Speech #920023473

So long as this persecution exists. however. our efforts on behalf of these persecuted people must continue. In the present Congress. therefore. I have already cosponsored a similar resolutionHouse Concurrent Resolution 221which requests: President of the United States to manifest our countrys position as the guardian of the traditions of liberty and justice for all. the dignity of all mankind. and the freedom of worship. by taking appropriate affirmative action to persuade the Soviet Union to ... terminate its practice of depriving Soviet Jewry of the opportunity of worshiping ... to grant to the Jewish minority the same rights of preserving its cultural identity as the Government grants to other Soviet minority groups. and to permit Jewish persons to emigrate freely from the Soviet Union to Israel or to any country of their choice without restriction or limitation. In this Congress I have also cosponsored legislation which is intended to challenge the Soviet Union to permit those Jews who wish to leave to do so and to show that the United States would welcome them here. This legislation would provide 30.000 special refugee visas for Soviet Jews who are permitted to leave the Soviet Union and who wish to come to this country. We have made such special provisions many times in the past. most recently by providing special legislation which permitted more than 30.000 Hungarian refugees to settle here after the suppression of their 1956 revolution. As we are all also aware. more than 565.000 Cubans have made the United States their home through exemptions from the immigration laws. It is hoped that the enactment of this legislation might encourage other nations to enact similar legislation. Mr.