[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 169 (Saturday, December 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BRAZIL HARBORS AMERICAN DAUGHTER

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 17, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, Brazil is at it again. We thought 
they learned their lesson in the case of Sean Goldman, but they have 
not--as of 2009, there were still over 50 kidnapped children in Brazil, 
including Nicole Pate, the daughter of my constituent, Marty Pate.
  I have come to this floor before to talk about the case of my 
constituent, Marty Pate. Marty lives in Crosby, Texas, and has not seen 
his daughter, Nicole, in 4 years. Her mother, Monica, is a native of 
Brazil. In 2006, she took Nicole on a trip to Brazil and never came 
back.
  Legal documents from Texas give Marty joint custody, and the Hague 
Convention requires Brazil to work out visitation for Marty. Marty is 
not asking for his daughter to be returned--though it is well within 
his rights to ask for this. He is just asking to see his daughter and 
have her visit family in the United States.
  Marty has gone above and beyond in trying to work with the government 
of Brazil. He has even offered to drop the charges pending against his 
ex-wife if it would make a visit with Nicole easier. He has spent over 
$10,000 of his own money flying to and from Brazil countless times to 
see Nicole.
  But Brazilian officials have continued to stonewall and ignore their 
obligations under the Hague Convention. They have allowed Nicole's 
mother to make a mockery of the Hague process, to file meaningless 
allegations and attempt to delay the process. So far, it's working. The 
Government of Brazil has let this case linger for over a year without 
resolution.
  A child's welfare hangs in the balance. Nicole Pate is caught between 
two worlds--living with her mother in Brazil and not allowed to see her 
father or her siblings back in the United States. But officials in 
Brazil don't seem to care. They are taking their sweet time in dealing 
with this case. In August, it was decided that the case would go before 
a Federal judge. It is now December and we still don't have a court 
date.
  Madam Speaker, there is a reason that the State Department has 
labeled Brazil a non-compliant country when it comes to honoring the 
Hague Convention. It seems that Brazil would rather sign onto treaties 
and gain all the benefits that come with that--but they don't care 
about holding up their end of the bargain. The State Department needs 
to take aggressive action to pressure Brazil into acting with haste 
when determining the fates of American children. There is no excuse for 
Brazil to drag their feet while little Nicole Pate sits and wonders why 
she can't see her daddy.
  Even worse is that the behavior of Brazil and other non-compliant 
Hague countries seems to have no impact on our foreign policy in 
relation to these countries. We still trade with them, we still send 
them millions in foreign aid each year, and these countries still 
violate their treaty obligations. Or in the case of Brazil, become a 
haven for kidnapped American children.
  That is why in the 112th Congress I intend to introduce a bill that 
will require Congress to vote on foreign aid by country--instead of in 
one, giant package. The American people should be able to see where we 
send foreign aid money, and for what purpose. And furthermore, it will 
allow Congress to hold countries accountable to receiving that money.
  It's time for the Government of Brazil to begin honoring their 
obligations under the Hague Convention. It's time for the State 
Department to be more aggressive in fighting for kidnapped American 
children around the world.
  And it's time for Marty Pate to be reunited with his kidnapped 
daughter, Nicole.
  And that's just the way it is.

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