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 State was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S2335-S2337 on May 4.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
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-133. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia expressing its support for the Jones Act; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 47
Whereas, Virginia's rich history of shipbuilding and maritime trade makes the Commonwealth a critical hub in the nation's transportation system and essential in the growth of offshore renewable energy development; and
Whereas, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining resilient domestic industries and transportation services for Virginia's citizens and workforce; and
Whereas, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the Jones Act and codified in Title 46 of the United States Code, requires that vessels carrying cargo between locations in the United States be owned by American companies, crewed by American mariners, and built in American shipyards; and
Whereas, America's ability to project and deploy forces globally and to supply and maintain military installations domestically depends on the civilian fleet of Jones Act vessels and mariners; and
Whereas, mariners aboard Jones Act vessels strengthen America's homeland security as additional eyes and ears to monitor the nation's 95,000 miles of shoreline and 25,000 miles of navigable inland waterways; and
Whereas, Virginia is home to over 19,280 maritime jobs supported by the Jones Act that generate $1.3 billion in labor income; and
Whereas, maritime industry jobs create ladders of opportunity through high-paying, family-wage careers that offer significant career advancement without generally necessitating advanced formal education and extensive student loans; and
Whereas, the Jones Act fleet, more than 40,000 vessels strong, supports nearly 650,000 family-wage jobs and over
$154 billion in economic output nationally, including more than $4 billion in the Virginia economy; Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby express its support for the Jones Act. In affirming its resolute support for the Jones Act, the General Assembly also celebrates the centennial of the Jones Act as it continues to foster a strong domestic maritime industry that is critical to Virginia's and the nation's economic prosperity and national security; 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-134. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the State of Missouri recommending to the President of the United States and the United States Congress to reaffirm our country's unwavering support for Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
House Resolution No. 3658
Whereas, Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation located in Eastern Europe and an ally, under a bilateral investment treaty, of the United States; and
Whereas, Russia, a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, has launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea; and
Whereas, Russian forces have dramatically escalated their offenses by deploying a forty-mile long convoy of tanks and other military equipment advancing south to attack the people of Ukraine, including the City of Kyiv; and
Whereas, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the largest invasion of a sovereign nation in Europe since World War II; and
Whereas, the combat is directly responsible for massive civilian casualties, including a Russian mortar attack on a children's hospital that inflicted devastating loss of life; and
Whereas, Russia's attack on Ukraine was unprovoked and unjustified; and
Whereas, as the attack intensifies, the humanitarian crises could reach unprecedented levels, with the United Nations estimating that between one million and five million people will be in need of urgent health care, safety, and security; and
Whereas, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared that Russia had ``embarked on a path of evil, but [Ukraine] is defending itself and won't give up its freedom . . .'':
Resolved that we, the members of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred First General Assembly, Second Regular Session hereby:
(1) Proudly stand alongside Ukraine, its people, and its leaders during this horrific and unnecessary war and vow to support Ukraine and hold Russia fully accountable for its catastrophic decision to invade;
(2) Condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Vladimir Putin's violent attack on the people of Ukraine and strongly endorse the swift and severe economic sanctions and stringent export controls that President Biden's administration has imposed on Russia;
(3) Urge Russia to immediately cease its violent, illegal, and immoral assault upon Ukraine, end the needless bloodshed, and return to diplomacy and the rules-based international order that has ensured peace and prosperity for so many; and
(4) Recommend to the President of the United States and the United States Congress to reaffirm our country's unwavering support for Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters; and
Resolved that the United States should take prudent and responsible measures to ensure that the required force posture is present in Europe to deter and, if necessary, defeat Russian aggression against any NATO member; and
Resolved that the United States should immediately strengthen additional sanctions on Russia by restricting the Russian banking and financial sectors, cybersecurity, and other key industrial sectors; and
Resolved that the United States should immediately bolster energy connectivity in Eastern Europe; and
Resolved that the United States should expand the target list of Russian officials under the Magnitsky Act, which would implement a greater range of targeted sanctions aimed directly at Russian officials responsible for violating Ukrainian freedom and sovereignty, including the freezing of financial assets and the imposition of visa bans; and
Resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy 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 each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation.
