•HRES 17 IH 
Whereas in May 2012, Austin reportedly slipped under a 
fence at the Turkey-Syria border to report on the inten-
sifying civil war from in and around Damascus, Syria; 
Whereas, on August 11, 2012, Austin celebrated his 31st 
birthday in Darayya, Syria, then was scheduled to travel 
to Beirut, Lebanon; 
Whereas in August 2012, Austin did not travel as planned 
to Lebanon and his frequent emails to his family stopped; 
Whereas in late September 2012, a video clip appeared on 
YouTube showing Austin blindfolded and being prodded 
up a hillside by masked militants; 
Whereas in the more than 1,000 days since Austin’s dis-
appearance, no group has claimed responsibility for his 
capture; 
Whereas the Syrian government has never acknowledged de-
taining Austin and has denied the same to Austin’s par-
ents; 
Whereas U.S. officials believe the government of Bashar al- 
Assad or a group affiliated with it is holding him; 
Whereas Austin Tice’s parents, Marc and Debra Tice have 
been diligent in their efforts to find their son, by 
partnering with Reporters Without Borders and a New 
York ad agency to launch ‘‘The Blindfold Pledge’’ to 
dramatize the increasing dangers to journalists in repres-
sive regimes around the world; 
Whereas the couple also helped deploy four billboards across 
Harris County, Texas, last fall bearing their son’s like-
ness and the phrase: ‘‘Over 1,000 days in captivity for 
being a journalist’’; 
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•HRES 17 IH 
Whereas the Tices have appeared at forums and panels dis-
cussions on the threats facing journalists around the 
world, including one during the week of April 4, 2016, 
at Georgetown, Austin’s alma mater; 
Whereas the couple has promoted an online petition urging 
the U.S. Government to ramp up efforts to bring their 
son home; 
Whereas nearly 270 newspapers and media organizations 
have highlighted the journalist’s case on their Web sites 
as a result of the Tices’ efforts; 
Whereas according to the Houston Chronicle, the Obama ad-
ministration first confirmed they spoke with Syrian offi-
cials about Austin’s case sometime in 2015, though they 
denied visiting or seeing Austin, as had been initially re-
ported by the French newspaper Le Figaro; and 
Whereas, on April 8, 2016, U.S. State Department spokes-
man Mark Toner said Austin remains a focus of the ad-
ministration’s diplomatic efforts, often working through 
Czech officials who serve as intermediaries between the 
United States and the Syrian Arab Republic govern-
ments: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses its ongoing concern about the dis-
appearance of Austin Tice in Damascus, Syria, in 
August 2012; 
(2) encourages the Department of State and 
the intelligence community to jointly continue inves-
tigations and to consider all plausible explanations 
for Austin’s disappearance; 
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•HRES 17 IH 
(3) urges the Department of State and the in-
telligence community to coordinate investigations 
with the Syrian Arab Republic government and so-
licit information from appropriate regional affairs 
and law enforcement experts on plausible expla-
nations for Austin’s disappearance; 
(4) encourages the Department of State to 
work with foreign governments known to have diplo-
matic influence with the Government of Syria; 
(5) encourages the intelligence community to 
assess the possibility of the involvement of the Gov-
ernment of Syria in Austin Tice’s disappearance and 
to possibly seek his recovery; and 
(6) requests that the Department of State and 
the intelligence community continue to work with 
and inform Congress and the family of Austin Tice 
on efforts to possibly recover Austin and to resolve 
his disappearance. 
Æ 
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