U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Chuck Grassley, Ben Cardin Call on POTUS to Engage on Stalled U.S.-China Adoptions

103 members of Congress amplify adoptive families’ plea to Biden: ‘Your leadership could be life altering for these families’

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 1, 2024 – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and several of their colleagues today urged President Biden to stand up for families navigating the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) decision to end intercountry adoptions for those without Chinese familial ties. Reps. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) are co-leading the bipartisan effort, which garnered a total of 103 bicameral signatories.

300 children – some with various health conditions – have been matched with American families. This is affecting at least 16 families in Alabama.

“We request that you act in the best interest of these children and families by urging the PRC to fulfill and uphold the commitment the country has made,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The American families that have been matched with their adoptive children are prepared to meet their long-term medical and emotional needs, and to give them the love and nurturing they need,” they continued. “Many of these children know that they have a home, which in many cases have been prepared for their arrival since the families were notified that they were matched and moving forward with the adoption process.”

Senator Britt and her colleagues also acknowledged the PRC may complete adoptions for families in some countries, per a State Department notice last week. They called on President Biden to ensure such an action would pertain to the United States, too.

The PRC terminated its intercountry adoption program on August 28, 2024.

Read the full letter HERE.

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