[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 98 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3697-H3699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF RYAN CORBETT, A UNITED STATES 
                                CITIZEN

  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 965) calling for the immediate release of Ryan 
Corbett, a United States citizen, who was wrongfully detained by the 
Taliban on August 10, 2022, and condemning the wrongful detention of 
Americans by the Taliban.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 965

       Whereas United States citizen Ryan Corbett has lived a life 
     of service, by supporting humanitarian projects in 
     Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people start and operate 
     small businesses;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett moved his family to Afghanistan in 
     2010 to help the local population and lived there for over a 
     decade aiding the local Afghan population;
       Whereas in 2017, Ryan Corbett founded ``Bloom Afghanistan'' 
     to provide consulting and microloans to Afghan small 
     businesses to help build a self-sustaining local economy of 
     Afghan small businesses;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett is known to his family, friends, 
     colleagues, and associates as a loving father, as well as a 
     kind, service-oriented man;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett was forced to leave his life, 
     community, and Afghan partners behind during the August 2021 
     Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the ensuing evacuation of 
     American citizens;
       Whereas in August 2022, Ryan Corbett traveled to 
     Afghanistan for a 10-day trip to check in on his business and 
     employees and was detained by the Taliban;
       Whereas the Taliban detained Ryan Corbett without being 
     charged with a crime or granting him due process in any 
     judicial proceedings;
       Whereas, on October 10, 2023, Ryan Corbett was designated 
     as wrongfully detained by the Department of State;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett is being held in a 9-foot by 9-foot 
     cell with two other detainees, and has been held in solitary 
     confinement for months at a time;
       Whereas the Taliban has not granted Ryan Corbett any 
     consular visits by Department of State personnel;
       Whereas during his detention, Ryan Corbett has only had 3 
     phone calls totaling 22 minutes with his family, and has only 
     had 2 in-person visits with representatives of the United 
     States protecting power in Afghanistan, Qatar;
       Whereas three non-American individuals previously detained 
     with Ryan Corbett have been released and have reported on 
     Ryan's conditions;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates stated that 
     prisoners at that facility must survive on scraps of fatty 
     meat, only have access to sunlight once a month, and cannot 
     use the bathroom without permission;
       Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates stated that during 
     their captivity, Ryan Corbett was suffering from seizures, 
     fainting, and discolored extremities; and
       Whereas Ryan Corbett turned 40 years old during his 
     wrongful detention, and his physical and mental health is 
     rapidly declining due to the stress and harsh conditions, 
     such that his family fears he will not survive his wrongful 
     detention: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) calls on the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally 
     release Ryan Corbett and all other American detainees;
       (2) urges the Taliban to respect Ryan Corbett's human 
     rights and to provide full, unfettered, and consistent health 
     and safety visits to Ryan Corbett while in detention;
       (3) encourages the Government of Qatar, as the protecting 
     power of the United States in Afghanistan, to continue in its 
     efforts to conduct basic health and wellness checks on Ryan 
     Corbett, thanks Qatar for its efforts thus far, and 
     encourages Qatar to be involved in securing the release of 
     Ryan Corbett;
       (4) urges all United States executive branch officials to 
     continue to raise the case of Ryan Corbett and to press for 
     his immediate release in all interactions with the Taliban;
       (5) condemns the Taliban's practice of hostage taking and 
     demands the Taliban to stop detaining United States citizens 
     for political gain;
       (6) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the families 
     of all other citizens and lawful permanent residents of the 
     United States wrongfully detained abroad; and
       (7) expresses support for the family of Ryan Corbett and a 
     commitment to bringing Ryan Corbett home.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, on August 10, 2022, Ryan Corbett was detained by the 
Taliban in Afghanistan.
  Ryan Corbett is a loving husband to Anna, and father of three 
wonderful children: Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb. I spent quite a bit of 
time with the family.
  In 2 weeks, his oldest daughter graduates from high school, but 
instead of being home with his family right now celebrating his 
daughter, he is suffering in a Taliban prison.
  Ryan Corbett and his family lived in Afghanistan for over a decade. 
He supported humanitarian efforts and provided opportunities for the 
Afghan people. He is a good man who has dedicated his life to helping 
others. He is not a criminal.
  Despite pressure to act from the committee I chair, the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, it took over a year for this administration to 
declare Ryan as wrongfully detained.
  After constant engagement with this administration, the Corbett 
family has yet to receive any information regarding a plan to secure 
his release. Many of these requests for meetings with high-level 
administration officials have been repeatedly ignored. This is 
unacceptable. This administration must put a priority on bringing Ryan 
and other wrongfully detained Americans home now.
  Ryan's situation is dire. Ryan's wife, Anna, reports his mental and 
physical health have significantly deteriorated in recent months.
  The Taliban has refused to allow Ryan the voice to advocate for 
himself. He has only spoken to his wife a handful of times since he has 
been detained. Ryan is being held in inhumane conditions in a tiny cell 
with unreliable access to food and no ability to go outside. He is fed 
only scraps to eat, and he has faced solitary confinement for weeks on 
end.
  Ryan is facing serious medical conditions, experiencing seizures and 
often fainting. I want to assure Ryan's wife, Anna, along with his 
family, friends, and coworkers that we will continue our fight every 
day until we bring him home.
  As the father of five children myself, I cannot begin to imagine the 
pain and suffering Ryan's family is feeling right now.
  This Congress and all Americans stand with Ryan, and that is why I am 
proud to support this bipartisan resolution today that condemns the 
Taliban regime for its illegal imprisonment of Ryan and demands his 
immediate release. It calls upon the Biden administration to prioritize 
bringing all American citizens home who are wrongfully detained 
overseas.
  The President must project strength on the world stage and secure the 
immediate release of Ryan. Anything less is a failure of American 
leadership.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1630

