[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ADOPTION INCENTIVES PROGRAM

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, last year, working together, Republicans 
and Democrats produced one of the most far-reaching improvements to our 
Nation's child welfare system in over a decade. The Fostering 
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 included a 
number of policies designed to increase the number of adoptions of 
special needs children in foster care.
  Unfortunately, the Omnibus appropriations bill that the Senate is 
considering this week includes a provision that overrides the Adoption 
Incentives improvements included in the Fostering Connections to 
Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
  I have been told that it was not the intention of the drafters of the 
Omnibus appropriations bill to override the improvements to the 
Adoption Incentives Program and the Democratic leadership intends to 
correct this problem in the future.
  The right thing would be to correct this problem in the underlying 
bill and I filed an amendment that would have accomplished this. 
Unfortunately, I was told by the Democratic leadership that they would 
not allow the bill to be changed at all.
  I am not happy that I was not permitted to fix this problem in the 
omnibus bill. This unfortunate outcome, where real progress in 
increasing the number of adoptions is potentially jeopardized, 
highlights the perils of rushing legislation through in a partisan 
manner and not consulting with the committees of jurisdiction.
  Mr. BAUCUS. I thank Senator Grassley. We worked together on the 
Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 
in what was a model of bipartisan and bicameral legislating. I do not 
want to see any provisions of that work jeopardized.
  While I am certain that our colleagues on the Appropriations 
Committee in no way mean to jeopardize the adoption incentive 
provisions of the Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act, I 
also feel that communication with the Finance Committee would have led 
to an easy remedy. My staff, working with the Congressional Research 
Service, caught the error as soon as the language was introduced and 
made available.
  We need to work together toward a solution. I am prepared to 
introduce legislation to correct the error and preserve the work of the 
Finance Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and child welfare 
community.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I do want the members of the adoption community to be 
assured that I will do everything in my power to make sure this 
correction is made and that adoption incentive funds are made 
available. I will be happy to introduce legislation with my partner on 
the Senate Finance Committee, the chairman of that committee, Senator 
Baucus. We can base the legislation on my amendment to reinstate the 
adoption incentives improvements.

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