Behind the Scenes Work for the Abandoned Children in Romania

This is from 7/28/06.

First, thanks to each of you who were able to get your Senator's and Representatives to sponsor the respective Resolutions and to those of you who also called them. Your phone calls, emails and faxes were invaluable in getting these passed. As you read, the Senate Resolution hit the floor last night for a vote and passed unanimously. Congratulations all! I relayed the news to our Romania Desk Officer to pass on to Ambassador Taubman - they were both heading over to the Romanian Embassy for a special event with President Basescu. I'd like to think that the Romanian government thinks our Senate intentionally scheduled this vote while P. Basescu was in town.

I got a call from our State Dept. at 9:00 on Wednesday night to tell me they were able to get a meeting scheduled with me and Ambassador Taubman yesterday, just prior to his meeting with President Bush and President Basescu. It's protocol that the American Ambassador brief the President minutes before he meets with the President/Prime Minister. I don't know if it was due to his busy schedule, or a fluke of fate, but I thought it was appropriate that I got to update him on the current situation with Romania's abandoned children/pending adoptions within minutes of the topic being discussed. (I say "minutes" as our meeting went over the time allotted and he truly had to rush off afterwards for his meeting at the White House). I'm awaiting clearance for a formal "debriefing" of the details, but I can tell you that I spoke with the State Dept. today and got confirmation that the subject was on the agenda and discussed in the meeting with Basescu. I can also tell you Taubman is supportive of our efforts, of the children and ICA in general, and is doing what he can. His staff has recently toured a few orphanages and hospitals and he's well aware of the issues and the discrimination of Roma. He told me that our problem still lies with the Prime Minister and the European Commission and that he felt that Romania would wait until their EU Accession/January 1st before they would allow another review of the dossiers and ICA. He also told me that our Embassy is aware of the lies being thrown out by the Romanian government, and have proof in some cases of said lies. They have also told the Romanian government they know they are being lied too. I told him of some still confidential EU initiatives and we discussed a few that we, as Americans, may be able to pull off. He also told me, no surprise, that "...from the top of the Romanian government to the bottom, they cannot understand why we are concerned about these children. 'Why do you care so much about them?' " All in all, it was a postive meeting. He also told me that VP Cheney brought up this topic at the Bi-laterial meeting in May and that President Basescu's response was "It was a bad promise." Meaning, he shouldn't have given it...I didn't ask what VP Cheney's reply was.

I then went to the Hill to call on a few Senators to request they push Senator Frisk to put the Resolution on the schedule yesterday. I started with Senator Brownback (Kansas and co-chair of the Helsinki Commission) and then as the day went on I saw him on 3 other occasions, each time getting in a few more "points". (I'm sure he now suspects I was stalking him as I saw him in 2 other buildings...) I met with Senator Lieberman's Deputy Press Secretary and senior foreign relations staffer, Senator Lugar's senior foreign relations staffer, Senator Dodd's senior foreign relations staffer, and stopped in to push the Resolution for inclusion in yesterday's schedule in the following offices: Durbin, Bunning, Obama, and Byrd. By the time I got to Sen. Lugar's office it was on the schedule to come up at the end of the day, but no one knew when "the end of the day" was "scheduled". In between I spoke to the CCAI and they were calling my cell phone and giving me updates throughout the afternoon too. Senator Lieberman's office was quite gracious. They supplied band-aids twice (I ended up with blisters on several toes - hot, hot day and lots of walking) and even gave me an intern to escort me around so that I could identify Senators and Representatives in the halls and approach them, and to take me to the Senate floor via the tram to both save time and see if the Resolution was up for a vote. I don't remember all of their names, but trust me, I spoke to at least another 10 as they were all in town. David-the-intern blew me away as he not only recognized innumerable Congressmen, he seemed to know everyone we encountered. He has also agreed to do some research work for us - I thought to ask if Sen. Lieberman had Lexus Nexis in his office - an expensive and invaluable online research service and one that I've been wanting to get my hands on for awhile now.

I also met with the Helsinki Commission Chief of Staff (COS). This meeting was crucial as Rep. Smith had a 5:00 meeting with President Basescu and Ambassador Ducaru to discuss the pending adoptions and suggested revision in the current child welfare legislation. I was able to read, edit and add on to the document they were planning on presenting to President Basescu. I missed the COS's phone call for the download on the meeting, but we will be speaking this weekend. You should know that there is a hearing scheduled for Sept. 13th on the issues of disabled children and their treatment and care (or lack thereof) in Romania.

MEP Breyer called while I was "lobbying". She is working with a few other MEPs on a few things that must remain confidential but will be revealed in September.

Around 5 I went to a reception for Congressmen and their families called "Taste of America" on the Hill. Various organizations representing other countries had tables sent up in the Capitol with traditional foods and drinks offered. The Congress of Romanian Americans (CORA) had a table too. I was able to meet up with the President of CORAand our ally, Armand Scala, and talk to him at length. I then escorted him to an introductory meeting of the Congressional Caucus on Romania, in which President Basescu was attending and Rep. Weldon and Ortiz are spearheading. (More on this in another e-mail). Adoptions was not on the agenda. Enroute back to the CORA table, I did happen to run into a Representative from Alabama and requested he put it on the agenda. (I'll look up his name as I don't remember it at the moment - a "new recruit".) I don't know if he was the one who brought up the subject at this meeting, but I was told today by our State Dept. today that "adoptions" came up in the meeting. As he wasn't in the meeting he couldn't tell me further details, so I'll let you know more after I speak to those who were.

Of course I couldn't leave the Hill without trying to make a few more contacts/converts, so while hailing a cab I introduced myself to 2 staffers also hailing cabs on the corner - the policy advisor for Rep. Deborah Price (who happens to be an adoptive parent) and the legislative assistant for Rep. Leach (who also supports ICA). They also let me take the first cab :)

More information and details to come in the future.