IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 218 
Calling on the Government of Iran to fulfill repeated promises of assistance 
in the case of Robert Levinson, the longest held United States civilian 
in our Nation’s history. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 12, 2019 
Mr. DEUTCH (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. FRANKEL, Mr. 
WALTZ, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCCAUL, and Mr. CONNOLLY) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Calling on the Government of Iran to fulfill repeated prom-
ises of assistance in the case of Robert Levinson, the 
longest held United States civilian in our Nation’s his-
tory. 
Whereas United States citizen Robert Levinson is a retired 
agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a resident 
of Coral Springs, Florida, the husband of Christine 
Levinson, father of their seven children, and grandfather 
of their six grandchildren; 
Whereas Robert Levinson traveled from Dubai, United Arab 
Emirates, to Kish Island, Iran, on March 8, 2007; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 Mar 13, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR218.IH
HR218
pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 218 IH 
Whereas, after traveling to Kish Island and checking into the 
Hotel Maryam, Robert Levinson disappeared on March 9, 
2007; 
Whereas, in December 2007, Robert Levinson’s wife, Chris-
tine, traveled to Kish Island to retrace Mr. Levinson’s 
steps and met with officials of the Government of Iran 
who pledged to help in the investigation; 
Whereas, for 12 years, the United States Government has 
continually pressed the Government of Iran to provide 
any information on the whereabouts of Robert Levinson 
and to help ensure his prompt and safe return to his 
family; 
Whereas officials of the Government of Iran promised their 
continued assistance to the relatives of Robert Levinson 
during the visit of the family to the Islamic Republic of 
Iran in December 2007; 
Whereas, in November 2010, the Levinson family received a 
video of Mr. Levinson in captivity, representing the first 
proof of life since his disappearance and providing some 
initial indications that he was being held somewhere in 
southwest Asia; 
Whereas, in April 2011, the Levinson family received a series 
of pictures of Mr. Levinson, which provided further indi-
cations that he was being held somewhere in southwest 
Asia; 
Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry stated on August 28, 
2013, ‘‘The United States respectfully asks the Govern-
ment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work coopera-
tively with us in our efforts to help U.S. citizen Robert 
Levinson’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 Mar 13, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR218.IH
HR218
pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 218 IH 
Whereas, on September 28, 2013, during the first direct 
phone conversation between the heads of governments of 
the United States and Iran since 1979, President Barack 
Obama raised the case of Robert Levinson to President 
of Iran Hassan Rouhani and urged the President of Iran 
to help locate Mr. Levinson and reunite him with his 
family; 
Whereas, on August 29, 2014, Secretary of State Kerry 
again stated that the United States ‘‘respectfully 
request[s] the Government of the Islamic Republic of 
Iran work cooperatively with us to find Mr. Levinson and 
bring him home’’; 
Whereas, on January 16, 2016, the Government of Iran re-
leased five United States citizens detained in Iran; 
Whereas, on January 17, 2016, President Obama stated that 
‘‘even as we rejoice in the safe return of others, we will 
never forget about Bob’’, referring to Robert Levinson, 
and that ‘‘each and every day but especially today our 
hearts are with the Levinson family and we will never 
rest until their family is whole again’’; 
Whereas, on January 19, 2016, White House Press Secretary 
Josh Earnest stated that the United States Government 
had ‘‘secured a commitment from the Iranians to use the 
channel that has now been opened to secure the release 
of those individuals that we know were being held by Iran 
. . . to try and gather information about Mr. Levinson’s 
possible whereabouts’’; 
Whereas the Government of Iran’s most recent commitment 
to assist in and the diplomatic channel dedicated to locat-
ing and returning Bob Levinson have not yielded any 
meaningful results; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 Mar 13, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR218.IH
HR218
pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 218 IH 
Whereas, on November 23, 2016, the United Nations Work-
ing Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) issued 
Opinion No. 50/2016, concerning Robert Levinson in 
which the UNWGAD found Iran responsible for the arbi-
trary detention of Mr. Levinson; 
Whereas, on April 25, 2017, the Department of State issued 
a statement noting that ‘‘On the sidelines of the April 25 
meeting in Vienna of the Joint Commission overseeing 
implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Ac-
tion, the U.S. delegation raised with the Iranian delega-
tion its serious concerns regarding the cases of U.S. citi-
zens detained and missing in Iran, and called on Iran to 
immediately release these U.S. citizens so they can be re-
united with their families’’; 
Whereas, on March 9, 2018, Department of State Spokes-
person Heather Nauert stated, ‘‘Iran committed to co-
operating with the United States to assist us in bringing 
Robert Levinson home and we call on Iran to fulfill this 
commitment’’; 
Whereas, on November 26, 2013, Mr. Levinson became the 
longest held United States civilian in our Nation’s his-
tory; 
Whereas March 9, 2019, marks 12 years since the disappear-
ance of Robert Levinson from Kish Island, Iran; and 
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation continues to 
offer a $5,000,000 reward for information leading to Mr. 
Levinson’s safe return: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 Mar 13, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR218.IH
HR218
pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 218 IH 
(1) recognizes that Robert Levinson is the long-
est held United States civilian in our Nation’s his-
tory; 
(2) notes that repeated pledges by officials of 
the Government of Iran to provide their Govern-
ment’s assistance in the case of Robert Levinson 
have not led to any meaningful progress in locating 
or returning Robert Levinson; 
(3) urges the Government of Iran to take mean-
ingful steps towards fulfilling its repeated promises 
to assist in locating and returning Robert Levinson, 
including by immediately providing all available in-
formation from all entities of the Government of 
Iran 
regarding 
the 
disappearance 
of 
Robert 
Levinson to the United States Government; 
(4) urges the President to make clear that the 
return of Robert Levinson is a priority to the United 
States and commit to redoubling United States Gov-
ernment efforts to secure the release of Robert 
Levinson; 
(5) urges the President and the allies of the 
United States to continue to press the Government 
of Iran at every opportunity to locate and return 
Robert Levinson, notwithstanding ongoing and seri-
ous disagreements the United States Government 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 Mar 13, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR218.IH
HR218
pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS