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 Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S15115-S15118 on Oct. 12, 1995.
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-328. A resolution adopted by the Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America relative to Medicare; to the Committee on Finance.
POM-329. A petition from a citizen of the State of Connecticut relative to the medical profession; to the Committee on Finance.
POM-330. A resolution adopted by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce of the City of Miami, Florida relative to Chile; to the Committee on Finance.
POM-331. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Alabama; to the Committee on Finance.
``House Joint Resolution 370
``Whereas, the health insurance benefits of nearly 100,000 retired coal miners, with an average age of 73, are in jeopardy due to pending bills in the United States Congress; and
``Whereas, the coal mining industry is vital to the economy of Alabama and other states threatened by these pending bills; and
``Whereas, these bills, if enacted, could relieve more than 400 corporations and companies from contributing into a health care fund established to replace several financially-troubled funds and would result in severe hardship to retired coal miners, imperil the economic stability of the communities in which these miners live, and would impose additional fiscal burdens on the social service systems of the various states; and
``Whereas, most of the retirees that would be affected worked their entire lives in appallingly dangerous and severe conditions, and to now deny benefits is unthinkable to fair-minded persons throughout the country: Now therefore be it
``Resolved by the Legislature of Alabama, both Houses thereof concurring, That we hereby express our strongest opposition to the passage or consideration of any pending bills before the United States Congress that would eliminate or reduce benefits for coal miners and their widows.
``Resolved further, That a copy of this resolution be sent to each member of the Alabama Congressional Delegation, and to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the President of the U.S. Senate as an expression of our opposition.''
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POM-332. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Texas; to the Committee on Finance.
``House Concurrent Resolution
``Whereas, congressional legislation in 1976 added Section 170(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, offering a tax incentive for donations by corporations to charities serving the ill, the needy, or infants; and
``Whereas, the incentive exists in the form of a charitable contribution deduction equal to half the difference between the donor's cost and the fair market value of the donated product, not to exceed twice the cost; and
``Whereas, in West Texas, which contributes a high percentage of this state's agricultural production, farmers have responded generously to solicitations by providing donations of food for dehydration and distribution to the hungry through the food bank network; and
``Whereas, fairness warrants that noncorporate farmers and any other entities supplying food or other charitable donations be entitled to equal tax treatment and enjoy a similar tax incentive as corporate farmers; and
``Whereas, such an incentive would not only increase the amount of food destined for the needy but would have a positive effect on net farm income and would prevent the destruction of crops that are economically unmarketable due to poor weather conditions, corresponding low yield, or other factors: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to extend to noncorporate farmers, entities, and individuals the tax incentive for charitable donations; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate of the United States Congress and to all Members of the Texas delegation to the Congress with the request that it be entered officially in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States.''
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POM-333. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Nevada; to the Committee on Finance.
``Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16
``Whereas, persons with disabilities should have the opportunity to achieve the highest possible level of personal independence; and
``Whereas, persons with disabilities frequently require assistance to perform daily tasks that they would normally perform for themselves if they did not have a disability, such as bathing, dressing and preparing meals; and
``Whereas, assistance provided to a person with a disability in his home allows him to maintain his independence; and
``Whereas, if the state could pay a recipient directly for assistance provided to him in his home, the recipient could employ the person of his choice to assist him; and
``Whereas, allowing a recipient the opportunity to employ the person of his choice to assist him with his daily tasks would provide him with additional freedom and independence to manage his own affairs; and
``Whereas, under the current federal law the State of Nevada would lose federal funding if it made direct payments to a recipient for such services; and
``Whereas, under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, the State of Nevada may not, without being considered an employer, provide various administrative, clinical and quality assurance services relating to personal assistants employed by persons with disabilities, including the investigation, recruiting, screening, training, supervision or monitoring of such persons; Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly concurring, That the Nevada Legislature urges the Congress of the United States to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 1396 et seq.) to allow states to make payments for personal assistance services provided in the homes of recipients of Medicaid who have disabilities directly to the recipients of such services under appropriate circumstances; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Nevada Legislature urges the Congress of the United States to amend the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require the Secretary of the Treasury to revise Revenue Procedures 70-6 and 80-4 to allow states or designated agencies of the states to provide, without being deemed an employer, various administrative, clinical and quality assurance services relating to personal assistants employed by recipients of Medicaid who have disabilities, including the investigation, recruiting, screening, training, supervising and monitoring of such assistants; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of the United States as the presiding officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation.''
