McCaul’s Statement Honoring the Tenth Anniversary of James Foley’s Death

Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued a statement commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of James Foley, an American journalist who was held hostage and brutally murdered by ISIS.

"August 19^th marked the ten-year anniversary of the evil and barbaric beheading of U.S. hostage James Foley at the hands of ISIS. Today, a decade after his passing, dozens of Americans are still held hostage or illegally detained around the world, alone and afraid in dark cells while their families pray for their return. We cannot let Americans like Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Austin Tice, just to name a few, suffer the same fate as James Foley. I once again call on the Biden-Harris administration to prioritize securing the unconditional release of American hostages. This includes ensuring diplomatic visits to countries that are holding Americans - like NSA Jake Sullivan's current trip to China, where Mark Swidan has been held in horrific conditions for more than a decade - focus on getting our people home. In every meeting he is taking in China, NSA Sullivan should make it clear he needs to leave the country with Mark on his plane. In addition, the State Department cannot leave families in limbo for years without making appropriate wrongful detention designations, and the Internal Revenue Service must immediately cease punishing former detainees with tax bills, late fees, and other financial hardships. These Americans and their families have already suffered enough."

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