{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://stevens.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-rep-stevens-introduces-paul-whelan-hostage-compensation-and", "ICYMI: Rep. Stevens Introduces Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Haley M. Stevens", "S001215", "stevens.house.gov", "stevens", "https://stevens.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "September 21, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In case you missed it, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced the Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act, legislation to provide financial support to Americans who have been unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad as they return home and rebuild their lives.\n\nThe legislation is named for Michigan\u2019s Paul Whelan, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for more than five years before returning home in August 2024. After his release, Whelan faced many of the financial challenges that can follow years of detention, including lost income, the loss of his home and job, and difficulties obtaining health insurance.\n\nHere\u2019s what Michiganders are hearing and seeing about Rep. Haley Stevens\u2019 work with Paul Whelan to support Americans returning home after wrongful detention abroad:\n\nThe Detroit News: New bill would compensate returned political hostages like Paul Whelan\n\nBy Melissa Nann Burke\n\n\u201cReintegration should not stop at the airport,\u201d Stevens said, describing Whelan\u2019s experience returning home without a place to live or his former job after five and a half years of lost earnings.\n\n\u201cThis is a very solid piece of legislation that brings some dignity to the people who I believe are American heroes.\u201d\n\nStevens said the goal is to establish \u201ca transparent and objective formula\u201d recognizing the economic consequences of wrongful detention, including time taken away from a person\u2019s career and livelihood.\n\nCNN: Paul Whelan helps craft bill to compensate Americans wrongly detained abroad\n\nBy Jennifer Hansler\n\nWhelan called the legislation \u201ca huge step forward\u201d in ensuring wrongfully detained Americans receive support after returning home.\n\n\u201cFor people like me who have come home after five-and-a-half years, we really don\u2019t have very much. House is gone. Cars are gone. Employment\u2019s gone. No health insurance,\u201d Whelan told CNN.\n\nStevens said the legislation would ensure Americans who endure wrongful detention have resources to \u201cregain their footing, reunite with their communities, and rebuild their lives.\u201d\n\nDeadline Detroit: Haley Stevens introduces \u2018Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act\u2019 Bill\n\nBy Allan Lengel\n\n\u201cWhen an American is wrongfully detained abroad, we do everything we can to bring them home. Our responsibility cannot end the moment they step back on American soil,\u201d Stevens said.\n\nWhelan said former hostages often return home having lost their income, health insurance, employment, transportation and housing.\n\n\u201cProviding compensation to former hostages is a step in the right direction in supporting their positive and productive reintegration,\u201d Whelan said.\n\nNPR News Now: Paul Whelan compensation bill introduced\n\n\u201cHostages lose freedom. That means I wasn't earning an income. I wasn't saving for retirement,\u201d Whelan told NPR.\n\nWhelan said that when he returned home, his home and cars were gone and he had to rebuild his life.\n\nCBS News Detroit: Paul Whelan reacts to bill supporting Americans wrongfully detained overseas\n\nCBS News Detroit reported on Stevens\u2019 legislation to provide support to Americans returning home after being wrongfully detained abroad.\n\nWhelan thanked Stevens for introducing the legislation and discussed the challenges former detainees can face after returning home.\n\nThe report highlighted Whelan\u2019s more than five years of wrongful detention in Russia and the legislation\u2019s effort to help Americans rebuild their lives after returning to the United States\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://stevens.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-rep-stevens-introduces-paul-whelan-hostage-compensation-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7482729852199554, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}