The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S10073-S10075 on Sept. 9, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
POM-659. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
``Senate Joint Resolution 36
``Whereas, cotton is an important agricultural commodity in California, as well as in other states in the American Southwest; and
``Whereas, the value of the cotton crop in California in 1994 exceeded $1 billion; and
``Whereas, the cotton crop in California is threatened by insect pests including the cotton pink bollworm, the boll weevil, and the silverleaf whitefly; and
``Whereas, the International Cotton Pest Work Committee is an informal organization of volunteers established approximately 35 years ago for the purpose of coordinating research and pest control measures between the United States and Mexico; and
``Whereas, since 1967, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in conjunction with the International Cotton Pest Work Committee, has funded and conducted a quarantine program to control and eradicate the cotton pink bollworm; and
``Whereas, the USDA, together with the International Cotton Pest Work Committee, also has coordinated a program to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques for eventual eradication of the cotton pink bollworm; and
``Whereas, due to successful IPM and quarantine programs in California and Arizona, the boll weevil has been eradicated in those states; and
``Whereas, eradication of the boll weevil in other southwestern states and in Mexico is necessary to ensure that the boll weevil will not be reintroduced into California and Arizona; and
``Whereas, the State of California needs the help of the USDA in coordinating programs for the eradication of the boll weevil with New Mexico and Texas and with Mexico; and
``Whereas, infestations of the silverleaf whitefly in recent years have had a devastating effect on not only cotton, but on alfalfa, vegetable, and melon crops in California and the other southwestern states and in Mexico; and
``Whereas, the USDA, in conjunction with the International Cotton Pest Work Committee, has been conducting IPM research with the goal of controlling and eradicating the silverleaf whitefly; and
``Whereas, it is essential that the USDA continue to coordinate these efforts and to provide the scientific resources necessary to control and eradicate the silverleaf whitefly, which can only be successful if conducted on an international scale: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President and the Congress of the United States to do all of the following:
``(1) Continue to staff the position of Project Coordinator with Mexico within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) branch of the USDA for international cotton pest programs.
``(2) Make eradication of the cotton pink bollworm one of the USDA's highest priorities and appropriate an additional
$3.5 million per year for the program.
``(3) Coordinate, through the International Cotton Pest Work Committee, the project to eradicate the cotton pink bollworm with the government of Mexico, and the States of California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
``(4) Make completion of the USDA Boll Weevil Eradication Program in the southwestern United States and in Mexico one of USDA's highest priorities, and continue to appropriate $1 million per year for that purpose.
``(5) Make development of IPM strategies for controlling and ultimately eradicating the silverleaf whitefly one of the USDA's highest priorities and continue to appropriate $7 million per year for that purpose.
``(6) Require the USDA to jointly coordinate with the International Cotton Pest Work Committee the development of an areawide, binational, IPM program for the management of the silverleaf whitefly; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.''
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POM-660. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on Appropriations.
``Senate Joint Resolution 48
``Whereas, the Congress and President of the United States ratified and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA); and
``Whereas, NAFTA is a sovereign-to-sovereign accord that took effect on January 1, 1994; and
``Whereas, NAFTA has benefited, and continues to benefit, every state in the nation with import and export trade that has increased national employment, offset trade deficits, and expanded commercial activity; and
``Whereas, California and the other border states are required to address NAFTA-related infrastructure needs in the border region and serve as the nation's first line of defense against unsafe and undocumented commercial vehicles and operators; and
``Whereas, the President and Congress have provided no federal assistance to California for critically needed border infrastructure; and
``Whereas, the State of California has already spent twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) for two commercial vehicle enforcement facilities and remains ready to inspect commercial vehicles from Mexico; and
``Whereas, the state is faced with diverting from other critical spending demands more than two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) for highway facilities in the border region; and
``Whereas, because the standard percentage for federal-state cost sharing for similar projects is 80 percent federal funding and 20 percent state funding, standard federal reimbursement would be twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for the commercial vehicle enforcement facilities and one hundred sixty million dollars
($160,000,000) for the highway facilities: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved, by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California memorializes the President and the Congress to recognize the unfunded mandate placed on the border states by the implementation of NAFTA; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California further memorializes the President, congressional leadership, and the members of California's congressional delegation, to speedily adopt legislation that would provide direct financial assistance to border states specifically for the purpose of improving border infrastructure needed to accommodate the demands of NAFTA; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.''
