Speech #960334483

The amendments to the preamble were agreed to. The preamble. as amended. was agreed to. The resolution. together with the preamble. is agreed to. as follows: Whereas the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States were signatories of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Accords). and Whereas in signing the Helsinki Accords the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics promised to recognize and respect the freedom of the Individual to profess and practice. alone or in community with others. religion or beliefs. in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience. and Whereas despite the Helsinki Accords millions of Americans have had to work together to relieve the suffering and secure the emigration of an untold number of Soviet Jews. and Whereas these efforts on behalf of the Soviet Jews must continue as they have produced some success. and Whereas the suffering of Soviet Christians has been equally great and their needs remain equally desperate. and Whereas for Christians of conviction. simple but persistent public declarations of faith have provoked harsh retaliation. including public humiliation. social ostracism. and Isolation inside concentration camps and socalled psychiatric hospitals. and Whereas the United States authorities are aware of this problem and know that some twenty thousand Soviet Christians have decided to risk the worst by sending their names to the Supreme Soviet. asking for permission to emigrate. and Whereas freedomloving people all over the world look to the United States as the leader of the free world to take up their cause of basic human rights: Now. therefore. be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring). That it is the sense of the Congress that the President. acting through the Secretary of State or any other appropriate officer of the executive branch. should(1) continue to affirm support of the United States for full implementation of all the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Accords). (2) communicate to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the strongest terms the disapproval of the United States of religious harassment of all religious believers in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics including Christians and of the restrictions on the freedom of such persons to emigrate. and (3) advise the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that the United States expects the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to honor its commitments under the Helsinki Accords and other international law. including its commitments regarding the rights of all persons. including Christians to practice their religion and to emigrate without government interference. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the President.