It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Colchester Lions Club on its Fiftieth Anniversary.

There is no reason why we should not take this important step towards safeguarding the rights of needy children, their birth parents and adoptive families.

I rise to express the sorrow felt by many across eastern Connecticut following the passing of Professor William A. Niering.

Professor Niering was an extraordinary teacher, a pioneer in the modern environmental movement and a great American.

His legacy will endure through his efforts to safeguard the natural bounty that makes our nation unique in the world and through the countless students he taught.

Quiet, modest and sincere to a fault, Dr. Niering nonetheless could demonstrate outrage when he saw people doing intentional damage to the environment.

This legislation... seeks to implement the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

It is absolutely imperative that we take prompt action to ratify and implement the Hague Convention here in the United States.

The Convention provides a legal framework whereby agencies and individuals would be required to meet internationally agreed upon standards of competence, financial soundness and ethical behavior.

This bill would facilitate the Federal Government's efforts to assist U.S. citizens seeking to adopt children from abroad.

Regrettably, Lukashenka is not going anywhere.

Tomorrow, he officially becomes Belarus' illegitimate president.