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Bills
| 3.23.22

Should the House Call on Russia to Release Trevor Reed & Other Political Prisoners? (H. Res. 186)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H. Res. 186?

(Updated July 18, 2021)

This resolution would call on the Russian government to immediately release U.S. citizen and ex-Marine Trevor Reed and all other political prisoners. It would also condemn the Russian government’s use of politically motivated imprisonment.

As a simple resolution, this legislation is non-binding and wouldn’t advance beyond the House if adopted.

Argument in favor

Trevor Reed, an ex-Marine and U.S. citizen, has been imprisoned in Russia for over 300 days after a sham trial despite flimsy evidence against him. The House has an obligation to call on Russia to release Reed and other political prisoners.

Argument opposed

Trevor Reed was found guilty in a Russian court of law and should serve his sentence as required by Russian law. The House shouldn’t intervene in a case that has already been settled in the Russian courts.

Impact

U.S.-Russia relations; the House; and Trevor Reed.

Cost of H. Res. 186

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced this resolution to demand the release of U.S. citizen and ex-Marine Trevor Reed:

“Our resolution and our message are simple. The United States will not tolerate an American citizen being held by the Putin Regime as a political pawn. Free Trevor Reed.”

In a joint statement, Rep. Plfuger and original cosponsor Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) added:

“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. 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.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) expressed support for this resolution, saying:

“It's unjust the way Trevor has been treated by the Russian judicial system. It's been nothing short of what I would call cruel. That's why we're united in this in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion to send a very clear message. Free Trevor Reed. I am thankful to Representative Pfluger, Senator Cornyn, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Lead McCaul for their leadership on this extremely important matter.”

Trevor Reed’s parents have expressed their appreciation for this resolution. His mother, Paula Reed, says, “It has been a long, hard time to be without him. It’s not something I’d wish on anyone else.” His father, Joey Reed, adds, “It’s a sham from beginning to end, our son is innocent and he’s being held because he is a former United States Marine.”

In mid-June 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Reed “just a drunk” and “a troublemaker.” Putin also suggested that Reed is lucky to be in a Russian prison, and that “he would have been shot dead on that spot” had he attacked a police officer in the United States. Putin also said of Reed:

“He got drunk on vodka and started a fight. He fought a cop. There is nothing offensive about it. These things happen in life. There is nothing horrible about it. It happens to our men as well. Somebody gulps down some vodka and starts a fight. So you violate the law, you go to prison.”

In response to Putin’s comments, Joey Reed said:

“We’ve never made any negative comments about President Putin. We think that’s a political issue and not for us. We find his false statements about our son offensive.”

When NBC News’ Keir Simmons asked if he would consider freeing Reed and Paul Whelan, another ex-Marine whom U.S. officials say has also been imprisoned on trumped-up charges, Putin said negotiating terms of release “can be talked about.” He also indicated that Russia would raise the matter of its citizens who are imprisoned in the U.S.

This resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs committee by voice vote with the support of 56 bipartisan House cosponsors, including 39 Republicans and 17 Democrats. A Senate version of this resolution, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), passed the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations by voice vote with the support of six bipartisan Senate cosponsors, including four Democrats and two Republicans.

In the 116th Congress, Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX) introduced this resolution with the support of 35 bipartisan House cosponsors, including 26 Republicans and nine Democrats, and it passed the House by a unanimous vote. A Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Cornyn, did not have any cosponsors and did not receive a committee vote.


Of Note: Texan Trevor Reed is a former U.S. Marine and Marine Presidential Guard member who was detained by the Russian government in 2019 on charges of endangering a police officer. He is currently serving a nine-year prison term. Earlier this year, on May 25, he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

At the time of his arrest, Reed had been studying Russian and visiting his girlfriend in Moscow. While drunk, Reed allegedly grabbed the arm of a police officer as he was being taken to a police station, causing the vehicle to swerve and endangering officers’ lives. At the time, the U.S. ambassador dismissed the allegations against Reed as “preposterous” and noted that the video evidence showed no swerving.

After his guilty verdict in July 2020, Reed argued that the decision was politically motivated, saying, “This is completely a political case. I will be asking my government for political support.”

Rep. Pfluger has criticized the evidence that was presented against Reed, saying, “the evidence presented against Trevor was so ridiculous it provoked laughter in the courtroom — even from the Russian judge.”

On June 28, 2021, Moscow City Court rejected Reed’s appeal of his sentence. After the court’s decision, U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan promised to keep fighting for Reed’s release and said:

“Another absurd miscarriage of justice in Russia as the world watches. We will not cease to advocate for Trevor & for US citizens denied an open & fair judicial process, a universal human right.”


Media:

Summary by Lorelei Yang

(Photo Credit: iStockphoto.com / kemalbas)