Press Release: Rep. Wexler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2006
Contact: Lale Mamaux Phone: (202) 225-3001

Wexler Travels to Romania Urging Officials to Allow Inter-Country Adoptions Including Case of Lake Worth Family
Will Also Discuss Critical U.S. - Romanian Bilateral Issues

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and ranking Democrat of the Europe and Emerging Threats Subcommittee, will travel to Bucharest, Romania from January 8 to 11, 2006. Wexler’s trip will focus on the issue of inter-country adoption, stemming from an adoption case, in which Karen and Richard Springer of Lake Worth, Florida have been fighting for the past three years in order to adopt 4-year old twin girls Madalina and Manuela – the sisters of 8-year old Gabriella Springer, whom they adopted from Romania when she was a year old.

In 2001, Romania imposed a moratorium on foreign adoptions after allegations of corruption of officials involved in the adoption process. In 2004, Romania passed a law banning adoptions by all foreigners including Americans, Europeans and Israelis and others except relatives of the children. That law went into effect January 1, 2005. The Springer’s are one of about 200 American “pipeline” families whose adoption process has been halted under this new law. On December 15, 2005, however, the European Parliament called on the Romanian government to resolve all international adoption cases that had been registered during the 2001-2004 moratorium – stating that these cases be resolved “with the goal of allowing inter-country adoptions to take place, where justified and appropriate.”

In December, Wexler met together with Romanian Ambassador Sorin Ducaru and Richard Springer to raise the inter-country adoption issue as well as the Springers’ case. While in Romania, Wexler will urge officials to allow completion of the adoption procedures that were already under way when the restrictions went into effect.

Wexler will be meeting with leading Romanian officials, including President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Cãlin Constantin Anton Popescu - Tãriceanu, Foreign Minister Mihai-Rãzvan Ungureanu, Minister of European Integration Anca Daniela Boagiu, Chamber of Deputies President Adrian Nastase as well as other senior members of Parliament. He will also meet child welfare NGO representatives including UNICEF, Save the Children and USAID at the US Embassy, as well as leaders of the Romanian Jewish Community.

Wexler will also focus on several critical bilateral and transatlantic issues including: Romania’s European Union enlargement efforts, Black Sea regional cooperation and development, the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan, NATO’s expanded international role, the Balkans and US-Romanian counterterrorism, security and military cooperation. On December 6, 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed an agreement with Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai-Rãzvan Ungureanu allowing American forces to establish temporary bases for training in Romania.

“My heart goes out to the Springer family. The Springers’ have made every effort to reunite their adopted daughter Gabriella with her sisters Madalina and Manuela. As one of America’s most important European allies, Romania must implement a policy that will allow for the completion of the pending adoption cases initiated during the 2001-2004 moratorium as encouraged by the European Parliament. I strongly believe a solution can be found for the current impasse and that the Springers and all other “pipeline” families are allowed to adopt these children,” Wexler said.

Congressman Robert Wexler is a Senior Member of the House International Relations Committee and a Member of the House Judiciary Committee.