Speech #1010119586

While recent relaxation in official oppressive policies may have created an opening for some religious activities previously banned. one cannot claim that. after over 70 years of relentless and often brutal persecution. religious freedom now exists or that we can lessen our concern. Last year. the administration made it more difficult for Soviet Jews. Christians. and others to obtain refugee status. The administration did not set a refugee number commensurate with Americas traditional concern for Soviet religious believers. After pressing the Soviets for decades to let them out. America did not offer enough opportunity for people to come here. I expressed my concern about this policy. and the fear and panic among Soviet Jews and others concerning Americas fiscal year 1990 refugee policy. in my floor statement on September 29. 1989. Moreover. by funding only 111.000 of the 125.000 slots. including only 40.000 of the 50.000 Soviet slots. the budgets of private resettlement agencies are being badly strained. The United States has pressed for open emigration from the Soviet Union. This policy is now bearing sweet fruit. It behooves the United States to help the refugees resettle. For example. whether tens of thousands of Soviet Jews come here or go to Israelor bothAmericans who give generously to help them resettle. wherever they go. are going to be stretched extremely thin. The least we can do is fund all of the refugees who come here. In recent years. there have been many shocking reports of outbursts of antireligious sentiment in the Soviet Union by private groups and citizens. aimed at both Jews and Christians. The outbreaks of ethnic and regional violence in the Soviet Union has ominous overtones for Soviet Jews. given the tragic tendency of some in the Soviet Union to blame the Jews for the onset of bolshevism and current economic difficulties.