Mr. Speaker. we cannotwe must not--permit this unconscionable policy to continue and we must once again make it clear that we will not stand Idly by while religious freedom is denied to the Soviet Jews. It is reported that there are at least 100.000 Jews in the Soviet Union awaiting visa issuance and unless we take some affirmative action. they will surely suffer the same fate and degradations of the others who have attempted to leave. Certainly our actions are not ignored as I am informed that Jews from the Soviet Union now living in Israel credit previous actions by the U.S. Congress for facilitating their departures and rallying worldwide public support in behalf of Soviet Jewry. Thus. by denying mostfavorednation status to countries which extort exorbitant diploma or education taxes from visa applicants. the Congress will be able to offer visible proof that we will not tolerate the repressive policies being pursued against Soviet Jews. We will be able to give forceful evidence of Americas moral concern about the problem of the emigration rights of certain Soviet citizens. I commend our distinguished colleague from Ohio and the junior Senator from Washington for their leadership in this effort and I am pleased to join with them in it. As the United States and the U.S.S.R. increasingly move toward rapprochementa move which I support and encourageno effort should be spared in removing restrictions on the free movement of people just as similar action is being taken toward facilitating the free movement of goods and commodities. Certainly the attitude of the Soviet Union toward prospective Jewish emigrants and the distasteful and discriminatory education ransom tax clouds current negotiations between our two countries and such an impediment must be removed without delay. I urge the prompt consideration and enactment of the measure we are introducing today.
Keywords matched
emigration visa emigrants