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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell co-sponsored legislation that would assist families adopting from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The bipartisan Adoptive Family Relief Act, introduced today by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI), would allow the U.S. Department of State to waive fees for adoptive families who must continually renew the visas for their adopted children who remain unable to travel to the U.S., such as in the case of the ongoing exit permit suspension in the DRC.

Since September 2013, the DRC has refused to issue exit permits to children who were legally adopted by American families – more than 350 families have been impacted, including approximately 20 in Kentucky. Under current law, a U.S. immigrant visa for an adoptee expires if it is not used within six months, and it costs $325 per child to renew. Under the bill, the State Department could waive the renewal fee for visas issued on or after March 23, 2013, and refund visa fees that have already been paid since that time.

“Over the years, I have worked closely with Kentucky families to assist them in bringing their children home from the DRC,” Senator McConnell said. “Many of these families continue to pay for visa renewals, because of the delay in obtaining exit permits. This is a costly process, and the practical relief that this bill would provide to Kentucky families could help reduce the financial burden they face when trying to clear the hurdles to bring their children home. I am proud to support this common-sense legislation, and I thank my colleagues in the U.S. Senate for their continued bipartisan work to find a solution to this heartbreaking issue.”

Additional original cosponsors of the bill include Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN), and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and has the support of the U.S. State Department.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today urging Senate Democrats to stop blocking a bipartisan discussion on a 21st century American trade agenda:

“It was quite something to watch President Obama’s party vote to filibuster his top domestic legislative priority yesterday.

“It left pretty much everyone scratching their heads.

“The Democrat Leader made clear yesterday that he was not interested in debating the ‘merits of the bill.’ In other words, he told us that this filibuster is for political reasons only.

“It makes sense, considering that this filibuster is all about appeasing a facts-optional crowd on the Left that hasn’t been able to marshal much of a serious, fact-based argument to support its opposition to more American exports and more American trade jobs.

“You don’t have to take my word for it either.

“It’s President Obama who says the Far Left’s arguments don’t ‘stand the test of fact and scrutiny.’

“It’s President Obama who says the Far Left is just ‘making stuff up.’

“And it’s President Obama who warns the Far Left about ‘ignoring realities.’

“In other words, hardly anyone believes there’s a serious policy leg for these folks to stand on.

“Not that there’s a viable process excuse for this filibuster either.

“A senior Senator in the Democrat leadership essentially rebutted the latest process argument yesterday. He said, quote, “no one disputed in committee that we’d get a vote separately on the customs bill” because it contained a provision, he said, that would bring down TPA. What we can infer from this is that the demand to merge four separate trade bills — including the customs bill — into one trade bill isn’t a strategy designed to pass better trade legislation, but a poison pill designed to kill it.

“So we certainly won’t be doing that.

“Because our goal here should be to score a serious policy win for the American people, not claim a symbolic scalp for the extreme Left.

“That’s why Republicans have chosen to work closely with President Obama to advance a serious trade and economic growth agenda.

“It’s not a natural position for us or the President to be in politically, but we agree that strengthening the Middle Class by knocking down unfair trade restrictions is a good idea. Since we agree on the policy, I think we have a duty to the American people to cooperate responsibly to pursue it.

“And that’s just what we’ve done. Not a single Republican voted yesterday against opening debate on this 21st Century American trade agenda.

“Now all that’s needed to move forward is for our Democratic friends who tell the public they support trade to withdraw support for a filibuster they know is wrong on the merits.

“Yes, I understand it may be uncomfortable for our Democrat colleagues to cross loud factions in their party, but Republicans proved yesterday that it’s possible to put good policy over easy politics.

“Democrats have to choose: Will they allow themselves to keep being led around by the most extreme elements of their party, even when it runs counter to the needs of their constituents, or will they stand and lead?

“The American people are counting on them to make the right choice.

“When they do, they'll find the same willing partners who have always been here. They'll find we’re ready to continue working across the aisle in good faith to move forward.

“Recall that we’ve only gotten as far as we have already because of significant bipartisan compromise on Chairman Hatch’s part. He worked very closely with Senator Wyden to hammer out a trade package that garnered an astonishing 20 votes in the Finance Committee, with just 6 Senators opposed.

“That huge level of bipartisan support really surprised everyone. We’ve seen some unfortunate partisan rear-guard action since then that’s designed to sink these American trade jobs. But we can rise above it. That’s why Republicans remain committed to carrying forward the kind of bipartisan momentum we saw in the Finance Committee, just as we have been all along.

“We’re happy to work with any Senator in a serious way. The door is open.

“I’ve made clear there would be an open amendment process.

“I’ve made clear that Senators would receive fair consideration once we proceed to debating this bill.

“And the bipartisan path forward I offered yesterday morning is still on the table. I remain committed to the significant concession my party made already about processing TPA and TAA. If Chairman Hatch and Senator Wyden can agree to other policies, we can consider those too.

