Speech #1010066836

There is no reason in the world not to consider germane amendments. Most importantly. without amendments what we are going to be voting upon is a measure that would fundamentally alter the foreign policy of the United States toward Hungary. It has been alluded to here on this floor that President Bush traveled to Hungary and made a speech at the Karl Marx University in which he promised Hungary permanent mostfavorednation statuspermanent most favorednation status. not yearbyyear. not 2 years. not 3 years. if the Hungarian Government would liberalize its restrictive immigration laws. which I would point out are probably the most restrictive in Eastern Europe. Hungary. we are told. promised the President. promised the United States that it would liberalize its immigration laws as early as September 1989. That action has not been forthcoming. Instead we have had the wholesale confiscation of passports of returnees from the West. There is great prospect of reform of Hungarys immigration laws. There is change in Hungary being led by a reform element within the Communist Party itself. The President of the United States is offering a carrot.