Date: 1981-11-10
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I am offering this amendment to S. 1112. the Export Administration Authorization Act for fiscal years 1982 and 1983. The purpose of my amendment. which has been read and which Is self -explanatory. of course. is to Impose an acrosstheboard embargo on all exports from the United States to the Soviet Union. if the Soviet Union or Its allies invade Poland. Under my amendment. such an embargo would be Imposed automatically unless the President certified to the Congress within 30 days of direct Soviet Intervention in Poland that the suspension was not in the national security and foreignpolicy Interests of the United States. On January 24 of this year. Secretary of State Alexander Haig wrote Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko warning that a Soviet invasion of Poland would have. grave consequences for EastWest relations. However. I believe since that time we have sent mixed signals to the Soviet Union and our allies about any steps we might take in reaction to Russian aggression around the world. For example: On April 24 of this year. the administration lifted the grain embargo Imposed by the Carter administration In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In July. we warned our European allies that purchases of Soviet natural gas could allow the Soviet Union to exercise An unhealthy influence over Western economies. However. in early August we gave the~ Caterpillar Tractor Corp. the green light to sell pipelaying machines to the Soviet Union. This action came after we pressured the Japanese to refrain from selling the pipelayersto the Soviets for the same gas project. On August 5. the idministration announced It was selling 220 million pounds of butter to New Zealand. at 20 to 30 cents below market prices. with the provision that n one of it could be resold to the Soviet Union. Yet. New Zealand was not- precluded from selling our butter to a third country which. In turn. tzould sell it to the Soviet Union. At the same time. the administration extended for 1 year the longterm agreement that permits the Soviets to purchase a minimum of 6 to 8 million tons of American grain without consulting formally with the U.S. Government. In recent- weeks. the administration announced that on additional 15 million tons of grain over the 8 million ton floor would be made available to the Soviet Union. The Department of Agriculture reported on October 28 that the Soviet Union had already purchased 8.667 million tons from the United States for the current marketing year. Mr. President. I know that people do not like grain embargos. or any other embargo for that matter. Embargos impose a burden on people in our country as well as those In the target countries. But Americans also do not like Soviet aggressive behavior. In a case as critical as an Invasion of Poland. if shortterm economic damage Is more important than punishing brutal aggressors. then I do not think we are in tune with the concerns of the American people. We demonstrate inconsistency In our foreign policy by selling the Soviets more grain and machinery as they continue their pattern of aggression. Our rhetoric will ring hollow If we are not willing to utilize all the political and economic tools at our disposal to penalize such aggression. The President made it clear when he lifted the grain embargo that he objected particularly to the fact that American farmers had been singled out to sacrifice for foreign policy considerations. Hie stated: As a Presidential candidate. I Indicated my opposition to the curb on sales because American farmers had been unfairly singled out to bear the burden of this Ineffective national policy. To dlemonstrate a serious response to aggression against Poland. an acrosstheboard embargo should be Imposed. The Soviet grain harvests will be disappointing once again this year. They will need our help in order to feed their people. Soviet Industrial production Is also down. Yet. we are not denying the Soviets this .help. We are not denying this help even .though Soviet troops remain in Afghanistan. . However. we have to be constantly on guard against the possibility of an Invasion of Poland. We have to demonstrate that our actions will match our rhetoric. We have to demonstrate that there are teeth in our current policy by making it clear that. at a minimum. there will be a significant economic cost to the Soviets In the event. they risk further adventurIsm. My amendment does not tie the hands of the President. If the President decides that a suspension of exports to the Soviet Union is not warranted. even with an event as severe as an Invasion of Poland. he has to certify to the Congress that it Is not In our national Interest to impose such an embargo. I Mr. President. I yield the floor. and I suggest the absence of a quorum.