[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.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-367. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Agriculture, 
     Nutrition and Forestry.

                   ``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 36

       ``Whereas, the discovery of a virulent species of whitefly 
     that attacks most crops, continued outbreaks of Mediterranean 
     and Mexican fruit flies in many parts of the state, extensive 
     damage to graperoot stock by phylloxera, and the imminent 
     arrival of Africanized honey bees join a growing list of 
     pests and diseases that threaten the long-term health and 
     economic vitality of California agriculture; and
       ``Whereas, farmers in California and across the United 
     States are faced with the wholesale loss of many of the 
     synthetic pesticides and chemicals that they have relied upon 
     for control and eradication of pests; and
       ``Whereas, recent studies of available pest management 
     alternatives conducted by the University of California and 
     others reveal that economically viable and environmentally 
     compatible alternatives are not yet available for many 
     pesticides and chemicals; and
       ``Whereas, insect and microbial pests are showing increased 
     resistance to many of the compounds which remain on the 
     market; and
       ``Whereas, research into promising new pest management 
     technologies and strategies has met with some success over 
     the past decade, most notably in the areas of integrated pest 
     management, biological control, and bioengineering; however, 
     nothing short of a major expansion and acceleration of 
     research focusing on long-range solutions is required; and
       ``Whereas, California agriculture is not only in danger of 
     losing the ongoing battle against pests with subsequent 
     reductions in the quality of food and fiber produced, but 
     could see access to many foreign markets closed or severely 
     restricted with significant negative impacts to the state's 
     economy; and
       ``Whereas, the Conference Report from the United States 
     House and Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittees 
     for the 1991 fiscal year, in response to the challenges cited 
     above, directed the United States Department of Agriculture 
     (USDA) to conduct a study of alternative pest management 
     containment and quarantine facility needs in California; and
       ``Whereas, a USDA facility study panel visited the Davis 
     and Riverside campuses of the University of California in 
     June 1991 and concluded their report with the recommendation 
     that construction of these facilities `could have a 
     significant [positive] impact on U.S. agriculture'; and
       ``Whereas, the University of California, in cooperation 
     with the USDA, the Department of Food and Agriculture, 
     commodity groups, and other interested parties, is proposing 
     the construction of modern, environmentally secure, 
     alternative pest management containment and quarantine 
     facilities at the Riverside and Davis campuses; and
       ``Whereas, these modern containment and quarantine 
     facilities, once operational, would support a comprehensive, 
     integrated program designed to draw upon the breadth of 
     university, state, and federal expertise within California 
     and the nation; and
       ``Whereas, construction of the proposed facilities would 
     provide significant, long-term benefits to growers, ranchers, 
     environmentalists, and consumers as a result of research 
     leading to reduced applications of pesticides and other 
     chemicals and acceptance and expanded use of biological 
     control agents, genetically engineered organisms, and other 
     `cutting-edge' technologies; and
       ``Whereas, the research conducted in these facilities would 
     be in accordance with the agricultural pest quarantine 
     regulations and restrictions enforced by the Department of 
     Food and Agriculture and the USDA; and
       ``Whereas, these facilities would conduct research that 
     serves the interests of agriculture in California as its 
     foremost purpose; and
       ``Whereas, the combined resources of this federal-state 
     partnership would permit a focused, mission-oriented research 
     program on a scale not otherwise possible; and
       ``Whereas, this federal-state partnership for agricultural 
     research has led to significant breakthroughs and advances 
     over the past century to the benefit of every American 
     consumer; and
       ``Whereas, this research also has helped build an export 
     industry that generates billions of dollars annually in net 
     income to the economy of the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the Congress already has provided funding in the 
     USDA-Cooperative State Research Service budget for the 1992 
     and 1993 fiscal years for predesign work associated with the 
     proposed facilities at the Davis and Riverside campuses; and
       ``Whereas, this funding has been matched by the University 
     of California; now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly,
       ``That the Congress and the President of the United States 
     are respectfully memorialized to support the construction of 
     modern, state-of-the-art, alternative pest management 
     containment and quarantine facilities in California; and be 
     it further
       ``Resolved, That, beginning in the 1994 fiscal year, the 
     Congress provide construction funds on a cost-share basis 
     with the State of California for a 21,400 assignable square 
     foot laboratory and support facility at the University of 
     California, Riverside, to accelerate research leading to the 
     development of biological and other natural controls for the 
     whitefly and other pests; and be it further
       ``Resolved, beginning in the 1994 fiscal year, the Congress 
     provide construction funds on a cost-share basis with the 
     State of California for a 40,000 assignable square foot 
     containment and quarantine facility at the University of 
     California, Davis, that will support research into 
     environmentally compatible pest management strategies, 
     including biological control, bioengineering, genetically 
     altered organisms, and other promising biotechnology 
     applications; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That Congress appropriate adequate funds, 
     beginning in the 1994 fiscal year, to allow construction to 
     be sequenced, with the biological control laboratory at 
     Riverside proposed for completion by the 1996 fiscal year and 
     the biological control, biotechnology, and bioengineering 
     containment facility at Davis proposed for completion during 
     the 1997 fiscal year; 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, to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States, to the 
     Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and to the 
     United States Secretary of Agriculture.''
                                  ____

