Speech #930028422

For it it is transparently obvious that the Russians are reacting directly to stimuli from the American Congress. They desperately want their mostfavorednation trading status. so much so that they are willing to make what is for them a major concession on a point of great sensitivity. Were it not for the determination of the Congress in supporting the Freedom of Emigration Act. the 44 Soviet Jews whose ransoms were waived in the past 2 weeks would still be languishing in Russia. The Soviet Union seems to be giving quite a lot. but is in effect giving very little. The education tax. which officially became Soviet law last December. is still on the books. and will remain so. The tax is being waived in a very few. selected number of cases. There are still many more people being denied visas than there are cases of visas being granted. The excuses for denials become flimsier and flimsier. For example. the Golygorsky family were denied a family visa on the ground that their older son Vladimir. a 25yearold violinist served in the army. He did serve for 2 years. but his rank was private and he had no access to secret information. Even with the apparent relaxation of emigration restrictions. no activists and very few scientists are being granted permission to emigrate. All of this indicates that we should not think that the present relaxation of restrictions means very much in the long run. We should be aware that this is jus a ploy by the Soviet Government. to lull the Congress into believing that its objective of easing Russian emigration restrictions has been attained. This objective will not be attained. no matter what reports we may read or hear. until there is no longer any barrier to emigration from the Soviet Union. We must not think that now we can give up on the Freedom of Emigration Act. This legislation is the only leverage we have on the Russians. The threat of the acts passage was what made them ease off in the first place.