Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity today to take part in the Annual Congressional Call to Conscience Vigil for Soviet Jews by pledging my full support for the refuseniks. and to encourage the Soviet Union to grant emigration rights to this persecuted people. American commitment to human rights such as freedom. democracy. and the basic right to emigrate is an integral part of our public policy. It was quite unfortunate that the Soviets. on February 22 of this year. unilaterally dissolved previously agreed upon direct commercial air flights between Moscow and Tel Aviv. This unwelcome action once again demonstrates Moscows halfhearted commitment to human rights and true democracy. In this sense. I urge the President to reconsider waiving the 1974 JacksonVanik amendment that prevents the granting of mostfavorednation status to a country. such as the Soviet Union. that denies its citizens the right or opprotunity to emigrate. The simple objective should be that the United States will support President Gorbachevs reforms only so long as they lead to democratic resultsone of which should be its relaxation of emigration. I would like to relate to you. Mr. Speaker. the plight of two refuseniks who I am particularly concerned about. Lev and Lia Milman. who have been consistently refused permission to emigrate on the pretext that Mr. Milman has learned state secrets before he retired in 1979. This refusal to grant existvisas is a violation of the Final Document of the Helsinki Review in January of 1989. and a demonstration of the hollowing of glasnost.
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emigrate emigration