Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has introduced twin pieces of legislation concerning the recovery of American citizens and assets.
Bill #1: The No American Left Behind Act
Rep. Hamadeh's first bill, the No American Left Behind Act, establishes a formal doctrine to shape policy on the rescue and recovery of American citizens abroad, drawing inspiration from recent successes in freeing Dennis Coyle from the Taliban and recovering Kayla Mueller's remains in Syria.
More specifically, the bill seeks to improve interagency coordination between the Department of War, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, and other partners to sustain and improve whole-of-government responses.
"The bottom line is clear: the United States is finally making real progress in bringing Americans home," said Rep. Hamadeh in a press release. "This bill locks in those efforts — strong, coordinated, and enduring. Every American abroad must know that their country will never stop fighting for them. No exceptions. America First means no American left behind."
The Arizona congressman highlighted the rescue of Coyle and the recovery of Mueller's body, saying, "As a U.S. Army intelligence officer, I've seen firsthand the complex, gritty work it takes to bring our people home. This legislation strengthens that process and sends a powerful message: we leave no American behind."
Bill #2: The No Equipment Left Behind Act
The second bill, the No Equipment Left Behind Act, is a response to the withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden Administration in 2021, where billions in American equipment and assets were left for the Taliban to take for themselves.
As a result, Hamadeh's legislation requires comprehensive reporting, risk assessments, and accountability measures to ensure that military assets are properly tracked, secured, transferred, or destroyed when U.S. forces exit a theater of operations.
"The American people should never again be forced to watch billions of dollars in military equipment fall into the hands of our enemies," Hamadeh said of the No Equipment Left Behind Act. "We're still haunted by the shameful images of the Biden Administration's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan — weapons scattered across the battlefield, abandoned to terrorists and our adversaries. Those failures exposed dangerous gaps in leadership, accountability, and planning. Our servicemembers and taxpayers deserve far better — and with this bill, we’re ensuring it never happens again."
