[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S108-S109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Adoptions from China

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, for over 25 years in the Senate, I 
have been an advocate for adoption.
  Adoption is a way for families to be created out of tragedy. It is a 
pathway to the joy of raising children and guaranteeing security of a 
place that now they can call home.
  One family, Cate and Ben Bryan from Iowa, made the choice to open 
their hearts and their home to a child from China and were matched with 
a little girl named Rosie.
  Hundreds of families across the country, including the Bryans and 
others in Iowa, have chosen adoption from China. They have been matched 
with specific children and made arrangements to welcome those children 
into their homes.
  Many of these kids being adopted from China have disabilities or 
other special needs and require specialized health and care services.
  These kids are in desperate need of families to take care of them but 
are being denied the opportunity to come

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to their home in America with those parents all due to China's refusal 
to let Americans into the country to complete adoptions.
  In February of 2020, China closed its border due to the spread of 
COVID. This meant that parents who had already been matched with a 
child in China could not proceed with their adoption. Of course, 
parents must physically be present in China to continue the adoption 
process and bring it to finality in order to get their child home.
  What was said to be a temporary emergency precaution because of COVID 
has now stretched into years despite the availability of vaccines. Due 
to China's unwillingness to open its borders to these parents, 
adoptions have been stalled for now 2 years.
  Some parents have been prohibited from even communicating with their 
children during this time. The Bryans from Iowa are unable to receive 
updated health information about their daughter and are unable to send 
letters or care packages. She might not even know that they have been 
trying for years to bring Rosie into their family.
  Now, other countries that participate in international adoptions have 
found ways to continue the process, even in light of COVID. Even 
countries with travel restrictions on other groups have made exceptions 
for adoptive families. Parents want to cooperate. Parents are willing 
to quarantine. Parents are willing to be tested. Parents will take 
every precaution asked of them by China.
  Now, what is so odd about all the parents who want to adopt not being 
allowed into China--we know that China has opened the country to 
athletes participating in the Olympics, those wishing to do business 
there, and to American journalists, but why not to adopting parents? 
Tourist visas are still not being issued, and adoptive parents are 
being classified as tourists despite specific reasons for their visit.
  It is imperative that the Biden administration work to get adoptions 
from China moving again. These families have been waiting long enough. 
The kids whom they are working to adopt have been waiting even longer.
  I get a chance to hear from kids in foster care in the United States 
through my role as chairman of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth. I 
always hear the same message from these young people: They want a mom 
and dad. They want a loving place to call home. Kids in China are no 
different. They deserve a family and safety and the security of loving 
parents.
  I pray that the hearts of Chinese leaders are softened enough to 
allow these families into the country and allow these kids to come home 
to America.