Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my amendment to increase funding for the Adoption Opportunities Program in the fiscal year 2022 Labor-HHS appropriations act. On any given day, 424,000 children are living in foster care in the United States, more than a quarter of whom are waiting to be adopted by a loving, supportive family. Unfortunately, 20,000 young people age-out of foster care each year without a permanent family connection. How sad and tragic that is. That needs to change, and with the right support it can. The Adoption Opportunities Program provides a unique funding stream for States, counties, Tribes, and private organizations to invest in evidence-based solutions to find families for these youth and provide them with the support they need to thrive. From adoptive family recruitment to post-adoption services and caseworker training, these programs help foster youth build permanent family connections. Now is the time, Mr. Speaker, to invest in solutions to improve permanent placements for foster youth. I thank Chairwoman DeLauro and the committee for supporting this amendment and for her tremendous leadership in crafting this year's appropriations bills. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the en bloc package and the underlying bill.”