The letter authored by Harris noted that "unfortunately, the Romanian response has been a pattern of disregard, delay, obfuscation and hindrance."
It also noted several offenses by the Romanian government against religious freedom which happened in 2013 alone.
Particular attention was given to an April 17 law which "delays and complicates restitution" and an April 23 law "which deliberately omitted return of archival materials" which were seized from religious minorities in 1947.
"Rep. Chris Smith has cited the thousands of claims received by the European Court of Human Rights in Romanian property matters," it added.
The State department issued a letter in response, signed by acting assistant secretary Thomas B. Gibbons, who said that property restitution "is an Administration priority that we have long raised with Romania and other European partners."
"Advocating for the rights of Romania's religious and ethnic minorities, including the rights of the Jewish, Hungarian, Greek-Catholic and Roma communities, is a key priority of the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest."
The Romanian Greek-Catholic Association, a California-based advocacy group for Romanian Catholics, thanked the members of Congress who sent the letter to the State department, and voiced hope that the initiative will lead to a respect for "basic human rights" in the country.
"Their initiative provided hope for so many Catholics in Romania who are striving to have their human rights respected and be able to worship freely and without constraint in their own churches," said Father Chris Terhes, president of the association and a priest of the Romanian Eparchy of St. George's in Canton.
He called on lawmakers to continue demanding that Romanian officials "restitute the properties confiscated under the communist regime, which would close a sad chapter of the Romanian history and help the country evolve to a functional democracy."
Adelaide Mena was the DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency until 2017 and is a 2012 graduate of Princeton University.