Pompeo Applauds Passage of Bill Blocking Ransoms to Iran

Statement

Congressman Mike Pompeo (R-KS) commented today on the U.S. House's passage of Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce's bill, HR 5931, which included Rep. Pompeo's amendments prohibiting the payment of a ransom to any nation and sanctioning Iranians responsible for holding Americans hostage.

"Although the American people consider prohibitions on ransom payments to be U.S. policy, given the administration's recent actions, we have to make this prohibition explicit."

"Ransom payments put a price on the head of every American traveling abroad. This bill prohibits the United States government from making a payment to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. nationals or lawful residents. Our constituents have told us this is an unacceptable use of their taxpayer dollars, and we are acting."

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