President Joe Biden was ripped by Texas lawmakers Tuesday for allegedly refusing to meet with the family of a former Marine who is being held in a Russian prison.
Texas Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican, said he found reports of Biden rejecting to meet with the family of Taylor Reed, a Marine veteran imprisoned by the Kremlin, “disappointing.”
“It would be hard to find two better people for President Biden to meet with in Texas than the parents of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed, who has been unlawfully detained in Russia for over 930 days,” Pfluger said.
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“Last year, both chambers of Congress passed my bipartisan, bicameral resolution calling for Trevor’s immediate release and urging the administration to use all means necessary to secure his release,” Pfluger continued. “It is disappointing that President Biden would not meet with Trevor’s family.”
“I urge him to reconsider this decision and meet with Paula and Joey Reed immediately.”
Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, echoed Pfluger’s sentiment.
Biden and his administration “must do more to free Americans held hostage in Russia. President Biden meeting with the Reed family while in Texas on a day he is touting the importance of caring for our veterans would be a welcome start,” he said.
The health of the former Marine is reportedly worsening in the Russian prison system.
His parents’ request to meet with Biden was rejected due to the deteriorating relations between the White House and the Kremlin, according to a report.
“We’re very disheartened about it and we … obviously wish we just had a couple of minutes to talk to him,” Joey Reed, the former Marine’s father, told Fox News. “Our son protected [Biden] at Camp David when he was vice president.”
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Their son is coughing up blood “all day long” while being denied medical attention, Reed’s parents said.
