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 S5532-S5535 on May 17, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
POM-433. A joint resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Maine relative to the Farm-to-Cafeteria Projects Act; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Joint Resolution
Whereas, in the past 30 years childhood obesity rates in the United States have doubled in our children and tripled in our adolescents due to poor eating habits, and obesity can contribute to increased likelihood of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and clogging of the arteries; and
Whereas, school cafeterias serve millions of children breakfast, snacks and lunch every day and struggle to maintain services in light of diminished budgets at the local, state and federal levels; and
Whereas, in May of 2003, the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture released an evaluation of the Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, which, according to the report, worked to change immediately children's fruit and vegetable consumption, improve children's health, create a healthier school environment and supply a positive model for children's diets; and
Whereas, agriculture sustains rural communities, protects open space, creates scenic vistas and protects water recharge areas; and
Whereas, the northeastern states have a traditional system of small and midsized producers of agricultural products located close to the towns, villages and urban centers where the majority of the 58 million consumers reside;
Whereas, programs that link local farms to school cafeterias are reconnecting urban American with local agriculture in every state where they operate and providing a unique opportunity to make local agriculture relevant to the majority of the American population that now resides in urban and suburban
Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge passage of the Farm-to-Cafeteria Projects Act and any other legislation that will accomplish these goals: to assist schools in purchasing locally grown food, to provide more healthy and fresh foods for schoolchildren, to educate children and their families about the foods that are grown in their own communities and to expand market opportunities for local farms, ensuring that regional agriculture continue to be viable and available to provide a safe, secure food supply to all consumers; and be it further
Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticate by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Northeast States Association for Agricultural Stewardship and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.
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POM-434. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky relative to First Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner; to the Committee on Armed Services.
Concurrent Resolution
Whereas, Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner was a native of Clinton County, Kentucky, who served with distinction and valor in the United States Army during World War II; and
Whereas, Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield introduced H.R. 327 to the 108th Congress to bestow this highly deserved honor on Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner is Kentucky's most decorated war hero, who served on the front lines for over eight hundred days in eight major campaigns; he was wounded seven times but returned to combat and continued to fight on the front lines after each wound; and
Whereas, during World War II, over forty 3rd Division soldiers received Medals of Honor, more than any other Division; however, Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner was not awarded the medal of Honor due to an oversight and failure to process the paperwork;
Whereas, Lieutenant Conner served in the 3rd infantry Division with Audie L. Murphy, America's most decorated hero of all wars; as compared to Audie L. Murphy, Lieutenant Conner was awarded more Silver Stars for acts of valor, fought in more campaigns, served on the front lines longer, and was wounded more times; he was awarded many honors including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with six Oak Leaf Clusters, and other medals; and
Whereas, on June 20, 1945, Lieutenant Conner was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the French Medal of Honor, that was also awarded to Sergeant Alvin C. York, America's most decorated World War I soldier, who was a friend of Lieutenant Conner and lived a few miles from Lieutenant Conner's home on the Kentucky-Tennessee border; and
Whereas, Major General Lloyd B. Ramsey (Ret.), who was Lieutenant Conner's battalion commander during combat in World War II, is still living and has signed the necessary documents for awarding the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Conner; in 1945, Major General Ramsey wrote that Lieutenant Conner was ``one of the outstanding soldiers of this war, if not the outstanding. . . . I've never seen a man with as much courage and ability as he has''; and
Whereas, Stephen Ambrose, America's foremost World War II historian, founder of the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, and author of many books, wrote on November 11, 2000, ``I am in complete support of the effort to make Lieutenant Garlin M. Conner a Medal of Honor recipient. What Lieutenant Conner did in stopping the German assault near Houssen, France in January 1945 was far above the call of duty. I've met and talked at length with many Medal of Honor recipients and am sure they would all agree that Lieutenant Conner more than deserves the honor of joining them''; and
Whereas, on April 3, 2001, 3rd Infantry Division leaders named the new EAGLE BASE in Bosnia-Herzegovina after Lieutenant Conner because of his gallantry in World War II and because ``It's a company-grade forward operating base named after a soldier with a company-grade rank''; and
Whereas, Richard Chilton, a former Green Beret from Genoa City, Wisconsin, has been on a mission since 1996 to have the Medal of Honor awarded to Lieutenant Conner; his research has documented the Lieutenant Conner is one of the great combat heroes of World War II, equal in every way to Audie L. Murphy; Chilton has made presentations to dozens of schools about Lieutenant Conner's war record and has copies of over 2,500 letters written by students to President George W. Bush requesting the Medal of Honor be awarded; after reviewing Chilton's information, a host of former war veterans have written Congress requesting passage of H.R. 327 to award the Medal of Honor to one of America's greatest citizen soldiers, Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein:
Section 1. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky urges the House Armed Services Committee as well as the entire United States Congress to adopt H.R. 327 awarding a Medal of Honor posthumously to First Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner.
Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall send a copy of this Resolution to: Congressman Duncan Hunter, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee; the Clerk of the House of Representatives of the United States; the Clerk of the Senate of the United States; each member of the Kentucky Congressional Delegation; and to the widow of 1st Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner, Mrs. Pauline W. Conner, Route 1, Box 208, Albany, Kentucky 42602.
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POM-435. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Maine relative to military bases in Maine; to the Committee on Armed Services.
Joint Resolution
Whereas, within the year, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, will make recommendations about which military installations are to be considered for closure in cost-cutting measures for the military and has indicated that reductions may total 25% or an estimated 100 bases; and
Whereas, the State of Maine has 3 distinct and important military installations that are potentially at risk for closure: the naval shipyard in Kittery, the Naval Air Station Brunswick and the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Atlantic Cutler Detachment; and
Whereas, the naval shipyard in Kittery is one of only 4 public shipyards in the Nation, is vital to our maritime strength and is of major importance to 2 states' local economies; and
Whereas, Naval Air Station Brunswick is the only fully capable air base in the northeastern United States, does not encroach on the civilian community and has plenty of space for expansion, even for housing other branches of the military. Naval Air Station Brunswick is on the coast, and aircraft can take off and land without flying over major centers of population; and
Whereas, the Cutler detachment's primary mission is Very Low Frequency communications with submarines in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; the installation has the most powerful radio transmitter in the world and is staffed with 84 civilian service workers, who ensure the signal stays in the wind to the submarine fleet; and
Whereas, the people of the State of Maine have long been at the forefront of our Nation's defense, are first to join and send troops in any conflict and have a strong tradition of support and appreciation for the bases within our borders; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, take this opportunity to convey our appreciation for the advocacy and support for our 3 basses that the Congress of the United States and the Maine Congressional Delegation have provided over the years, and we strongly urge the Congress of the United States to consider the importance of these installations in this time of war on terrorism and the vital need to protect our Nation; and be it further
Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.
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POM-436. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Maine relative to emergency responders; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs:
Joint Resolution
Whereas, after September 11, 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the Department of Homeland Security, administered grants to assist local fire departments and emergency responders across the Nation with necessary funds to upgrade and prepare; and
Whereas, last year, Maine emergency responders received
$10.3 million in grants and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been provided to 23 Maine communities for their fire departments, which have purchased new protective fire-fighting clothing, training programs and materials, air compressors, vehicles and computers; and
Whereas, the current proposed federal budget calls for a reduction in funding of the grants from $750 million to $500 million, which will adversely affect communities throughout the State at a time when fire departments are still greatly in need of support; and
Whereas, these proposed cuts come at a time when safety and security concerns in Maine and in the Nation are still at a very high level, and the proposed cuts come at a time when we should be remaining vigilant in preparing for emergencies; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, urge the President of the United States and the Congress to work together on this budget and to not cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency's funding source; and be it further
Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, urge the President of the United States and the Congress to work together to help ensure that the emergency responders in the State of Maine and throughout the Nation are fully equipped, trained and funded and ready to face all emergencies; and be it further
Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.
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POM-437. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relative to DNA identification information; to the Commission on the Judiciary.
House Resolution No. 585
Whereas, DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system; and
Whereas, In the late 1980s the Federal Government laid the groundwork for a system of national, state and local DNA databases for the storage and exchange of DNA profiles, known as the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and
Whereas, CODIS maintains DNA profiles in a three-tiered distributed database which is available to law enforcement agencies across the country for law enforce purposes; and
Whereas, In order to take advantage of the investigative potential of CODIS, in the late 1980s and early 1990s states began passing laws requiring offenders convicted of certain offenses to provide DNA samples; and
Whereas, Currently all 50 states and the Federal Government have laws requiring DNA samples to be collected from specified categories of offenders; and
Whereas, The statute governing the national DNA index currently authorizes the inclusion in the index of profiles of ``persons convicted of crimes,'' which is narrower than the scope of DNA collection under existing legal authorities in most jurisdictions within the United States, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, As a result of the narrow Federal statutory language, states cannot enter into the national DNA index all the information they collect from their investigations, including DNA information from specified categories of adjudicated juvenile delinquents; and
Whereas, As a further result of the narrow Federal statutory language, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cannot enter certain DNA information that may lead to capture or exoneration for crimes such as murder and rape; therefore be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of the United States to amend 42 U.S.C. Sec. 14132(a)(1) to allow the inclusion in CODIS of DNA profiles of ``other persons, whose DNA samples are collected under applicable legal authorities''; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each member of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation.
