WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reacted to last Friday’s news that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a controversial law that bans Russian children being adopted by U.S. families.   

The previous week, Inhofe and 15 Senate colleagues sent a letter to Putin dated December 21, 2012 encouraging Putin to veto the legislation.  Putin signing the law comes a little over a month after he signed a bilateral adoption agreement between the U.S. and Russia on November 1, 2012.  This latest action reverses that agreement.   

"It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening that the Russian Duma and President Putin would choose to deprive the children, the very children that they are entrusted to care for, the ability to find a safe and caring family that every child deserves,” said Inhofe.  “As  a grandparent of an internationally adopted child, I know that this new law is against the interests of the Russian people, in particular Russian children.  The law continues the disturbing anti-American trend that has been taking place in Russia for the past several years.  It is nothing more than a political play against the United States that ultimately leads to greater hardships and more suffering for Russian children who will now be denied a loving family. I urge my Russian counterparts to undo this law immediately, for the sake of their own kids." 

On December 22, Inhofe appeared on FoxNews’ Huckabee program to discuss his family’s international adoption story.  Watch here. 

Read the December 21 letter here.

###