[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17585]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           CONDEMNING INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION

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                          HON. GEORGE W. GEKAS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 1999

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to condemn the continuing crisis 
of international parental child abduction. Six years ago, in the 103rd 
Congress, in response to an instance of international child abduction 
in my home State of Pennsylvania, I formulated legislation which 
created punitive measures to respond to these crimes. I had hoped that 
when we passed that measure, now Public Law 103-173, the International 
Parental Kidnapping Crime Act of 1993, that tragic instances of child 
abduction would be halted. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
  Imagine that your former spouse--who does not have custodial rights 
of your children--comes to your home and picks up your kids for a 
weekly visit. Then imagine that you discover your spouse has taken your 
children to a foreign country, and you have little recourse in getting 
your children back. Sadly, this happens more than 1,000 times each 
year.
  Prior to passage of this legislation, there was no Federal law that 
addressed this heinous crime. Now, this law provides both deterrence 
and prevention. For anyone convicted of unlawfully kidnapping their 
child and taking him or her overseas, a one- to three-year jail term 
and stiff fines can be expected. In addition, this legislation 
established educational programs for judges and others involved in 
custody proceedings that continue to serve as preventive measures. By 
passing that law, Congress for the first time put the weight of Federal 
law behind our desire that children never be taken away from a loving 
parent.
  Yesterday the House of Representatives debated and passed the Gibbons 
amendment to H.R. 2415, the American Embassy Security Act. 
Representative Gibbons, like myself six years ago, has diligently 
worked with the State Department in order to find a resolution to this 
same problem that plagues families across the country. His amendment 
helps prevent international child abduction by ensuring that in order 
for a child to be issued a passport, certain requirements must be met 
by her/his legal guardians.
  I applaud the efforts of Representative Gibbons and I wholly support 
his amendment. As Members of Congress, we should do all we can to end 
the nightmare of international parental child abductions.

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