The Times-Picayune: Sen. Landrieu troubled by Russian ban on U.S. adoptions
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said Friday she is deeply troubled by a new Russian law banning adoptions of Russian children by American families. Landrieu, founding co-chair and board president of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and co-chair of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, said the law would have dire consequences for Russian children now housed in orphanages.
Last week, Landrieu led the drafting of a bi-partisan letter from House and Senate members to Russian President Vladimir Putin that urged him not to sign the legislation into law.
Putin signed the bill into law Friday that bars adoptions of Russian children by Americans, effective January 1. The law raises questions about 50 or so adoptions now pending with American parents and it comes after Russian negotiated a detailed policy statement with U.S. counterparts on how adoptions should be handled.
The new Russian law is seen as retaliation for U.S. sanctions against some 60 Russian officials allegedly connected to the 2009 prison death of the anti-corruption Russian whistleblower, Sergei Magnitsky.
"Whatever issues our two governments may be facing, there is no political reason to put vulnerable children in the middle of political posturing," Landrieu said. "Children should be raised by parents, not in orphanages, institutions or alone on the street."
In 2011, about 1,000 Russian children were adopted by U.S. parents, down from the previous average of about 3,000 a year.
Landrieu, who had two adopted children, said "while some of our citizens will be directly affected by this law, it's an injury to Russia's own children."
Putin said he will work to get more Russians to adopt children.
"There are probably many places in the world where living standards are higher than ours. So what, are we going to send all our children there?" Putin said. "Maybe we should move there ourselves."
