Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 588. which expresses the strong opposition of the House to the current practice of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of suspending the issuance of exit visas for Congolese children adopted by loving American families. On September 27. 2013. the Congolese Government inexplicably and inexcusably suspended the issuance of exit permits to children who were seeking to depart and begin new and more hopeful lives in the country of their adoptive parents. All children deserve a safe. loving. and permanent family. It is unjust. cruel. and inhumane to punish innocent children for actions they did not commit and had no control over. UNICEF estimates that there are over four million orphans living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 800.000 of which are double orphans. meaning that they have lost both of their parents. In many cases entire families have been decimated by violence. Thus. if these innocent children are to have any chance for a normal life. there is a major need for international adoptions. The recent action by the DRC Government jeopardizes both the adoption process and the long term safety of these children. Mr. Speaker. there are few nations with more persons willing and eager to open their homes and their hearts to the orphaned children of the DRC. There are. right at this moment. scores of American citizens currently in the DRC who are being forced to remain in the country for months while they wait for the government to approve exit permits for their adopted children. These delays serve no useful purpose and unnecessarily impede the childrens adjustment to their new life and brighter future in America. including enrolling in school. adapting to the culture. and learning the language. Mr. Speaker. the actions of the Government of the DRC are particularly disturbing given the fact that the United States is one of the DRCs largest and most generous supporters. as evidenced by the estimated $274 million in bilateral aid $165 million in emergency humanitarian assistance it provided in fiscal year I agree that it ought to be the policy of the United States to help the Democratic Republic of Congo "focus on helping the country become a nation that provides for the basic needs of its citizens." That is why the government of the DRC must discontinue its current practice of needlessly delaying or suspending the issuance of exit visas to children so they can be united with their adoptive families who will love and cherish them and provide for their basic needs. H. Res. 588 calls upon the U.S. Government to recognize a childs rights and ask the Congolese government to: 1. Resume processing and issuing exit permits. 2. Prioritize the processing of intercountry adoptions that occurred before the suspension. and 3. Expedite the processing of children who are deemed medically fragile. Finally. Mr. Speaker. I would like to share the pain and anxiety of one Texas family resulting from the DRC Governments arbitrary suspension of exit visas for adopted children. The mother of this family wrote my office yesterday. This is what she said: I am writing today to inform you of the tragic situation my family is in with our legally adopted children not being allowed to come home from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our sweet children. Josias (18 months) and Mercy (20 months). were adopted over a year ago and have had U.S. visas since December Sadly. they are still waiting for us to come get them and bring them home because the Congolese government is not allowing any adopted children to leave the country to be united with their families. In September 2013. the DRC government issued a suspension on the issuance of exit letters for all internationally adopted children. initially claiming the suspension would last up to a year." They have now indicated the suspension will likely go on much longer and that we may not ever be granted an exit letter for our children. This has been a heartbreaking situation for our family as each day that our children are stuck in the DRC their lives are in danger. Several children have died of malaria during the suspension and many more have become very ill due to unsanitary living conditions and limited access to medical care and their lives are now in jeopardy. Adoption is an important tool for protecting children and if the only barrier preventing these children from going home is signature on an exit visa. then the United States should stand with the children and insist that the government of the DRC act in the best interests of the children. I urge all members to join me in supporting H. Res. 588 so that we can end the suffering and heartbreak currently experienced by so many American families and their adopted children from the DRC. It is the right thing to do.