Congressmen Want Obama to Intercede on Behalf of Marine Jailed in Mexico

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — Andrew Tahmooressi made a wrong turn into Mexico and has been stuck in a jail there for six months because he was carrying three guns in his truck at the time, and he’s been charged as a gunrunner.  His family has successfully kept his case alive in some media circles playing up his previous Marine heroics to complain about what they see as a lack of attention to his case by U.S. officials.
 
In the middle of a congressional recess, a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee held a hearing into his case Wednesday that was more of an outlet to vent at the administration and express support for his mother Jill Tahmooressi.  Members of the panel expressed optimism that the situation might be resolved soon now that Tahmooressi has been formally diagnosed as having PTSD. The hope is that Mexico’s Attorney General will dismiss the case.
 
Jill Tahmooressi read a series of quotes sent to her from her son that demonstrated his deteriorating mental condition. She also highlighted his military service.

“He volunteered and was willing to lose his life for freedom, liberty, and the elimination of oppression. He fought not for one political party, yet he fought for the world at large, including Mexico, who does not send their military to foreign combat,” she said.
 
Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., who chaired Wednesday’s hearing said he had recently visited Tahmooressi and said “he’d been through a lot — attempted to escape and take his own life, haunted by the hyper-vigilance that is the hallmark of his PTSD. Even so, he was polite. He was soft-spoken, a brave American who had defended this country and now needed our help to return home.”
 
Among the panelists at the hearing was former TV talk show host Montel Williams who was present as an advocate of treatment for those suffering PTSD.  “Though Jill can’t say it, and the others won’t say it, we know for a fact that Sergeant Tahmooressi’s time in this prison has been worse than his time in both combat situations,” he said.
 
Williams added, “He’s going to come back to the United States and have to be treated for his combat PTSD but also his incarceration PTSD.” 

Through tears, Williams pleaded for President Obama to call Jill Tahmooressi.  “If this hearing is going to stop in the next 10 minutes, I think the president needs to pick up the phone in fifteen. Make the call. Make the call today. If he’s not going to call President Nieto, call this woman — this woman’s child. He’s a father. I’m a father,” he said.

In his opening statement, the former Navy Lt. Commander said, given what he’s seen of Tahmooressi’s case, he would not advise his 21-year-old son to join the military.
 
Rep. Salmon was among several congressmen who complained about the Obama administration’s trade of five Taliban detainees for Bowe Bergdahl and what they see as a lack of attention to Tahmooressi’s case. “I am mystified that President Obama couldn’t find time between negotiating with terrorists to call our ally, the Mexican president, to appeal to him on behalf of our Marine,” Salmon said.

Veteran’s advocate Pete Hegseth told the committee, “Sergeant Bergdahl cost American lives. Sergeant Tahmooressi saved lives. Does that not matter? It’s time to bring our Marine home, long overdue, and get him the care that he’s earned.”
 
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, the ranking Democrat on the committee agreed that not enough had been done with Tahmooresi’s case, particularly in light of his previous military service.

 “To see what he is facing now, one of our own, is unimaginable upon coming home. When we serve overseas, the one bright light that we have is the fact that we can come home, and that we come home to our loved ones, and we come home to some sense of normalcy,” she said. “And to see now what he’s going through, to — to not have that bright light, is despicable and unimaginable.”
 
Several conservative members complained that President Obama has not reached out to Jill Tahmooressi, and set up their displeasure with the President’s affinity for playing golf.

“What kind of low bar do have set for this president? We ask him to make a phone call? He ought to get his tail down and play some of those Mexican golf courses and get him out of jail in person. That is a low bar to set for the commander-in-chief, a commander-in-chief that should go — should go to hell and back for one of their men or women who has been left behind as — as been stated,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. “I am not aware of the president taking any action so far to bring our Marine back. And I don’t think we’ve received any information in Congress about actions that have been taken. So I would say, Mr. President, we have a man down. Pick up the phone and do your job on behalf of our Marine.”

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