[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 82 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 24, 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-528. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                   ``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 19

       ``Whereas, the safety and soundness of the banking system 
     within the United States is important to the well-being and 
     financial security of businesses and individuals in all the 
     states; and
       ``Whereas, the State of California and the federal 
     government, through a system of state and federal bank 
     regulation, oversee the safety and soundness of the state and 
     national banks in California; and
       ``Whereas, the commercial banks of California rate as being 
     among the best managed and best capitalized in the United 
     States; and
       ``Whereas, sound economic growth in the communities of 
     California is desirable and needed; and
       ``Whereas, restrictive laws and government regulations, 
     such as documentation and policy requirements governing real 
     estate lending, have resulted in increased compliance costs 
     and often inappropriate requirements for California financial 
     institutions which have decreased the availability for credit 
     for California businesses and individuals; and
       ``Whereas, many borrowers, including women and communities 
     of color, are finding it more difficult or impossible to 
     obtain credit from California's banks because of unnecessary 
     government regulations; and
       ``Whereas, lending to women and communities of color is an 
     important action directly leading to improving the economy in 
     areas of traditionally high unemployment and job 
     displacement; and
       ``Whereas, economic growth can best be encouraged and 
     maintained by reducing the costs of borrowing money and 
     allowing more reasonable credit to be extended to all 
     businesses and individuals; and
       ``Whereas, the viability and the safety and soundness of 
     the banking system would not be harmed by eliminating many 
     unneeded laws and regulations; now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urge the United 
     States Congress to review those laws which regulate the 
     banking system; to repeal those laws found to be unduly 
     restrictive, burdensome, and unnecessary to protect the 
     safety and soundness of the banking system; to further direct 
     the federal agencies responsible for banking regulations to 
     review regulations that may inhibit lending to small 
     businesses, women, communities of color, and agricultural 
     borrowers; and to modify and rescind those regulations; and 
     be it further
       ``Resolved, That the President of the United States is 
     urged to use the authority of the executive branch of the 
     federal government to reduce overregulation of the banking 
     system by administrative act and to seek necessary 
     legislative changes; 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, and to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States.''
                                  ____

       POM-529. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                           ``House Resolution

       ``Whereas, the One Dollar Coin Act of 1993 (H.R. 1322) 
     under consideration in the United States Congress would, if 
     enacted in its present form, mandate the elimination of the 
     one dollar bill, and the replacement of the bill with a one 
     dollar coin; and
       ``Whereas, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has, for over 
     100 years, produced the paper from which U.S. currency, 
     including the one dollar bill, is made, and takes great pride 
     in the product; and
       ``Whereas, the elimination of the one dollar bill would 
     have a severely negative impact on the local economies of the 
     western region, to include job cutbacks, and on the 
     Commonwealth's economy in general; and
       ``Whereas, the economies of the western region have 
     suffered greatly in past years due to manufacturing job 
     reductions and attendant economic impacts; and
       ``Whereas, the ``benefits'' claimed by proponents of the 
     dollar coin are highly suspect, and would come at the overall 
     expense of the people of the Commonwealth; and
       ``Whereas, the paper from which currency is made comes from 
     renewable resources and recycled industrial products, while 
     the metals to produce coins come from environmentally 
     damaging hardrock mining; and
       ``Whereas, the prices of coin operated machines will likely 
     rise with the replacement of the dollar bill with a dollar 
     coin, thereby negatively impacting those least able to afford 
     such price rises; and
       ``Whereas, the overwhelming majority of Americans have 
     consistently opposed replacing the dollar bill with a dollar 
     coin; therefore be it
       ``Resolved, that the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
     calls upon the members of its Congressional delegation to 
     withdraw any support of H.R. 1322, and to work actively to 
     defeat such legislation or any other measure which mandates 
     elimination of the one dollar bill; and be it further
       ``Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be forwarded 
     by the clerk of the House of Representatives to the presiding 
     officer of each brach of Congress and to the members thereof 
     from this Commonwealth.''
                                  ____

       POM-530. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of New Hampshire; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
     and Urban Affairs.

