May 14, 1971
Page 15079
By Mr. CASE (for himself, Mr. BAYH, Mr. CHILES, Mr. CRANSTON, Mr. EAGLETON, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. HART, Mr. HATFIELD, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. HUMPHREY, Mr. MATHIAS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MONDALE, Mr. MOSS, Mr. PACKWOOD, Mr. PASTORE, Mr. PEARSON, Mr. PELL, Mr. PROXMIRE, Mr. RIBICOFF, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SCHWEIKER, Mr. STEVENSON, Mr. TAFT, Mr. TOWER, Mr. TUNNEY, Mr. WILLIAMS, and Mr. WEICKER):
S. 1872. A bill for the relief of Soviet Jews. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. CASE. Mr. President, I am today introducing a bill which would provide 30,000 special refugee visas to Soviet Jews. These 30,000 special visas would be considered outside the regular immigrant quota system. Under existing legislation, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is permitted to issue only 10,200 visas annually to refugees from the Eastern Hemisphere, and this quota has been oversubscribed for the last 2 years.
I am gratified that 27 Senators of both parties have joined me in cosponsoring this bill. I strongly believe that their support shows the deep sentiment in the Senate that something must be done for the relief of Soviet Jews. A similar bill has been introduced in the House.
I am fully aware that the Soviet Government is unlikely to permit such a large number of Jews to leave the Soviet Union and that most of those who could leave would prefer to go to Israel.
Nevertheless, I feel it is extremely important that the United States show its willingness to accept those Jews who wish to come here and are permitted to leave. My view is reinforced by the favorable effect such a gesture by the United States would have on Soviet and world opinion.
We have already opened our doors to more than 30,000 Hungarian refugees and 565,000 Cubans.
We should do no less for the victims of Soviet persecution.
A list of cosponsors of my bill follows:
1. Birch Bayh, Democrat, of Indiana.
2. Lawton Chiles, Democrat, of Florida.
3. Alan Cranston, Democrat, of California.
4. Thomas Eagleton, Democrat, of Missouri.
5. Fred R. Harris, Democrat, of Oklahoma.
6. Philip Hart, Democrat, of Michigan.
7. Mark Hatfield, Republican, of Oregon.
8. Harold Hughes, Democrat, of Iowa.
9. Hubert H. Humphrey, Democrat, of Minnesota.
10. Charles Mathias, Republican, of Maryland.
11. George McGovern, Democrat, of South Dakota.
12. Walter F. Mondale, Democrat, of Minnesota.
13. Frank E. Moss, Democrat, of Utah.
14. Robert W. Packwood, Republican, of Oregon.
15. John O. Pastore, Democrat, of Rhode Island.
16. James Pearson, Republican, of Kansas.
17. Claiborne Pell, Democrat, of Rhode Island.
18. William Proxmire, Democrat, of Wisconsin.
19. Abraham Ribicoff, Democrat, of Connecticut.
20. Hugh Scott, Republican, of Pennsylvania.
21. Richard S. Schweiker, Republican, of Pennsylvania.
22. Adlai E. Stevenson III, Democrat, of Illinois.
23. Robert Taft, Jr., Republican, of Ohio.
24. John G. Tower, Republican, of Texas.
25. John V. Tunney, Democrat, of California.
26. Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Democrat, or New Jersey.
27. Lowell Weicker, Republican, of Connecticut.
Mr. President, on behalf of the Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE), I ask unanimous consent that a statement prepared by him be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the statement was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
STATEMENT BY SENATOR MUSKIE
Mr. President I note with regret the ongoing trial in Leningrad of nine Soviet Jews. I know that the American people as a whole can only deplore this and other evidence of the persecution of Soviet Jews in Russia.
For this reason, I am pleased to join today in co-sponsoring legislation, introduced by the senior Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Case, to authorize the issuance of 30,000 additional refugee visas for the admission of Soviet Jews to the United States.
This proposal is consistent with efforts we have made in the past to welcome refugees into our country.
It is consistent with the ideals of many of our forefathers, who came to this country to avoid religious persecution.
Unfortunately, there is little that we can do to ensure the right of emigration of these people.
But we can, and should, at least take the step provided for by this legislation to demonstrate to the Soviet Jews, and to victims of religious persecution everywhere, that the United States stands firmly by her commitment to the right of freedom of religious expression for all people, and that she will welcome those who suffer from such persecution.