Speech #920111522

Mr. Speaker. as a cosponsor of legislation to assist in the emigration of Soviet Jews. I am very pleased to take note of an agreement worked out between the House Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Department of Justice to provide for the entry of Soviet Jews into the United States under parole status when no visas are available. In the past. Cuban. Czechoslovakian. and Hungarian refugees have been allowed to enter by this method. This procedure is now extended to Soviet Jewswith no numerical limitations placed on the number who may enter. In a letter to the Honorable EMANUEL CELLER. chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. dated September 30. the Attorney General states that "I can assure you that I would exercise my discretion if the situation demanded and parole Soviet Jews who are able to leave the Soviet Union." This is a significant change in Government policy in which doubts about the Attorney Generals authority in this area have been resolved in favor of a humane immigration policy for refugees. I want to commend the efforts of the Judiciary chairman. EMANUEL CELLER. and of the Immigration Subcommittee chairman. PETER RODINO. for their untiring work to make the road to freedom a little easier. This has been a long struggle. but the battle has finally been won. Yet the major problem still remains. While the door has been opened to this country. the Soviet Government still imposes the most severe controls on the emigration of people from its country. Hopefully the action on the part of our Government will now focus world attention on the Soviet Union and on Its policy of religious freedom. While I commend this development in administration policy relating to immigration of Soviet Jews to the United States. it does not substitute for the need for an American declaration of policy to support and Insure the integrity of the State of Israel.