July 18, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 121 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 121
(Senate - July 18, 2019)
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[Pages S4945-S4946] 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-118. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of New Jersey urging the United States Congress to enact the Military Hunger Prevention Act; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Joint Resolution No. 73 Whereas, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, provides assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families to buy healthy, nutritious food at a network of participating stores and farmer's markets, and is the country's most important anti-hunger program; and Whereas, The federal government pays for the cost of SNAP benefits and the program's eligibility rules are primarily set at the federal level, while the costs of administering the program are shared between the federal government and the states; and Whereas, In a typical month in 2017, the SNAP program helped more than 40 million low-income Americans afford a nutritionally adequate diet; and Whereas, Most recipients of SNAP who are able to work are working while receiving benefits, which demonstrates the need of many working families, including those with a member in the armed forces, for assistance, particularly during economic downturns; and Whereas, In 2015, more than $80 million in SNAP benefits were used to buy food at military commissaries; and many military installations have food pantries or food banks that provide food to military families who are in need; and Whereas, According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, two percent of active duty military families, or approximately 23,000 families, received SNAP benefits from 2009 to 2012, and six percent of respondents of the Blue Star Family [[Page S4946]] Lifestyle Survey reported using emergency food relief in 2017; and Whereas, Military families that do not reside on a military base or installation receive a Basic Housing Allowance (BAH), which is meant to offset the cost of civilian housing for those who do not reside in government-provided housing, and the rate of the BAH depends on location, pay grade, and number of dependents of the service member; and Whereas, Although the BAH is intended to offset the cost of civilian housing for servicemen and women who do not live on a military base, the amount of the BAH is currently considered as income for purposes of determining eligibility for SNAP, and certain other benefits, pursuant to federal law; and Whereas, The ``Military Hunger Prevention Act,'' \1\ [currently] previously \1\ pending in Congress as H.R. 1078 and S. 2488, would amend federal law to exclude the BAH when determining eligibility for certain federal benefits, including SNAP; and Whereas, Among the many economic challenges faced by members of the military are: relatively low pay compared to non-military occupations; infrequent and insufficient pay raises; frequent transfers or deployments, particularly when the transfer is to a region of the country with a comparatively high cost of living; and the difficulty of spouses to find well-paying, long-term employment due to those transfers and deployments; and Whereas, In order that members of the armed services and their families, who make considerable personal sacrifices to protect and serve the United States, have sufficient and nutritious food on their tables, it is fitting and proper that the law be amended to exclude the BHA from income for purposes of determining eligibility for SNAP and other federal programs; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. The Legislature and Governor of New Jersey respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to \1\ introduce and \1\ enact the ``Military Hunger Prevention Act,'' \1\ [currently pending in both houses of Congress.] \1\ so that those members of the armed forces who make considerable sacrifices in order to serve our country, yet face hunger or require assistance, are able to benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other benefits, notwithstanding their receipt of a Basic Housing Allowance. 2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress elected from this State. \1\ 3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.\1\ ____ POM-119. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois urging the United States Congress to enact legislation making United States policy not to start a nuclear war and to prohibit the funding of further development and production of additional nuclear weapons; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. House Resolution No. 61 Whereas, The use of even a small number of nuclear weapons could have catastrophic human, environmental, health, and economic consequences globally; and Whereas, Approximately 14,000 nuclear weapons still exist in the world and pose an intolerable risk to humanity; and Whereas, The United States has over 6,000 nuclear weapons, which combined are more than 100 times more powerful than all the weapons used during World War II; and Whereas, The United States is currently planning to spend nearly $2 trillion over the next 30 years rebuilding its entire nuclear weapons arsenal; this is a gross misuse of funds that could instead be devoted to improving security, health, and education; and Whereas, The United States maintains nearly 1,000 nuclear weapons on high alert so they are ready for launch within minutes of a presidential decision to do so, making them vulnerable to accidents, unauthorized use, cyber attacks, and miscalculations, thereby increasing the risk of nuclear use; and Whereas, The United States currently reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to non-nuclear attacks by Russia, China, or North Korea, nations that could respond by using their own nuclear weapons, resulting in a nuclear war that could have devastating consequences; and Whereas, The sole purpose of U.S. nuclear weapons should be to deter a nuclear attack on the United States, its forces, and its allies; there is no reason for the United States to ever use nuclear weapons first; and Whereas, The U.S. President has sole authority to order a nuclear attack without any consultation or input; leaving the decision to one individual increases the chance of a nuclear weapon being used; and Whereas, A policy renouncing the first use of nuclear weapons would severely constrain the ability of the President to order a nuclear attack, allowing attacks only in response to a nuclear attack; and Whereas, Americans and all people on the planet should have the right to live a life free from the threat of nuclear weapons; and Whereas, The United States should immediately change its policies, as well as actively pursue verifiable agreements with other nuclear-armed nations to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and eliminate them from the planet; therefore, be it Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the One Hundred First General Assembly of the State of Illinois, that, as an important first step, we call on the President of the United States to make it the policy of the U.S. that it will not start a nuclear war and therefore will not use nuclear weapons first, and we call on the United States Congress to pass legislation supporting this policy; and be it further Resolved, That we call on Congress to not fund the development and production of additional U.S. nuclear weapons that can produce a relatively small nuclear explosion, making them suitable for rogue nuclear war-fighting and potentially lowering the threshold to using nuclear weapons first; and be it further Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, the U.S. Speaker of the House, the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation. ____ POM-120. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the United States Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund; to the Committee on the Judiciary. House Resolution No. 343 Whereas, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was created in 2001 to compensate individuals for illnesses and deaths due to exposure to toxins at the September 11th attack sites; and Whereas, the fund was reauthorized in 2011 and then again in 2015, allowing individuals to submit claims until December 18, 2020; and Whereas, the World Trade Center Health Program was essentially established to diagnose and treat medical issues of September 11th responders and victims; and Whereas, the $7.3 billion fund has already paid out approximately $5 billion to 21,000 claimants and still has approximately 19,000 additional claims; and Whereas, insufficient money exists to pay current and projected claims at the same levels under current procedures, and claimants that are unpaid will see a drastic cut in payments; and Whereas, more than 90,000 Americans, including approximately 1,500 residents of this Commonwealth, struggle with illnesses related to the September 11th attacks as of 2018; and Whereas, the fund should be reuthorized and fully funded through 2090, which will make it last until the 2090 expiration date of the World Trade Center Health Program; Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United States to reauthorize and fully fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund; and be it further Resolved, That copies 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. ____________________
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