res. 17 encourages the Department of State, 
the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and 
other U.S. Government entities to work jointly to facilitate Tice and 
Kamalmaz' safe release and return.
  This legislation does not legitimize the Assad regime. I would never 
do that. For years and years, I have called them out on all of their 
human rights violations. It is a brutal regime, murdering men, women, 
and children in the hundreds of thousands.
  So, this doesn't legitimize the Assad regime, nor does it legitimize 
the deplorable tactic of hostage-taking. In fact, it does the opposite.
  Passing this resolution is a recognition that our country stands with 
Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz and those like them who have been victims 
of the Assad regime.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Al Green for introducing this 
important legislation. I want to also recognize, once again, our 
committee's ranking member,   Michael McCaul, for his leadership on 
this issue. I am proud to support this measure, and I encourage my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
                       Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, December 1, 2020.
     Hon. Eliot Engel,
     Committeee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Engel: I write concerning H. Res. 17, a 
     resolution that expresses concern regarding the 2012 capture 
     and detention in Syria of Austin Tice--a U.S. Citizen, 
     journalist, and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps; and 
     encourages the Executive Branch to take further actions aimed 
     at bringing about Mr. Tice's immediate and safe return. 
     Certain provisions in the resolution fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the House Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence (HPSCI), as set forth in Rule X of the House of 
     Representatives for the 116th Congress.
       In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, 
     I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential 
     referral. By waiving consideration of H. Res. 17, HPSCI does 
     not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subjects 
     contained in the bill which fall within HPSCI's Rule X 
     jurisdiction. I also ask that our exchange of letters be 
     included in the Congressional Record during consideration of 
     the measure on the House floor.
       I continue to be grateful for our committees' longstanding 
     cooperation, both regarding this matter and others. And I 
     continue to strongly support this and other efforts to secure 
     Mr. Tice's immediate and safe return to the United States.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Adam B. Schiff,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC, November 23, 2020.
     Hon. Adam B. Schiff,
     House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Schiff: I am writing to you concerning H. 
     Res. 17, expressing concern over the detention of Austin 
     Tice, and for other purposes. I appreciate your willingness 
     to work cooperatively on this legislation.
       I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the House Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence under House Rule X, and that your Committee will 
     forgo action on H. Res. 17 to expedite floor consideration. I 
     further acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with 
     respect to the bill does not waive any future jurisdictional 
     claim over the matters contained in the bill that fall within 
     your jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of 
     House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence conferees 
     during any House-Senate conference convened on this 
     legislation.
       Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is 
     included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your 
     cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to 
     continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the 
     legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Eliot L. Engel,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H6088]]

