The family has close friends in Rochester. NY. and they are all fluent in English. It is a shame that these people and others like them are not allowed to emigrate and begin more productive lives. I have been endeavoring to obtain the Tsimberovs freedom. but we all know it will be a long and difficult effort. Since the implementation of the new Soviet emigration law on January 1. only 244 Soviet Jews have been allowed to leave. This is not a significant improvement over the previous 2 years. The fact remains that over 400.000 Jews are still waiting to emigrate. We cannot allow the recent glasnost to make us lose sight of this grim statistic. Mr. Speaker. I appreciate this opportunity to join my colleagues in continuing our efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry. In spite of the public position adopted by GeneralSecretary Gorbachev. the situation in the Soviet Union has not changed for hundreds of thousands of Jewish citizens and members of other ethnic groups who wish to exercise their right to emigrate. The recent publicity coup for the Soviets aired on a CBS "60 Minutes" broadcast must be scrutinized in the same manner we have to review every other official Soviet statement. Mr. Gorbachev is simply following in the footsteps of many of his predecessors in using human beings as political capital. He simply doles out a few visas and hopes that the world will forget his rosy promises to increase Jewish emigration. Those who wish to leave the Soviet Union are then bogged down in a hopeless entanglement. If they have ever worked for the Soviet Government. a strong possibility given the degree of government economic control. the potential emigre faces the infamous "state secret" barrier. Whether they have knowledge from college science experiments or the Moscow sewer system. they possess "state secrets." and their visa applications are denied. The story does not end at that point for the unfortunate Soviet Jew. who has stated his desire to leave. His or her job is suddenly terminated. and with no realistic hope for employment. the individual is left with no resources.
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