On Sunday's ABC This Week, Brian Ross reported that a White House review of America's hostage policy is making the recommendation that the U.S. government look the other way if families want to make a ransom payment to terror groups to free their loved ones -- thereby changing the long-standing rule that the federal government does not allow anyone to negotiate with terrorists.

But those White House officials say that the change has been requested in the wake of murdered hostage James Foley at the hands of ISIS. Foley's family say they were threatened with prosecution by an unnamed White House official when they suggested paying a ransom to free their son. An allegation other families have made as well.

The most recent hostage fatality was Warren Weinstein who was accidentally killed in a U.S. drone strike against al Qaeda. His family did attempt a $250,000 ransom, but was unsuccessful in buying Weinstein's release.

One senior White House official commented on these recommendations: "There will be absolutely zero chance of any family member of an American held hostage overseas ever facing jail themselves, or even the threat of prosecution, for trying to free their loved ones." 

A former FBI agent, Jack Cloonan, agrees with changing the policy stating that he believes other U.S. hostages would still be alive if ransom's were permissible. "You can reach an agreement even with a group as despicable as ISIS is," Cloonan stated.

George Stephanopoulos asked ABC News contributor Richard Clarke if Obama should accept this recommendation of private ransom payments. "I wouldn't," he said. "The president has to try to make it unattractive to go after Americans as hostages. And the way you do that is by saying, there are only two things that are going to happen: Either we're going to go in and rescue, or you're going to have that hostage forever. If you say we'll pay, then there will be many more hostages."

Democratic Congressman John Delaney said the policy change "could make sense." He added, "I'd like to see the data that suggests that families being put in a position where they can actually pay to get their loved ones home really actually changes the outcomes in terms of how many people are taken hostage. I totally support the U.S. government's policy. We should absolutely not negotiate for hostages, but to put families like the Foleys in the situation they were in, I think is really tough."