During the hearing process and consideration of this agreement in executive session of the committee. my principal concern has been in connection not with the actual provisions of the agreement which. I believe. offer substantial mutual economic benefits. but rather with the performance of the Romanian Government on the crucial issue of human rights. It has been a widely shared view among members of the committee. and of the Senate as a whole. that neither the flow of emigrants from Romania during the first 5 months of 1975 nor the official and unofficial actions and statements of the Romanian Government were sufficient to justify the Presidents exercise of a waiver of the provisions of section 402 of the Trade Act of 1974. Fortunately. there has been progress during the past 6 weeks that encourages me to believe that this problem is being resolved. On the important issues of the number of emigrants permitted to leave Romania. and on the reunion of families with relatives in the United States. there is evidence of improvement including an increase in emigration from an estimated 50 in May. to more than 200 in June. and a projected 350 or more for the month of July. In view of the recent favorable developments. I intend to support Senate approval of the trade agreement with Romania.
Keywords matched
emigration emigrants