Rep. Greg Stanton today celebrated the release of Brittney Griner, who had been wrongfully detained by the Russian Federation for nearly 300 days.
“Today is a great day because Brittney is finally coming home,” Stanton said. “We’ve worked for this day for many, many months, and I’m incredibly grateful for those who kept Brittney’s case at the forefront and to the Biden Administration for making today possible.”
Stanton authored the bipartisan resolution calling for Griner’s immediate release, which was passed by the House of Representatives on June 24. He was joined by Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Colin Allred of Texas in introducing the resolution. Griner, a star for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Baylor University.
Stanton also hosted a classified State Department briefing for his congressional colleagues and staff, and a separate briefing for Brittney’s teammates and Mercury staff earlier this year.
While flying to Arizona aboard Air Force One earlier this week, Stanton raised Brittney’s case with President Biden.
He will continue to work with his colleagues for the return of Paul Whelan, another American wrongfully detained in Russia.