Lawmakers Plea with Foreign Leaders to Expedite Adoptions in Congo
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – In a letter to the president and prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, U.S. Senator Bob Corker joined congressional leaders in requesting an end to delays in processing the adoptions of 460 Congolese children by American families. The bipartisan letter, signed by more than 170 lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives, asks the Congolese government to expedite the process for children with health risks and to issue exit permits for adoptions that were approved prior to September 25, 2013 or were finalized on or after that date. Advocacy groups indicate at least 23 families in Tennessee are affected by the DRC’s halt on adoptions. Senator Corker’s office has heard from a number of them who remain unable to bring their adopted children home. In addition to meeting with State Department officials, including the U.S. ambassador, and the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Corker’s staff also has met with several families in various stages of the adoption process and continues to see how to provide further assistance that will eventually bring these children to the United States.