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POM-661. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, relative to the Community Development Block Grant Program; to the Committee on Appropriations.
POM-662. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
``Senate Resolution
``Whereas, the Massachusetts General Court has passed legislation to ban the sounding of train whistles at grade level railway/highway crossings, which have in place other adequate forms of safety devices located in the communities which we represent; and
``Whereas, the Federal Railway Administration recommendations of standards for grade level railway/highway crossings include the removal of such bans which have been placed at the request of the citizens of the respective communities; and
``Whereas, the safety of those citizens who abide by the laws and signals when traveling through these crossings are in no way jeopardized by the ban placed on train whistles at crossings with adequate forms of safety devices in place; and
``Whereas, the sounding of train whistles at such crossings has been deemed a health hazard, in addition to being a disturbance of the peace, to those citizens who live in close proximity to the train crossings; and
``Whereas, the Massachusetts General Court supports the indefinite postponement of a ruling by the Federal Railway Administration relative to whistle bans in accordance with the Swift Rail Development Act; Now therefore be it
``Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to require the Federal Railway Administration to postpone the ruling to remove bans placed on the sounding of train whistles at such crossings; and be it further
``Resolved, That copies of these resolutions be transmitted forthwith by the clerk of the Senate to the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of each branch of Congress and to the Members thereof from this commonwealth.''
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POM-663. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of Satellite Beach, Florida, relative to the proposed ``Shore Protection Act of 1996''; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
POM-664. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on Finance.
``Senate Joint Resolution 37
``Whereas, the States of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin have established veterans' home loan programs; and
``Whereas, the States of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin have authority in the Internal Revenue Code to issue qualified veteran mortgage bonds to finance their respective veteran home loan programs; and
``Whereas, veterans' eligibility under current federal tax law restricts the eligibility to veterans who served on active duty prior to January 1, 1977; and
``Whereas, the Directors of Veterans Affairs of the States of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin are desirous of extending their respective veteran home loan programs to include the men and women of the United States of America who are dispatched to participate in any conflict that occurred or occurs on or after January 1, 1977; and
``Whereas, veterans of these aforementioned conflicts should receive benefits consistent with the benefits available to veterans of previous armed conflicts; and
``Whereas, those veterans have been qualified for eligibility into congressionally chartered veterans' organizations by prior acts of the Congress of the United States; Now therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the Congress and the President of the United States to urge the Congress of the United States to amend paragraph (4) of Section 143(l) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to read: ``Qualified veteran--For the purpose of this subsection, the term `qualified veteran' means any veteran who meets such requirements as may be imposed by the state law pursuant to which qualified veterans' mortgage bonds are issued''; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and each Member in the Congress of the United States.''
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POM-665. A resolution adopted by the Southern Governers' Association, relative to the National Gambling Commission; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
POM-666. A resolution adopted by the Southern Governers Association, relative to condemning the burning of churches throughout the southern United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
POM-667. A concurent resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
``Senate Concurrent Resolution 46
``Whereas, home should be a place of warmth, unconditional love, tranquility, and security; however, for many Americans, home is tainted with violence and fear; and
``Whereas, domestic violence is more than the occasional family dispute; and
``Whereas, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, domestic violence is the single largest cause of injury to American women, affecting six million women of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds; and
``Whereas, according to data published in 1993 by the Commonwealth Fund and a 1994 survey report by the United States Department of Justice, in the United States, a woman is battered every 15 seconds; 40 percent of female homicide victims in 1991 were killed by their husbands or boyfriends; and
``Whereas, according to the United States Department of Labor, one million people are assaulted and injured every year as a result of workplace violence, 1,000 people are killed every year due to workplace violence, and 20 percent of battered women lose their jobs due to harassment at work by abusive husbands or boyfriends; and
``Whereas, more than one-half of the number of women in need of shelter from an abusive environment may be turned away from a shelter due to lack of space; and
``Whereas, women are not the only targets of domestic violence; young children, elderly persons, and men are also victims in their own homes; and
``Whereas, emotional scars are often permanent; and
``Whereas, a coalition of organizations has emerged to confront this crisis directly. Law enforcement agencies, domestic violence hotlines, battered women and children's shelters, health care providers, churches, and the volunteers that serve those entitles are helping the effort to end domestic violence; and
``Whereas, it is important to recognize the compassion and dedication of the individuals involved in that effort, applaud their commitment, and increase public understanding of this significant problem; and
``Whereas, the first Day of Unity was celebrated in October 1981 and was sponsored by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (N.C.A.D.V.) for the purpose of uniting battered women's advocates across the nation in an effort to end domestic violence; and
``Whereas, that one day has grown into a month of activities at all levels of government, aimed at creating awareness about the problem and presenting solutions; and
``Whereas, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was proclaimed in October 1987: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring: That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of October 1996 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Governor of the State of California, the Director of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.''
