Chris Smith: “Almost 40 years ago, this body heard the cries of the Jewish refuseniks trapped behind the Iron Curtain, and it passed…”

“Almost 40 years ago, this body heard the cries of the Jewish refuseniks trapped behind the Iron Curtain, and it passed the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which brilliantly linked the free movement of goods with the free movement of people. It was a congressional initiative, opposed by the White House, which sought ``reset'' at all costs--at that time it was called ``detente''-- with Russia. It's a sad commentary on what the Russian people continue to suffer that now, more than 40 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we meet in the same House Chamber to struggle with similar issues. Russia is now a market economy and permits emigration, but human rights and the rule of law are trampled with impunity and often violence. Since Jackson-Vanik--a marvelous tool for promoting human rights in the seventies and eighties--doesn't address Russia's current problems, we need a new tool. The need for one should be evident to anyone who follows the news. Madam Speaker, the Magnitsky provisions of the trade bill we are considering provide such a tool. These tools couldn't be timelier as some lament a perceived decline in American influence abroad. The Magnitsky sanctions shouldn't cost us a dime--and the howls from the Kremlin suggest we are on to something. While threats like cutting off aid or military cooperation mean nothing to the Russians, its kleptocratic elite deeply value access to the West. The privilege of a U.S.…”