Urging the Government of Ukraine to Review and Modify its Decision to Suspend Adoption By Foreign Nationals with A View to Resuming Such Adoptions

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Manning for yielding.

I rise in support of H. Res. 915. I rise today for the Ukrainian children, those without a family, and for the Americans who wish to give them one.

It has been over 1,000 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine suspended adoptions, for obvious reasons, by foreign nationals to protect the safety of their children, but as this war continues, the need to place these children in loving homes only grows.

Many Americans were in the process of adopting, some of those stories we just heard. These kids are stuck in limbo as war rages on.

In my home State of New Jersey, Andres and Farrah Meha were right in the middle of the process of adopting two of these children. They had formed strong bonds with these kids, and they had hosted them in their homes.

Right before this was going to work its way through the bureaucracy, an invasion began and changed everything. A few weeks later, those children had to return to Ukraine because of what Putin did and when war arrived in their home cities.

That is why I am urging the Ukrainian Government to resume adoptions by American citizens. There are no allies stronger than the U.S. Families across the U.S. stand ready with open arms to provide a healthy, safe, and stable environment for these children who deserve better.

I thank Ray Lesniak, who called me up to remind me that we need this passed. He is a wonderful friend whom I have served with in the New Jersey Senate. I thank Chris Smith for what he continues to do each and every day.

The idea of these children who lost their families being in limbo, there is light at the end of this rainbow, and that is the American families who want to call them part of theirs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to engage and vote for H. Res. 915.

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