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POM-438. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky relative to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Resolution
Whereas, in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson gained approval to form an expeditionary group to explore the Western territory of the United States; and
Whereas, the ``Corps of Discovery,'' led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, embarked upon its epic adventure in April, 1805, which at its conclusion returned invaluable information relative to the peoples, wildlife, flora, and geography of the Western territory; and
Whereas, 2003 marked the bicentennial celebration of the embarkation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; and
Whereas, Congress has seen fit to create the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail; and
Whereas, H.R. 2327 introduced by United States Representative Goode and S. 2018 introduced by United States Senator Bunning, now pending in the 108th Congress of the United States, seek to extend the boundaries of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail; and
Whereas, the extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail would make the trail the largest in the national parks system; and
Whereas, an extended Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail would serve to continue the celebration of the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration; and
Whereas, the extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Would provide enhanced educational possibilities for all; and
Whereas, the extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail would generate an increase in tourism and tourism revenue in the states where the trail runs; and
Whereas, the proposed extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail would include specific sites in the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
Section 1. The Senate hereby acknowledge the historical importance of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and encourages each and every member of the respective chambers of the Congress of the United States to cosponsor H.R. 2327 and S. 2018 of the 108th Congress of the United States to extend the length of the trail.
Section 2. The Senate encourages the subsequent passage of H.R. 2327 and S. 2018 of the 108th Congress of the United States.
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Jeff Trandahl, Clerk of the House of Representatives, United States Capitol, Room H154, Washington, D.C. 20515-6601 and to Emily Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510, for distribution to the members of the United States Senate and the United States Senate, respectively.
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POM-439. a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire relative to a comprehensive energy plan; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
House Resolution No. 24
Whereas, a comprehensive plan for energy independence is a vital component of the United States' national security strategy; and
Whereas, it is prudent for both national security and environmental concerns to promote energy independence for our country, and promote efficiency and conservation to develop cleaner technologies; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the New Hampshire house of representatives urges the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to develop and work to implement a comprehensive plan to promote these states' goals; and
That this plan should include a plan to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and improve the United States' air quality; and
That this plan should promote economic incentives for the utilization of renewable energy sources; and
That this plan should promote increased energy production at home so the United States is less dependent on foreign oil; and
That this plan should promote the development of alternative energy technologies, such as hybrid, hydrogen, electric or natural gas powered vehicles; and
That copies of this resolution be forwarded by the house clerk to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, the United States Secretary of Energy and the New Hampshire congressional delegation.
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POM-440. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to the State Waste Empowerment and Enforcement Provision Act of 2003; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 79
Whereas, recent reports issued by the Department of Environmental Quality reveal that Virginia is currently the second largest importer of municipal solid waste from other states, second only to Pennsylvania, and is currently importing approximately 5.5 million tons annually of municipal solid waste from other states; and
Whereas, the amount of municipal solid waste being imported into Virginia is expected to increase in the coming years due to the closure of the Fresh Kills Landfill in New York and increased volumes from other states; and
Whereas, the importation of significant amounts of municipal solid waste from other states is prematurely exhausting Virginia's limited landfill capacity; and
Whereas, the negative impact of truck, rail, and barge traffic and litter, odors, and noise associated with waste imports occurs at the location of final disposal and along waste transportation routes, and current landfill technology has the potential to fail, leading to long-term cleanup and other associated costs; and
Whereas, under current federal law, Virginia cannot regulate the amount of solid waste brought into the Commonwealth each year; and
Whereas, the importation of significant amounts of municipal solid waste from other states is inconsistent with Virginia's efforts to promote the Commonwealth as a national and international destination for tourism and high-tech economic development; and
Whereas, the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution and its interpretation and application by the United States Supreme Court and other federal courts regarding interstate solid waste transportation has left Virginia and other states with limited alternatives to regulate, limit, or prohibit the importation of municipal solid waste; and
Whereas, the General Assembly of Virginia believes that state and local governments should be given more authority to control the importation of municipal solid waste into their jurisdictions; and
Whereas, although state laws governing the importation of municipal solid waste have been ruled to violate the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, the enactment of the State Waste Empowerment and Enforcement Provision Act of 2003 would protect states from constitutional challenges to common sense regulation of trash haulers, and empower states to require inspectors at landfills, incinerators, and transfer stations that accept out-of-state municipal solid waste; and
Whereas, it is the consensus of the General Assembly of Virginia that state and local governments should be given more authority to limit, reduce, and control the importation of solid waste into their jurisdictions through several provisions, including percentage caps, calendar year freezes, the regulation and restriction of certain modes of transportation, the requirement of state inspectors at facilities handling out-of-state waste, and the assessment of fees for the receipt or disposal of out-of-state municipal solid waste that are different than fees assessed for the receipt or disposal of municipal solid waste generated within the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Congress of the United States be urged to enact the State Waste Empowerment and Enforcement Provision Act of 2003
(HR 1123). The Congress is urged to authorize local and state governments to regulate the importation of municipal solid waste into their respective jurisdictions; and, be it
Resolved further, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.
