[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;
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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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