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 S5007-S5008 on July 13, 2015.
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-45. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to designate Grambling State University as a United States Department of Agriculture 1890 land-grant institution; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Senate Resolution No. 141
Whereas, a land-grant college or university is a postsecondary education institution that has been designated to receive the benefits of the federal Morrill Acts of 1862 or 1890; and
Whereas, there is at least one land-grant institution in every state and territory of the United States, as well as the District of Columbia, and over the years, land-grant status has been associated with several types of federal support; and
Whereas, two universities in this state, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (LSU) and Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
(SU), are designated as land-grant institutions; LSU received this designation in 1862, and in 1890, what is known as the Second Morrill Act conferred land-grant status to several historically black colleges and universities, commonly referred to as ``1890 land-grant institutions'', and SU is among this group; and
Whereas, Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is seeking designation as an 1890 land-grant institution under the banner of the Second Morrill Act; and
Whereas, Grambling State University was founded in 1901 by the North Louisiana Colored Agriculture Relief Association; in 1905, it moved to its present location and was renamed the North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School; in 1946, it became Grambling College; and in 1949, it earned its first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and
Whereas, in 1974, the school began to offer graduate programs in early childhood and elementary education and acquired the name Grambling State University; over the years, several new academic programs have been incorporated and new facilities added to the 384-acre campus; and
Whereas, Grambling now offers more than eight hundred courses and forty-seven degree programs in five colleges, including an honors college, two professional schools, a graduate school, and a Division of Continuing Education; and
Whereas, Grambling combines the academic strengths of a major university with the benefits of a small college, and its students grow and learn in a serene and positive environment; and
Whereas, in addition to being one of the country's top producers of African-American graduates, Grambling is home to the internationally renowned Tiger Marching Band and remains proud of the legacy of the late Eddie Robinson, Sr., a truly legendary football coach; and
Whereas, Grambling places an emphasis on the value and importance of each student, which is exemplified by its motto, ``Where Everybody is Somebody''; and
Whereas, after more than a decade since its founding, Grambling remains an important influence in the quality of lives and communities of generations of North Louisiana residents; and
Whereas, the designation of Ohio's Central State University as an 1890 land-grant institution in the 2014 Farm Bill set a very recent precedent for the addition of a university to the land-grant system; and
Whereas, the nation's system of land-grant institutions would be strengthened by the inclusion of Grambling State University; and
Whereas, as a historically black university with a strong record of academics, research, and service, Grambling, with its rich history and traditions, would bring a unique perspective to the land-grant system; and
Whereas, for one hundred twenty-five years, the 1890 land-grant institutions have played a vital role in ensuring access to higher education and opportunity for underserved communities, and as such an institution, Grambling would have access to increased resources that it could direct to serving such communities and to providing research, extension, and public services in North Louisiana, an area where these services are not currently being provided sufficiently; and
Whereas, such designation would be consistent with Grambling's agricultural origins and its mission and history of service to African-American students and the people of Louisiana and would strengthen Grambling's research and teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) programs and enhance existing programs and facilitate the development of new programs in agricultural business, biotechnology, economics, environment and natural resources, family and consumer science, and engineering technology; and
Whereas, Grambling State University has made the same extraordinary contributions to the education of African Americans in the state of Louisiana as other 1890 land-grant universities have made in their respective states; and
Whereas, as the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the University of Louisiana System, the role that Grambling plays in the state is critical; and
Whereas, a land-grant designation would enhance greatly Grambling's service to the people of Louisiana, and it is appropriate that Congress take all necessary measures to grant such designation to Grambling State University: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to designate Grambling State University as a United States Department of Agriculture 1890 land-grant institution; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate, the clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
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POM-46. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States Congress to take action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Louisiana's sovereign waters by passing H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 66
Whereas, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a global problem with serious economic, environmental, and security implications; and
Whereas, illegal fishing accounts for economic losses of up to billions of dollars per year nationally and such activity is largely conducted by foreign fleets at the expense of United States fishermen, coastal communities, and the sustainability of global fish stocks; and
Whereas, illegal fishing is of particular consequence in Louisiana, where the Gulf Coast waters supply seafood for the citizens of the United States and support the hospitality industry, tourism-related businesses, and the vibrant recreational and commercial fishing industry; and
Whereas, not only does illegal fishing result in economic losses to the Louisiana fishing industry and other coastal businesses, but it also is a threat to the sustainability of our fisheries and to the Louisiana Gulf Coast ecosystem; and
Whereas, the United States Coast Guard is to be commended for apprehending and investigating foreign vessels engaged in illegal activity along the U.S.-Mexico border, often patrolling the Gulf of Mexico in a cat-and-mouse game specifically with Mexican fishermen who are fishing illegally; and
Whereas, illegal fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico compete for local fish stock and disregard state and federal laws on catch limits, or of marine species including marine mammals and sea turtles that are indiscriminately killed by the use of illegal long-line netting, and where some of the illegally caught fish is exported back into the U.S. and flood the market; and
Whereas, vessels involved with illegal fishing are also associated with other crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal immigration, and the incursion by these foreign fishing vessels into U.S. waters constitutes a violation of our sovereignty: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes the Congress of the United States to take action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in our sovereign waters by passing H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana hereby expresses its commitment to the elimination of illegal fishing, to the long-term conservation of Louisiana marine resources, and to the protection of the Louisiana Gulf Coast fishing and coastal communities; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