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POM-668. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
``Senate Joint Resolution 39
``Whereas, there is a continuing need for economic revitalization in California; and
``Whereas, Capital investment from new immigrants is a vital aspect of local and statewide economic revitalization; and
``Whereas, an increasing number of affluent immigrants have the desire to reside in California and to invest their financial resources into business ventures here; and
``Whereas, the current United States Investor Visa Program inhibits California's ability to attract foreign business investors; and
``Whereas, the Immigration and Naturalization Service indicates the full enrollment in the investor visa program would generate $1.6 billion of new investment and 20,000 jobs annually in California; and
``Whereas, in the first two years of implementation only 825 petitions were filed out of the 10,000 visa available under the United States Investor Visa Program; and
``Whereas, other countries, such as Canada have tailored their investor visa programs to attract significant capital investment; and
``Whereas, the California Policy Seminar Brief, Volume 7, Number 13, reported that Canada has attracted over $3 billion in investment through their Business Migration Program between 1986 and 1990; and
``Whereas, immigrant business investment in Canada resulted in a 30 percent increase in employment in the manufacturing firms that were invested in: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President and Congress of the United States to reduce the current investment threshold under the United States Investor Visa Program to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) minimum investment and five employees to allow states greater flexibility in focusing investment funds to address specific economic needs; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the Director of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.''
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POM-669. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
``Senate Joint Resolution 49
``Whereas, California, with 3.3 million veterans, has the largest concentration of veterans in the United States and the number continues to grow as up to 50,000 newly separated service members per year select California as their residence; and
``Whereas, California has historically been underrepresented by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) in that California has only one USDVA employee for each 8,000 veterans while the rest of the nation averages one USDVA employee for each 6,000 veterans; and
``Whereas, this inequity means less staff to revolve the more complex claims of the veterans of this state; and
``Whereas, this inequity is aggravated by the fact that the mix of claims causes California to have a larger compensation share and a smaller pension share than the rest of the nation; and
``Whereas, despite this large population of veterans and their families, the proposed USDVA Field Restructuring Plan would transfer veterans' disability pension benefits processing services from California to Phoenix, Arizona and other states; and
``Whereas, the restructuring proposal will not, under any circumstances, provide a reasonable level of service to California veterans; and
``Whereas, the transfer of disability pension processing activities from the Los Angeles and Oakland USDVA offices to Phoenix reflects restructuring that is driven by budget concerns, and not by concern for veterans' service; and
``Whereas, it is estimated that the servicing of disability pension claims for those veterans whose files will not be in Phoenix reduces the case management effectiveness of not only the county veterans service offices but also the national service organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Employment Development Department of California, and will have a significant impact on cost-avoiding state Medi-Cal (medicaid) appropriations as they apply to our aging veteran population due to reduced levels of service, timeliness factors, and the required ongoing training that is currently shared by county veterans service officers and the Los Angeles and Oakland regional USDVA offices; and
``Whereas, it is the understanding of the Legislature that the proposed USDVA Field Restructuring Plan is based on old and unreliable data that attacks California's regional USDVA offices as inefficient and overmanaged and these assumptions are not valid today; and
``Whereas, reducing the size of the offices or moving the offices to Phoenix, Arizona or any other state, or otherwise attempting to effectuate the ``smaller is better'' doctrine in this case will not solve the increasing problems of California more than 3.3 million veterans and their dependents: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly,'' That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President, the Congress of the United States, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain the status quo, and to reconsider the decision to adopt the proposed USDVA Field Restructuring Plan; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.''
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