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POM-334. A resolution adopted by the Society For Conservation Biology relative to Cuba; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
POM-335. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
``Senate Resolution No. 2
``Whereas the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an organization under the auspices of the United Nations, is currently drafting proposals for an international treaty adopting and expanding insurance indemnity provisions for seaborne commodities; and
``Whereas in contrast to existing maritime classifications and the policies and regulations of the United States Department of Transportation and the United States Coast Guard, the IMO proposes classifying coal as a hazardous and noxious material; and
``Whereas there is no rational reason or precedent for classifying coal as a hazardous or noxious material and the current maritime insurance has, without exception, adequately provided insurance indemnity for seaborne coal shipping; and
``Whereas action classifying coal as a hazardous or noxious material could significantly increase insurance rates and the delivered cost of coal to the benefit of competing fuel sources; and
``Whereas this action would dramatically reduce the competitiveness of coal as an import fuel and reduce the amount of exported coal from countries such as the United States; and
``Whereas this action would reduce the potential for the increased export of Alaska coal; and
``Whereas the National Mining Association, the United States Coal Exporters Association, and the Alaska Coal Association, together with labor organizations, adamantly oppose the IMO proposal; and
``Whereas it is critical that United States government representatives to the IMO convention oppose the classification of coal as a hazardous or noxious material;
Be it Resolved That the Senate respectfully urges the United States Senate not to ratify a Hazardous and Noxious Substance Convention proposed by the International Maritime Organization that includes coal as a designated hazardous or noxious material.''
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POM-336. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 42
``Whereas, Harry Wu, a United States citizen and resident of Milpitas, California, is an outspoken critic of the Chinese penal system; and
``Whereas, as a young man, Harry Wu was arrested by the Chinese Communist authorities after criticizing the Soviet Union's 1956 invasion of Hungary, and being labeled a
`counterrevolutionary rightist,' and spent 19 years as a political prisoner in a labor reform camp; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu came to the United States in 1985 as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Civil Engineering Department; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu is currently a research fellow at the Hoover Institution on War and Peace at Stanford University; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has completed research and published articles and books reflecting the human rights abuses in China, including `Laogai--The Chinese Gulag' and `Bitter Winds: A Memoir of My Years in China's Gulag'; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu is the founder and executive director of the Laogai Foundation, founded to study China's labor camps; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has worked diligently and risked his freedom to document the human rights abuses and conditions in Chinese gulags, twice returning to China in 1991 to secretly videotape conditions in the Chinese gulag, and has provided documentation on how Chinese officials disguise prison-made products so that American and other Western businesses would not be reluctant to buy them; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has testified numerous times on Capitol Hill regarding human rights abuses, and most recently testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the illegal human organ trade that occurs with China's prison camps; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has gained international attention for his crusade against the Chinese system of prison labor camps and has been instrumental in providing documentary information that has been broadcast in the United States and Great Britain; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of human rights in China; and
``Whereas, Harry Wu has been detained in China since June 19, 1995; Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature hereby memorializes the President and Congress of the United States to continue to use all diplomatic avenues available to press the Chinese government for the safe and speedy return of Harry Wu; and be it further
``Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and 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-337. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
``Resolution
``Whereas, Harry Wu has dedicated his life to exposing the evil of the Chinese prison camps of which he was a prisoner for nineteen years; and
``Whereas, Mr. Wu has chosen to become an American citizen, fully vested with the rights and freedoms accruing to all American citizens and the protections afforded by the United States Government to all such citizens; and
``Whereas, Mr. Wu has recently been detained by the Chinese Government without access to the United States consular officials for more than twenty days; and
``Whereas, nascent economic relationships, such as those between the United States and the People's Republic of China, grounded in emerging opportunities made possible through significant free market reforms, cannot be maintained with societies that fail to recognize the immutable link between individual liberty and economic freedom; Now therefore be it
``Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate hereby urges the Congress of the United States to take whatever action necessary to secure the immediate release of Harry Wu and to guarantee his safe passage from the People's Republic of China to his home in Milpitas, California in the United States of America; and be it further
``Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted forthwith by the clerk of the Senate to the presiding officer of each branch of Congress and the members thereof from the Commonwealth.''
