Americans may lose right to adopt Russian kids

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ReutersOrphan children play music at an orphanage in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Dec. 19, 2012. Russia's parliament initially approved a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian orphans on Wednesday in reprisal for a U.S. law punishing alleged Russian human rights violators in a row that has strained bilateral relations.By Jim Heintz, The Associated PressRussia's parliament on Wednesday gave overwhelming preliminary approval  to a measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children, a harsh  retaliatory move against U.S. human rights legislation.

Follow @NBCNewsWorldBut the  proposal appears to be too extreme for some senior Russian officials.  The foreign minister and the education minister spoke out flatly against  an adoption ban, and the speaker of the upper house of parliament, a  close ally of President Vladimir Putin, suggested the lower house  members were letting emotions overtake rationality.

Putin  himself, who has the authority to veto legislation, has made no public  comment on the adoption provision. But his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov,  indicated Wednesday the Russian leader regards it as excessive.

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