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 Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S2812-S2814 on May 14, 2019.
The Department includes the Census Bureau, which is used to determine many factors about American life. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department is involved in misguided foreign trade policies and is home to many unneeded programs.
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-53. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho urging the United States Congress to take any further actions necessary to advance the project of a new pipeline to bring Snake River water to Mountain Home Air Force Base through additional congressional action to authorize construction and provide further Military Construction (MILCON) Funds; to the Committee on Armed Services.
Senate Joint Memorial No. 104
Whereas, the Mountain Home Air Force Base draws its water supply from the Mountain Home Aquifer. The aquifer is over-drafted by about 30,000 acre-feet annually and is declining approximately two feet per year; and
Whereas, there are water quality issues in some of the wells that the Mountain Home Air Force Base depends on for its water supply. Of the six main wells that are on the base, only two are safe sources of drinking water and four are contaminated. Of the four contaminated wells, one is high in nitrates and is used strictly for irrigation, and the other three are high in nitrates and perfluorinated compounds; and
Whereas, the state, in partnership with the United States Air Force is working on the Mountain Home Air Force Base Sustainable Water Supply Project. The purpose of the project is to provide a sustainable, long-term water supply for the base from the Snake River and to eliminate the base's reliance on the declining Mountain Home Aquifer; and
Whereas, the project consists of a pump station at C.J. Strike Reservoir and a 14.4 mile long pipeline to bring Snake River water to the base, as well as construction of a water treatment plant at the base; and
Whereas, it is anticipated that the state will build, own, maintain, and operate the pipeline and the pumps and that the United States Air Force will build, operate, and maintain the water treatment plant, as well as anything downstream of the plant; and
Whereas, Mountain Home Air Force Base is one of the largest employers in Idaho. According to a 2016 study, the base is responsible for the direct employment of 4,686 personnel, supports an additional 190 jobs in local businesses that directly supply the base's operations, and is responsible for 2,127 jobs supported by the consumer spending of those who are directly and indirectly employed by the base; and
Whereas, Mountain Home Air Force Base has been estimated to support the employment of more than 10,500 individuals; and
Whereas, Mountain Home Air Force Base generates $462 million in labor income; $797 million in all forms of income including wages, salaries, interest, rent, and profit; and an output of goods and services valued at $965 million; and
Whereas, a 2010 Economic Impact Analysis by the United States Air Force, assisted by Boise State University, shows that the estimated annual economic impact from the Mountain Home Air Force Base is approximately $1.02 billion; and
Whereas, the State of Idaho and the Department of Commerce recognize that continued economic viability requires taking care of existing business before expanding economic development and attracting new business; and
Whereas, it is anticipated that there could be another round of Base Realignment and Closure in the near future; and
Whereas, Mountain Horne Air Force Base has many strong attributes, such as great airspace, many clear weather days suitable for flying, and low possibility of encroachment around the base; and
Whereas, the uncertainty of a dependable water supply necessary for future operation is the only weakness that jeopardizes the future of Mountain Home Air Force Base: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the members of the First Regular Session of the Sixty-fifth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives concurring therein, that we support the construction of a new pipeline to bring Snake River water to Mountain Home Air Force Base to ensure the long-term viability of the base; and be it further
Resolved, That the Idaho Legislature urges the congressional delegation for the State of Idaho to take any further actions necessary to advance the pipeline project through additional congressional action to authorize construction and provide further Military Construction
(MILCON) Funds; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, and to the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
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POM-54. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Hawaii urging the United States Congress to enact legislation removing cannabis from the Federal Controlled Substances Act and facilitate the full spectrum of private banking services for cannabis-related business; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 89
Whereas, 33 states, four United States territories, and the District of Columbia have authorized the use of medical cannabis; twenty-two states, the United States Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia have decriminalized cannabis; and 10 states, the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, and three Native American tribes have legalized adultuse of cannabis; and
Whereas, data submitted by the Hawai'i Attorney General to the United States Department of Justice over the past decade indicates that there are over 1,000 arrests for cannabis possession in Hawai'i each year, including hundreds of juveniles who might not otherwise encounter the criminal justice system, and that Native Hawaiians are disproportionately arrested for cannabis possession; and
Whereas, Hawai'i enacted Act 228, Session Laws of Hawai'i 2000, which authorized the acquisition, possession, and use of medical cannabis, and authorized the establishment and regulation of medical cannabis dispensaries through Act 241, Session Laws of Hawai'i 2015; and
Whereas, there are currently over 24,000 medical cannabis patients registered with the Hawai'i Department of Health; and
Whereas, continued scheduling of cannabis under the federal Controlled Substances Act impairs the ability of medical cannabis dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses to operate without the prospect of federal seizures, forfeitures, arrests, and other enforcement and prosecutorial actions; and
Whereas, alcohol and tobacco remain outside the purview of the federal Controlled Substances Act and have significant negative impacts on individual and public health, including physical injuries, psychological and social harm, and the onset of chronic, often fatal illnesses related to regular use; and
Whereas, Hawai'i's medical cannabis dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses, including those providing goods, services, property, and facilities to cannabis-related businesses, are hampered by the inability to obtain the full spectrum of private banking services under federal law; and
Whereas, legislation has been introduced in recent years by members of Congress to facilitate the full spectrum of banking services, including deposit insurance, for cannabis-related businesses: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawai'i, Regular Session of 2019, the Senate concurring, that this body hereby requests the United States Congress to enact legislation that will remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act and facilitate the full spectrum of private banking services for cannabis-related business: and be it further
Resolved, That certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Majority Leaders and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, and members of Hawai'i's congressional delegation with the respectful request that the full and complete text of this Concurrent Resolution be printed in the Congressional Record.