  Mr. Speaker, 3,034 days. That is how long Austin Tice, a former U.S. 
marine and freelance journalist, has been held captive in Syria. It is 
far past time that he be returned home to his family in Houston.
  Austin has dedicated his life to his country and to serving others. 
After serving 10 years in the United States Marine Corps, Austin 
decided to enroll in law school. He wanted to continue helping those 
who needed help the most. While he was attending Georgetown Law, just 
down the street from here, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had 
seen and the people he had met on his tours in the Middle East.
  So, before beginning his final year of law school, Austin decided to 
return to the Middle East. Only this time, it would be to report on the 
atrocities happening in Syria.
  The Assad regime's brutal attacks on its own people were horrifying 
to hear about. They were even using chemical weapons on their own 
people.
  Unfortunately, there weren't enough reporters on the ground in Syria 
to verify their crimes or tell the world about the suffering of the 
Syrian people. So, Austin did what he has always done. He stepped up to 
the plate and filled a much-needed void in a very dangerous place in 
order to help those who could not help themselves.
  But then, on August 14, 2012, as he was preparing to return home, 
Austin was captured at a checkpoint in Damascus. Now, more than 8 years 
later, he is still being held in Syria. Austin is now entering his 
ninth year of captivity. In just a matter of months, he will turn 40 
years old.
  Mr. Speaker, that is nine birthdays that he will have missed back 
home, nine Thanksgiving dinners without his family. Later this month, 
it will be nine Christmases that his family has had to endure without 
him.
  I have met Austin's parents many times, and it is very tragic and 
emotional. Each time, I see the pain in their eyes as they describe 
their tireless efforts to bring him home. That is a pain that only 
parents can truly understand.
  It is up to us here in this Chamber to show the Tice family that we 
will not tolerate this for another year. Austin deserves to have his 
life back, and his family deserves to have him back.
  Mr. Speaker, with this resolution, we once again urge the 
administration to continue working to bring Austin home. The State 
Department should use all the tools at its disposal to ensure his safe 
and immediate return.
  Congress will not rest, and I will not rest, and my colleague, 
Congressman Green, will not rest until Austin and the other American 
hostages detained abroad have been safely reunited with their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend and colleague, Congressman Al 
Green, for his introduction of this bill. The Tice family are his 
constituents. He has stood by them day in and day out over the past 
years. He and I, working together with other Members in this Chamber, 
will bring Austin home, finally.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Green), the author of this important resolution.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairperson of the 
committee, Mr. Engel, and the ranking member of the committee, Mr. 
McCaul, for supporting this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I am on a mission of mercy. I have been on a mission of 
mercy for 8 years because it has been more than 8 years now that Austin 
Tice has been detained in Syria. Eight years it has been. That is also 
how long this family has been grieving.
  I, too, know the Tice family. I have met with them multiple times and 
talked with them multiple times today, in fact.
  I am grateful to many people who have made it possible for this 
resolution to come to the floor, so I think it important that I 
immediately thank them.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi because I talked to her 
personally about the Tice situation. I thank Majority Leader Hoyer; I 
had a conversation with him. I want to thank Congressman Hill for his 
steadfast resolve to not only help Austin but to help Dr. Kamalmaz, his 
constituent.
  Again, Chairman Engel has been stellar, superb, and supreme in 
allowing this to come to the floor. Mr. McCaul has been a great 
partner. He has demonstrated the kind of bipartisanship that the public 
expects from us on issues such as these. Of course, I thank the 41 
cosponsors of this legislation.
  Finally, I thank the Tice family for having the courage, the 
strength, the intestinal fortitude to stay with it. Never one time have 
they given up on the belief that their son, their eldest son, can be 
returned home to them.
  Who was Austin Tice? Well, he loved his country. He loved his 
country. He went to the Marines. He was a Marine captain, a veteran 
Marine captain. He is such. He played by the rules. At 16 years of age, 
he was in college. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown 
University School of Foreign Services. He played by the rules.
  He went on to get an opportunity to help others. He believed in 
helping other people. This is why he went to Syria.
  He went to those places where few of us would dare to go, and he went 
because he wanted the world to know what is happening in these distant 
places. And while he was there, he went missing. A month after he was 
not heard from, a 43-second video emerged with the title ``Austin Tice 
is Alive.''
  We know that he is alive. We want him back alive. We are asking all 
who can be of service to do so.
  The President has weighed in. He has sent the Tice family a message 
indicating that he is going to work hard to bring Austin home.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution today is another step in the direction 
of bringing Austin Tice home. He is a great American. He has played by 
the rules. He is the kind of son that any one of us would want to have 
and the kind of son that Debra and Marc Tice are blessed to have. But 
their blessing should not end with having a son; their blessing should 
end with having their son with them.

  Again, I thank all who have played a role in getting this resolution 
to the floor.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hill), whose constituent is Majd Kamalmaz.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. McCaul, for 
the time and take a moment to salute and provide tribute to Congressman 
Eliot Engel for his extraordinary service as chair of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee. His wise counsel will be missed in this House.
  Mr. Speaker, let me thank, too, my good friend on the House Financial 
Services Committee, a colleague and collaborator on many good things, 
my friend, Congressman Al Green from Houston, for his service and 
leadership on this important matter.
  Austin Bennett Tice, an international correspondent in Syria and a 
Marine veteran who we have heard about today, has been missing since 
2012. And my constituent, Dr. Majd Kamalmaz, a noted child therapist 
who was in Syria attending the funeral of a relative, has been missing 
since 2017.
  These families deserve certainty and recovery of their loved ones, 
Mr. Speaker. Both Mr. Tice and Dr. Kamalmaz have called on American and 
international leaders to bring home their loved ones.
  It is our duty to do whatever we can to ensure that these and all 
other Americans held abroad are returned safely and as soon as 
possible.
  I am grateful for the leadership of President Trump and now National 
Security Advisor and former Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert 
O'Brien for their steadfast determination to bring American citizens 
home.
  Our work will not be complete until all Americans are reunited with 
their families and their loved ones.
  We ask for God's blessings on this House floor for those held in 
captivity and for their loved ones.
  Mr. Speaker, I vote in favor, and I urge my colleagues to vote in 
favor of this important legislation. Let's pull together in this House 
to bring home our American hostages.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Green), the author of this important resolution.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on an issue such as this, no one 
should

[[Page H6089]]

be left behind who has played a role in helping with this cause. We 
have mentioned that it is bipartisan, but it is also bicameral.
  Senators Cruz and Cornyn have played a role in helping us to get this 
message to the world. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank them, the 41 Members 
who signed on, and all others who signed on to a letter that we sent to 
the President.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to say these words of 
gratitude and thanks.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, the story of Austin Tice's disappearance 
and presumed imprisonment is tragic and frustrating.
  I met with Austin's loving parents, Marc and Debra, last year in my 
office, where they told me about the heartbreaking details of his 
abduction in 2012 at a checkpoint near Damascus on his way to Beirut.
  Hearing about Austin, I knew I had to do what I could to try and 
help, just like these other Members who have spoken earlier. So, with 
the Tices sitting in my office, I called upon the help of my Syrian-
American friend and constituent, Paul Jallo. I put Mr. Jallo on 
speakerphone as we brainstormed with Marc and Debra as to how we could 
navigate the treachery of this situation on the ground in Syria.

                              {time}  1645

  Paul vowed to enlist the assistance of his family and friends living 
in Damascus to try and garner critical information as to Austin's 
current location and the identity of his captors. I cannot thank and 
commend Paul enough for his continued efforts to help the Tices in this 
ongoing endeavor to determine the status of Austin's well-being.
  We are frustrated, Mr. Speaker, that we still can't confirm with any 
degree of certainty Austin's captors, though we believe that Syrian 
President al-Assad's government has within its power and influence to 
see to Austin's release, despite denials of detaining him.
  This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. Austin was not a combatant, not a 
threat to al-Assad's regime, and yet he had to endure the terrible fate 
of imprisonment without acknowledgment. Austin, who proudly served our 
country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, deserves 
better, and his parents, Marc and Deborah Tice, who have tirelessly 
fought for answers, deserve better.
  Today we are going to send a message to the Syrian Government that 
the United States of America has not forgotten about Austin Tice and 
that we will not give up on him.
  Today we are here, and we are going to stand up and fight for someone 
who put himself in the face of danger to make sure that we always knew 
the truth of what went on in Syria and continues to go on.
  Please join me in supporting this resolution and sending a powerful 
message.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Eliot Engel, Representatives Green, 
Bilirakis, French Hill, and so many of my other colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle for supporting this important measure.
  Austin Tice dedicated his life to service. From his time in the 
Marine Corps to his reporting on the brutal civil war and humanitarian 
crisis in Syria, he lived to improve the lives of others.
  Think about it: Austin went to Syria to document some of the most 
brutal crimes against humanity so the world would see it, to expose 
what Assad has done to his own people to the world, and the price he 
had to pay for that is to be put into a Syrian prison.
  It is far past time that we repay Austin for his service, not only to 
our country, but to the world to expose these war crimes, to expose 
what was happening over there, and the courage he had to go over there 
to photograph. By bringing him home to his friends and his family, that 
is the way we pay him back. We have to use every tool at our disposal 
within the United States Government to bring him home to his family.
  Again, I want to thank all those involved, and in particular, 
Congressman Green, who represents the family, whom we have talked to 
extensively.
  This is one of those measures that is really an emotional one from 
the heart because we are talking about the life of a patriot who is 
trapped in a very bad prison in Syria overseas and cannot get out, and 
it has been 8 years--8 years, for God's sake, Mr. Speaker. It is time 
to bring Austin home.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the 
purpose of closing.
  Today's resolution calls for the immediate release of American 
citizens Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz, who have been unjustly held in 
Syria. It is time the Assad regime heeds our calls and works with the 
U.S. Government to secure their return home.
  I have been a critic of the Assad regime in all the years I have been 
