[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 46 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   DIVIDED FAMILIES REUNIFICATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 14, 2019

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of 
my Divided Families Reunification Act, and to raise the voices of 
families who have been separated for decades both across the DMZ and 
across the Pacific Ocean.
   The division of the Korean Peninsula into South and North Korea 
separated millions of Koreans from their family members. While there 
have been some agreed upon reunions between South and North Koreans, 
for Korean Americans there is no pathway for such reunions. Many of 
these Americans are in their 70s-90s, and time is of the essence to be 
reunited with their families.
   I am proud to introduce the Divided Families Reunification Act, 
which requires the Secretary of State or a designee to consult with 
officials in South Korea on potential opportunities to reunite Korean 
American families with family members in North Korea. This bill will 
also require the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights to submit a 
report on the opportunities for video reunions between Korean Americans 
and family members in North Korea.
   Thank you to my colleagues, Chairman Brad Sherman, Rep. Karen Bass, 
Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. James P. McGovern, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. 
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Gilbert Cisneros, Rep. Rob Woodall, and 
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for supporting this bipartisan legislation.

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