Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10), the Lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution calling for the release of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Trevor Reed, who is currently being detained as a political prisoner in Russia. The resolution was introduced with bipartisan support from 25 lawmakers, including Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Congressman Pfluger, Ranking Member McCaul, and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy issued statements following the introduction of the resolution:

“Trevor Reed is an eighth-generation Texan and former U.S. Marine who stands to spend a decade of his life in a Russian prison for crimes he did not commit,” said Pfluger and McCaul. “These charges were clearly politically motivated, and the entire process has been a sham. We cannot tolerate American citizens being used as political pawns. President Putin must immediately release Trevor and end this nightmare, which has already lasted 565 days too long.”

“Growing up in Tehachapi, California, Trevor Reed honorably served our country, and the unjust way he has been brutalized by the Russian judicial system has been nothing short of cruel. I was proud to join my colleagues last Congress in calling for his immediate release and supported the Trump Administration’s effort to bring him home. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to that fight. I am proud to cosponsor this call to action again with my House Republican colleagues, and applaud Ranking Member McCaul and Representative Pfluger for their continued support of Trevor and his family. Trevor is not forgotten; on the contrary, he is very much at the forefront of our minds, and we will not stop fighting until he is safely back on American soil, surrounded by his family and loved ones,” said Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The bill was introduced by Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) and Ranking Member Michael McCaul (TX-10). Original cosponsors include Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) and Representatives Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Brian Babin (TX-36), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Roger Williams (TX-25), Randy Weber (TX-14), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Chip Roy (TX-21), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Kai Kahele (HI-02), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Kevin Brady (TX-08), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Al Green (TX-09), Colin Allred (TX-32), and Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Van Taylor (TX-03).

The resolution condemns the practice of politically-motivated imprisonment in the Russian Federation, and calls upon the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release Trevor Reed