McConnell Amendment to Help Adoptive Families Passes Senate

Press Release

The United States Senate approved a bipartisan amendment offered by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that would urge the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to allow children who have been legally adopted by American citizens to leave the DRC for the United States. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) co-sponsored the amendment to the 2015 U.S. Senate Budget Resolution, which passed this morning.

On September 25, 2013, the DRC government suspended the issuance of exit permits, which has prohibited legally adopted children from departing the DRC with their adoptive parents. The McConnell-Klobuchar amendment puts the Senate on record as supporting the promotion of "the return of children who have been legally adopted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are only a plane ride away from becoming United States citizens to their American citizen parents residing in the United States."

"Many Kentucky families have been affected by the unfortunate stalemate of adoptions in the Congo," Senator McConnell said. "I am pleased the Senate has expressed its support for the children who have been legally adopted by American citizens, and I thank my colleagues -- particularly Senator Klobuchar -- for their commitment to resolving this issue."

According to the U.S. Department of State, as of January 2015, 963 children who have been or are in the process of being adopted by American citizens have been affected by the DRC government's exit permit suspension. About 230 of these children have been issued U.S. visas and are literally one step away from becoming U.S. citizens. More than 20 Kentucky families have been affected by the current adoption stalemate.

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