Moskowitz, Baumgartner Bill to Sanction the Taking of American Hostages Passes House Foreign Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressmen Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) and Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-05) announced that their bipartisan No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act recently cleared the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on a 45-6 vote, overcoming a key hurdle that gets it one step closer to becoming law. The bill strengthens U.S. deterrence of state-sponsored hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals, particularly against the government of Iran.

Moskowitz previously introduced the No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act during the 118^th Congress.

“Foreign adversaries like Iran can’t be allowed to take Americans hostage and get away with it. My bipartisan No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act sends that message loud and clear,” said Congressman Moskowitz. “I applaud my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for joining Congressman Baumgartner and me to advance this bill, and I encourage the rest of the House to pass it and ensure that bad actors, hostile governments, and terrorist groups will face action from the United States if they wrongfully detain one of our own.”

“Iran takes Americans hostage and gets paid for it—that ends with this legislation,” said Congressman Baumgartner. “We are sending a clear message: American lives are not for sale. The No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act ensures that hostage-takers and hostile governments like Iran will face consequences. I’m proud that both Republicans and Democrats are supporting this bill, standing with Congressman Moskowitz and me to say that we will no longer allow foreign adversaries to hold Americans hostage and escape without repercussions. It’s time to slam the door on this practice once and for all.”

The No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act deters hostile governments and individuals from hostage-taking and other wrongful detention by imposing strict penalties like sanctions and visa restrictions. Under the bill, anyone sanctioned under terrorism or weapons of mass destruction proliferation would be denied a visa for admission to the United States as a representative to the United Nations. The bill also requires a report on the prior unfreezing of assets related to Iran.

It builds on U.S. sanctions policy under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, named for Robert Levinson, the longest-held hostage in U.S. history who is presumed to have been killed by the Iranian regime while in Iranian custody. Levinson hailed from Coral Springs in Florida’s 23^rd Congressional District.

Moskowitz is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he leads its Subcommittee on Oversight & Intelligence as Ranking Member. Earlier this Congress, he introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to condemn and counter the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, and he is once again leading his bipartisan PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Actto crack down on martyr payments that incentivize terror against Israel.

For more information on the bipartisan No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act, click HERE.

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