,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #ejb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ae1
 #bjad ,mr4 ,portman 7for himself1 ,ms4 
,landrieu1 ,mr4 ,alexander1 ,ms4        
,ayotte1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 
,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,blunt1 ,mr4     
,boozman1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1 ,mr4 ,brown1    
,mr4 ,burr1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4        
,chambliss1 ,mr4 ,coats1 ,ms4 ,collins1 
,mr4 ,corker1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,crapo1
 ,mr4 ,cruz1 ,mr4 ,donnelly1 ,mr4       
,durbin1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1  
,mrs4 ,fischer1 ,mr4 ,franken1 ,mrs4    
,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 ,mrs4      
,hagan1 ,mr4 ,harkin1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mr4
 ,johanns1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,wisconsin1 
,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,kirk1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1
 ,mr4 ,levin1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mrs4       
,mc,caskill1 ,mr4 ,mc,cain1 ,mr4        
,mc,connell1 ,ms4 ,mikulski1 ,mr4       
,moran1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 ,mr4 ,murphy1  
,mr4 ,paul1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1
 ,mr4 ,tester1 ,mr4 ,thune1 ,mr4        
,vitter1 ,mr4 ,walsh1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,ms4

 ,warren1 and ,mr4 ,wicker7 submitted   
the following resolution2 which was     
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,relations  ,,resolution  ,concerning   
the suspension of exit permit issuance  
by the ,government of the ,democratic   
,republic of ,congo for adopted         
,congolese children seeking to depart   
the country with their adoptive parents4
  ,whereas according to ,,unicef1 over  
#d1jjj1jjj orphans are estimated to be  
living in the ,democratic ,republic of  
,congo2  ,whereas cyclical and violent  
conflict has plagued the ,democratic    
,republic of ,congo since the           
mid-#aiijs2  ,whereas the ,united       
,states has made significant financial  
investments in the ,democratic ,republic
 of ,congo1 providing an estimated      
#bgd1jjj1jjj bilateral aid to the       
,democratic ,republic of ,congo in      
fiscal year #bjac and an additional     
#afe1jjj1jjj in emergency humanitarian  
assistance2  ,whereas the policy of the 
,united ,states ,government toward the  

,democratic ,republic of ,congo is      
focused on helping the country become a 
nation that ''' provides for the basic  
needs of its citizens2  ,whereas the    
,united ,nations1 the ,hague ,conference
 on ,private ,international ,law1 and   
other international organizations have  
recognized a child's right to a family  
as a basic human right worthy of        
protection2  ,whereas adoption1 both    
domestic and international1 is an       
important child protection tool and an  
integral part of child welfare best     
practices around the world1 along with  
family reunification and prevention of  
abandonment2  ,whereas1 on ,september   
#bg1 #bjac1 the ,congolese ,ministry of 
,interior and ,security1 ,general       
,direction of ,migration1 informed the  
,united ,states ,embassy in ,kinshasa   
that effective ,september #be1 #bjac1   
they had suspended issuance of exit     
permits to adopted ,congolese children  
seeking to depart the country with their
 adoptive parents2  ,whereas there are  

,united ,states families with finalized 
adoptions in the ,democratic ,republic  
of the ,congo and the necessary legal   
paperwork and visas ready to travel home
 with these children but are currently  
unable to do so2 and  ,whereas1 on      
,december #ai1 #bjac1 the ,congolese    
,minister of ,justice1 ,minister of     
,interior and ,security1 and the        
,general ,direction of ,migration       
confirmed to members of the ,united     
,states ,department of ,state that the  
current suspension on the issuance of   
exit permits continues3 ,now1 therefore1
 be it  ,that the ,senate--  7#a7       
affirms that all children deserve a     
safe1 loving1 and permanent family2     
7#b7 recognizes the importance of       
ensuring that international adoptions of
 all children are conducted in an       
ethical and transparent manner2  7#c7   
expresses concern over the impact on    
children and families caused by the     
current suspension of exit permit       
issuance within the ,democratic         

,republic of ,congo2  7#d7 respectfully 
requests that the ,government of the    
,democratic ,republic of ,congo--  7,a7 
resume processing adoption cases and    
issuing exit permits via the ,ministry  
of ,gender and ,family's                
,interministerial ,adoption ,committee  
and ,directorate of ,general ,migration2
  7,b7 prioritize the processing of     
intercountry adoptions which were       
initiated before the suspension2 and    
7,c7 expedite the processing of those   
adoptions which involve medically       
fragile children2 and  7#e7 encourages  
continued dialogue and cooperation      
between the ,united ,states ,department 
of ,state and the ,democratic ,republic 
of the ,congo's ,ministry of ,foreign   
,affairs to improve the intercountry    
adoption process and ensure the welfare 
of all children adopted from the        
,democratic ,republic of ,congo4