{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=58E13DA1-1D37-45EC-8D6C-199580CC6E69", "Senators Blunt, Klobuchar, Young Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister on Adoptions", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, along with Senator Todd Young (Ind.), led a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging the Prime Minister of Ethiopia to honor more than 200 adoptions with American families that have been halted by the Ethiopian government. The letter, which was signed by 112 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, encouraged Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to lift newly placed restrictions on pending adoptions. \u201cThere are more than 200 cases in which American families have pending adoptions in various phases of completion,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cWe believe that Ethiopia\u2019s pursuit of new adoption legislation must not prevent children who have already been matched with adoptive families from having the opportunity to complete their adoptions according to the law under which they were initiated.\u201d In May, Senators Blunt, Young and Klobuchar, as well as Representatives Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Brenda Lawrence (Mich.), led a letter signed by 122 members of Congress to Prime Minister Desalegn urging the nation to reconsider its decision to halt international adoptions. Their action helped unite dozens of families whose adoptions had been finalized but the children were not being allowed to leave the country. Today\u2019s letter seeks to help the remaining children and their waiting American families that have been left in limbo. \u201cThanks to your government\u2019s cooperation, many children have been united with loving adoptive families,\u201d the letter states. \u201cWith gratitude for your previous efforts, we seek your continued assistance with the remaining cases in which American families have pending adoptions in various phases of completion. The complete text of the letter can be viewed here and below: Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, We write to express our gratitude for the actions your government has taken in response to our letter on May 26, 2017, regarding intercountry adoptions.\u00a0 Thanks to your government\u2019s cooperation, many children have been united with loving adoptive families.\u00a0 With gratitude for your previous efforts, we seek your continued assistance with the remaining cases in which American families have pending adoptions in various phases of completion.\u00a0 We feel strongly that any case involving an Ethiopian child matched with an adoptive family should be allowed to continue to completion under the Revised Family Code of 2000. \u00a0With expeditious resolution of this issue, it is our hope that the bilateral relationship between our two countries can deepen further. \r\nWe continue to understand the Ethiopian government\u2019s decision regarding future adoption policy.\u00a0 However, according to the U.S. Department of State, there are more than 200 cases in which American families have pending adoptions in various phases of completion.\u00a0 We believe that Ethiopia\u2019s pursuit of new adoption legislation must not prevent children who have already been matched with adoptive families from having the opportunity to complete their adoptions according to the law under which they were initiated.\r\nWe share your government\u2019s concern for the security and welfare of children.\u00a0 Children often form important emotional bonds with the adoptive families with whom they have been \u201cmatched.\u201d We fear that failing to allow these prospective adoptive parents to complete their adoption processes will impose additional suffering on these children.\u00a0This is why we remain resolute in our desire to work with you to resolve this situation.\r\nThank you for your continued attention to this important matter. \u00a0Our two governments have demonstrated the ability to work cooperatively on a variety of issues. \u00a0We hope that this issue continues to be among them.\u00a0 We trust that you will work closely with the Department of State to establish a way to unite these children with their adoptive families.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=58E13DA1-1D37-45EC-8D6C-199580CC6E69"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8457601070404053, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}