Speech #1020087170

President. I cite these points because I do not want this Senate to walk away from a historically successful policy that will affect literally hundreds of thousands of men. women. and children. Since the mid to late sixties. the United States has had as a policy goal free and open Soviet emigration. The Soviets were slow to respond. In fact. until the 1960s. the Soviets never recognized emigration as a legal right. As a result of United States pressure. however. the Soviets began allowing limited emigration in the name of family reunification. Even that stopped as a result of the 1967 war but resumed after the war ended. The numbers climbed to 34.000 in 1974. Then the Soviets began to assess an education tax charging. those wanting to emigrate the cost of their Soviet educations. That triggered the JaoksonVanik amendment tieing mostfavorednation status and Government credits to open emigration. As a result. Soviet emigration dipped again and then started climbing as the two countries began negotiating SALT I. Emigration peaked at 51.000 in 1979. Then SALT II stalled. the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. and the relationship soured. Emigration fell off to 1.000 a year during the eighties. Gorbachev began to turn that around. And now we have a new Soviet law that basically recognizes the right of emigration. Although far from perfect. the law represents a watershed. Mr.