Today. in the House. we pay tribute to the indomitable spirit of all those. in the U.S.S.R. and throughout the world. who continue to struggle for the recognition of their basic human right to live. work. and worship in a manner consistent with their beliefs. The serious assault on the human rights of Soviet Jewry must be of particular concern to us. Their conditions have deteriorated in 1984. and every indication suggests that 1985 will see a continuation of restrictions on the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate. to worship. and pass on their cultural identity. In the face of continued Soviet disregard for these basic rights. we must speak out. loudly and clearly. on behalf of those who cannot speak. We must be their witnesses before a watching world. We must ensure that we do all that is necessary to transform the behavior of those who hold authority within the Soviet Union. Recent news on the state of Soviet Jewry has been particularly bleak. In 1984. only 896 were allowed to emigrate. compared with more than 51.000 Just 5 years earlier. Now. the Soviet Government insist that all Jews who desired to leave the U.S.S.R. have left. despite tens of thousands of applications that have not been granted. Life for those Jews consist of severe economic and social hardships. By requesting an exit visa. a Jewish citizen in the U.S.S.R. can find himself out of work. or school. and often an entire family has been subjected to public harassments and vilification. And in all too many cases. refuseniks have been prosecuted on trumpedup charges. convicted and separated from family and loved ones by lengthy sentences in prisons and labor camps. Last weekend in Cleveland.
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