Mr. Speaker. yesterday. as President Bush was announcing the granting of mostfavorednation trading status with the Soviet Union. it was reported that the Soviet Cabinet of Ministers has increased the passport fees for those emigrating 500 percent. from 200 to 1.000 rubles. As we know. we preconditioned our granting of MFN on the passage of an emigration law that would make travel easier for Soviet citizens. However. the action by the Soviet Cabinet of Ministers does exactly the opposite and makes it more difficult for those seeking to emigrate and calls into question the Soviet Governments commitment to the CSCE principles on freedom of movement as well as the commitment to reduce visa fees. Mr. Speaker. it is rather ironic that the moment the United States Government announces its intention to send a trade agreement to the Congress for approval. which for the most part I support. or disapproval. the Soviet Government immediately creates a new impediment to travel. I have introduced legislation. House Concurrent Resolution 162. which seeks certain performance factors as it relates to implementation of the new emigration legislation and future waivers of the JacksonVanik amendment. It is incidents such as the raising of passport fees that call into question freedom of movement performance. and I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 162. and I also urge the Soviet Cabinet of Ministers to repeal this unnecessary piece of legislation. which impedes rather than allows travel. Mr.
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emigrate emigration emigrating visa