[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  URGING CLEMENCY FOR JONATHAN POLLARD

  (Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year a group of 
Members sent a letter to President Obama urging him to grant clemency 
at this point and commute the sentence for Jonathan Pollard.
  Jonathan Pollard spied on the United States on behalf of Israel. He 
should not have done that, and he was punished. But the punishment for 
that espionage has gone on longer than anything comparable.
  I believe that there is a personal argument for the clemency, and 
there is also the fact that American-Israeli relations are always 
important, and are particularly important now. We are asking the 
Israelis to take some steps towards a negotiated peace that may or may 
not be possible for them to take. Knowing that America recognizes the 
strength of that friendship is a very important factor in our 
persuading them of that.
  And I believe that in addition to the arguments based on the 
excessive length of the sentence, I think, the fact that Mr. Pollard 
has served for so long, clearly the deterrent effect is there, we are 
not asking that he be pardoned, we are not condoning his crime, we are 
saying that in addition to the personal argument, it would be a sign of 
U.S.-Israeli relations that I think would help strengthen the climate 
for peace. I will be submitting a copy of the letter at a later time 
that we sent to the President for inclusion.

                          ____________________