in Congress, which is 32 years. The Assad regime has been brutal with 
its own people, has murdered so many of its own people, and I know that 
Mr. McCaul will remember not so long ago, on the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, someone smuggled in a bunch of photographs that were taken 
in Syrian prisons. They were horrific and reminded one of the 1930s and 
1940s with the genocide in Europe.
  It is time the Assad regime heeds our calls and works with the U.S. 
Government to secure the prisoners' release home. The immediate release 
of American citizens Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz is very important to 
us.
  As you have heard, they have been unjustly held in Syria, and we are 
not going to let it go. We are not going to stop until they are 
released. It is the right thing to do, and it is the only thing that we 
can do.
  I again thank Congressman Green for introducing this bipartisan 
resolution. I thank Mr. McCaul for working with us on this.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor, a mother, and a senior 
member of the House Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support of 
this bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 17, ``Expressing Concern Over the 
Detention of Austin Tice, and for other purposes.''
  In May of 2012, the summer before Austin's final year at Georgetown 
Law School, he chose to go to Syria as a freelance journalist to cover 
the country's civil war.
  Austin felt compelled to tell the story of the horrific and ongoing 
conflict there as well as its impact on the people of Syria.
  On August 14, 2012, Austin departed from the town of Darayya, a 
suburb of Damascus, to travel to Lebanon, but shortly after leaving, he 
was detained at a Syrian check point.
  Five weeks later, a 43-second video emerged online with the title, 
``Austin Tice is Alive'', showing Austin being held by a group of 
unidentified men with assault rifles, but there was no other message 
that accompanied the video.
  Even still today, no group has claimed responsibility for his capture 
nor have there been any demands in exchange for his release.
  Austin Tice was not a combatant.
  He was simply a young man doing his job, yet he has, without a doubt, 
had to suffer unimaginable ordeals and face the dangers of conflict, 
hostile governments, and rapacious bandits while reporting on the 
Syrian civil war.
  My heart goes out to Austin's parents, Debra and Marc Tice, as well 
as the rest of his family and loved ones for the pain and uncertainty 
that they have had to endure for over eight years.
  Eight years.
  Mr. Speaker, that is over 2,920 days that Austin's mother has had to 
go without hearing his voice, holding his hand, or seeing his face.
  Austin was born and raised in my hometown, Houston, Texas.
  He is the oldest of seven siblings, a former U.S. Marine, and his 
lifelong dream was to become an international correspondent for NPR.
  It is no secret that the risk of arrest, abduction, or death make 
journalism extremely dangerous and difficult in Syria.
  In fact, according to Reporters Without Borders, Syria is ranked 
174th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
  In 2020 alone, Reporters Without Borders has documented the killings 
of 40 journalists and 3 media assistants as well as the imprisonment of 
260 journalists, 122 citizen journalists, and 12 media assistants in 
Syria.
  Last year, I joined 122 Members of the House of Representatives and 
over 50 Senators in a bipartisan letter to the President, demanding 
that his Administration act to facilitate Austin's release from Syria.

[[Page H6090]]

  With that letter and this resolution, I am once again calling on the 
Department of State, the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for 
Hostage Affairs, and other U.S. government entities to engage with 
Syria for the purpose of securing Austin's safe release.
  From serving in Afghanistan and Iraq as a Marine to working as a 
journalist dedicated to delivering vital news to the American people, 
Austin Tice spent his life giving back and showing up for this country.
  Now we need to do the same for him and bring him home.
  I am honored to be a leader on this resolution, and I wish to thank 
my colleague and good friend from Texas, Representative Al Green, for 
his leadership on this resolution.
  I urge all Members on both sides of the aisle to join me in voting 
for H. Res. 17, ``Expressing Concern over the Detention of Austin Tice, 
and for other purposes.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 17, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``A resolution 
expressing concern over the detention of Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz, 
and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________