Mr. Chairman. let me say at the outset that I am completely opposed to the imposition of prohibitive fees for the issuance of visas for individuals to leave any country. whether it is the Soviet Union or any other country. I am completely opposed to what I understand is the policy of the Soviet Union today in requiring excessive costs for the issuance of visas for emigration from that country. Therefore. on the substance or intent of the amendment. I cannot object to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio . But I wonder if we should not recollect that on April 17. 1972. the House of Representatives approved a concurrent resolution. House Concurrent Resolution 471. which in effect expresses the same basic views on the part of the House as are expressed in this pending amendment. On that occasion we condemned the attitude and actions of the Soviet Government in many ways. but we also expressed our views in reference to the issuance of visas. Furthermore. the Foreign Assistance Act already contains other provisionsnotably in sections 620(f). 620(a) (3) and 620(n)-that have the effect of denying assistance under that act to the U.S.S.R. or other Communist countries. Moreover. the Battle ActMutual Defense Assistance Control Act of 1951prohibits U.S.
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emigration visas