  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of H. Res. 965, calling for the immediate 
release of Ryan Corbett, a United States citizen, who was wrongfully 
detained by the Taliban on August 10, 2022, and condemning the wrongful 
detention of Americans by the Taliban, as well.

[[Page H3698]]

  I thank Representative Tenney and Chairman McCaul for their work on 
this resolution, as well as Ranking Member Meeks and so many other 
people who joined together in a bipartisan effort to highlight the 
Taliban's wrongful detention of Ryan Corbett.
  Ryan and his family made Kabul home for more than a decade. In 2017, 
he founded a business consultancy focused on straightening out 
Afghanistan's private sector.
  Anna Corbett spoke in front of our committee this past November and 
again in April at a roundtable for the families of detainees. She 
shared the harrowing experience she and her family have been through 
themselves and some insights she has gained into Ryan's conditions in a 
Taliban prison. She has continued to advocate with our government to 
continue to do all that it can to bring him home.
  I know that the Biden administration has made the return of Americans 
detained overseas, including Ryan's case, a priority at the highest of 
levels, particularly for Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs 
Roger Carstens and Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West. I 
thank them for their focus on bringing American citizens wrongfully 
detained abroad home and pledge to continue to work with them, 
Representative Tenney, and others to bring Ryan home, too.
  Finally, I thank our partners in Qatar, who serve as our protecting 
power in Afghanistan and who have been key partners in helping secure 
the release of American citizens in Afghanistan and around the world. 
We are grateful for Qatar's ability to conduct occasional health and 
safety visits to Ryan and demand that the Taliban allow these visits 
much more frequently.
  Ultimately, we call on the Taliban themselves to release Ryan 
immediately and allow him to safely return to his family.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to join together in 
supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), a member of the Committee 
on Ways and Means and the author of this measure. The Corbett family 
resides in her district.
  Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the Representative for yielding.
  I rise in strong support of my resolution on the floor today calling 
for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a United States citizen, who 
was wrongfully detained by the Taliban on August 10, 2022, and 
condemning the wrongful detention of Americans by the Taliban. This 
resolution demands the Taliban immediately and unconditionally release 
Ryan Corbett and all other wrongfully detained Americans from 
captivity.
  When I first heard from my constituent Ryan Corbett's lovely wife, 
Anna, about Ryan's detention and the brutal conditions he was facing, I 
was heartbroken. Our community is heartbroken.
  Ryan was detained by the Taliban, as I said, on August 10, 2022, 
after dedicating over a decade of his life and his family's life to 
helping the Afghan people start a self-sustaining local economy.
  To date, Ryan has never been charged with a crime. Ryan is being held 
in a 9- by 9-foot basement cell without regular access to a bathroom, 
sunlight, medical care, or decent food.
  Reports from now-freed individuals who were detained with Ryan state 
that he is in poor health with discolored extremities. He suffers from 
fainting and seizures and fading eyesight.
  Ryan has been held for over 670 days. He has had only a mere handful 
of phone calls with his loving wife, Anna, and his three children, 
Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb, all of whom were my guests at the State of 
the Union Address this year.
  The Biden administration must do everything in its power to bring 
Ryan home and reunite him with Anna and their three wonderful children 
and let them spend time with their father in the way they should.
  I am honored that 72 Members on both sides of the aisle have joined 
me as original cosponsors of this resolution, making it clear that 
freeing Ryan is a bipartisan priority.
  In crafting this resolution, I worked closely with the minority and 
majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and, of course, 
the Corbett family. I give my heartfelt thanks to Chairman McCaul, 
Ranking Member Meeks, and everyone in leadership on all sides of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee for their support in helping this resolution 
come to the floor. I am pleased to see that it passed the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee unanimously on February 6.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution 
and show the Biden administration that Congress is paying attention and 
stands united in demanding Ryan's freedom.
  Further, this resolution will send an indisputable message to Ryan 
and all of our American detainees that Congress is there with them, 
thinking of them and praying for them, and that we are continuing to 
work to secure their release.
  I acknowledge and thank Anna Corbett and her children for their 
strength and courage during these difficult days filled with 
uncertainty and anguish about Ryan's health and whether he will be 
returned.
  I also mention a special word of note. Anna is a true inspiration to 
everyone, not only her children but everyone in our community. She 
exhibits incredible grace and resolve in an unimaginably difficult 
situation as the mother of three children and the wife of Ryan Corbett, 
who has been suffering this for over 670 days.
  Madam Speaker, I again thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
and everyone who has joined in advocating for Ryan's release, and I 
encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense resolution. 
I thank everyone for their love and care of the Corbett family.

