IV 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 596

Recognizing Senator Henry Jackson, commemorating the 30th anniversary 

of the introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, and reaffirming 

the commitment of the House of Representatives to combat human 

rights violations worldwide. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 31, 2002

Mr. LARSEN of Washington submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 

Committee on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION

Recognizing Senator Henry Jackson, commemorating the 

30th anniversary of the introduction of the JacksonVanik Amendment, and reaffirming the commitment of 

the House of Representatives to combat human rights 

violations worldwide.

Whereas Henry M. Jackson served as the Senator from the 

State of Washington from January 3, 1953, to September 1, 1983; 

Whereas Senator Jackson fought tirelessly, in spite of opposition from the executive branch, to expose human rights 

violations in the former Soviet Union and to find a way 

for Soviet Jews to worship freely; 
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•HRES 596 IH 

Whereas on October 4, 1972, Senator Jackson first introduced legislation that linked United States trade benefits, 

now known as normal trade relations, to the emigration 

and human rights policies of Communist or formerly 

Communist countries; 

Whereas Senator Jackson, in introducing the legislation, stated ‘‘In moving as we are today we are giving birth to a 

bipartisan coalition for freedom. It is the least we can 

do.’’; 

Whereas Senator Jackson expressed the importance of exposing the human rights situation in the former Soviet 

Union by quoting Russian Nobel laureate Alexander 

Solzhenitzyn’s statement that ‘‘there are no internal affairs left on our crowded earth’’; 

Whereas Senator Jackson’s legislation became known as the 

Jackson-Vanik Amendment and was enacted into law on 

January 3, 1975, as title IV of the Trade Act of 1974; 

Whereas by highlighting human rights abuses in the former 

Soviet Union and other Communist countries, the Jackson-Vanik Amendment helped pave the way toward the 

end of the Cold War, aided in the activation of United 

States’ and multilateral mechanisms to promote human 

rights globally, including the Helsinki Final Act, and reaffirmed the role of Congress in formulating our Nation’s 

human rights policy; 

Whereas the Jackson-Vanik Amendment opened the door for 

over 1,000,000 Jews to emigrate from the former Soviet 

Union and its successor states; 

Whereas since 1975, over 500,000 refugees from areas of the 

former Soviet Union, many of them Jews, have been re-
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•HRES 596 IH 

settled in the United States and over 1,000,000 Soviet 

Jews have immigrated to Israel; 

Whereas former Soviet dissident and current Israeli cabinet 

minister Natan Sharansky called the Jackson-Vanik 

Amendment ‘‘the turning point not only in the exodus of 

the Jews but in the ultimate victory of the West over the 

Soviet Union in the Cold War’’; 

Whereas Natan Sharansky also hailed the Jackson-Vanik 

Amendment as a ‘‘historical and practical weapon’’ for 

Zionists that added to the spiritual weapon of their Jewish heritage; 

Whereas on the 20th anniversary of the passing of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, Ehud Olmert, the Mayor of Jerusalem, stated that Henry Jackson was ‘‘a leader, a pacesetter and an inspiration for all, who forced his will on 

the U.S. leadership and across the world’’; and 

Whereas October 4, 2002, marks the 30th anniversary of the 

introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment: Now, 

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes Senator Henry M. Jackson for 

3 the introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, 

4 a historic piece of legislation that paved the way for 

5 millions of refugees to flee Communist oppression 

6 and hastened the end of the Cold War; 

7 (2) commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 

8 introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment; 

9 (3) reaffirms the commitment of the House of 

10 Representatives to combating human rights viola-
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1 tions and promoting tolerance and freedom through2 out former Communist nations and worldwide; and 

3 (4) congratulates Mrs. Helen Jackson and the 

4 Henry M. Jackson Foundation for continuing Sen5 ator Jackson’s vision and passion for dialogue, un6 derstanding, and human freedom.

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