Sander Levin: “the amendment which I am offering with Senator Kassebaum is aimed at humanizing the process through which adult…”

“the amendment which I am offering with Senator Kassebaum is aimed at humanizing the process through which adult biological relatives separated by adoption, who are looking for each other, can make contact. Currently, for hundreds of thousands of persons seeking one another the process is often costly, cumbersome, and futile. Aside from the natural, human desire of many to know one's family roots and genetic heritage, there are other reasons many wish to to make contact with birth relatives. For instance, many of these individuals need to have access to information which may affect their own mental and physical health and influence their own family decisions. My amendment would permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services, at no net expense to the Federal Government, to facilitate the voluntary, mutually requested reunions between adult adopted children 21 years of age and over, and their birth parents or adult adopted siblings 21 years of age and over. I would like to make clear, Mr. President, that under this amendment, there could be no searching for one party at the request of another. All parties would have to, on their own, mutually and voluntarily seek one another.”