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POM-135. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Ohio urging the United States government to secure its borders; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Senate Resolution No. 243
Whereas, A strong, secure border benefits the United States: and
Whereas, The well-being and safety of the citizens of the United States is being jeopardized by threats from transnational criminal organizations; and
Whereas, It is integral to the security, well-being, and harmony of the people of the United States to sustain secure borders; and
Whereas, The dedicated individuals of the United States Customs and Border Protection work diligently and honorably to secure borders in the most efficient and humane manner; and
Whereas, The Governor of Ohio has allocated our state's resources to secure our borders through the assignment of over one hundred members of the Ohio National Guard to support United States Customs and Border Protection and the assignment of troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol to travel to Texas to support local law enforcement with border surveillance; and
Whereas, Ill-motivated individuals continuously seek to cause harm, danger, injury, hazard, and peril to those who protect the United States' borders; and
Whereas, Those individuals who cross the United States' borders without regard for the legal immigration process circumvent the individuals who show respect for the rule of law; and
Whereas, Those same individuals defy the right of the United States to control its own sovereign territory and regulate the happenings within its rightful borders; and
Whereas, The smuggling of contraband, such as drugs and weapons, have plagued the United States' borders; and
Whereas, In fiscal year 2021, United States Customs and Border Protection seized more than 319,000 pounds of marijuana, 109,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 97,000 pounds of cocaine, 11,000 pounds of fentanyl, and 5,400 pounds of heroin; and
Whereas, These illegal drugs are sold, spread, and used throughout the American citizenry as drug overdoses and abuse rates reach the highest levels on record in the United States, including Ohio hitting a record death rate from opioid overdose during the second quarter of 2020; and
Whereas, In 2020, 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio involved illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, while drug deaths related to fentanyl increased 32% from 2019; and
Whereas, Most fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances abused in the United States are trafficked into the country via international mail, express consignment, or across the southwestern border; and
Whereas, The act of human smuggling, which deliberately evades immigration laws, is a daily occurrence at the southwestern border according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
Whereas, Individuals who are smuggled into the United States may be involved in transnational criminal organization operations or may be forced into human trafficking situations; and
Whereas, Human trafficking is a serious issue in Ohio, as state sources identified over 1,300 cases between 2014 and 2020, ranking the state among the ten worst in the nation for human trafficking; and
Whereas, The United States Department of State has urged state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, to address cross-border trafficking issues and support strong collaboration at the borders to identify and prevent human trafficking; Now therefore be it further
Resolved, That we, the members of the Senate of the 134th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, support the investment of necessary resources by the United States government to ensure secure, strong, and sustainable borders; and be it further
Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and Vice President of the United States, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.
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POM-136. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of West Virginia applying to the United States Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 31
Whereas, Executive orders by the President of the United States have become a vehicle through which the President may overstep the limits of his or her constitutional authority; and
Whereas, The concentration of power at the federal level has had the effect of making federal officials less responsive to the will of the people and more readily influenced by lobbyists, wealthy corporations and special interests in Washington, D.C.; and
Whereas, Much of federal law is now enacted by federal bureaucrats who were never chosen by the people and have no accountability to the people whatsoever; and
Whereas, Policy decisions made at the state level tend to be more responsive to the needs and desires of the people; and
Whereas, The federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and
Whereas, The federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, many of which are unfunded to a great extent; and
Whereas, The states have the ability to restore the responsiveness of government to the people and to restrain abuses of federal power by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States through a limited convention of the states under Article V; therefore, be it
Resolved by Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby applies to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a copy of this resolution, legislative call and application to the President and Secretary of the United States Senate and to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and copies to the members of the said Senate and House of Delegates from this state; also to transmit copies hereof to the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in the several states, requesting their cooperation; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at least two thirds of the several states have made applications on the same subject; and, be it
Further Resolved, The West Virginia Legislature adopts this application expressly subject to the following reservations, understandings, and declarations:
(1) An application to the Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention of the states pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution confers no power to Congress other than the power to call such a convention. The power of Congress to exercise this ministerial duty consists solely of the authority to name a reasonable time and place for the initial meeting of a convention;
(2) Congress shall perform its ministerial duty of calling an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt of applications for an amendment convention for the substantially same purpose as this application from two thirds of the legislatures of the several states;
(3) Congress does not have the power or authority to determine any rules for the governing of an amendment convention of the states called pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution. Congress does not have the power to set the number of delegates to be sent by any state to such a convention, nor does it have the power to name delegates to such a convention. The power to name delegates remains exclusively within the authority of the legislatures of the several states;
(4) By definition, an amendment convention of the states means that states shall vote on the basis of one state, one vote;
(5) A convention of the states convened pursuant to this application shall be limited to consideration of the topics specified herein and no other. This application is made with the express understanding that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify, or repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights shall not be authorized for consideration at any stage. This application shall be void ab initio if ever used at any stage to consider any change to any provision of the Bill of Rights;
(6) Pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, Congress may determine whether proposed amendments shall be ratified by the legislatures of the several states or by special state ratification conventions. The West Virginia legislature recommends that Congress select ratification by the legislatures of the several states; and
(7) The West Virginia Legislature may provide further instructions to its delegates and may recall its delegates at any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a copy of this resolution to the representatives and senators elected by the citizens of West Virginia serving the citizens of West Virginia in the Congress of the United States in Washington, D.C.
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POM-137. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas relative to enactment of federal legislation; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
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