The U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Greg Stanton’s bipartisan resolution calling on the Russian government to release Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner on Friday, congressman Greg Stanton announced.
Stanton’s bipartisan resolution also expressed support for further efforts to made by the United State government to secure her release, according to a press release.
Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17 after authorities stopped her at an airport for having vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
“Not a day goes by that we aren’t thinking of Brittney and working to get her home,” Stanton said in the release. “We will continue to push for her release and make sure that she is not forgotten.”
The resolution was introduced by Stanton last month with the help of Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Collin Alfred of Texas, where Griner is from and played her college ball for Baylor.
Stanton spoke on the House Floor on Thursday ahead of the resolution being passed on Friday.
“The resolution sends a clear message: securing Brittney’s release must be the highest priority of the U.S. Government, and we know the American people support every effort made to bring her home,” executive director of the WNBA’s Players Association Terri Carmichael Jackson said in the release.
Griner is considered to be wrongfully detained by the Russian Federation by the U.S. Department of State. The department, led by the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, will now seek to negotiate her release, according to Stanton.
Stanton and the U.S. House will continue working with the White House, the State Department and Griner’s family to return her back to the United State safely.
“I’m grateful for this overwhelming show of support from Congress,” said Griner’s wife, Cherelle. “We need to be doing all we can to keep Brittney’s case on the forefront and finally put an end to this nightmare.”