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POM-441. A resolution adopted by the Board of the Town of New Castle of the State of New York relative to the Indian Point Nuclear Plants; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
POM-442. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Hawaii to prices of prescription drugs; to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Resolution No. 24
Whereas, the Medicare Drug Benefit law recently enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President prohibits the government from negotiating prescription drug prices with the manufacturers; and
Whereas, the pharmaceutical companies have been negotiating with other governments such as Canada and Mexico, offering citizens of those countries substantial discounts on prescription drugs, while still generating profits from the discounted prices; and
Whereas, news articles have documented that many Americans travel to Canada to purchase their prescription drugs; and
Whereas, there is a growing momentum to allow individuals, as well as state and local governments, to lower health care costs by purchasing prescription drugs from Canada; and
Whereas, allowing the American government to negotiate prescription drug prices would reduce their costs, as since our purchasing power covers approximately 270 million Americans, which is the largest economy in the world, our government can negotiate lower prices than Canada and other countries and pass on the savings to our citizens; and
Whereas, all Americans will be the beneficiaries of discounted prescription drugs, especially those who need prescription drugs for serious health conditions, all group prescription drug programs provided by employers and union agreements, and the state and federal programs that provide prescription drugs to veterans, Medicaid recipients, and others who qualify for government supported programs; and
Whereas, substantial savings can be used for other healthcare needs or expenses and reducing co-payments; and
Whereas, every other developed country has the power to negotiate the costs of prescription drugs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, That the President and Congress are urged to repeal the restriction on government to negotiate reductions in prescription drug prices with manufacturers; and be it
Further resolved, That certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, the President of the Senate of the United States, and the members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.
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POM-443. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Florida relative to the distribution of Medicaid funds; to the Committee on Finance.
House Memorial No. 25
Whereas, Florida is the fourth most populous state, with 16.4 million residents, and
Whereas, more than 2 million Floridians live in poverty and approximately 2.8 million Floridians have no health insurance whatsoever, and
Whereas, it is a moral incumbency that every Floridian have access to quality, affordable health care, and
Whereas, impoverished Floridians have more difficulty securing quality, affordable health care, especially if they are uninsured, and
Whereas, Florida participates in the Federal Government's Medicaid program to support those impoverished citizens and ensure their access to health care, and
Whereas, when Medicaid was created in 1965, one of its purposes was to reduce the differences among the states regarding their respective abilities to fund medical services for the impoverished, and
Whereas, federal funds for Medicaid are distributed to the states based on a funding formula that uses per capita income as a key indicator of a state's ability to support its impoverished population, and
Whereas, numerous reports from the United States General Accounting Office dating back to the early 1980s demonstrate that per capita income is a poor indicator of a state's funding ability, and
Whereas, the use of per capita income assumes that states with lower per capita incomes have higher rates of poverty, which is a false assumption based on data from the United States Census of 2000, and
Whereas, the funding formula does not account for states' respective populations in poverty, the wealth distribution of larger states, or the costs to serve Medicaid populations in respective states, and
Whereas, the use of per capita income in the funding formula fails to accurately reflect the needs of the more populous states, and
Whereas, the use of a state's total taxable resources in the formula, as recommended by the General Accounting Office, would result in Florida receiving hundreds of millions of dollars more of federal funds in distribution, which amounts to its fair share, and
Whereas, according to the 2002 financial data of the Agency for Health Care Administration, uncompensated care in Florida's hospitals is growing at the rate of 12 to 13 percent per year, Medicaid caseloads grew almost 7 percent in the last fiscal year, and the costs of the Medicaid program continue to grow at an alarming rate, and
Whereas, because of the poor reimbursement rates offered to Florida's physicians due to the disparity created by the funding formula, many doctors have limited their provision of services for Medicaid patients and some have stopped treating Medicaid patients altogether, and
Whereas, this decline in the number of physicians who will treat Medicaid patients threatens the quality and availability of health care to impoverished Floridians: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida, That the Congress of the United States is requested to pass legislation to change the existing formula for the distribution of Medicaid funds from a formula based on per capita income to one based on total taxable resources and the poverty rate, thereby providing a more equitable distribution of Medicaid funds to the states and bringing the Medicaid program closer to compliance with its stated legislative goal; and be it
Further resolved, That copies of this memorial be dispatched to the President of the United States, to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.
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