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POM-47. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana commending the United States Congress on the passage of bipartisan legislation to permanently set the payment amounts that Medicare pays for physician services, known as the doc fix; to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Resolution No. 109
Whereas, the term ``doc fix'' refers to the formula the federal government uses to pay physicians who treat patients covered by Medicare, who pay less than they would otherwise to see a physician and the federal government makes up the difference and pays the physician an amount determined by Congress; and
Whereas, in 1997, Congress cut payments to physicians who treat patients enrolled in Medicare in order to help balance the federal budget; and
Whereas, while Congress had considered cutting the dollars to physicians treating Medicare patients, but did not have the collective will to carry it through, being concerned that some physicians might not continue to treat Medicare patients at a reduced rate, and the cut was postponed until a future date; and
Whereas, over the last eighteen years Congress has postponed the cut seventeen times and the cut has become a possible twenty percent reduction in payments if the attempt to postpone the cuts failed during this Congress; and
Whereas, with the current doc fix extension set to expire on March 31, 2015, Congress may consider the need for structural reforms to Medicare generally, not merely a postponement of the cut for another year; and
Whereas, with the unconscionable cut of more than twenty percent looming without the annual doc fix extension in April, Congress agreed to begin broader structural changes to Medicare, ending the doc fix shell game permanently;
Whereas, despite the reality that healthcare is expensive and that the annual revisiting of the doc fix formula of paying physicians was, at least, a bad way to govern, a bipartisan solution proved attainable even in a time when merely entertaining an idea from the other side of the aisle is often unthinkable; and
Whereas, with the reality that one political party leads both houses of Congress and the other holds the presidency, true bipartisanship is the only path to successfully attacking any of the country's issues, yet that bipartisanship is noticeably absent in the discussion of most of those issues; and
Whereas, while partisan differences have been more likely to win the day, the ability to craft a bipartisan doc fix solution requires the leadership of both political parties in both houses to focus on solutions rather than differences, and for that both the leadership and the members of Congress as a whole should be heartily congratulated; and
Whereas, in reaching agreement on the end to the doc fix extensions, Congress has begun the daunting task of reforming and restructuring America's entitlement programs, a beginning worthy of note and of acclaim: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the United States Congress on the passage of bipartisan legislation to permanently set the payment amounts that Medicare pays for physician services, known as the doc fix; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
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POM-48. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States Congress to restore trade relations between the United States and Cuba in order to open the market to Louisiana rice; to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68
Whereas, in 2014, Louisiana produced over three billion pounds of rice amounting to fifteen percent of the United States' rice production; and
Whereas, the rice industry provides over nine thousand jobs to the Louisiana economy; and
Whereas, increased rice exports to Cuba would lead to greater export opportunities for Louisiana farmers and the potential for increased acreage; and
Whereas, resumed rice exports to Cuba would also benefit those affiliated with rice production, milling, and exporting; and
Whereas, rice farming and milling has a large impact on Louisiana's secondary economy in that for every dollar that Louisiana rice produces, approximately thirty-five cents is added indirectly to the economy through seed and fertilizer sales, farm equipment, crop services, and transportation; and
Whereas, resuming the trade of rice with Cuba would be a huge economic gain for Louisiana's port system; and
Whereas, prior to the creation of the trade embargo in 1962, the Port of New Orleans handled over sixty-five percent of all traded goods to Cuba; and
Whereas, the fifty-plus-year trade embargo between the United States and Cuba remains the longest-standing embargo in modern history; and
Whereas, Louisiana is the top state of origination for Cuban-bound exports, representing nearly thirty percent of the export market share; and
Whereas, it is time to end an outdated policy that continues to deny valuable business opportunities to Louisiana rice farmers, millers, and allied businesses, such as transportation, storage, and shipping; and
Whereas, Cuba imports more than one billion dollars worth of food every year, including approximately five hundred thousand tons of rice; and
Whereas, the rice industry in Louisiana is positioned to benefit from the market opportunities that normalized trade with Cuba would provide due to our healthy supply, port infrastructure, and proximity to Cuba; and
Whereas, the USA Rice Federation and its affiliate members along with the Louisiana Rice Growers Association, the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, and the Louisiana Rice Council are in support of restoring trade relations between the United States and Cuba in order to open the market to Louisiana rice: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes the Congress of the United States to restore trade relations between the United States and Cuba in order to open the market to Louisiana rice; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate, the clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
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POM-49. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Missouri urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to repeal the excise tax on medical devices; to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 29
Whereas, a new 2.3% federal excise tax on the sale of taxable medical devices by manufacturers, producers, and importers of such devices took effect on January 1, 2013; and
Whereas, the United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the tax will generate $29 billion in revenue in its first ten years; and
Whereas, the United States is a net exporter in medical devices, exporting $5.4 billion more than it imports, and accounts for 40% of the global medical technology market; and
Whereas, a study completed by the Manhattan Institute found that the medical device tax will almost double the medical device industry's total tax bill and could result in the loss of up to 43,000 jobs in the medical technology industry; and
Whereas, the medical device tax will harm the United States' global competitiveness, stunt medical innovation, and restrict the ability of patients to receive the life-saving medical devices and care they need; and
Whereas, the medical device tax is imposed on United States sales, rather than profits, of medical device manufacturers, so it will be particularly damaging to innovative start-up companies: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the members of the Missouri Senate, Ninety-eighth General Assembly, First Regular Session, the House of Representatives concurring therein, hereby urge the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to repeal the excise tax on medical devices; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Missouri Senate be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and the members of the Missouri Congressional delegation.
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