Pulaski Times

Reps. French Hill and Haley Stevens, co-chairs of the Hostage Task Force in the U.S. House of Representatives, have called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to develop strategies aimed at reducing hostage-taking incidents and wrongful detentions. In a letter addressed to Secretary Blinken, they outlined four policy suggestions to address these concerns.

The representatives proposed implementing joint penalties with allies against states that engage in hostage-taking, creating a formal designation for nations involved in such activities, restricting travel by U.S. citizens to countries known for detaining Americans, and encouraging travelers to register with embassies when visiting Level 4 Travel Warning countries.

In their communication, Reps. Hill and Stevens commended Secretary Blinken for his role in facilitating a major prisoner exchange with Russia that included bringing home several Americans like Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. They acknowledged the efforts made under previous administrations through measures like PPD-30 and the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery Act but emphasized that further action is necessary.

The letter also urged the State Department to work with international partners to impose sanctions on individuals or states credibly accused of wrongful detention and hostage-taking. Additionally, they recommended using existing authority to limit U.S. citizens' travel to high-risk areas as a preventive measure.

"We cannot only be reactive," stated Reps. Hill and Stevens in their letter, stressing the need for proactive measures from the United States government.

The lawmakers have requested a briefing from the State Department within 45 days regarding plans to implement these recommendations.