", debra tice, along with james foley's mother diane listened as assistant secretary of state douglas frantzcknowledged the problem. >> we need to do more. we need to be better. i would have preferred to have mrs. foley and mrs. tice sitting right here saying not that news organizations had done everything they could for them but that the u.s. government had done everything it could for them. >> woodruff: tice's parents say their son's captors have never demanded a ransom, and current u.s. policy bars such payments for hostages. and with me now is debra tice. she is austin's mother. welcome. we appreciate you joining us. >> thank you so much for asking me to come. >> woodruff: so as we've reported today the islamic state claiming that the american aide worker the woman is dead as a result of an air strike. like these other reports, this has to be so hard for you and your family. >> when we think about her family, it's almost more than we can bear. it's just almost unbearable. >> woodruff: and you've gotten to know them? >> well, we don't know them as well as some of the other families, but w