Washington D.C. – AZ Free News, June 19, 2026
Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) has introduced two new pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening America’s commitment to recovering U.S. citizens abroad and ensuring military equipment is properly secured during overseas withdrawals.
The measures, the No American Left Behind Act and the No Equipment Left Behind Act of 2026, were recently approved as amendments to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by unanimous voice vote in the House Armed Services Committee.
The legislation is expected to be considered by the full House in late June.
The No American Left Behind Act seeks to establish a formal “No American Left Behind Doctrine” to guide future U.S. policy and planning regarding Americans detained or stranded overseas.
The legislation was inspired in part by the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from Taliban custody earlier this year and Congressman Hamadeh’s ongoing efforts to recover the remains of Arizona humanitarian worker Kayla Mueller from Syria.
Congressman Hamadeh said the legislation is designed to improve coordination among federal agencies involved in hostage recovery and citizen repatriation efforts. The bill calls for reviews of collaboration between the Department of War, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, and other government partners to strengthen whole-of-government response.
