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Washington D.C. - On June 10, 2016, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA)and Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) introduced bipartisan legislation, The Adoptee Citizenship Act, H.R. 5454, to guarantee citizenship to international adoptees. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate, S.2275 by Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Coats (R-IN). Often, when children are adopted, the required paperwork is not filed and the children are never naturalized. With the passage of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, most international adoptees were granted citizenship.
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack in Orlando, the worst mass shooting in United States history.I offer my deepest condolences to the victims and their families.I would like to extend particular sympathies to the LGBTQ community during this unspeakable tragedy.
"As authorities investigate this horrific shooting, America must speak with one voice against gun violence of any kind. We can and must do more to confront the crisis that continues to afflict our country."
"Memorial Day is a time to honor the ultimate sacrifice of those whohave given their lives in service to our country. Our gratitudeextends to our fallen heroes, our veterans, and active dutyservicemembers and their families. We owe our servicemembers ourdeepest level of respect. A true reflection of Memorial Day mustreaffirm that America's commitment to supporting our military men andwomen does not end when they leave active duty.
"The National Rifle Association's (NRA) latest video shows how out of touch it is with finding common sense solutions to the issues of the day. In 2013, the year in which the most recent data is available, there were 27,329 deaths involving firearms, with 11,208 of those being homicides. Instead of trying to fix the nationwide health epidemic of shootings, which has resulted in the tragic deaths of far too many Americans, the NRA has turned its misguided aim on Iran.
Climate change is a serious national security threat facing our country, and we are already seeing its effects in Washington. Our reliance as a nation on fossil fuels and other traditional sources of energy is unsustainable and is a serious vulnerability in our nation's defense. The Department of Defense (DoD) has been an innovator in pursuing clean and alternative energy sources as well as planning for and mitigating against the impact of climate change.
Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray joined Reps. DelBene, Jim McDermott, Adam Smith and Dave Reichert in sending a letter to HUD Secretary Juli'n Castro, following up on their letter from June 2015. The current HCV formula has been particularly damaging in areas with steep increases in rental costs, such as the Puget Sound region.
"Our nation is in the midst of a heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemic, resulting in the deaths of thousands, and taking a toll on the health and safety of many Americans and their families. Since 2000, overdose deaths have increased 137% - costing more than 60 lives a day. Congress must act to stem this nation-wide epidemic by investing in prevention, treatment, recovery, and efforts to prevent the smuggling of drugs across our borders.
"Disturbing statements from the Republican White House contender cannot go unaddressed. America must stay true to its founding principles by standing with immigrants and leading on refugee resettlement. Our American values embrace people of all faiths and backgrounds. Fear cannot cloud our judgement, drive policy, or destroy our country's fabric. The Republicans are presenting a very different vision for our country.
"The language in the Russell amendment is a direct attack on LGBT rights. The president issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity by government contractors. The Russell amendment tries to override this executive order by artfully claiming to protect ‘religious freedom,' but just like similar efforts in numerous state legislatures, this is actually an effort to promote discrimination.