Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) released the following statement after the Democratic Republic of the Congo government announced it will allow for the issuance of exit visas to roughly 150 American children — more than a third of all outstanding adoption cases in the DRC involving U.S. families:

“I am pleased the DRC government is taking steps to follow through on promises it made to me when I was in Kinshasa last month.  This move means nearly 150 legally adopted children will finally be united with their loving families in the United States.  I hope the last procedural steps for these approved cases will be resolved smoothly and expeditiously.

“Today’s news is an important step forward, but our work is far from done.  Hundreds of American families remain stuck in limbo.  The DRC government has pledged to resolve all outstanding cases by the end of March, and the House Foreign Affairs committee will work to hold the government to that promise.  We cannot allow for a single child to be needlessly separated from loving families, and the critical care and health services many need.”

NOTE: In January, Chairman Royce led a congressional delegation to the DRC to press the government to put a stop to the bureaucratic chokehold that has kept more than 400 American families from bringing their adopted children home.  Many cases had been needlessly stalled for years.  For more on Royce’s trip, click HERE. 

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