Speech #940042463

Mr. Speaker. I rise to offer my vigorous support for H.R. 568. a bill making immediate relative visas available to the adopted children of single parents. Icommend my colleagues. Representative EDWARD KocH. the sponsor of H.R. 568. and Representative JOSHUA EILBERG. the chairman of the Immigration. Citizenship. and International Law Subcommittee. for their tireless efforts and leadership in bringing this bill to the floor so early in the 94th Congress. The House passed an identical bill. H.R. 7555. in the 93d Congress only to have this needed and widely supported legislation languish and die in the Senate. I urge the House today to renew Its support for this bill. H.R. 568 equalizes the immigration procedures for single and couple adoptive parents and removes from our immigration laws a discriminatory provision that currently denies immediate relative visas to the adopted children of single parents. Our immigration laws must keep pace with our domestic adoption procedures. Singleparent adoptions are accepted and increasing at home. Yet single parents who wish to adopt abroad still face procedural discrimination. Though recognized international adoption agencies will place a child with a single parent. our laws prohibit the issuance of an immediate relative visa to that child. Where nonpreference visas are difficult or impossible to obtain. the inavailability of immediate relative visas presents a grave obstacle to the successful. timely completion of these adoptions. Our domestic laws reflect changes in adoption patterns and the recognition given singleparent adoptions. We must now amend our immigration laws to acknowledge and implement this fact. I am confident the House will again exercise leadership in this matter and demonstrate its sensitivity to changing adoption patterns and immigration procedural needs. I do hope my colleagues in the other body note this renewed expression of our deep concern and likewise act expeditiously to remove a discriminatory impediment to singleparent. overseas adoptions. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. was read the third time. and passed. and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.