IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN? ROMANIA'S BAN ON INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION September 14, 2005 COMMISSIONERS Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman, Commission on Page 1 Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 4 Hon. Joseph R. Pitts, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 9 Hon. Richard Burr, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 13 MEMBERS Hon. Jeb Bradley, Member of Congress (NH-1) Hon. Anne M. Northup, Member of Congress (KY–3) WITNESSES Hon. Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, 10 His Excellency Sorin Ducaru, Ambassador of Romania to the United States Elliot Forsyth, prospective adoptive parent Debra Murphy-Scheumann, President, Board of Directors, 40 Dr. Dana Johnson, Director, International Adoption Clinic, of Minnesota 44 Thomas Atwood, President and CEO, National Council for 46 APPENDICES Prepared statement of Hon. Sam Brownback, Chairman, 54 Prepared statement of Hon. Joseph R. Pitts 56 Prepared statement of Hon. Maura Harty (III) 58 Prepared statement of Debra Murphy-Scheumann Prepared statement of His Excellency Sorin Ducaru Page 62 68 72 93 98 Material submitted for the record by Hon. Christopher H. 102 Statement submitted for the record by Hon. Dan Burton, 103 Statement submitted for the record by the House of Angels (Gaesti, Romania) 105 Letter submitted for the record by the Center for Adoption 110 Statement submitted for the record by For the Children- Statement submitted for the record by the Romanians 118 120 Letters submitted for the record from prospective adoptive parents 123 |