Grassley: Omnibus Spending Bill Unwinds Help for Children in Foster Care
Press Release
Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, today said the omnibus appropriation bill pending in the Senate includes language that overrides the improvements made to help foster children find permanent homes in the reauthorization of the Adoption Incentives Program, which was enacted on a bipartisan basis last year. For purposes of awarding grants in 2009, the omnibus effectively eliminates provisions that Congress just passed a few months ago to help children find a home by making the Adoption Incentives Program more accessible to states. The omnibus could have a chilling effect on states' ability to find homes for special needs and older children because it would effectively eliminate the provision of the law that increases the incentive payments for special needs children and older children adopted out of foster care. As a result, unless the bill is amended, the omnibus effectively eliminates additional funding needed by states and promised to them in the adoption bill, which was supported by children, parents and other adoption stakeholders. Grassley sought to fix the flawed language in the omnibus but was blocked because the Senate Democratic leaders are not allowing any amendments to pass regardless of how dire the need. Grassley introduced the legislation in the 110th Congress that became law and made these widely supported, needed improvements to the adoption incentive program. He made the following comment on the omnibus problem.
"This is a huge disappointment. This legislation will shortchange children who are trying to get adopted out of foster care. It's really a tragedy that no one is willing to allow this problem to be fixed now before this becomes law. It's more important to the Democratic leaders to get a partisan, pork-laden spending bill to the President than stop this mistake that will keep these children waiting and waiting for the loving, permanent home that every child deserves."
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