LaLota Announces State of the Union Guests

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) announced his guests for the State of the Union:  Huntington native Harrison Li, Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis, and Brittany Alkonis.

“I’m honored that Harrison along with LT and Mrs. Alkonis will attend this year’s State of the Union as my guests. Since 2016, Harrison Li has been an incredible advocate for his father, Kai Li, who has been wrongfully detained in China for too long. I have been working with him to put pressure on the Administration to bring his father home to their family and will introduce legislation this week to continue that effort,” said LaLota. “I became familiar with Ridge’s story during my first few weeks in Congress and quickly connected with his incredibly brave wife Brittany to not only bring Ridge home but reform our nation’s Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) with allies around the world. I hope that the Administration works around the clock to bring Kai Li home and commits to working with me to reform the broken system regarding our SOFAs.”

Background:

Harrison Li is the son of Kai Li, a Huntington resident who has been wrongfully detained in China since 2016. LaLota highlighted Kai Li’s story last week and continued his calls on the Biden Administration to do everything in their power to bring him home.

Last year, LaLota sent a letter to President Biden calling on the President to meet with the Li family. Earlier this year, LaLota joined several other members in a letter to Secretary Blinken highlighting the human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government, including the treatment of Kai Li. Later this week, ahead of National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, LaLota will introduce a resolution urging the Administration to prioritize bringing Kai home and to bring an end to his wrongful detainment.

Lt. Ridge Alkonis, who was stationed in Japan serving in the U.S. Navy was sentenced to three years in a Japanese prison in October 2021 for negligent driving resulting in the death of two people and injuries to a third person in May 2021. He suffered from acute mountain sickness as he was driving with his family from Mount Fuji, which caused him to lose consciousness. Alkonis’ family argued he was ill, not negligent, and therefore committed no crime. That argument was rejected by the court and his appeal was denied in July 2022. Throughout the legal process, Alkonis was denied access to a translator and legal counsel. Alkonis served more time in Japanese prison than he would have if he had committed the crime in the U.S.

Alkonis was transferred by the Japanese to the U.S. in December and sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center Los Angeles before he was granted parole by the U.S. Parole Commission. Last year, LaLota introduced the Safeguarding Our Forces Abroad (SOFA) Act which would require the Secretary of Defense, at a rate of one percent per month, to reduce the number of Armed Forces stationed in a “covered nation” where a binding and enforceable Status of Forces Agreement is not in place. Included in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was a provision to ensure legal protections for servicemembers stationed overseas, specifically, the right to counsel, competent translation services, a prompt trial, and other protections our service members have earned and deserve.

LaLota met with Brittany Alkonis and her children in Washington in July of 2023 and visited Ridge at Metropolitan Detention Center Los Angeles in December of 2023.

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