                   ``Senate Concurrent Resolution 10

       ``Whereas, billions of board feet of unprocessed logs are 
     exported annually from United States ports to other nations; 
     and
       ``Whereas, it has been calculated that each one million 
     board feet of unprocessed logs exported represents an 
     estimated 3 to 4 jobs potentially lost from the domestic 
     manufacturing economy; and
       ``Whereas, unprocessed logs are being exported from the 
     port of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and other eastern ports 
     including Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island and 
     Albany, New York and that it is projected that the volume of 
     exported unprocessed logs will continue to increase; and
       ``Whereas, states west of the 100th meridian are authorized 
     under the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief 
     Act of 1990, as amended to regulate the export of unprocessed 
     logs from state, county, or municipal lands; and
       ``Whereas, the people of the state of Hew Hampshire have 
     long been staunch advocates of states' rights, now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 
     concurring, That the general court of New Hamsphire hereby 
     urges the United States Congress to authorize states east of 
     the 100th meridian to regulate the export of unprocessed logs 
     from state, county and municipal lands, pursuant to authority 
     provided under the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage 
     Relief Act of 1990, as amended which now exits for states 
     west of the 100th meridian; and
       ``That the general court further urges the United States 
     Congress to extend the ban which now exists on exports of 
     unprocessed logs from federal lands west of the 100th 
     meridian to federal lands east of the 100th meridian, also 
     pursuant to authority under the Forest Resources Conservation 
     and Shortage Relief Act of 1990, as amended; and
       ``That copies of this resolution, signed by the president 
     of the senate and the speaker of the house, be forwarded by 
     the senate clerk to the President of the United States, to 
     the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of 
     the United States House of Representatives, and to each 
     member of the New Hampshire Congressional delegation.''
                                  ____

       POM-531. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                       ``Senate Resolution No. 41

       ``Whereas, the Space Station program will provide a 
     research facility in space for materials science, 
     biotechnology, and fundamental sciences, as well as life 
     sciences research in operation medicine and life support 
     system development; and
       ``Whereas, it is critical that America improve its 
     competitive advantage in the global economy by having a 
     strong educational program in the fields of science and math; 
     and
       ``Whereas, America needs to stimulate interest in the pure 
     sciences to improve its educational system, and the Space 
     Station program will inspire young Americans to excel by 
     illustrating future employment opportunities in the fields of 
     science and math; and
       ``Whereas, the Space Station program is the largest 
     international venture in science and technology ever 
     undertaken, with 12 countries--including 9 countries in the 
     European Space Agency, as well as Japan, Russia, and Canada--
     having already contributed more than $3 billion to the 
     program and having agreed to contribute more than $8 billion 
     to the program; and
       ``Whereas, the Space Station program has more than 500 
     suppliers in 37 states, and employs tens of thousands of 
     people in highly skilled, and well-paid manufacturing 
     positions; and
       ``Whereas, the Space Station program has created more than 
     4,500 jobs in California and more than $600,000,000 has been 
     spent annually in the state in connection with the program; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the aerospace industry is one of America's most 
     competitive and vibrant industries, generating more than $30 
     billion in surplus international trade annually; and
       ``Whereas, some members of the Congress of the United 
     States are unwisely considering eliminating funding for the 
     Space Station program; now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That 
     the Legislature hereby expresses its support for the 
     continued funding of the Space Station program; and be it 
     further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, to the President pro Tempore of the 
     United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.''
                                  ____

       POM-532. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Tennessee; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                    ``House Joint Resolution No. 371

       ``A resolution to urge the United States Congress to 
     regulate the sale of violent and offensive video games.
       ``Whereas, it is a lawful purpose of the United States 
     Congress to enact laws to protect and promote the general 
     welfare, health, safety, and morals of the citizens of this 
     great nation; and
       ``Whereas, Congress is empowered to enact such laws 
     pursuant to the Constitution; and
       ``Whereas, violence has become an all too common occurrence 
     in our daily lives; and
       ``Whereas, violence is invading our homes through a variety 
     of sources and affecting our most precious resource--our 
     children; and
       ``Whereas, video games depicting violent acts, offensive 
     behavior, and degrading actions are readily available for 
     purchase; and
       ``Whereas, such games provide no educational, emotional, or 
     ethical benefit; now, therefore,
       ``Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the 
     Ninety-Eighth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the 
     Senate Concurring, That we strongly urge the Congress of the 
     United States to regulate the sale of violent, offensive and 
     degrading video games.
       ``Be it further resolved, That copies of this resolution be 
     sent to President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, each 
     member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation, the Clerk 
     of the United States House of Representatives, and the 
     Secretary of the United States Senate.''
                                  ____

       POM-533. A resolution adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of 
     the City of Ketchikan, Alaska relative to Federal lands; to 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-534. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas; to the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources.

                      ``Senate Joint Res. No. 9-6

       ``Finding, that Section 901 of the Covenant (approved by 
     U.S. Public Law 94-241, 90 Stat. 263), provides for the 
     appointment or election of a Resident Representative to the 
     United States;
       ``Finding, that the current status of Commonwealth-federal 
     relations, which is marred by miscommunication, 
     misinterpretation, and misinformation is further exacerbated 
     by the lack of a constant and vigilant Commonwealth voice and 
     presence in the House of Representatives and its various 
     committees and subcommittees;
       ``Taking note that the Covenant negotiating history makes 
     it clear that Section 901 does not preclude the Government of 
     the Northern Marianas from requesting that the Resident 
     Representative be given non-voting delegate status in the 
     Congress of the United States;
       ``Finding further that Article V, Section 2, of the 
     Commonwealth Constitution as amended by Constitutional 
     Amendment 24, provides that the United States may confer the 
     status of non-voting member delegate in the United States 
     Congress on the Resident Representatives;
       ``Observing that P.L. 3-92 (Title 1, CMC, Division 4, 
     Sec. 4101) provides that the Resident Representative shall 
     function pursuant to Article V of the Constitution and the 
     terms and conditions set forth in Division 4;
       ``Observing further that P.L. 3-92, Sec. 2(b)(Title 1, CMC, 
     Division 4, Sec. 4202(b)) prescribes the following duties for 
     the Resident Representative: ``To represent the Commonwealth 
     and the people of the Commonwealth on a full-time basis 
     before the Congress of the United States, its committees and 
     subcommittees. . . .''
       ``Holding it to be true that non-voting delegate status for 
     the Resident Representative would neither diminish the full 
     force and effect of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth 
     of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the 
     United States of America nor in any sense abrogate, qualify, 
     or release rightful claims to local self-government contained 
     in Article I, Section 103 of the Covenant; it is
       ``Resolved by the Senate of the Ninth Northern Marianas 
     Commonwealth Legislature, the House of Representatives 
     concurring, That the United States of America:
       ``(a) Confer the status of non-voting delegate in the 
     United States Congress on the Resident Representative;
       ``(b) Provide that the Resident Representative for the 
     Northern Mariana Islands receive the same compensation, 
     allowance, and benefits as a member of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and be entitled to at least those 
     same privileges and immunities granted to the non-voting 
     Delegate from the Territory of Guam;
       ``(c) Work closely with the present Resident Representative 
     in the drafting of federal legislation necessary to confer 
     non-voting delegate status; and
       ``Resolving further, That the President of the Senate and 
     the Speaker of the House shall certify and the Senate 
     Legislative Secretary and the House Clerk shall attest to the 
     adoption of this Resolution and thereafter transmit certified 
     copies to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the United 
     States; the Honorable Froilan C. Tenorio, Governor of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Honorable 
     Thomas Foley, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; 
     the Honorable Al Gore, Vice President of the United States of 
     America and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Bruce 
     Babbitt, Secretary of the United States Department of the 
     Interior; the Honorable J. Benett Johnston, member of the 
     House of Representatives, United States Congress; the 
     Honorable George Miller, member of the House of 
     Representatives, United States Congress; the Honorable Ron de 
     Lugo, member of the House of Representatives, United States 
     Congress; and the Honorable Leslie Turner, Assistant 
     Secretary, Office of Territorial and International Affairs, 
     U.S. Department of the Interior.''
                                  ____

       POM-535. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                              ``RESOLUTION

       ``Whereas, the National Park Service is considering 
     consolidating its ten regional offices into six centers in 
     order to streamline its operations and cut employees, thereby 
     creating a consolidated ``super region'' in the northeast 
     with Philadelphia as the headquarters; and
       ``Whereas, professionals in Boston provide critical 
     services to the parks and national treasures in New England 
     and New York State, and without a regional office in Boston, 
     all park units in New England would have to be served from 
     Philadelphia; and
       ``Whereas, many of the best of the regional office staff of 
     two hundreds and fifty people would lose their jobs or be 
     forced to work out of an office in Philadelphia which would 
     be serving up to one hundred parks instead of forty-two, and 
     a population area of sixty-four million people; and
       ``Whereas, park support would be more cumbersome and 
     difficult and contrary to the decentralizing concepts at the 
     core of Vice President Gore's National Performance Review; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the Boston Office is considered a center of 
     innovation and National Park Service sites now served from 
     Boston draw over thirty million people per year and 
     construction projects managed from the Boston office total 
     over sixty million dollars; and
       ``Whereas, many of the sites now rely on the regional 
     office for considerable help with administration, training, 
     law enforcement, and public information, and by virtue of its 
     location in Boston, the North Atlantic Regional Office has 
     provided a high level of service to communities, especially 
     in New England, engaging local grassroots initiatives in 
     protecting what New Englanders feel is important; and
       ``Whereas, the regional office currently has well over five 
     hundred formal partnerships with State, local and nonprofit 
     organizations, more than any other region of the National 
     Park Service and last year, one million dollars in National 
     Park Service funding leveraged over three and one-half 
     million dollars in this region; now therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Massachusetts General Court urges the 
     Department of the Interior to retain the National Park 
     Service Regional Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts; and 
     be it further
       ``Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to Bruce Babbitt, 
     Secretary of the Department of the Interior and to the 
     Presiding Officer of each branch of Congress and to the 
     Members thereof from this Commonwealth.''
                                  ____

