Speech #1000144384

I thank my colleague. the ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. for yielding. Mr. Speaker. the joint resolution I have introduced calls upon the Soviet Union to immediately grant permission to emigrate to all those who wish to join their spouses or flances in the United States. A similar resolution was considered by the Committee on Foreign Affairs in November and passed both the House and the Senate with broad. bipartisan support. This measure. Mr. Speaker. expresses the Congress continuing concern for the plight of the halfdozen cases of divided spouses and blocked marriages involving American and Soviet citizens. It calls upon the Soviet Union to grant to those Soviets who have been separated from their American spouses and flances immediate permission to emigrate. It draws particular attention to those cases that have remained unresolved for years. It is both appropriate and Important that the House consider this measure after the summit here In Washington between President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev. The summit. which we all welcomed. provided an excellent opportunity for the Soviet Union toat long lastresolve the divided spouse and blocked marriage cases which have hampered improved United StatesSoviet relations. I am quite pleased that many of the longstanding divided spouses and blocked marriage cases were resolved just prior to and during the summit. Among those reunited were Anatoly and Galina Michelson who had he dubious distinction of being the longest unresolved family reunification case between the United States and the Soviet Union. Every President since John F. Kennedy has raised this case with his Soviet counterpart.