Mr. Speaker. I have today introduced legislation to authorize $50.000.000 In additional assistance for the resettlement of emigrants from the Soviet Union. - Such assistance has been provided by - the United States since 1972. when legislation which I proposed with Senator - EDMUND MUSKIE was enacted into law. That legislation authorized $85.000.000 - to help meet the various needs of Russian i emigrants. most of whom were destined for Israel. Services provided with this r assistance have included transportation. the construction and operation of transit centers. medical services. housing. job training. and other educational services. - The need for this program continues to exist. even though its authorization is expiring. Since September. 1971. when the stepped up rate of Russian emigration began. 85.000 Russian Jews have reached Israel and about 5.500 have gone elsewhere. Hopefully. the Soviet Government will continue to allow this rate of emigration. or even increase it. under international pressure. It has been impossible to discern any definite trend in emigration in the last few years. and the rate allowed by Soviet authorities may well increase this year. even though it has been down somewhat during the first 3 months of this year. U.S. assistance is vital to these emigrants. who are unable to leave the U.S.S.R. with enough resources to take care of themselves. United Israel Appeal. which has contracted with the Department of State to administer $74.500.000 of these resettlement funds. has estimated the total expenditure for the close to 90.000 Jews who have come to Israel since 1971 at approximately $40.000 per family or a total of $960.000.000. The Government of Israel and private philanthropy have assumed most of this burden. but U.S. assistance must continue to play an important part. especially as the costs of the October war and spiraling inflation place heavy new demands on Israel.
Keywords matched
emigration emigrants