[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7658-H7660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




URGING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN RECOVERING CHILDREN ABDUCTED IN THE 
               UNITED STATES AND TAKEN TO OTHER COUNTRIES

  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 224) urging international 
cooperation in recovering children abducted in the United States and 
taken to other countries.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 224

       Whereas many children in the United States have been 
     abducted by family members who are foreign nationals and 
     living in foreign countries;

[[Page H7659]]

       Whereas children who have been abducted by an estranged 
     father are very rarely returned, through legal remedies, from 
     countries that only recognize the custody rights of the 
     father;
       Whereas there are at least 140 cases that need to be 
     resolved in which children have been abducted by family 
     members and taken to foreign countries;
       Whereas, although the Convention on the Civil Aspects of 
     International Child Abduction, done at the Hague on October 
     25, 1980, has made progress in aiding the return of abducted 
     children, the Convention does not address the criminal 
     aspects of child abduction, and there is a need to reach 
     agreements regarding child abduction with countries that are 
     not parties to the Convention; and
       Whereas decisions on awarding custody of children should be 
     made in the children's best interest, and persons who violate 
     laws of the United States by abducting their children should 
     not be rewarded by being granted custody of those children: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress urges international 
     cooperation in working to resolve those cases in which 
     children in the United States are abducted by family members 
     who are foreign nationals and taken to foreign countries, and 
     in seeing that justice is served by holding accountable the 
     abductors for violations of criminal law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H. Con. Res. 224, the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, this measure, H. Con. Res. 224, calls 
our attention to a problem of growing concern. While most Americans are 
aware of the large number of cases involving children abducted by a 
noncustodial parent in the United States, very few are aware of the 
international dimensions of the problem. I commend the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Berry) for his initiative in introducing this resolution.
  A by-product of our increasingly interdependent globe has been an 
increase in the number of American citizens marrying citizens of other 
countries. It is a sad fact of today's society that a high number of 
marriages result in divorce, and these international marriages are as 
subject to the strains that affect marriages as those between citizens 
of the same country. In fact, there may be additional strains caused by 
differences of culture in such relationships. When an international 
marriages results in children and the parents obtain a divorce, with 
the foreign national spouse choosing to return to his or her own 
country, the offspring can be quickly embroiled in a complex situation, 
not only torn between two parents but also between two countries.
  There are tragically nearly 1,000 cases pending with the Office of 
Children's Issues at the State Department that handles children 
wrongfully taken from a custodial parent in the United States to 
another country. I am hopeful that this measure will help spotlight 
this problem and attempt to deal with it.
  We also would like to see our government, particularly the State 
Department, intensify its efforts to get more international cooperation 
in addressing the criminal aspects of international parental child 
abduction and also in getting more countries, particularly in the 
Middle East, to abide by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of 
International Child Abduction. For all these reasons, this resolution 
is a timely one. I ask all the Members of the House to join in 
supporting H. Con. Res. 224.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me at the outset pay tribute and commend the author of this 
resolution, my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Berry), because he is dealing with an issue of extreme importance. Of 
all the hundreds of hearings that I have participated in during the 
course of years, Madam Speaker, probably none was more moving than a 
hearing I chaired on a situation involving children of American women 
abducted by their fathers to Saudi Arabia.
  Now, I think it is extremely important to bear in mind that while 
many countries are involved in matters that this legislation attempts 
to deal with, the vast number of the children are taken to countries 
where only the father's rights are recognized. In such cases, the left-
behind mother is utterly helpless and hopeless, and the anguish and 
suffering of both the mother and the children is beyond comprehension.
  I believe this resolution, which attempts to deal with unresolved 
cases of child abduction cases, will focus both public and media 
attention on this outrage, and it is my earnest hope that at least 
international embarrassment might induce some of the governments to be 
more forthcoming in dealing with these matters.
  The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child 
Abduction has made some progress in aiding the return of abducted 
children. But many of the countries most affected by this legislation 
are not parties to that convention, and I think my colleague from 
Arkansas deserves great commendation for refocusing the attention of 
the civilized world on this outrageous practice.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of the Committee 
on International Relations.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time, and I am pleased to rise in support of the measure of the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry).
  The unresolved cases of abducted children is an abominable situation. 
This has resulted in children being taken to all parts of the world, 
taken usually by an estranged father. Rarely are these children 
returned, and rarely are legal remedies available. Other countries have 
recognized the custodial rights of the parent. I believe there are over 
100 cases, more particularly 140 cases, that need to be resolved in 
which children have been abducted by family members where they have 
taken the children to foreign countries.
  We have been working with our colleagues in the European Union, and 
we will be having some meetings just this week with regard to this 
issue. We hope that we can focus attention in the international 
community to help find a solution to these problems that have torn 
apart so many families.
  So, again, I want to commend the gentleman from Arkansas for focusing 
attention on this issue, focusing attention on the Convention of the 
Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction that was done at the 
Hague in 1980. But too little progress has been made in that direction 
and we have a long way to go, and I hope that this body will focus 
attention on this issue as well as other international organizations.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Berry), the author of the resolution and my friend and 
colleague.
  Mr. BERRY. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), 
and, of course, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hamilton), for the 
attention that they have given to this important issue.

                              {time}  1400

  This issue first came to my attention when a child, Machael Al Omary, 
living with her mother in Jonesboro, Arkansas was illegally kidnapped 
by her noncustodial father and taken to Saudi Arabia where her mother 
has no legal right to recourse. Since that time, I have learned that 
there are thousands of children who have been illegally taken to 
another country. If the country is not a signatory to the Hague 
Agreement, the parents are left totally

[[Page H7660]]

helpless. In many cases when the country is a signatory, justice is 
often difficult to obtain and comes at a very high price.
  Our legal system makes decisions involving the custody of children 
based on what is in the best interests of the children. Once such 
arrangements are made, no one should ever be rewarded for the illegal 
abduction of a child from our country by being able to keep the child 
and thumb their noses at our authority.
  This resolution sends a strong message of this country's support for 
the rights of our children.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Morella). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House 
Concurrent Resolution 224.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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