“What we won’t be doing is pursuing poison-pill strategies like the one I mentioned already.

“Let’s also agree that no Senator is in a position to guarantee that some bill can clear both houses of Congress, receive a signature from the President, secure the blessings of the Supreme Court, and whatever else our friends might demand.

“This wouldn’t be much of a democracy if Senators could actually make such an impossible guarantee.

“So look, we want to have serious discussions. We want to actually get a good policy outcome.

“That’s always been our goal. I hope more will now join us to allow debate on the trade discussion our constituents deserve.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Senate Democrats filibuster of a bipartisan trade bill:

“What we just saw here is pretty shocking.

“There are always limits to what can be accomplished when the American people choose divided government.

“But it doesn’t mean Washington shouldn’t work toward bipartisan solutions that make sense for our country.

“Trade offers a perfect opportunity to do just that.

“We on this side believe strongly in lifting up the Middle Class and knocking down unfair barriers that discriminate against American workers and American products in the 21st Century economy.

“On this issue, the President agreed.

“So we worked in good faith all year to formulate a package that both parties could support.

“The top Republican on the Finance Committee engaged in months of good-faith negotiations with the top Democrat on that committee.

“They consulted closely with colleagues in the House, like Chairman Ryan.

“They consulted closely with President Obama, with Democrats, and with Republicans.

“The issues they had to work through were tough.

“Difficult concessions had to be made.

“Many believed an agreement would never emerge.

“But in the end, a strong, bipartisan trade package came together that was able to pass through committee by an overwhelming margin, 20 to 6.

“It was a significant win for the people we represent.

“It was a win for the Americans who look to us to secure economic growth and good jobs for them, not give in to the special interests who apparently would rather see those jobs end up in countries like China.

“It was a win for the security of our country, and for our leadership around the world. As seven former defense secretaries of both political parties put it last week, ‘The stakes are clear… [and] America’s prestige, influence, and leadership are on the line.’

“So the rationale for voting ‘yes’ today — a vote that would simply have allowed the Senate to debate the issue — was overwhelming. It was supported by facts.

“And yet, voices in the President’s party who rail against the future won out today.

“I wouldn’t normally quote President Obama. But today is no ordinary day.

“So when the President said that the Hard Left was just ‘making stuff up,’ or when the President said their increasingly bizarre arguments didn’t ‘stand the test of fact and scrutiny,’ it was hard to argue with him.

“‘You don’t make change through slogans,’ he reminded these folks. ‘You don’t make change through ignoring realities.’

“I think that’s something worth reflecting on.

“This doesn’t have to be the end of the story.

“Trade has traditionally been a bipartisan issue that cut across the partisan divide. And I suspect we have colleagues on the other side who aren’t that comfortable filibustering economic benefits for their constituents — or a President who leads their party.

“I suspect some may be parking their vote, rather than actually buying the outlandish rhetoric we’ve heard from the Left.

“That’s my hope.

“But to get to the best outcome for our country, we have to be realistic.

“For instance, the idea that any Senator can make a guarantee that a particular bill will be enacted into law is simply impossible.

“I assure you that we would have had a different outcome on today’s cloture motion if Senators actually wielded the power to force things through by sheer will alone.

“Obviously, we don’t.

“What we can guarantee is that Senators receive a fair shake once we proceed to the debate our country deserves on a 21st Century American trade agenda.

“We’ll have an open and fair amendment process.

“And for my part, I can restate my commitment to processing TPA and TAA, and other policies Chairman Hatch and Senator Wyden can agree to.

“The Senate has historically been the place where our country debates and considers big issues. This is an issue worthy of our consideration. It doesn’t mean we can predetermine outcomes. It doesn’t mean we can even guarantee the successful passage of legislation once we proceed to debate it.

“But blocking the Senate from even debating such an important issue is not the answer.

“Senators who do so are choosing to stand with special interests and against the American jobs that knocking down more unfair trade barriers could support.

“I hope some of our colleagues across the aisle will heed the words of President Obama and rethink their choice.

“I hope they’ll vote with us to open debate on this issue.

“And let me reiterate: We’ll continue to engage with both sides.

“We’ll continue to cooperate in the same spirit that got us through so many impossible hurdles already.

“That’s been our posture all along. That’s why we’ve had so much bipartisan success up til now.”

Recent Press Releases

McConnell Co-Sponsors Adoptive Family Relief Act

May 13, 2015

Path Forward on Bipartisan Trade Bill ‘Still on the Table,’ Says McConnell

‘We want to actually get a good policy outcome. That’s always been our goal. I hope more will now join us to allow debate on the trade discussion our constituents deserve.’

May 13, 2015

McConnell: Door Remains Open for a Path Forward on Bipartisan Trade Bill

May 12, 2015