,h4 ,,res4 #ag ,in the ,house of ,representatives1 ,u4 ,s41 ,december #c1 #bjbj ,,resolution ,whereas ,austin ,tice is a #ci-year-old veteran1 having served in the ,marine ,corps as an infantry officer1 a ,georgetown law student1 and a graduate of ,georgetown ,university1 from ,houston1 ,texas2 ,whereas ,austin is an ,eagle ,scout1 ,national ,merit ,scholarship finalist1 and eldest of seven children2 ,whereas ,austin was a contributing freelance journalist to ,mc,clatchy ,newspapers1 the ,washington ,post and other media outlets1 and a recipient of the #bjab ,george ,polk ,award for ,war ,reporting2 ,whereas1 in ,may #bjab1 ,austin crossed the ,turkey-,syria border to report on the intensifying conflict in ,syria2 ,whereas1 on ,august #aa1 #bjab1 ,austin celebrated his #cast birthday in ,darayaa1 ,syria2 ,whereas1 on ,august #ad1 #bjab1 ,austin departed for ,beirut1 ,lebanon1 was detained at a checkpoint near ,damascus1 ,syria1 and contact with family1 friends1 and colleagues ceased2 ,whereas1 in late ,september #bjab1 a video clip appeared on ,you,tube showing ,austin blindfolded and being prodded up a hillside by masked militants2 ,whereas in the years since ,austin's disappearance1 no group has claimed responsibility for his capture2 ,whereas the ,syrian government has never acknowledged detaining ,austin and has denied the same to ,austin's parents2 ,whereas officials of the ,united ,states believe ,austin is alive and being held in ,syria and that the ,syrian government should assist in locating and returning ,austin to his family2 ,whereas ,austin ,tice's parents1 ,marc and ,debra ,tice1 have been diligent in their efforts to find their son1 repeatedly meeting with senior officials of the ,united ,states ,government1 the ,syrian government1 the ,united ,nations1 and many others2 ,whereas the ,tices have traveled to the ,middle ,east multiple times1 most recently in ,december #bjah1 seeking ,austin's safe release1 and ,debra ,tice spent four months living in ,damascus1 ,syria1 for the same purpose2 ,whereas the ,tices have partnered with ,reporters ,without ,borders to launch campaigns with nearly #bgj newspapers and media organizations1 highlighting ,austin's case in their publications and on their websites2 ,whereas institutions and organizations1 including ,georgetown ,university1 ,georgetown ,law ,center1 the ,national ,press ,club1 the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists1 ,mc,clatchy1 and the ,washington ,post1 have collaborated to raise and maintain public awareness of ,austin's detention2 ,whereas1 on ,november #ah1 #bjah1 then-,united ,states ,special ,presidential ,envoy for ,hostage ,affairs1 ,robert ,o',brien1 said that the ,united ,states ,government believes ,austin ,tice is alive2 ,whereas at a press briefing on ,march #ai1 #bjbj1 ,president ,trump expressed concern for ,austin and called on the ,syrian government to release him2 ,whereas ,majd ,kamalmaz is a #fb-year old ,syrian-,american psychotherapist1 father of four1 and resident of ,texas2 ,whereas ,majd is a well-known mental-health professional with experience in disaster relief and post-traumatic care2 ,whereas in ,february #bjag ,majd traveled to ,syria to visit an elderly family member and aid civilians traumatized by the ,syrian civil war2 ,whereas on ,february #af1 #bjag ,majd's family received word that he had been detained at a checkpoint on his way to ,ghouta1 outside of ,damascus1 ,syria2 ,whereas since ,february #bjag ,majd's family has not heard from him2 ,whereas the ,syrian government has never publicly acknowledged detaining ,majd2 ,whereas ,majd's family and the ,syrian-,american community have advocated tirelessly for his immediate release2 ,whereas in ,july #bjbj1 ,united ,states ,ambassador and ,special ,presidential ,envoy for ,hostage ,affairs ,roger ,carstens publicly stated1 ,the ,u4,s4 ,government is in frequent contact with the ,kamalmaz family to provide support and information and that ,bringing home ,majd1 along with all ,u4,s4 citizens held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad1 has the attention of the highest levels in the ,u4,s4 government42 and ,whereas1 as described in the ,caesar ,syria ,civilian ,protection ,act of #bjai 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hgia note71 ,congress calls on the regime of ,bashar al-,assad to release all political prisoners forcibly held within its prison system and to allow access to the same facilities for investigations by appropriate international human rights organizations3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 expresses its ongoing concern regarding the capture of ,austin ,tice in ,august #bjab and ,majd ,kamalmaz in ,february #bjag1 and their continuing detention2 7#b7 encourages the ,department of ,state1 the intelligence community1 and the interagency ,hostage ,recovery ,fusion ,cell to jointly continue investigations and to pursue all possible information regarding ,austin and ,majd's detention2 7#c7 encourages the ,department of ,state and the ,special ,presidential ,envoy for ,hostage ,affairs to engage the ,syrian government to facilitate ,austin and ,majd's safe release and return2 7#d7 encourages the ,department of ,state to work with foreign governments known to have diplomatic influence with the ,syrian government2 and 7#e7 requests that the ,department of ,state and the intelligence community continue to work with and inform ,congress and the families of ,austin ,tice and ,majd ,kamalmaz to the extent possible regarding efforts to secure their safe release and return from detention in ,syria4 ,clerk4