[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN RUSSIA

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I wanted to come to the Senate 
floor this morning and talk about a development in Russia that is of 
concern to this body because of the action we took earlier this summer.
  Earlier in the year the Russian Duma passed a law which would 
reintegrate a Stalinist system when it comes to freedom of conscience, 
freedom of religion. Four religions: Judaism, Buddhism, the Russian 
Orthodox Church, and Islam were identified as sanctioned by the Russian 
Federation, but left out all Protestant religions, the Catholic 
religion, and any other minority faith that is currently operating 
there according to international treaty and according to Russian law, 
previous Russian law and the Russian Constitution.
  These new groups would be treated in minority fashion, in that they 
could not own property, they could not operate schools, have 
missionaries there, publish Bibles or distribute them or employ people. 
They would be required to get rid of bank accounts and to register with 
the state. What I am describing is a huge setback for Russia, back into 
Stalinist times. And so, this body took very courageous action. It 
voted 95 to 4 to withhold foreign aid to Russia, should this be 
enacted. I was delighted after we did that, that President Boris 
Yeltsin was good to his word and vetoed that legislation. After that, 
however, he participated in a compromise bill, which an honest reading 
would tell a person is of no difference.
  The upper house of the Duma, yesterday, passed compromise 
legislation. The President is expected to sign it, and unfortunately, 
the worst things that could happen to religion in Russia could still 
happen. There is reason to believe that the Russian Government will 
implement this law differently than it is actually written. It is for 
this reason that I have worked with Senator Mitch McConnell, and other 
members of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, to modify our bill in a 
small, but significant way. The word ``enact'' will be changed in 
conference to ``implement'' in order to give the Russian leaders some 
latitude in interpreting this legislation. The foreign operations bill 
language will now allow the Russian Government 6 months to enact the 
new legislation in a manner that will not discriminate against minority 
religions before a decision is made to withhold foreign aid.

  I come to the floor today to plead with my colleagues to support this 
language. I would tell you that the people we represent would not be 
amused by our inaction or our unwillingness to do something. This isn't 
about trade, this isn't about freedom of contract, this is about taking 
tax dollars from the American people and giving them to a government 
that is reimposing Stalinist restrictions. Imagine going to a townhall 
in your State, or mine in Oregon, and talking to Catholics who are 
watching the spectacle of their church being removed from Russia--and 
then trying to explain why Russia should get American tax dollars as 
foreign aid.
  I thank the Chair for this time. I thank my colleague again from 
Indiana. I yield back the balance of my time.

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