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POM-338. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the State of New York; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
``Senate Resolution No. 1612
``Whereas, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, and became an international treaty on September 3, 1991; and
``Whereas, by March of 1995, 139 nations, including all industrialized members of the United Nations except South Africa and the United States have ratified or acceded to the Convention's provisions; and
``Whereas, the Convention provides a comprehensive framework for challenging the various forces that have created and sustained discrimination based on sex against half the world's population, and the nations in support of the present Convention have agreed to follow Convention prescriptions; and
``Whereas, New York State shares the goals of the Convention, namely, affirming faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of women; and
``Whereas, New York State has a history of supporting efforts to end discrimination against women, having prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of sex in 1964 and having ratified the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1972; and
``Whereas, it is the belief of this Legislative Body that it is fitting and appropriate to support ratification of the most important international agreement affecting the lives of women throughout the world: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize the Congress of the United States to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and support the Convention's continuing goals; and be it further
``Resolved, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate, the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and to each member of the New York State Congressional Delegation.''
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POM-339. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Texas; to the Committee on Government Affairs.
``House Concurrent Resolution No. 30
``Whereas, in response to an Act of Congress approved April 10, 1869, the 12th Legislature of the State of Texas convened in Provisional Session from February 8 to February 24, 1870, and ratified Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV to the United States Constitution; and
``Whereas, those federal constitutional amendments, each ratified by separate joint resolutions of the 12th Legislature on February 15, 1870, solidified some of the most precious rights that have been guaranteed constitutionally to Americans, particularly ethnic minorities who were granted the blessings of equal citizenship and the beginning of an end to their past oppression; and
Whereas, Amendment XIII eliminated forever the practice of slavery, Amendment XIV promised due process and the equal protection of the laws, and Amendment XV prohibited denial of suffrage on the grounds of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; and
``Whereas, over time, copies of the three resolutions regrettably have vanished from the holdings of the Texas state archives, yet others are preserved in Washington, D.C., by virtue of their certification and transmittal to the Secretary of State of the United States and to the presiding officers of the United States Congress; and
``Whereas, the 1995 Regular Session of the 74th Legislature coincides with the 125th anniversary of these historic ratification actions and marks an appropriate time for the conveyance to this state of replicas of the three resolutions so that Texans may view and appreciate a series of documents that have played such an important role in the extension and elaboration of their civil rights: Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas, Regular Session, 1995, hereby respectfully request the National Archives and Records Administration to make copies of the joint resolutions of the 12th Texas Legislature ratifying Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV to the United States Constitution and transmit those copies to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for placement in the state archives; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward copies of this resolution to the archivist of the United States at the National Archives and Records Administration, to the vice-president of the United States and speaker of the United States House of Representatives with a request that this resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the United States Congress, as an official request to the federal government by the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas; and, be it further
``Resolved, That if and when such replicas are received from the National Archives and Records Administration, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission be hereby directed to place them in the holdings of the state archives to be available for public viewing and photocopying and in all other respects to be treated as any other material worthy of archival storage and retrieval.''
