Speech #990186124

I am pleased to participate again Ais year in the Congressional Call to Conscience. In recent years. more and more wellpublicized refuseniks have been released in an attempt to lure us into satisfaction. However. over the last 7 years. there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of Jews allowed to emigrate. from 51.000 in 1979 to 894 in 1984. In 1985 there was a small increase to 1.100. The Soviets are hoping that Congress will be lulled into complacency because a few prominent refuseniks were allowed to emigrate. They are wrong. Instead. we must all make refuseniks an issue of prominence. Through efforts like the Congressional Call to Conscience Vigil and Solidarity Sunday. we can reaffirm to the Soviets that Congress will not forget about the thousands of Jews enduring persecution. One of those thousands is a man named Alexander Maryasin. Since 1974. he has applied 20 times for an exit visa to Israeleach time a rejection notice has been returned. The Russian authorities have promised three times to release Alexander and his family. Three times they reneged. His wife Leah has recently been diagnosed as having a brain tumor. Now more than every they need to emigrate so as to receive advanced medical treatment. This issue holds a special significance to me as I have seen first hand. the plight of Soviet Jews. During a trip to the U.S.S.R. in 1983.