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POM-55. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho urging the United States Congress to vote to propose the Regulation Freedom Amendment to the United States Constitution; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Senate Joint Memorial No. 102
Whereas, the growth and abuse of federal regulatory authority threatens our constitutional liberties, including those guaranteed by the Bill of Rights in the First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments of our Constitution; and
Whereas, federal regulators must be more accountable to elected representatives of the people and not immune from such accountability; and
Whereas, the United States House of Representatives has passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny
(REINS) Act to require that Congress approve major new federal regulations before they can take effect; and
Whereas, even if enacted, a law may be repealed or waived by a future Congress and President; and
Whereas, an amendment to the United States Constitution does not require the President's approval and cannot be waived by a future Congress and President: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the members of the First Regular Session of the Sixty-fifth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives concurring therein, that we hereby urge the United States Congress to vote to propose the Regulation Freedom Amendment to the United States Constitution as follows:
Whenever one quarter of the members of the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate transmits to the President their written declaration of opposition to a proposed federal regulation, it shall require a majority vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate to adopt that regulation; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, and to the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
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POM-56. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota rescinding certain previous applications made by the Legislature to the United States Congress calling for a constitutional convention, or convention of the states, for the purpose of amending the Constitution of the United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
House Joint Resolution No. 1004
Whereas, the Legislature of the State of South Dakota, in 1907, adopted House Joint Resolution 2; in 1909, adopted House Joint Resolutions 5 and 7; and in 1971, adopted House Joint Resolution 503, making formal application to Congress to call an Article V constitutional convention for the purpose of altering the Constitution of the United States of America: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the House of Representatives of the Ninety-Fourth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that House Joint Resolution 2, adopted in 1907; House Joint Resolutions 5 and 7, adopted in 1909; and House Joint Resolution 503, adopted in 1971, of the Legislature of the State of South Dakota, be rescinded; and be it further
Resolved, That the secretary of state transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the South Dakota congressional delegation, and the Governor of the State of South Dakota, attesting the adoption of this resolution by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota.
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POM-57. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho urging the President of the United States and United States Congress to take such action as necessary to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to recognize valid easements existing pursuant to the 1866 Mining Act on lands under their respective administrations without requiring citizens of the United States to sue the government in order to enjoy the benefits of such validly existing easement rights; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Senate Joint Memorial No. 106
Whereas, approximately 63% of land in the State of Idaho is public land controlled by the United States, primarily by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, which makes the right to cross federal land for delivery of water rights to Idaho water users extremely important; and
Whereas, the law of the United States, since the 1866 Mining Act, has recognized that a water user in the arid West has the right to divert water from the rivers and streams across federal land for use on private property for, among other purposes, mining and agriculture. When the water user has a water right appropriated under state law, the law provides that a water user needs no approval from the federal government for the diversion and beneficial use of the water on the user's private property; and
Whereas, the United States Congress passed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), as amended, in 1976, which explicitly recognizes and protects easements and rights existing on federal lands and recognizes under previous laws, such as the 1866 Mining Act, to deliver water appropriated under state law across federal land to private property; and
Whereas, Congress passed an amendment to FLPMA in 1986 known as the Colorado Ditch Bill Act, which explicitly directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a permanent easement for a water system involving reservoirs, canals, ditches, flumes, laterals, pipes, pipelines, tunnels, and other facilities and systems, for the impoundment, storage, transportation, and distribution of water traversing federal lands within the National Forest System when: (1) the water system is used for agricultural irrigation or livestock purposes; (2) the system that existed in 1976 has remained in operation; (3) any enlargement of the system after 1976 requires separate authorization; (4) the user has a valid state water right; and (5) the use involves some private land. The water users were to supply the Forest Service with evidence of the location of easements; and
Whereas, the state of Idaho has had a comprehensive method for recognizing the appropriation of waters of the state for beneficial use under the priority doctrine since before statehood; and
Whereas, the State of Idaho recognized in 1984 the need to adjudicate the water rights of this state and the Legislature directed the Department of Water Resources to initiate the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA), as provided by Idaho law, to facilitate the effective management of the waters of the Snake River Basin and to engage in a comprehensive adjudication of all surface and groundwater use in the basin; and
Whereas, the United States was a party to the SRBA, is bound by the decrees of the SRBA court, and must recognize the water rights of the Idaho water users as decreed by the SRBA court; and
Whereas, the SRBA issued more than 167,000 water rights and issued its final unified decree in 2014, in which the SRBA court decreed water rights with priority rights dating back, in some instances, to the 1860s; and
Whereas, Congress further directed that applications under the Colorado Ditch Bill Act by easement holders be submitted by the end of 1996 to assist the Secretary of Agriculture in issuing permanent easements; and
Whereas, the Secretary of Agriculture has not issued or recognized many of these permanent easements, even though the water rights have been decreed by the SRBA court and the applications have been submitted as required by Congress more than 20 years ago; and
Whereas, certain interest groups are arguing that the secretary must take actions harmful to the pre-FLPMA easement holders because the secretary has not issued the mandated easements; and
Whereas, the vast majority of surface water rights in this state were decreed with priority dates that preceded the enactment of FLPMA in 1976, and those water uses are entitled to the right to cross federal lands to deliver their state water rights; and
Whereas, there are many Idaho water users, such as the members of the Salmon Headwaters Conservation Association, that properly complied with the easement requirements specified by the Colorado Ditch Bill Act to have their permanent easement recognized by the United States, but are now required to further expend resources on legal and administrative processes to defend and protect their valid existing Idaho water rights and associated rights-of-way across federal land: Now, therefore be it
Resolved, By the members of the First Regular Session of the Sixty-fifth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives concurring therein, that we urge the President of the United States and Congress to take such action as necessary to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to recognize valid easements existing pursuant to the 1866 Mining Act on lands under their respective administrations without requiring citizens of the United States to sue the government in order to enjoy the benefits of such validly existing easement rights; and be it further
Resolved, That the President and Congress take such action as necessary to require the Secretary of Agriculture to recognize valid easements existing prior to FLPMA on lands within the National Forest System without requiring citizens of the United States to sue the government in order to enjoy the benefits of such validly existing rights; and be it further
Resolved, That in recognition that the Secretary of Agriculture has not acted on applications submitted more than 20 years ago, the President and Congress are urged to take such action as necessary to extend the deadline for filing applications under FLPMA for an additional two years; and be it further
Resolved, That the President and Congress are urged to take such action as necessary to require the Secretary of Agriculture to refrain from interfering with the use of any decreed water right by attempting under any federal law to attach conditions on any 1866 Mining Act or FLPMA easements crossing federal lands, especially in a manner that restricts or conditions in any way the use of water on private land as authorized by state laws; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, to the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States, to the Secretary of Agriculture, and to the Secretary of the Interior.
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POM-58. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Maine urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to support the pledges made by the United States in the Paris Agreement; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
House Paper 1047
Whereas, the year 2016 was the hottest year in the modem temperature record; and
Whereas, there is increasing consensus among scientists and economists that there will be serious economic consequences if we fail to reduce global carbon emissions quickly; and
Whereas, a changing climate will irreversibly damage the global economy; and
Whereas, if left unaddressed, the consequences of a rising global temperature have the potential to adversely affect all Americans, hitting vulnerable populations hardest, hurting working families and harming productivity in middle class job sectors such as construction, agriculture and tourism, among others; and
Whereas, there has been an increase in extreme weather events across the United States that have affected supply chains, consumer behaviors and local economies; and
Whereas, the Paris Agreement provides a pathway forward to limit temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius; and
Whereas, the Paris Agreement sends a powerful signal to the world that climate change is an immediate problem facing the planet; and
Whereas, if the United States withdraws from the Paris Agreement, the United States will face an international diplomatic backlash and will cede leadership on climate change and renewable energy issues to China: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, on behalf of the people we represent, take this opportunity to respectfully request that the President of the United States and the United States Congress work with our allies that signed the Paris Agreement; and be it further
Resolved, That We respectfully urge and request that the President of the United States not issue an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement; and be it further
Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Honorable Donald John Trump, 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 Maine Congressional Delegation.
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POM-59. A resolution adopted by the City Commission of Coconut Creek, Florida urging the United States Congress to pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019; to the Committee on Finance.
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