[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PEARL S. BUCK INTERNATIONAL AND THE CHILDREN IN FAMILIES FIRST ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, 
noted humanitarian, and longtime Bucks County, Pennsylvania, resident, 
Pearl S. Buck, touched many lives during her lifetime.
  Her books brought readers inside the worlds of those they might have 
never known, and her commitment to a global community devoid of 
prejudice and bias solidified her place in American history.
  However, it was her dedication to children of all races for which I 
recognize her today. Pearl S. Buck pioneered a process for 
international adoption that brought down the walls of interracial 
adoption and grew loving families, where, before, there were no 
options.
  Her work continues today, and it continues with the leaders at Pearl 
S. Buck International in my district. Through the ``Welcome House 
program'' and adoption assistance, the organization carries on her 
critical mission of connecting children worldwide with loving families 
here in the United States.
  I was proud to join the leaders at Pearl S. Buck International last 
month to highlight our mutual support for the Children in Families 
First Act. This bipartisan legislation streamlines our Nation's 
international adoption process and increases America's diplomatic 
mission abroad to include the well-being of children around the globe.
  As a member of the Congressional Adoption Coalition and a cosponsor 
of the bill, I am excited to advance the Children in Families First Act 
as a commonsense response to the needs of families and groups like 
Pearl S. Buck International.
  By removing roadblocks, increasing USAID opportunities, and 
prioritizing adoption within the State Department, we can ensure that 
every child, no matter where they are born, has a home.

                          ____________________