Senators push cash rewards for tips on ISIS hostage deaths

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would require the State Department to offer up to $5 million in rewards for information about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants who killed hostages.

The legislation would update the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program to cover information that leads to the arrest or conviction of ISIS militants responsible for the deaths of hostages James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, Kayla Mueller, and any U.S. citizen kidnapped and killed by the group in the future.

{mosads}The legislation was introduced Wednesday by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).  

“We must ensure that the barbaric murders of Steven, James Foley, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller do not go unanswered. This bill is a clear message to ISIL and terrorists everywhere that America will not rest until justice is served,” Rubio said in a statement, using an alternate acronym for the group.

Rubio, Cruz, Shaheen, Ayotte and Nelson introduced similar legislation last year that would have required the State Department to offer a total reward of up to $10 million for information on the kidnapping and deaths of Foley and Sotloff, or up to $5 million for information on one of them.

The State Department program, started in 1984, has awarded more than $125 million to more than 80 people.

Separately, National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Thursday the government “continues to investigate the murder of American citizens” by ISIS.

“As the president has said, no matter how long it takes, the United States will not rest until we find and hold accountable the terrorists who are responsible for the murders of our citizens,” she said in a statement.

“We are working closely with our international partners, including the British Government, to do everything we can to bring these murderers to justice.”