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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 502 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 502

Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of 
the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking 
           to depart the country with their adoptive parents.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 15, 2014

Mr. Portman (for himself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Alexander, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. 
  Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Coats, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. 
   Durbin, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Franken, Mrs. 
   Gillibrand, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
 Johanns, Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin, Mr. King, Mr. Kirk, Ms. Klobuchar, 
 Mr. Levin, Mr. Markey, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. McCain, Mr. McConnell, Ms. 
 Mikulski, Mr. Moran, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Paul, Mr. Rubio, 
Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Warner, 
  Ms. Warren, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
    Toomey, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Cochran, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

                             July 29, 2014

  Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                preamble
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
      [Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]

                             July 31, 2014

      Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of 
the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking 
           to depart the country with their adoptive parents.

Whereas according to UNICEF, over 4,000,000 orphans are estimated to be living 
        in the Democratic Republic of Congo;
Whereas cyclical and violent conflict has plagued the Democratic Republic of 
        Congo since the mid-1990s;
Whereas the United States has made significant financial investments in the 
        Democratic Republic of Congo, providing an estimated $274,000,000 
        bilateral aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo in fiscal year 2013 
        and an additional $165,000,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance;
Whereas the policy of the United States Government toward the Democratic 
        Republic of Congo is ``focused on helping the country become a nation 
        that . . . provides for the basic needs of its citizens'';
Whereas the United Nations, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, 
        and other international organizations have recognized that a child 
        should grow up in a family environment;
Whereas adoption, both domestic and international, is an important child 
        protection tool and an integral part of child welfare best practices 
        around the world, along with family reunification and prevention of 
        abandonment;
Whereas, on September 27, 2013, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, 
        General Directorate of Migration, informed the United States Embassy in 
        Kinshasa that effective September 25, 2013, they had suspended issuance 
        of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the 
        country with their adoptive parents;
Whereas there are United States families with finalized adoptions in the 
        Democratic Republic of the Congo and the necessary legal paperwork and 
        visas ready to travel home with these children but are currently unable 
        to do so; and
Whereas, on December 19, 2013, the Congolese Minister of Justice, Minister of 
        Interior and Security, and the General Directorate of Migration 
        confirmed to members of the United States Department of State that the 
        current suspension on the issuance of exit permits continues: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) affirms that all children deserve a safe, loving, and 
        permanent family;
            (2) recognizes the importance of ensuring that 
        international adoptions of all children are conducted in an 
        ethical and transparent manner;
            (3) expresses concern over the impact on children and 
        families caused by the current suspension of exit permit 
        issuance within the Democratic Republic of Congo;
            (4) respectfully requests that the Government of the 
        Democratic Republic of Congo--
                    (A) resume processing adoption cases and issuing 
                exit permits via the Ministry of Gender and Family's 
                Interministerial Adoption Committee and General 
                Directorate of Migration;
                    (B) prioritize the processing of intercountry 
                adoptions which were initiated before the suspension; 
                and
                    (C) expedite the processing of those adoptions 
                which involve medically fragile children; and
            (5) encourages continued dialogue and cooperation between 
        the United States Department of State and the Democratic 
        Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve 
        the intercountry adoption process and ensure the welfare of all 
        children adopted from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
                                 <all>
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