[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 113 (Thursday, September 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S8938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION ACT OF 2000

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr President, it may only be September, but it sure 
feels like Christmas. For seven years, adoption advocates in the United 
States and throughout the world have waited for the moment that came 
late yesterday. In fact, it marked the second time this week that 
history has been made in these chambers. On Tuesday, this body voted to 
extend permanent normal trade relations to China and yesterday, we 
voted to ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and 
Cooperation in Respect of International Adoption. In doing so, we have 
joined the international community in, for the first time, recognizing 
that the ``child for the full, harmonious development of his or her 
personality, should grow up in a family.'' For the hundreds of 
thousands of children growing up on the streets and in institutions 
throughout the world, yesterday's vote marked the hope of a better 
tomorrow.
  I would like to begin my remarks by thanking Chairman Helms for his 
extraordinary leadership in passing this historic legislation. There is 
no doubt in my mind that we would not be celebrating this important 
moment were it not for him. In the two years since we stood together on 
this floor and introduced this legislation, he has worked tirelessly to 
ensure that each of the bill's provisions were aimed at protecting 
adopted children and their families. I would also like to thank Senator 
Biden, Senator Brownback, Senator Kennedy, Senator Abraham, 
Representative Gilman, Representative Gejdenson, Representative Smith 
and Representative Camp for their work in moving this bill forward.
  I would also like to commend the adoption community at large. In my 
opinion, this effort is a shining example of what can be accomplished 
if people are willing to compromise for the greater good. I have said 
it before and I believe it rings true here, adoption brings people, 
whether they are Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, American, 
Russian or Chinese, together. United by the belief that all children 
deserve to grow in the love of a permanent family. Adoption breaks down 
barriers and helps build families.
  Last year international adoption helped 15,744 children to realize 
their dream of having a family of their own. Not a day goes by when I 
do not receive a letter or a picture from one of these families telling 
me what incredible joy adoption has brought to their lives. Not long 
ago, I attended the naturalization ceremony for about 100 of these 
families. I distinctly remember looking into the crowd, at the tiny 
faces of these little ambassadors from Moldova, India, China, 
Kazakhstan, Russia, Korea, Romania, and thinking that there is no 
better example of the new era of globalization. With inventions like 
the Internet, geographic barriers will no longer stand in the way of 
children finding families. Today, it is possible for a couple from a 
small town like New Iberia, Louisiana to be connected with a waiting 
child in Irkustk, Russia. There is no such thing as an unwanted child, 
just unfound families. We share a collective responsibility to find a 
home for every child in the world and with yesterday's vote, we 
acknowledged that we are willing to share in that responsibility.
  As the largest receiving country, we have the opportunity to use this 
legislation and the system it creates to construct an international 
framework designed to protect the children and families involved in the 
adoption process. It is time for us to take action to eliminate some of 
the fraud, abuse and greed that can corrupt the adoption process. 
Joined by their commitment to protecting the rights of the child, Hague 
countries can now enjoy the comfort of knowing that each and every 
adoption will be performed in accordance with the established 
standards. Adoptive parents can rest easier knowing that there is 
somewhere they can turn with questions and concerns.
  As an adoption advocate and adoptive mother, it has been a very 
exciting week. In addition to passing this treaty, the House just 
passed the H.R. 2883, the Adopted Orphans Citizenship Act. This bill 
grants automatic citizenship for children who are adopted. Unlike a 
child born to a United States citizen, adopted children are not 
conferred automatic citizenship by virtue of their adoption. Instead, 
they must go through a long, complex and costly naturalization process. 
This is not only unnecessary its unfair. Adopted children should have 
the same rights as birth children and laws which unfairly discriminate 
between the two need to be changed. I urge my colleagues to act quickly 
to pass this legislation.
  Yes, Mr. President, it has been a very good week for children in need 
of homes. Yesterday, President Clinton awarded the second installment 
of the adoption incentive payments to states who had increased their 
number of adoptions out of foster care. 46,000 children in foster care 
found homes through adoption last year. That is a 65 percent increase 
since 1996.
  Although I am excited by the progress we have made, I am still driven 
by the vision of the children in institutions abroad and the knowledge 
that over 500,000 children in this country are caught in the foster 
care drift. We have accomplished a lot, but much remains to be done.

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