Congress · Laws

A joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the Soviet Union should respect the rights of its citizens to practice their religion and to emigrate, and that these matters should be among the issues raised at the 38th meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at Geneva in February 1982.

Public Law 97-157 · H.J.Res. 373 · 97th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Mar 22, 1982 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Sponsor: Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO-1)

Cosponsors (100): Rep. Stephen Solarz, Rep. Gerry Studds,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 387 yea, 0 nay387–0
SenateVoice vote

Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #11 (387-0))

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should instruct the U.S. delegation to the February 1982 meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to tell the Commission that the Soviet Union should stop harassing Soviet Jews and should allow its citizens to practice their religion and to emigrate. Urges the Soviet Union to comply with its human rights obligations. Urges the President to: (1) express, to the Soviet Union, U.S. opposition to harassment of Soviet citizens and to restrictions on emigration; and (2) reiterate that the United States will consider the extent to which other nations honor their commitments under international law when evaluating its relations with such nations.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 97th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 389 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

389 yea0 nay45 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(217)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Tom HarkinD-IA-5
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Shirley ChisholmD-NY-12
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-19
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Frederick RichmondD-NY-14
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-20
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-8
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-21
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Richard BollingD-MO-5
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Harold WashingtonD-IL-1
Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Paul SimonD-IL-24
Rep. Benjamin RosenthalD-NY-8
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-13
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-12
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Henry ReussD-WI-5
Rep. James ShannonD-MA-5
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-24
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-14
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. George DanielsonD-CA-30
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-16
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-4
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-15
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3
Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Robert MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Geraldine FerraroD-NY-9
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Donald BaileyD-PA-21
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Joseph SmithD-PA-3
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. Adam BenjaminD-IN-1
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. James WeaverD-OR-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Peter PeyserD-NY-23
Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
Rep. James BlanchardD-MI-18
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
Rep. Leo ZeferettiD-NY-15
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Clement ZablockiD-WI-4
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. David EvansD-IN-6
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-22
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Jerry PattersonD-CA-38
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-39
Rep. Robert ShamanskyD-OH-12
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Donald AlbostaD-MI-10
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David BowenD-MS-2
Rep. Allen ErtelD-PA-17
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD-1
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Floyd FithianD-IN-2
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-7
Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
Rep. Bo GinnD-GA-1
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-28
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Norman D’AmoursD-NH-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-11
Rep. Kenneth HollandD-SC-5
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-9
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
Rep. Jack BrinkleyD-GA-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. William PatmanD-TX-14
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-11
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Richard WhiteD-TX-16
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Billy EvansD-GA-8
Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Lawrence FountainD-NC-2
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. Ronald MottlD-OH-23
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Andy IrelandD-FL-8
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. James LeathD-TX-11
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17
Rep. Dan DanielD-VA-5
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4
Rep. Phil GrammD-TX-6
Rep. Robert StumpD-AZ-3
Rep. Lawrence McDonaldD-GA-7

Republicans who voted yea(172)

Rep. Harold HollenbeckR-NJ-9
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-18
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-12
Rep. Margaret HecklerR-MA-10
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Marc MarksR-PA-24
Rep. Charles DoughertyR-PA-4
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-26
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-34
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Lyle WilliamsR-OH-19
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-25
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. Eugene AtkinsonR-PA-25
Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
Rep. Donald MitchellR-NY-31
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Huey DeckardR-IN-8
Rep. James NelliganR-PA-11
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-17
Rep. William WamplerR-VA-9
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
Rep. Millicent FenwickR-NJ-5
Rep. David EmeryR-ME-1
Rep. Donald ClausenR-CA-2
Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
Rep. Thomas EvansR-DE
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-17
Rep. Paul FindleyR-IL-20
Rep. Pete McCloskeyR-CA-12
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. John NapierR-SC-6
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-7
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. James DunnR-MI-6
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. John StantonR-OH-11
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. David MarriottR-UT-2
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Elwood HillisR-IN-5
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-13
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. James CoyneR-PA-8
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Paul TribleR-VA-1
Rep. Marion SnyderR-KY-4
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Skip BafalisR-FL-10
Rep. Clarence BrownR-OH-7
Rep. Edward WeberR-OH-9
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-32
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-6
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. David MartinR-NY-30
Rep. Robin BeardR-TN-6
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Robert McCloryR-IL-13
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-21
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Cleveland BenedictR-WV-2
Rep. Larry WinnR-KS-3
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-19
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Bob McEwenR-OH-6
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Gene TaylorR-MO-7
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-38
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-12
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-15
Rep. David StatonR-WV-3
Rep. Edwin ForsytheR-NJ-6
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-42
Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Gregory CarmanR-NY-3
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-1
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. John LeBoutillierR-NY-6
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Robert DanielR-VA-4
Rep. Clair BurgenerR-CA-43
Rep. James MartinR-NC-9
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-18
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Eldon RuddR-AZ-4
Rep. William HendonR-NC-11
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. Mark SiljanderR-MI-4
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Wayne GrishamR-CA-33
Rep. John WeberR-MN-6
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. Manley ButlerR-VA-6
Rep. James SensenbrennerR-WI-9
Rep. Albert SmithR-AL-6
Rep. Wendell BaileyR-MO-8
Rep. Thomas HartnettR-SC-1
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-10
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. William DickinsonR-AL-2
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-34
Rep. John AshbrookR-OH-17
Rep. Larry CraigR-ID-1
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. John RousselotR-CA-26
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. George HansenR-ID-2
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39
Rep. James CollinsR-TX-3
Rep. David DreierR-CA-35
Rep. James JeffriesR-KS-2
Rep. Denny SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Phil CraneR-IL-12
Rep. Daniel CraneR-IL-22
Rep. Walter JohnstonR-NC-6
Rep. Ron PaulR-TX-22

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 363 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Foreign Affairs Committee · House · discharged from, markup by, referred toSubcommittee: Europe and the Middle East Subcommittee; Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.

Mar 22, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-157.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Mar 11, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Mar 4, 1982FloorFloor · Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
Mar 2, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 387 - 0 (Record Vote No: 11).House roll call 11
CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Foreign Affairs Committee
Feb 25, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
Feb 3, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Dec 17, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Europe and the Middle East Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Dec 10, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House

Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.