[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 79 (Friday, June 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5998-S5999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL KIDNAPPING

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss an 
issue that I have raised many times before, and that is the tragic 
problem of American children being abducted from this country and taken 
abroad. This international parental kidnapping is a tragic problem in 
our country today. One country in particular has had a really poor 
record of returning abducted children, and that country, amazingly, is 
the country of Germany. So I am raising this issue again today on the 
floor because our President, President Bush, will be in Europe next 
week to meet with German Chancellor Schroeder.
  Today's Washington Post has an editorial that discusses how vitally 
important it is that we make international parental kidnapping a top 
priority. I could not agree more. Today I have written to President 
Bush, asking him to raise this issue of international parental 
kidnapping when he meets with the Chancellor. I am hopeful he will do 
just that.
  Let me take a few minutes to update my colleagues about what is 
happening in our relations with Germany on this issue. As you know, the 
Hague Convention on the international aspects of child abduction, which 
the United States and Germany have both signed, is in place to 
facilitate the return of internationally abducted children to their 
countries of ``habitual residence'' for custody determination. That is 
where the issue is supposed to be adjudicated. Unfortunately, it has 
become clear that all countries that have signed the convention do not 
take their obligations seriously. Germany has performed especially 
poorly in returning children and allowing family visitation options.

  According to the General Accounting Office, 215 Hague Convention 
cases seeking the return of children have been opened with Germany, 
just since 1995. Of those cases opened, 172 of them have been closed 
with the children being returned only 67 times, or 39 percent of the 
time, and not returned 105 times, or 61 percent of the time.
  Because of this disturbing return rate, during the past year both 
former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine 
Albright raised with German officials the problems with their country's 
poor compliance rate.
  Additionally, this Senate and the House of Representatives passed a 
resolution I sponsored which urged the signatories--namely Germany, 
Austria,

[[Page S5999]]

and Sweden--to comply with their Hague Convention obligations.
  In response to these efforts, an American-German working group on 
child custody issues has been established. While this group has made 
some progress in handling future cases of child abduction, momentum 
seems to have slowed, and essentially no progress has been made 
regarding the open cases, either in the return of children to the 
United States or in allowing left-behind parents adequate visits with 
their children.
  To that end, I believe we simply must not allow Germany or any 
signatory nation to ignore their convention obligations and turn 
blindly against the parents who have suffered unbelievable heartache 
because of the loss of their children.
  Ultimately, we cannot understate nor can we ignore the importance of 
getting these children returned to their homes in the United States. We 
must make the return of all internationally abducted children a top 
foreign policy priority.
  This is obviously not a partisan issue. Rather, this is a 
humanitarian issue, an ethical issue, an issue about children and how 
we can reunite families. I urge my colleagues to support efforts to 
bring these children home. Ultimately, the great tragedy is not the 
loss that these parents feel. The great tragedy is that there are 
children growing up without a parent who wants to be a loving parent 
but who, because of illegal action of the other parent, no longer can 
see that child. That is a tragic loss for the child.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor. I do note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized 
in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business. The Senator may 
proceed.

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