       POM-368. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                   ``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 53

       ``Whereas, the Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, 
     California, is on the United States Base Closure and 
     Realignment Commission's list of military bases recommended 
     for closure; and
       ``Whereas, the closing of Norton Air Force base may result 
     in a devastating loss of more than 9,000 jobs in the San 
     Bernardino area; and
       ``Whereas, in September 1993, the Department of Defense 
     will name a limited number of new Defense Finance and 
     Accounting Service centers to be located throughout the 
     country; and
       ``Whereas, as the ``accounting firm'' for the Department of 
     Defense, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service has taken 
     over responsibility of installation-level accounting and 
     reporting for all general funds, the Defense Business 
     Operations Fund, revolving funds, trust funds, accounts 
     payable, accounts receivable, billings, debt management, cash 
     accounting, funds authentication, and certain managerial 
     accounting functions; and
       ``Whereas, the Norton Air Force Base site is ideally suited 
     for the location of a Defense Finance and Accounting Service 
     center; and
       ``Whereas, the existing Norton Air Force Base 
     infrastructure could easily be adapted for Defense Finance 
     and Accounting Service center use; and
       ``Whereas, a Defense Finance and Accounting Service center 
     at Norton Air Force Base would provide highly cost-effective 
     service and support of Department of Defense activities on 
     the West Coast and Hawaii; and
       ``Whereas, preliminary studies indicate that a minimal 
     expense of approximately $4 million would be required to 
     establish a Defense Finance and Accounting Service center at 
     Norton Air Force Base and that this initial startup cost 
     would be offset by reduced severance payouts; and
       ``Whereas, with a Defense Finance and Accounting Service 
     center at Norton Air Force Base serving as an ``anchor'' 
     tenant and employing between 3,000 and 4,000 people, its 
     siting would begin the prompt conversion of Norton Air Force 
     Base prior to operational closure; and
       ``Whereas, a Defense Finance and Accounting Service center 
     at Norton Air Force Base would have the added benefit of 
     encouraging other new businesses to locate there; and
       ``Whereas, Norton Air Force Base was the only California 
     military facility considered earlier this year as one of 20 
     finalists for the selection of a new Defense Finance and 
     Accounting Service center; now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly,
       ``That the Legislature of the State of California 
     respectfully memorialize the President and Congress of the 
     United States and the Secretary of the Department of Defense 
     to designate the Norton Air Force Base as a location for a 
     Defense Finance and Accounting Service center; 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, to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States, and to the 
     Secretary of the United States Department of Defense.''
                                  ____

       POM-369. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of the Town of North Redington Beach, Florida relative to the 
     National Flood Insurance Program; to the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
       POM-370. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of Madison County, Tennessee relative to Interstate 69; to 
     the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-371. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Tennessee; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                             ``Proclamation

       ``Whereas, the General Assembly believes that the 
     underdeveloped area of West Tennessee outside the 
     metropolitan areas of Jackson and Memphis suffers from the 
     lack of a major North-South transportation corridor; and
       ``Whereas, the collective annual average unemployment rate 
     for this area was 43.8 percent above the national 
     unemployment rate for 1980 through 1990; and
       ``Whereas, the unemployment rate for minorities, which make 
     up almost one-fourth of the population of the area, was 50 
     percent higher than the national average in 1990; and
       ``Whereas, the population of this area declined by more 
     than 3 percent from 1980 to 1990 due primarily to lack of 
     employment opportunities; and
       ``Whereas, 16 percent of families and 22 percent of 
     children are below the poverty level; and
       ``Whereas, the per capita income in the area is 30 percent 
     below the national level; and
       ``Whereas, this currently underdeveloped area in West 
     Tennessee shows strong potential for economic growth and 
     development, being strategically located within 500 miles of 
     76 percent of the nation's major markets; and
       ``Whereas, the Interstate 69 extension, a high priority 
     corridor of the U.S. Department of Transportation, could 
     provide a means for this area to develop to its potential by 
     providing a North-South transportation route; now, therefore,
       ``I, Lieutenant Governor John S. Wilder, Speaker of the 
     Senate of the 98th General Assembly, at the request of and in 
     conjunction with Senator Joe Nip McKnight, do hereby 
     respectfully request that the route of the proposed 
     Interstate 69 extension from Indianapolis to Houston pass 
     through the underdeveloped area of West Tennessee.''
                                  ____

       POM-372. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Tennessee; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                              Proclamation

       ``Whereas, the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     Eighth General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 200 and 
     the Senate of the Ninety-Eighth General Assembly passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution 167, both of which dealt with the 
     route of the proposed Interstate 69 extension; and
       ``Whereas, the General Assembly believes that the 
     underdeveloped area of West Tennessee outside the 
     metropolitan areas of Jackson and Memphis suffers from the 
     lack of a major North-South transportation corridor; and
       ``Whereas, the collective annual average unemployment rate 
     for this area was forty-three and eight-tenths percent 
     (43.8%) above the national unemployment rate for 1980 through 
     1990;
       ``Whereas, the unemployment rate for minorities, which make 
     up almost one-fourth (1/4) of the population of the area, was 
     fifty percent (50%) higher than the national average in 1990; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the population of this area declined by more 
     than three percent (3%) from 1980 to 1990 due primarily to 
     lack of employment opportunities; and
       ``Whereas, sixteen percent (16%) of families and twenty-two 
     percent (22%) of children are below the poverty level; and
       ``Whereas, the per capita income in the area is thirty 
     percent (30%) below the national level; and
       ``Whereas, this currently underdeveloped area in West 
     Tennessee shows strong potential for economic growth and 
     development, being strategically located within five hundred 
     (500) miles of seventy-six percent (76%) of the nation's 
     major markets; and
       ``Whereas, the Interstate 69 extension, a high priority 
     corridor of the U.S. Department of Transportation, could 
     provide a means for this area to develop to its potential by 
     providing a North-South transportation route; now, therefore,
       ``I, Jimmy Naifeh, Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     of the Ninety-Eighth General Assembly of the State of 
     Tennessee, at the request of and in conjunction with 
     Representative Matt Kisber, do hereby proclaim and 
     respectfully request that the route of the proposed 
     Interstate 69 extension from Indianapolis to Houston pass 
     through the underdeveloped area of West Tennessee.''
                                  ____

       POM-373. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                   ``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 47

       ``Whereas, H.R. 2853 has been introduced in the United 
     States Congress to create the San Gabriel Basin Demonstration 
     Project to improve the quality of groundwater in the San 
     Gabriel Basin; and
       ``Whereas, the San Gabriel Basin presents a unique set of 
     environmental problems; the San Gabriel Valley is a 195 
     square mile area located approximately 10 to 20 miles 
     northeast of downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County; and 
     it is the home of 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 people who rely on 
     the groundwater of the basin for their primary drinking 
     water; and
       ``Whereas, the San Gabriel Basin is the most heavily 
     contaminated potable groundwater basin in the United States; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the groundwater in the San Gabriel Basin is 
     heavily contaminated with toxic volatile organic compounds 
     (VOCs), including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene 
     (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTC); four separate areas of 
     contamination in the San Gabriel Basin are listed on the 
     National Priority List (NPL) of the Superfund; and the areas 
     where the VOC contamination exceeds drinking water standards 
     cover approximately 30 to 40 square miles; and
       ``Whereas, the VOCs in the San Gabriel Basin have been 
     generated by hundreds of commercial and industrial 
     facilities, scattered throughout the San Gabriel Valley, over 
     a period of more than 30 years; and
       ``Whereas, the San Gabriel Basin is also heavily 
     contaminated with nitrates from over a century and a half of 
     agriculture and ranching in the valley as well as from 
     industrial and residential septic systems; and
       ``Whereas, once contaminated, groundwater is very difficult 
     to clean up and a plume of polluted groundwater will migrate 
     and spread contaminants wherever it flows; and
       ``Whereas, forty-five different water purveyors take water 
     from the basin; and because the groundwater flows under 
     hundreds of different facilities, apportioning responsibility 
     could be a very complicated and litigious process; and
       ``Whereas, there are approximately 275 public water supply 
     wells in the San Gabriel Basin; and 80 wells have 
     contamination levels exceeding current federal drinking water 
     standards; and
       ``Whereas, the San Gabriel Basin Demonstration Project 
     would enable the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 
     cooperation with the Main San Gabriel Basin Water Quality 
     Authority, and in consultation with all local water agencies 
     in the San Gabriel and Central Basins, to clean up the 
     groundwater of the San Gabriel Basin; specified facilities 
     would be encouraged to contract with the EPA to pay their 
     share of the cleanup costs; and those facilities that 
     contracted the EPA and fulfilled their obligations would be 
     exempted from Superfund liability
       ``Whereas, the San Gabriel Basin Demonstration Project 
     presents a unique opportunity for the community to solve a 
     difficult problem by working together with the federal 
     government in a public-private partnership; now, therefore, 
     be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California memorializes the President and Congress of the 
     United States to enact H.R. 2853; 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, to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States, and to the 
     Governor of California.''
                                  ____

       POM-374. A resolution adopted by the Commission of the City 
     of Miami, Florida relative to Taiwan; to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.
       POM-375. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.
       POM-376. A resolution adopted by the National Institute of 
     Municipal Law Officers relative to violent crime; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-377. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     West Virginia; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       ``Senate Resolution No. 16

       ``Whereas, legal injustice and discrimination on the basis 
     of gender have long existed; and
       ``Whereas, efforts to defeat final ratification of the 
     Equal Rights Amendment were aided in great measure by an 
     insensitivity to the essential injustice long suffered by the 
     woman of this country because of established discrimination 
     on the basis of gender; and
       ``Whereas, the citizens of West Virginia clearly support an 
     end to discrimination on the basis of gender through an 
     amendment to the Constitution of this nation, as the United 
     States has previously renounced slavery, racial 
     discrimination and denial of the right to vote on the basis 
     of race or gender; and
       ``Whereas, in 1972, Congress proposed a federal Equal 
     Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution to provide 
     for equality of the law regardless of gender, which was 
     narrowly defeated in 1982; and
       ``Whereas, the West Virginia Senate prefers that each state 
     ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment to achieve a 
     uniform national policy; and
       ``Whereas, the Equal Rights Amendment provide that gender 
     should not be a factor in determining the legal rights of men 
     and women and thereby recognizes the fundamental dignity, 
     individuality and worth of each human being; and
       ``Whereas, the West Virginia Senate again stands ready to 
     ratify a federal Equal Rights Amendment when approved by 
     Congress for state ratification; therefore,
       ``Be It Resolved by the Senate:
       ``That the Senate of the state of West Virginia 
     respectfully requests the President and the Congress of the 
     United States to propose to the several states an amendment 
     to the Constitution of the United States stating that all men 
     and women are equal under the law; and, be it
       ``Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to 
     forward a copy 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 West Virginia in 
     the Congress of the United States.''

                          ____________________