Speech #930081405

How can we believe that all the conflicts between the Russian and the American waysoflife are about to be resolved as long as Russia persists in its suppression of individual liberties? It is one thing to sit down and talk with your opponent and It is another to offer him aid and comfort. In the interest of ddtente we should talk with Russia. but in the interest of freedom we must not give Russia mostfavorednation status. trade credits or loan guarantees until freedom of emigration is guaranteed. Only when Mr. Brezhnev grants visas to the more than 100.000 persons who wish to leave. only when he stops using the phony excuse of state security to prevent the departure of prominent individuals. and only when he allows free emigration from all regions of the Soviet Union. should he be granted special American trade concessions. I was proud to be one of the original cosponsors in this Congress of the JacksonMillsVanik legislation to prohibit mostfavorednation trade concessions and credits to any country which limits freedom of emigration. As introduced in the House. this bill would additionally require the President to report to Congress every 6 months that recipients of American trade concessions do not restrict freedom of emigration. Concessions would have to be terminated if a country were to reimpose emigration restrictions. Congress has moved to restore the moral basis for our foreign policy by strongly supporting the JacksonMillsVanik legislation. It now has the endorsement of 362 of our highest elected officials285 Congressmen and 77 Senators. The Nixon administration opposes this legislation. Soon after the JacksonMillsVanik bill was Introduced in the House last February. I wrote to President Nixon: I urge you to support the goals of this legislation and deny the Soviet Union any concessions regarding trade until all Soviet Jews are allowed their freedom to emigrate. In March. I received a reply from a deputy assistant which offered no explanation of the administrations position. but which merely said: You may be assured your letter will be called to the Presidents attention at the earlist opportunity and in addition it will be presented for consideration by the appropriate members of the staff. That was the last I heard from the White House on this matter. There is no question in my mind that if the true facts about Jewish emigration rates and exit taxes and special restrictions are made known. Congress will stand firm in its insistance on basing our foreign policy on the ideals of individual freedom. It is my strongest hope and belief that the Congress and the Nation will continue to support freedom of emigration for Soviet Jewry and will never agree to bargain with human rights.