William F. Smith: “H.R. 2883, the Adopted Orphans Citizenship Act, is designed to streamline the acquisition of United States citizenship…”

“H.R. 2883, the Adopted Orphans Citizenship Act, is designed to streamline the acquisition of United States citizenship by foreign children after they are adopted by American citizens. The bill makes the Federal Government a partner with parents who, with great compassion, adopt children from overseas. The original bill was improved by an amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt). I want to thank him for suggesting the changes made in the amendment. He speaks with great credibility since he and his wife adopted a daughter from Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War. Under current law, when U.S. citizens adopt a child from another country, the child does not automatically become an American citizen. The parents have to apply to the Attorney General for a certificate of citizenship and the child then has to take the oath of allegiance required of naturalized citizens. This process can take years because of the naturalization backlog at the Immigration and Naturalization Service. There is no reason to make adoptive parents and their new children to have to go through this laborious process. After an adoption takes place and the child is brought to the United States consistent with United States immigration law, the child should automatically be considered a citizen.”