[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 121]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        RIGHT THIS WRONG: PUNISHING PARENTLESS RUSSIAN CHILDREN

  (Mr. FITZPATRICK asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, the Russian President recently signed a 
law to prevent American citizens from adopting Russian children. Sadly, 
it appears that the Russian Government is playing politics with 
children and is destroying the dreams of many Americans already in the 
process of adopting.
  Last year alone, nearly 1,000 Russian children were adopted by 
American families, and many of these children struggled with physical 
disabilities. Every child deserves the opportunity to be raised in a 
caring environment. Over the past 20 years, almost 60,000 Russian 
children have been welcomed into the United States. Many of these 
children have found loving parents in my congressional district. 
Regrettably, President Putin's new law now takes away this possibility. 
This law not only prohibits future adoptions, but even more 
disturbingly, it attempts to put a halt to those already in progress.
  Among those impacted is a family from my district, Marc and April 
Pongitory. They're in the process of adopting two children from Russia. 
After months of paperwork, background checks and interviews, this 
family's dreams are now crushed, and there are dozens of cases out 
there just like the Pongitorys'.
  It is truly disturbing that the Russian Government would punish 
parentless children in retaliation for an entirely unrelated American 
law. We all know that the wellbeing of children should not be used as a 
bargaining chip for diplomatic means. This week, I will be introducing 
a House resolution to right this wrong. Please join me in sending a 
clear message to the Russian Government.

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