Speech #920299680

Human values which are in immediate peril must take precedence now over the benefits that international trade bring in the long run. In the past I have strongly supported nine major bills. resolutions. and letters selected by the National Center for Jewish Policy Studies as "matters of direct and clear Jewish interest." For example. I recently cosponsored legislation designed to give 30.000 visas to Soviet Jews wishing to come to the United States. I also joined in a successful drive to channel $85 million to Israel to help with the resettlement of Soviet Jews. So with this kind of record. I have been particularly perturbed by the conditions that have impelled so many Soviet Jews to want to leave their homeland by the obstacles the Soviet Government has placed in the way of their leaving. and by this latest effort to impose a ransom on human beings. The right to emigrate is specifically affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In 1963 a study of the freedom to emigrate. undertaken by a subcommission of the Commission on Human Rights. included information on the violation of Jewish rights in the Soviet Union. But the practice of requiring official permission to emigrate has not changed since the days of the czars. The Soviet leaders are proud of the changes which they have made since czarist days. but in this case they have perpetuated a czarist policy. Soviet spokesmen have responded to the current flood of criticism of the emigration tax by dragging out the "brain drain" argument. On the surface. their concern over the loss of educated and talented people seems reasonable enough. But the truth is that Soviet Jews lose their jobs the moment they file an application to emigrate. In other words. their brains are effectively "drained" anyway. Once their talents are lost to the state. they join a pool of underemployed and restless people. From then on their lives are slow and suffocating. I was gratified to notice that although the ratification of the emigration tax by the Supreme Soviet was scheduled for September 19. no action has yet taken place. Perhaps this is a signal that the Soviet Government may be willing to drop this odious price tag on its citizensprovided that we maintain economic pressure on Soviet officials to do so. So in spite of my general preference for expanding trade with the Soviet Union. I will oppose granting special trade privileges to the Soviet Unionincluding mostfavorednation statusuntil this outrage is halted. I have accordingly cosponsored an amendment offered by Senator JACKSON which would deny mostfavorednation status. credits. or investment guarantees to any country imposing more than a nominal tax on emigration. Mr. President. a very eloquent statement on this matter recently was made by 21 Nobel laureates. urging repeal of the Soviet head tax. I ask unanimous consent that the statement may be printed in the RECORD at this point.