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PRESS RELEASE HOUSE & SENATE CLEAR DELAHUNT GLOBAL
ADOPTION TREATY BILL WASHINGTON, DC -- The Senate and House have voted final approval of groundbreaking legislation championed by Congressman Bill Delahunt that will safeguard thousands of needy children adopted from abroad by American families. The bill, HR 2909, implements the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, a global legal framework designed to protect adoptive children and their families, and to streamline the costly, cumbersome and confusing international adoption process. Delahunt, an adoptive parent himself, said the hard-fought, bipartisan victory “is one of the most gratifying moments of my career.” The House vote came on September 18. The Senate followed suit today, passing the bill and ratifying the 50-nation treaty itself. The bill now heads to the White House to be signed into law. Delahunt has played a key role for the last two years, as House and Senate negotiators have worked to prevent the bill from becoming a lightning rod for many controversial issues surrounding adoption. “The international adoption process is an emotional roller coaster for everyone involved,” said Delahunt. “Implementing the Convention is the biggest step in decades toward making sure adopted kids reach our shores safely.” HR 2909 seeks to combat abuses in the international adoption process. These problems range from misportrayal of medical conditions to child kidnaping, from baby smuggling to coerced consent from birth mothers. The measure sets tough sanctions for fraud and establishes an accreditation system to ensure that adoption agencies are qualified and trustworthy. It also seeks to reduce corruption by regulating the charging of exorbitant fees. Such concerns have caused a number of countries to suspend or consider suspending overseas adoptions until safeguards can be put in place. On the House floor last night, Delahunt had special praise for bipartisan efforts on behalf of the bill by Sens. Jesse Helms (R-NC), Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA); and Reps. Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), Sam Gejdenson (D-CT) and Dave Camp (R-MI). He also commended Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) for their efforts to help resolve expeditiously the remaining differences between the House and Senate bills. Second Delahunt Adoption Bill Set for House Debate This Week For Delahunt, work on the bill has been an extended labor of love. As an adoptive parent himself, he has taken a strong interest in addressing the financial, legal and bureaucratic obstacles that make it hard for American parents to help rescue overseas orphans. Rep. Delahunt’s younger daughter came to the United States from Vietnam in the 1970s as part of Operation Babylift, only days before the fall of Saigon. International adoption issues are a legislative priority for Delahunt. Last year, he pushed through the Congress a measure improving regulations governing health vaccinations required of children adopted from overseas. Earlier this week, the House passed the Child Citizenship Act (HR 2883), a bill written by Delahunt that provides for automatic naturalization for adopted children. That measure is now awaiting Senate action. US adoptions of overseas orphans have doubled over the last decade, exceeding 16,000 in 1999. Americans adopt four of every five children placed through international adoption. Back to Hague Convention Pages Back to Bastard Nation International |