Suspension of Exit Permits

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I speak in strong support of the Peterson resolution, H. Res. 588, concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents.

Last year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo suspended the issuance of exit permits for Congolese children who were adopted by foreign parents, impacting hundreds of U.S. families.

The suspension means that Congolese children adopted by American parents cannot leave the country to go to their new homes, even though the parents have been officially declared the legal guardians under Congolese law. What is more, despite the exit permit suspension, Congolese courts have continued processing new adoptions, leading to a further backlog of adopted children who are unable to leave the country.

It is estimated that over 900 American families are caught up in varying degrees and stages of this adoption limbo--breaking many, many hearts. This is a deplorable situation for these children and for their distraught families. The DRC has not offered a clear explanation for the suspension. The government has provided no evidence of widespread abuse in the adoption process.

The Peterson resolution underscores the importance of an ethical and transparent adoption process, and there are currently robust procedures in place for ensuring that these children are, indeed, orphaned and going to safe homes.

Ultimately, the DRC is entitled to amend its adoption process in going forward, but once the parents' legal guardianships are approved and established by the Congolese courts, the government should allow these children to depart the DRC with their adoptive moms and dads. All children deserve loving homes with moms and dads.

I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota, Collin Peterson, for authoring this important measure, which has strong bipartisan support. Mr. Peterson has always been a consistent voice in support of human dignity and of the least and littlest among us, consistently defending the human person from the womb to the tomb.

At the full committee markup, several adoptive parents who were denied the requisite permission to bring their sons or daughters home were in attendance.

They, COLLIN, when we went down and spoke to them, told many of us how incredibly grateful they are to you for your leadership and your compassion and for your authorship, especially, of this important resolution.

I also want to thank my colleagues on the committee--Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and subcommittee Ranking Member Karen Bass--for their leadership in marking up this resolution at both the subcommittee and committee levels and for helping to get it to the floor. I also thank Eric Cantor and the Speaker for ensuring that it was up for consideration today.

Again, more than 900 American families from across the U.S. and their Representatives in Congress are watching this very closely. Indeed, in April, 170 Members of Congress wrote and asked the DRC Government to lift the exit permit suspension.

When Secretary Kerry visited the Congo in May, he personally raised the issue with President Kabila. I also call on President Obama to raise this issue personally when he and President Kabila meet at the gathering of African heads of state here in Washington during the first week of August.

Finally, I want to say a word to those parents who have endured not only the burdens that are financial, but that are primarily emotional in being separated from the children they have graciously welcomed into their lives.

Your hardship and pain is deeply understood by my colleagues and me, as well as by our staff members, many of whom have worked not only on this resolution, but who have also pushed our State Department and the Government of the DRC to resolve this important issue. Please continue to persevere. Don't give up hope. You will get to love and to have those wonderful children in your homes.

I also want to let the parents know that our Africa Subcommittee plans to hold another hearing to address the growing crisis of orphans in Africa to which adoption is one of the very important durable remedies, and we specifically intend to address the situation that you are confronting with your children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I would hope that Congressman Peterson would lead off that testimony, again, in having been the man, the person in Congress, walking point on this very important issue.

Our approval today of House Resolution 588, with support across party lines, will send a strong signal to Kinshasa that we need to unite these affected families. They shouldn't be separated from these kids. They have done everything by the book, and they ought to be with their loving parents.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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