Speech #930160912

In addition to the items mentioned by the gentleman from Georgia. I would like to review title IV of this legislation before US. The stated purpose of title IV. as stated in the committee report. is the extension of "nondiscriminatory--column 1tariff treatment in return for appropriate benefits to U.S. interests. provided such countries permit their citizens to emigrate and do not impose unreasonable financial barriers to emigration." In other words. "mostfavorednation treatment" is to be extended to "nonmarket economies" in accordance with provisions designed to insure "freedom of emigration" and protection against "market disruption." However. these provisions. as they now stand. are. in my judgment. so inadequate as devices to protect the stated concerns of the bill. that they may be regarded as virtually cosmetic. The major deficiency in this title is the absence of any prohibition against granting credits and loan guarantees to nations which deny freedom of emigration to their citizens. Unlike the VanikMills amendment. which I have cosponsored. this bill would deny only tariff benefits to the Soviets. which means that their exports. of vodka. for example. to this country would continue to be at a competitive disadvantage which would be relatively insignificant in the total trade picture. What would be significant and effective. if we are really serious about insuring freedom of emigration. is to prohibit the extension of credits and loan guarantees to finance our exports to Russia. for without these credits and loan guarantees. the Russians would no longer be able to obtain American goods and technology of incalculable value in exchange for I.O.U.s which are unredeemed and unredeemable. This approach would also go a long way toward protecting other American interests in addition to freedom of emigration because it would prevent the recurrence of such massive giveaways as the wheat deal as well as the contribution of vital hardware and technology to the Soviet war effort. It might also slow down for a time the "dumping" of Soviet goods on the American market and the consequent loss of American jobs. Additional conditions and safeguards will be needed. however. to protect against the sufficient "concessions" in the area of emigration to remove any prohibitions which may be imposed on that basis alone. If the Soviets were to allow all of the Soviet Jews and others who want to emigrate to leave tomorrow. I would still be concerned about the fact that Soviet currency is not convertible into socalled hard Western currencies. I would demand that the Soviets pay for whatever nonstrategic commodities we might sell them in gold. timber. or other commodities which the Soviets produce in abundance and which we sorely need.