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 re-
ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
Committee on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined 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 Jackson-
Vanik 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 Sep-
tember 1, 1983; 
Whereas Senator Jackson fought tirelessly, in spite of opposi-
tion 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;
•HRES 596 IH 
Whereas on October 4, 1972, Senator Jackson first intro-
duced 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, stat-
ed ‘‘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 expos-
ing the human rights situation in the former Soviet 
Union by quoting Russian Nobel laureate Alexander 
Solzhenitzyn’s statement that ‘‘there are no internal af-
fairs 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 Jack-
son-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 re-
affirmed 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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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 Jew-
ish heritage; 
Whereas on the 20th anniversary of the passing of the Jack-
son-Vanik Amendment, Ehud Olmert, the Mayor of Jeru-
salem, stated that Henry Jackson was ‘‘a leader, a pace-
setter 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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes Senator Henry M. Jackson for 
the introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, 
a historic piece of legislation that paved the way for 
millions of refugees to flee Communist oppression 
and hastened the end of the Cold War; 
(2) commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 
introduction of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment; 
(3) reaffirms the commitment of the House of 
Representatives to combating human rights viola-
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tions and promoting tolerance and freedom through-
out former Communist nations and worldwide; and 
(4) congratulates Mrs. Helen Jackson and the 
Henry M. Jackson Foundation for continuing Sen-
ator Jackson’s vision and passion for dialogue, un-
derstanding, and human freedom.
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