Speech #1010128483

He has been an active member of the Refuseniks Law Seminar and is cochairman and secretary of the Public Council of Refuseniks. However. his daughter fell ill and was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that leaves the body underdeveloped. Treatment for this disease Is available only in the United States. and Soviet authorities would not allow the family to emigrate despite these circumstances. Seeing no other alternative. the couple had to obtain a divorce so the mother and daughter could seek treatment In the United States in 1988. Mr. Mikhalev has been granted U.S. refugee status. but still needs a visa. Mr. Mikhalevs case was referred to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on a short list of refuseniks during the Malta summit in December. Now he has been told he needs to reapply for a visa. Some humanrights observers say thats a stalling tactic. Mr. Speaker. the plight of Mr. Mikhalev and his family is not an isolated incident. but an unfortunate. widespread tragedy50.000 Jews applied for exit visas from the Soviet Union in October alone. each for his or her own personal reasons. in many cases similar to the Mikhalev familys circumstances. In my own district. concerned constituents have brought to my attention the plight of individual families. such as the family of Gennadi Babyrov. the family of Esther Brustein. the family of Mark Kaganov. the family of Mikhail Raikhman. the family of Alexander Schlain. the family of Svetlana Sorkin. and the family of nuclear physicist Boris Vugmeister. Their names are only part of a rollcall that grows too long each day.