Should Efforts to Recover All 83,000 Missing and Unaccounted for U.S. Service Members be Intensified? (H. Res. 129)

What is H. Res. 129?

(Updated July 10, 2018)

This resolution would call for the Dept. of Defense and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to intensify efforts to investigate, recover, and identify all 83,000 missing and unaccounted-for American personnel. It would also call on foreign governments with information on missing U.S. personnel, or those with missing personnel within their territories, to fully cooperate with the U.S. to provide the fullest possible accounting for all missing personnel.

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

Argument in favor

The Dept. of Defense and foreign governments should do all they can to investigate and account for all missing U.S. personnel to honor their tremendous sacrifice and bring closure to their families. Considering this resolution is a simple but meaningful gesture.

Argument opposed

Missing and unaccounted for military personnel and their families are owed a debt of gratitude, but there’s no need for the House to briefly consider a non-binding resolution on the issue.

Impact

Missing and unaccounted for U.S. military personnel; the DOD and other federal agencies; and foreign governments.

Cost of H. Res. 129

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced this bill to call on the U.S. government and foreign governments to intensify efforts to account for the 83,000 missing American service members:

“This is a particularly meaningful week for me, it is when I returned home to my family after nearly seven years locked away as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton — 42 months of that in solitary confinement. The major reason my fellow POWs and I were able to make it home was because of our brave POW wives and folks like Ross Perot and Murphy Martin. They fought tooth and nail to educate the American public who believed North Vietnam’s false propaganda that we were treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention. While I was blessed to make it home to Freedom, many of my fellow compatriots did not. Our American Armed Forces swear to leave no man behind, which is why I have vowed I will never stop fighting for our Defenders of Freedom — just like our POW wives did for us. My commitment to this country and those who fight for it will never end. Thank you to all the brave men and women in our Armed Forces, past and present, for your service and sacrifice to the greatest nation in the world — the United States of America. God bless you and I salute you.”

This resolution was introduced on February 15, 2017 — the 44th anniversary of “Operation Homecoming” which brought nearly 600 American POWs home from North Vietnam. Among those POWs were none other than this legislation’s sponsor Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who drafted an identical resolution in the Senate. McCain added:

“I’m proud to join my friend and comrade Congressman Sam Johnson in introducing this resolution calling on the U.S. to intensify efforts to find answers about the American service members still unaccounted for abroad. Our  country remains in their debt, and our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones on the 44th anniversary of Operation Homecoming. The great honor of my life was to serve in the company of heroes in North Vietnam. Americans whose comradery, bravery, and resilience in the face of tremendous hardship inspired us to resist our captors and find strength and hope even in the darkest of hours. These men, those like them who served in other conflicts, and the thousands who made the ultimate sacrifice by never returned home, deserve our nation’s highest respect and gratitude. While we owe these heroes a debt we can never truly repay, it is my hope this resolution contributes to achieving a full accounting of our missing comrades and delivers to their families the peace of mind they have long deserved.”

This legislation has the support of 117 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, including 79 Republicans and 38 Democrats.

Media:

• Sponsoring Sam Johnson (R-TX) Press Release