South Dakota's two senators are on opposite sides of the bitter partisan fight in Congress over health care reform, but today both Sen. Tim Johnson and Sen. John Thune are pushing the same cause: Haitian orphans.

Haiti, devastated by a powerful earthquake that may have killed as many as 200,000 people and left many more homeless, has been in the news all week as Americans donate millions to help out.

One seemingly minor step the U.S. government took is to expedite the arrival of Haitian orphans who have previously been approved for adoption by American parents. The adoption process can be long and cumbersome, and international adoption even worse, but a lot of that red tape is being slashed right now.

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“This is a time of extreme hardship for the people of Haiti and we need to do all we can to help the relief efforts that continue,” said Thune in a statement. “To that end, there are loving families in the U.S. who have already opened their hearts and are waiting to open their homes to children in orphanages that are now badly damaged. While supplies and relief efforts must remain our top priority, the needs of these children must also be a priority. Uniting children who have already been approved by the Haitian court system with their families in the U.S. will also free much needed space in orphanages and other resources for those children who await adoption and those who may have lost homes or their families in this disaster.”

“As a grandfather of two adopted children, I understand the miracle of adoption and am so happy that these children are safe in their new country waiting to be united with loving families,” said Johnson in a statement.  “As the people of Haiti struggle to recover from the devastating earthquake, the orphans are among the most vulnerable survivors.  If it is possible to clear these children for adoption with reasonable speed while protecting the integrity of families still in Haiti, there are loving families here in the U.S. waiting with welcome arms.  I understand the paperwork and security dilemmas these orphanages are facing at this time, but I will continue to work with the appropriate federal agencies to help cut through red tape and keep this process moving forward.”

Haiti, according to Johnson, had some 20,000 orphans in licensed orphanages prior to the earthquake.