Rep. Marino Calls on Mexico to Release Sgt. Tahmooressi

FOR IMMIEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2014

Rep. Marino Attends Sgt. Tahmooressi’s PTSD Hearing

Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County attended the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee hearing on the Western Hemisphere titled “Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi: Our Marine in Mexican Custody.” The hearing was attended by several members of the committee, both Republicans and Democrats, with witnesses Mrs. Jill Tahmooressi, Lieutenant Commander Montel B. Williams, USN, Retired, Sergeant Robert Buchanan, USMC, Retired, who served with Sgt. Tahmooressi and Mr. Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America.

The hearing occurred during a congressional work period when most members of Congress were back in their home districts. However, member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee returned to Washington of this important hearing with the intention of learning more about Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi’s current condition, history of treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and service to our nation during combat operations in Iraq.

All witnesses were given a chance to share their testimony and perspective with the committee members about Tahmooressi’s situation as well as the implications of this unfortunate predicament.

Congressman Marino issued the following statement regarding this hearing and his thoughts about what must be done for bring our Marine home:

“This hearing saddened me. It saddened me because our nation’s highest leader, President Obama, seems to be disinterested in Americans held across the globe. And here we have our Marine, Sgt. Tahmooressi, who has been in custody by a supposed ally, Mexico, for many months - too many months. He should have never been detained and incarcerated in the first place.

Unfortunately my sadness and the sadness of so many us turns to anger and to our fighting spirit. I find it absolutely unconscionable for any good American, let alone one of our soldiers, to be left in jail when he clearly made a simple mistake and owned up to it. But Sgt. Tahmooressi is the only one taking responsibility because the President and Secretary of State sure the heck aren’t! President Obama should pick up that phone and pen he loves to threaten Congress with and call the Sergeant’s mother to apologize then call the Mexican President and demand action.

Hearing so many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle express the same sentiment hopefully provides Tahmooressi’s mother and all the other witnesses some confidence that we will get our Marine back home safely.

My last thought is for the Mexican government. If they want our taxpayer’s hard-earned money in the form of foreign aid, and if they want continued diplomatic relations with our country then they will send our Marine home today. If they do not then they can get creative with the ways America will abandon our supposed friendship until we know, unequivocally, that this will never happen again. And they owe Sgt. Tahmooressi, his family and our entire country an apology. We may have an ineffective President but the Mexican government should understand there are consequences for this kind of affront to our citizens and soldiers.

I want him back and I want him back now. And I don’t think the President should feel the need to trade 5 more terrorists for this soldier. Just do what it right.”

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Watch Congressman Marino’s statement to the committee here.

Attached is Marino’s letter to the Mexican Ambassador which received no response: