June 4, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 93 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
All in Senate sectionPrev45 of 61Next
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 93
(Senate - June 04, 2019)
Text available as:
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages S3213-S3215] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] 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-75. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designating May 2019 as ``Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month'' in Pennsylvania; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Senate Resolution No. 122 Whereas, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is better known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and Whereas, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the upper and lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horn of the spinal cord; and Whereas, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and Whereas, As ALS progresses, the patient experiences difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and Whereas, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and Whereas, Patients with ALS typically remain alert and are aware of their loss of motor functions and the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death; and Whereas, ALS affects military veterans at twice the rate of the general population; and Whereas, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40 and 70 years of age, peaking at approximately 55 years of age, and affects both men and women without bias; and Whereas, More than 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed throughout the nation each year; and Whereas, In Pennsylvania there are currently more than 1,000 individuals who have been formally diagnosed with ALS; and Whereas, The $750,000 in State funding appropriated by the General Assembly for ALS support services for 2018-2019 provided services to nearly 1,000 constituents and a substantial savings to the State budget and taxpayers; and Whereas, The ALS Association reports that on average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years from the time of diagnosis; and Whereas, ALS has no known cause, prevention or cure; and Whereas, ``Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month'' increases the public's awareness of ALS patients' circumstances and acknowledges the negative impact this disease has on ALS patients and their families and recognizes the research being done to eradicate ALS; therefore be it Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designate the month of May 2019 as ``Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month'' in Pennsylvania; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania. ____ POM-76. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Tennessee urging the President of the United States to designate a state funeral for the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II when such recipient passes away; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Senate Joint Resolution No. 96 Whereas, World War II, the most widespread war in history, lasted from 1939 until 1945; and Whereas, the United States entered the war in 1941, following an attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese fighter planes; and Whereas, over sixteen million Americans served their country and the Allied powers over the course of the war; and Whereas, the men and women who served our country in World War II have been collectively called the ``greatest generation'' for their selfless sacrifice; and Whereas, the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration that is awarded by the United States government; and Whereas, the Medal of Honor is presented by the President of the United States, in the name of Congress; and Whereas, the Medal of Honor is only conferred upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States was not a belligerent party; and Whereas, more than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded to our nation's bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen since the creation of the award in 1861; and Whereas, the Medal of Honor was awarded to 353 Americans during World War II; and Whereas, only four of those 353 Americans are still alive today; and Whereas, each of these courageous servicemen, Charles H. Coolidge of Tennessee, Francis S. Currey of New York, Robert D. Maxwell of Oregon, and Hershel Woodrow Williams of West Virginia, risked his life while serving his country with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity and therefore deserves the gratitude of the American people; and Whereas, the President of the United States has the sole authority to designate a state funeral; and Whereas, historically, the President of the United States has designated state funerals for former presidents, generals, and other extraordinary Americans; and Whereas, our nation is currently divided and yearns for a unifying national event; and Whereas, designating a state funeral when the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient dies would be a wonderful way for the American people to unite and honor all sixteen million soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen who served in our Armed Forces from 1941 to 1945: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the One Hundred Eleventh General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the House of Representatives concurring, That this General Assembly urges the President of the United States to designate a state funeral for the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II when such recipient passes away; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Senate is instructed to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and all members of the Tennessee congressional delegation. ____ POM-77. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislative Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requesting the United States Congress to take action to appropriate funds and resources as necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60 It is a known fact that Puerto Rico has no natural lakes. Hence, in the early 20th century, it was necessary to build the first reservoir or artificial lake, so as to address fundamental needs such as water storage for residential or industrial consumption, hydropower generation, irrigation of agricultural lands, and flooding control and mitigation, among other important uses. Today, we have thirty-six (36) main reservoirs formed by the dams built in the rivers located in the mountain region in the center of the Island, and two (2) outside of the main riverbeds in the eastern region. It is true that reservoirs are Puerto Rico's most important source of water, however, issues such as sedimentation, the lack of reforestation plans, and the accelerated erosion caused by urban development, among other aspects, have seriously affected the storage capacity of these bodies of water. In addition to the foregoing, after hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall on September 2017, many of our lakes were severely affected by a sudden accumulation of sediment. The path followed by hurricane Irma--a category-5 hurricane-- brought it really close to the island, and two weeks later, hurricane Maria made landfall on the island. Hurricane Maria has been classified as one of the most powerful natural disasters to ever affect Puerto Rico in recent history. The latter left a lot of devastation, flooding, torrential rain, and severe damage across the island. The catastrophic effects of these weather events had a significant impact on four (4) of our most important reservoirs. Out of the lakes that supply our drinking water, Loiza (Carraizo) is one of the most affected by sedimentation. Said sedimentation has reduced the depth of the lake thus impairing its capacity to collect water, despite being fed primarily by the Rio Grande de Loiza, which is the largest river on the island. The storage capacity of the Loiza reservoir (Carraizo) has been nearly halved as a result of sedimentation. Sedimentation is also the main problem affecting the Dos Bocas, Lucchetti, and Loco Lakes, all of which are at critical levels, threatening their storage capacity and water quality, because water turbidity increases as reservoir levels decrease. The rapid sediment accumulation has reduced the useful life of the most important reservoirs by sixty (60) percent. Therefore, the United States Congress failure to take immediate action and appropriate the funds needed to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs would hinder the hydropower generation and drinking water supply for the thousands U.S. citizens who reside on the Island. The critical levels of these four (4) reservoirs calls for the urgent dredging and restoration of these bodies of water, so that they may serve the purposes for which they were built, as well as to mitigate and [[Page S3214]] control future flooding in the communities surrounding these bodies of water. For all of the foregoing, this Legislative Assembly deems it necessary and convenient to request the Congress of the United States of America, on behalf of the U.S. citizens born in this U.S. Territory, to appropriate funds and resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico: Section 1.--The Congress of the United States of America is hereby requested to take action to appropriate funds and resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the catastrophic wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico. Section 2.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated into English, be delivered to the President of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the Leadership of the Congress of the United States of America. Section 3.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated into English, be delivered to the President of the United States of America. Section 4.--Provided, further, that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be delivered to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and the Office of the Resident Commissioner in Washington, D.C., the Honorable Jenniffer A. Gonzalez-Colon, to join the efforts of the members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico to promote and to achieve that funds be appropriated to Puerto Rico for the dredging of these important bodies of water. Section 5.--This Concurrent Resolution shall take effect upon its approval. ____ POM-78. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislative Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requesting the United States Congress to take action to appropriate funds and resources as necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60 It is a known fact that Puerto Rico has no natural lakes. Hence, in the early 20th century, it was necessary to build the first reservoir or artificial lake, so as to address fundamental needs such as water storage for residential or industrial consumption, hydropower generation, irrigation of agricultural lands, and flooding control and mitigation, among other important uses. Today, we have thirty-six (36) main reservoirs formed by the dams built in the rivers located in the mountain region in the center of the Island, and two (2) outside of the main riverbeds in the eastern region, It is true that reservoirs are Puerto Rico's most important source of water, however, issues such as sedimentation, the lack of reforestation plans, and the accelerated erosion caused by urban development, among other aspects, have seriously affected the storage capacity of these bodies of water. In addition to the foregoing, after hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall on September 2017, many of our lakes were severely affected by a sudden accumulation of sediment. The path followed by hurricane Irma--a category-5 hurricane-- brought it really close to the island, and two weeks later, hurricane Maria made landfall on the island. Hurricane Maria has been classified as one of the most powerful natural disasters to ever affect Puerto Rico in recent history. The latter left a lot of devastation, flooding, torrential rain, and severe damage across the island. The catastrophic effects of these weather events had a significant impact on four (4) of our most important reservoirs. Out of the lakes that supply our drinking water, Loiza (Carraizo) is one of the most affected by sedimentation. Said sedimentation has reduced the depth of the lake thus impairing its capacity to collect water, despite being fed primarily by the Rio Grande de Loiza, which is the largest river on the island. The storage capacity of the Loiza reservoir (Carraizo) has been nearly halved as a result of sedimentation. Sedimentation is also the main problem affecting the Dos Bocas, Lucchetti, and Loco Lakes, all of which are at critical levels, threatening their storage capacity and water quality, because water turbidity increases as reservoir levels decrease. The rapid sediment accumulation has reduced the useful life of the most important reservoirs by sixty (60) percent. Therefore, the United States Congress failure to take immediate action and appropriate the funds needed to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs would hinder the hydropower generation and drinking water supply for the thousands U.S. citizens who reside on the Island. The critical levels of these four (4) reservoirs calls for the urgent dredging and restoration of these bodies of water, so that they may serve the purposes for which they were built, as well as to mitigate and control future flooding in the communities surrounding these bodies of water. For all of the foregoing, this Legislative Assembly deems it necessary and convenient to request the Congress of the United States of America, on behalf of the U.S. citizens born in this U.S. Territory, to appropriate funds and resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico: Section l.--The Congress of the United States of America is hereby requested to take action to appropriate funds and resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo ), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the catastrophic wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico. Section 2.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated into English, be delivered to the President of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the Leadership of the Congress of the United States of America. Section 3.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated into English, be delivered to the President of the United States of America. Section 4.--Provided, further, that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be delivered to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and the Office of the Resident Commissioner in Washington, DC, the Honorable Jenniffer A. Gonzalez-Colon, to join the efforts of the members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico to promote and to achieve that funds be appropriated to Puerto Rico for the dredging of these important bodies of water. Section 5.--This Concurrent Resolution shall take effect upon its approval. ____ POM-79. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Michigan urging the United States Congress to continue full funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senate Resolution No. 25 Whereas, the Great Lakes are a critical resource for our nation, supporting the economy and a way of life in Michigan and the other seven states within the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world's surface freshwater and 90 percent of the United States' surface freshwater. This globally significant freshwater resource provides drinking water for more than 30 million people and directly supports 1.5 million jobs, generating $62 billion in wages; and Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has provided crucial funding to support long overdue work to protect and restore the Great Lakes. In partnership with the states, local governments, and other organizations, the federal government has invested more than $3 billion and supported over 4,700 projects over the last decade, including around $600 million for more than 1,100 projects in Michigan. These projects have cleaned up toxic pollution. reduced runoff from cities and forms, combatted invasive species, and restored fish and wildlife habitat; and Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made a significant difference and represents a sound investment in both the environment and the economies of the Great Lakes region. A 2018 study calculated that for every federal dollar invested in Great Lakes restoration there is $3.35 in additional economic activity, with older industrial cities like Detroit seeing an even higher return on investment; and Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made a particular difference in addressing toxic hot spots around the Great Lakes. Prior to the GLRI, only one of these 31 ``areas of concern'' within the United States had been cleaned up in more than 20 years. Since 2010, GLRI funding has facilitated the cleanup of six additional areas of concern, five in Michigan. Cleaning up these areas of concerns makes a real difference to the environment as well as local economies by improving water quality, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, enhancing recreational opportunities, and facilitating new development; and Whereas, far more work needs to be done. Whether toxic algal blooms shutting down Toledo's drinking water supply, invasive carp threatening billion-dollar fisheries, or contaminated sediments restricting recreational opportunities, substantial limitations and threats to the use of the Great Lakes remain. Twenty-four areas of concern still need additional cleanup work done, including eight in Michigan. These problems require a collaborative effort to solve; and Whereas, less than 40 percent of the available funds have been spent in recent years cleaning up the federally designated areas of concern. Greater emphasis should be placed on addressing these sites, including having most of the available dollars designated towards completing cleanup of the remaining areas of concern. While other needs have merit as well, cleaning up these sites would bring significant benefits to impacted communities; and Whereas, the President's Fiscal Year 2020 federal budget proposes to reduce funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by 90 [[Page S3215]] percent, though later commitments pledged to continue funding at past levels. This continued funding is appreciated as restoration efforts will only become more expensive and more difficult if they are not addressed in the coming years. The federal government needs to remain an active partner with the Great Lakes region; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to continue full funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; and be it further Resolved, That we encourage that funding be prioritized towards cleaning up and delisting the remaining Great Lakes areas of concern and that a detailed comprehensive strategy and schedule be developed to direct the use of funding for the areas of concern; and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation. ____ POM-80. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, urging the Ohio congressional delegation to support the proposed Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act; to the Committee on Finance. ____________________
All in Senate sectionPrev45 of 61Next