Moskowitz, Kean Lead Bipartisan Effort to Honor American Hostages

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressmen Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) and Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-07) introduced their Remembering American Hostages Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill to require that the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag be displayed at federal sites on key historical dates and raise awareness of the ongoing fight against wrongful detention.

Under their bill, the flag would be flown federally on:

• January 20 and November 4: Key dates in the Iranian hostage crisis
• August 19: The date of journalist James Foley’s death at the hands of ISIS
• October 7: The date of Hamas’s unprovoked attack on Israel in which more than 240 people, including 12 Americans, were taken hostage

The bill also expands the list of federal sites where the flag must be flown, including US embassies, consulates, passport offices, and key federal departments.

“Each day we fly this flag is a reminder of those who have been unjustly taken hostage and a reminder to the world that America doesn’t forget its own,” said Congressman Moskowitz. “This bipartisan effort will ensure that the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag remains a visible symbol of our nation’s commitment to bring Americans home and to honor those who never made it back.”

“At its heart, this legislation is about remembrance, unity, and our unwavering support for Americans unjustly held abroad. For the families of American hostages, like my constituent Sarah Moriarty, who have endured unimaginable hardship and loss of their loved ones, we stand with you. Flying the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag is a powerful symbol of our nation’s commitment to bring every American home and to never forget those who have suffered in captivity,” said Congressman Kean.

Moskowitz’s bill continues his wave of bipartisan efforts to hold foreign adversaries accountable for wrongful detentions and bring American citizens home. His bipartisan Countering Wrongful Detention Act with Kean and others would give the US State Department more tools to crack down on wrongful detention, and his bipartisan No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Actwould strengthen US deterrence of state-sponsored hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of US nationals, particularly against the government of Iran. 

Moskowitz is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Oversight & Intelligence.

For more information on the Remembering American Hostages Act of 2025 from Moskowitz and Kean, click HERE.

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