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POM-340 A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
``Senate Resolution No. 4
``Whereas the State of Alaska entered into the Union on an equal footing with all other states, and the Statehood Compact specifically granted authority over fish and wildlife to the State of Alaska; and
``Whereas the State of Alaska is the only state subject to a federally imposed policy barring the ownership of reindeer based on race; and
``Whereas the Congress and the President of the United States are presently embarking on a campaign to return rights and authority to the states; and
``Whereas federal laws applicable to the Territory of Alaska do not necessarily apply to the State of Alaska; and
``Whereas the Reindeer Industry Act of 1937 was enacted when Alaska was a territory and became ineffective upon statehood;
``Be it Resolved That the Alaska State Senate respectfully requests the U.S. Congress to clarify that the Reindeer Industry Act of 1937 does not apply in the State of Alaska.''
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POM-341. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas relative to a Constitutional amendment; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
POM-342. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Texas; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
``House Concurrent Resolution
``Whereas, the Red River constitutes the boundary between the states of Texas and Oklahoma; and
``Whereas, the exact determination of where the bank of the Red River is located is extremely difficult and subject to widely divergent opinion; and
``Whereas, the bank of the Red River is not a permanent location, but is constantly changing; and
``Whereas, the federal government claims ownership of the south half of the Red River within a 116-mile stretch between the 98th Meridian and the mouth of the North Fork of the Red River; and
``Whereas, the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes claim entitlement to 62\1/2\ percent of the revenues derived from oil and gas production from these lands; and
``Whereas, the changing location of the bank and the difficulty in determining its location at any given time has created problems in the enforcement of laws, collection of taxes, economic development, and the establishment of property ownership; and
``Whereas, it is to the mutual advantage of the states of Texas and Oklahoma to agree on and establish a permanent boundary between both states; Now, therefore, be it
``Resolved by the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas, That the Red River Boundary Commission is hereby created; the commission shall consist of not more than 17 members appointed by the governor; the commissioners shall be representative of private property owners, local government elected officials, mineral interests, and the general public; such members shall serve without compensation, except for reasonable travel reimbursement; staffing for this commission shall be provided by the General Land Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the chairman shall be appointed by the governor; the first meeting of the commission shall be no later than July 15, 1995; and, be it further
``Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the commission to confer and act in conjunction with the representatives to be appointed on behalf of the State of Oklahoma for the following purposes:
``(1) to initially make a joint investigation at the joint expense of the two states as to the appropriate method of establishing a permanent location of the common boundary between the two states with respect to the Red River;
``(2) to investigate, negotiate, and report as to the necessity and advisability of a compact between the two states defining and locating a permanent, identifiable state line;
``(3) to hold such hearings and conferences in either of the two states as may be required and to take such action, either separately or in cooperation with the State of Oklahoma or the United States, or both, as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of this resolution; and
``(4) to report to the governor and the Legislature of the State of Texas annually no later than January 15 of each year its findings and recommendations concerning joint action by the State of Texas and the State and the State of Oklahoma; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the Red River Boundary Commission shall terminate on June 30, 1998; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the legislature hereby respectfully request the president and the Congress of the United States to meet and confer with the commission and the representatives of the State of Oklahoma and to assist in carrying out the purposes of this resolution; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the governor of the State of Texas be and is hereby empowered and requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the governor of the State of Oklahoma and to request that the governor or legislature of that state appoint representatives of the State of Oklahoma to confer and act in conjunction with the commission for the purposes above specified, with the understanding that each state pay all expenses of its representatives; and, be it further
``Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the senate of the United States Congress and to all members of the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that it be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.''
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POM-343. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Oregon; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
``House Concurrent Resolution 3
``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote.
``Section 2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the public shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote.
``Section 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States Government for that fiscal year, in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts.
``Section 4. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless approved by a majority of the whole number of each House by a rollcall vote.
``Section 5. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The provisions of this article may be waived for any fiscal year in which the United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole number of each House, which becomes law.
``Section 6. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and receipts.
``Section 7. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government except for those for repayment of debt principal.
``Section 8. This article shall take effect beginning with fiscal year 1999 or with the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification, whichever is later.''
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