Sam Brownback: “I want to congratulate the bill managers for their hard work to reach an agreement on the bill before us today. I…”

“I want to congratulate the bill managers for their hard work to reach an agreement on the bill before us today. I especially want to thank them for including the District of Columbia Adoption Improvement Act of 1998 in the omnibus appropriations bill. As chairman of the Senate Oversight Subcommittee on Government Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia, improving adoption for foster care in the District is one of my highest priorities. For the past year, I, along with Senators DeWine, Grassley, Craig, and Landrieu, have been looking for ways to make it easier for children in the Nation's Capital to find an adoptive family. Earlier this year, we hosted an Adoption Fair on Capitol Hill in which resulted in the adoption of five children to two families. We also held a hearing in the subcommittee to explore a solution that would shorten the time it takes for children in the District to be adopted. Gordon Gosselink, age 13, testified before the subcommittee at this hearing about how he entered the District's foster care system at the age of two. For the next 10 years, he lived in several foster care homes and even endured physical abuse until he was finally adopted at the age of 13 by Robert and Mary Beth Gosselink. He said: Last year, I met Rob and Mary Beth Gosselink at a Christmas party. When my social worker told me that two people were hoping to adopt me, I was really excited. I knew that this was the one.”