Speech #930168368

Speaker. I rise In support of the Vanik amendment. I note that the Committee on Ways and Means has accepted the first part of the original Vanik amendment. which I was proud to cosponsor. denying mostfavorednation trade status to those nations which denied free emigration rights to their citizens. However. I deeply regret the fact that the committee did not accept the. second part of the original amendment which denied loans. credits. and guarantees to these nations. After years of allowing only a few hundred of its Jewish citizens to emigrate each year. the Soviet Union. in late 1971. liberalized its emigration policies. Americans welcomed this change in policy which has allowed over 50.000 Soviet Jews to leave for Israel. This progress. however. makes no less objectionable and reprehensible several elements of the Soviet Governments policies toward its Jewish minority of 2.64 million citizens. Notwithstanding any changes in Soviet policy. there are many Jews in jail whose only crime has been the desire to leave the Soviet Union and its oppressive regime. Despite Soviet claims that in 1972. 95 percent of the Jews who applied to leave were allowed to do so. there are still perhaps 100.000 Jews waiting and praying daily for exit visas that only seem to be forthcoming on a slow. erratic timetable. subject to the whims of particular. and often petty. Soviet authorities throughout the state bureaucracy. Further. Soviet policies toward the emigration of its citizens have. in the recent past. involved outrageous fees that some Jews must pay in order to secure the necessary emigration papers. In late 1972 the Soviets discovered yet another tax. the socalled education tax which could amount to $13.200. CXIX2634---Part 32