       POM-536. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Kansas; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                ``Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1628

       ``Whereas, the national security of the United States of 
     America is threatened by the ever-increasing reliance on 
     imported offshore crude oil and the sharp decline in domestic 
     production within the producing states; and
       ``Whereas, the United States' annual energy import bill is 
     about $55 billion and projected to be over $100 billion by 
     the year 2000, creating a huge negative balance of trade; and
       ``Whereas, conservation of America's finite oil resources 
     is dependent on our oil producers receiving a fair price; and
       ``Whereas, along with the current national crisis relating 
     to crude oil production throughout the United States, as a 
     result of current devastating crude oil price decrease, the 
     infrastructure consisting of drilling rigs, equipment, and 
     jobs relating directly to the industry is quickly 
     disappearing and is no longer readily available; and
       ``Whereas, the employment in the United States oil and gas 
     exploration and production industry has decreased 50% over 
     the past six years, from 700,000 to 350,000 today; and
       ``Whereas, increasing regulation by the federal and 
     individual state governments is contributing to this national 
     crisis in crude oil production by mandating implementation of 
     new and expanded regulations and shifting the cost of these 
     regulations to domestic operators; and
       ``Whereas, failure by national, state and congressional 
     political leadership to take corrective action to stimulate 
     crude oil production and ensure price stability with tax 
     incentives, minimum price guarantees, import duties on crude 
     oil and refined products or other appropriate means has, is 
     and will continue to allow the domestic oil producing 
     industry to collapse to the point where the industry will no 
     longer be a viable national industry able to contribute to 
     the well-being of its citizens; and
       ``Whereas, any program designed to conserve and maximize 
     the production of domestic oil reserves must be in the 
     national interest: Now, therefore,
       ``Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Kansas, the 
     House of Representatives concurring therein, Urges the 
     President of the United States, the Secretary of the United 
     States Department of Energy and Congress to take immediate 
     action to help alleviate a national crisis in crude oil 
     production and price stability; and
       ``Be it further resolved, That the Secretary of State be 
     directed to send an enrolled copy of this resolution to the 
     President of the United States, the Secretary of the United 
     States Department of Energy and each member of the United 
     States Congress.''
                                  ____

       POM-537. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                      ``Senate Resolution No. 947

       ``To express the concern of the Senate of Puerto Rico with 
     respect to the allegations of irregularities and fraud in the 
     electoral process in the Dominican Republic and thus notify 
     this matter to the President of that country.
       ``The Senate of Puerto Rico is deeply concerned about the 
     allegations of irregularities and fraud in the electoral 
     process of the Dominican Republic.
       ``According to reports from international observers and as 
     acknowledged by the Central Electoral Board of the Dominican 
     Republic, a large number of qualified voters were excluded 
     from the electoral lists, a decisive fact in an electoral 
     process which will be decided by a lesser number of votes 
     than the number of electors that have been excluded.
       ``The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional 
     Black Caucus of the United States have reacted to this 
     situation by stating that: `Given the reliable reports of 
     widespread and systematic fraud throughout the country * * * 
     it is our opinion that the true will of the Dominican people 
     is, at present, unknown * * *'
       ``On its part, the National Democratic Institute, an 
     organization of great prestige linked to the Democratic Party 
     of the United States, concluded that `the delegation has 
     observed a sufficiently large degree of disenfranchisement to 
     cause serious concern * * * The pattern of disenfranchisement 
     suggest the real possibility of a deliberate effort to alert 
     the electoral process.'
       ``The Senate of Puerto Rico, as an institution committed to 
     democratic values, establishes as a basic principle the 
     absolute respect to the electoral will, through processed 
     free of tarnish and suspicion.
       ``Be it resolved by the Senate of Puerto Rico:
       ``Section 1.--To express to the President of the Dominican 
     Republic, Dr. Joaquin Balaguer, our deep concern about the 
     circumstances in which the elections recently held there were 
     conducted.
       ``Section 2.--The Senate of Puerto Rico calls upon the 
     Central Electoral Board of the Dominican Republic to 
     investigate and correct the allegations of irregularities and 
     fraud without disregarding the possibility of new elections, 
     whether partial or total, should it be necessary to obtain 
     clear and unchallengeable results.
       ``Section 3.--A copy of this Resolution shall be remitted 
     to Dr. Joaquin Balaguer, President of the Dominican Republic 
     and to Dr. Manuel Garcia Lizardo, Chairman of the Central 
     Electoral Board of that country.''

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