Mr. Speaker this Congress must speak out before adjournment on the Soviet plan to require emigrantsalmost entirely Soviet Jewsto pay from $5.000 to $35.000 before they can leave the country. The Soviets call it an educational reimbursement but a more accurate word would be ransom. There is no doubt in the minds of Soviet Jewsor in the minds of many Members of this bodythat this Soviet proposal comes in the midst of increased United StatesSoviet trade activity precisely because the Soviets are convinced we will not let human rights stand in the way of making a few dollars in wheat and other deals. I am introducing today. along with 67 of my colleagues. a House joint resolution which will make it unmistakably clear that our Congress values human freedoms. including the right of emigration. more than any amount of new export business. Mr. Speaker. we cannot ignore the steadily increasing incidents of harassnent and oppression directed toward Soviet Jewry. These people have no schools of their own any longer. their synagogues are closed. they are allowed no cultural life. they have no opportunity to emigrate and be reunited with their families in the United States. in Israel. and elsewhere in the free world. It is inappropriate to offer trade concessions. including most favored nation status. as long as the Soviets are holding these Jewish citizens for ransom. Surely the sale of wheat cannot be more important than human lives. This Chamber voted 360 to 2 on April 17 to ask the President to take specific steps to aid Soviet Jews and to allow their free emigration. That measure. House Concurrent Resolution 471. which I introduced. was passed with the Presidents pending Soviet visit in mind.
Keywords matched
emigrantsalmost emigration emigrate