  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey), who has been a strong supporter of Ryan's 
release and is working hand in hand with Ryan's father, who lives in 
his area.
  Mr. McGARVEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and 
call for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett and all unlawfully 
detained Americans.
  Today marks the 671st day that Ryan Corbett, an American citizen, has 
been wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan--671 days.
  When you have these jobs, you never know who is going to call your 
office. I learned of Ryan's capture when his father, Drew, called our 
office to let us know that his son was being unlawfully held by the 
Taliban. We were shocked.
  It is absolutely horrifying to get that kind of call, especially from 
another dad in my hometown. I can't imagine as a parent what it is like 
to have your child taken from you, knowing they are alive, knowing they 
are struggling, and knowing you can't get to them. To get that call 
just breaks your heart.
  The reality is Ryan's whole family deserves to have him home. Ryan 
has been allowed only eight phone calls with his family since being 
detained in 2022, a total of 85 minutes in 671 days. We stand committed 
to bringing Ryan back for them.
  I am so grateful to Representative Tenney for leading this resolution 
and for her persistence in fighting for Ryan and to Chairman McCaul and 
Representative Keating for their words here today, and I thank the 
Biden administration for working to get Ryan home as quickly as 
possible.
  We are with Ryan's dad, Drew; Ryan's wife, Anna; his children, 
Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb; and the rest of Ryan's family and friends. 
We are fighting for Ryan. This is a bipartisan effort, an American 
effort, and we will keep doing everything we can to bring Ryan home 
safely.
  Today, Congress sends a clear message: We must bring Ryan home now.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), a member of the Committee on 
Financial Services and an original cosponsor of this measure.
  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

[[Page H3699]]

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.
  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Once again, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his leadership on 
the committee dealing with this, as well as Ranking Member Meeks.
  Madam Speaker, I close by expressing my deepest sympathy to Anna 
Corbett and all of Ryan's children, family, and loved ones. I can only 
imagine the pain that they must feel every day and the fear they have 
for Ryan's safety every day. The strength and courage they have shown 
and their commitment to securing his release is truly remarkable, 
though nothing will ease their pain until Ryan is brought home.
  They should know that Congress stands with them and that we will not 
rest until he is home safely and reunited with them. That is the 
mission of this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me 
in strongly supporting this measure.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  One American hostage is too many. We remember each one of them, and 
we will not rest until they are safely home.
  It is clear that the Taliban is holding Ryan for its own political 
gain and using him as leverage to extract concessions from this 
administration.
  Anna, who we all know very well, has appeared before the Foreign 
Affairs Committee several times to discuss Ryan's unjust imprisonment. 
She has bravely shared the horror story of her husband and his family 
and what they are living through day in and day out.
  A single day of unlawful detention is too long, and Ryan's nearly 2-
year captivity must be resolved. Otherwise, we must question what the 
value is of an American passport and citizenship if our government 
fails us in our greatest moment of need.
  We should be projecting power, levying sanctions, and holding 
governments accountable for their human rights abuses. This 
administration, at times, has projected weakness on the world stage, 
and when you do so, it is hard to negotiate from a position of 
strength.
  Ryan's case is very dire. It is time to bring him home to his family 
and country.
  This resolution, as Mr. Keating stated, will send a very strong 
message to the Taliban that America, Republicans and Democrats alike, 
will not tolerate the illegitimate detention of American citizens. Our 
message is clear: Congress will not rest until Ryan is brought home.
  We stand with Ryan, Anna, and their children. We have not, and we 
will not, forget them. It is hard to look Anna and her children in the 
eyes knowing that her husband is in solitary confinement in Afghanistan 
under Taliban rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with Ryan Corbett and 
support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Meuser). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 965.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________