By Bill on November 16th, 2010 at at 6:51 am

House of Representatives moves to revise law to help Hotaru Ferschke

This is good news but there is still work to be done.

After a year’s delay, legislation that would allow a young Japanese widow to honor her Marine husband’s wishes and raise their infant son in Tennessee is finally moving through Congress.

The U.S. House voted Monday to close a loophole in federal immigration law so that Hotaru “Hota” Ferschke can move permanently to the United States with her 22-month-old son, Mikey.

Mikey’s father is Marine Sgt. Michael Ferschke of Maryville, who was killed two years ago in Iraq.

The bill, which passed on a voice vote and is called the “Marine Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. Memorial Act,” still requires approval from the U.S. Senate.

But for Sgt. Ferschke’s parents, Robin and Mike Ferschke, Monday’s action offers a glimmer of hope that the family’s painful ordeal may finally be coming to an end.

“Every day I have hope, but it scares me, too, because every time I get my hopes up, they get shattered,” Robin Ferschke said. “I don’t know how much more we can be shattered.”

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U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Maryville, and Jim Webb, D-Va., are working to pass the legislation in the Senate, but time is running out. If the measure hasn’t been approved by the time Congress adjourns for the year in December, the bill will die and lawmakers will have to start all over again next year.

The legislation would also apply to other widows in Hotaru’s situation though Congressman Duncan’s office knew of none else in her situation.

Come on United States Senate and end this senseless act of stupidity.