[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 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-591. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation.

                         ``Legislative Resolve

       ``Whereas, the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation is 
     a public corporation established by AS 14.40.821; and
       ``Whereas, the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation has 
     identified two areas of aerospace development that have 
     special significance to the state, which are the location of 
     satellite ground stations in the Fairbanks area and the 
     construction of a commercial rocket launch facility on Kodiak 
     Island; and
       ``Whereas, the strategic northern location of the Fairbanks 
     area, the state's state-of-the-art telecommunications 
     systems, the renowned engineering and science faculty and 
     facilities of the University of Alaska, and the availability 
     of skilled employees and contractors have led a number of 
     aerospace companies to express great interest in locating 
     ground stations in the Fairbanks area for the purpose of 
     controlling, communicating with, and processing information 
     from polar-orbiting satellites; and
       ``Whereas, the growing commercial demand for low-earth 
     orbit satellites is expected to increase the need for a 
     commercial rocket launch facility in the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the sites proposed by the Alaska Aerospace 
     Development Corporation on Kodiak Island for a rocket launch 
     facility have attracted governmental and aerospace industry 
     interest because of the safety and environmental features of 
     those sites; and
       ``Whereas, the plans of the Alaska Aerospace Development 
     Corporation for a rocket launch facility promise a low cost, 
     unbureaucratic rocket launch facility free from the 
     restrictions imposed on facilities owned by the federal 
     government; and
       ``Whereas, the location of ground stations in the Fairbanks 
     area and the construction of the rocket launch facility on 
     Kodiak Island will provide the state with new sources of 
     skilled, long-term employment, provide additional technology 
     infrastructure to the state, and lead to a continued growth 
     in the state's technology industry; and
       ``Whereas, both of these projects will provide unparalleled 
     educational opportunities for Alaska students because the 
     Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation intends to work with 
     the state's schools during these projects, and this 
     cooperation will expose state students to some notable 
     persons, including some of the best aerospace scientists in 
     the country and Eugene Cernan, who was the last man to walk 
     on the moon and who is on the corporation's board of 
     directors; and
       ``Whereas, these projects of the Alaska Aerospace 
     Development Corporation would be enhanced if the aerospace 
     industry and the United States government cooperated with and 
     provided technological and other assistance to the Alaska 
     Aerospace Development Corporation during these projects; be 
     it
       ``Resolved That the Alaska State Legislature hereby 
     expresses its support for the projects of the Alaska 
     Aerospace Development Corporation to locate satellite ground 
     stations in the Fairbanks area and to construct a rocket 
     launch facility on Kodiak Island; and be it further
       ``Resolved That the Alaska State Legislature encourages the 
     aerospace industry and the United States government to 
     cooperate and provide technological and other assistance to 
     the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation for these 
     projects.''
                                  ____

       POM-592. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                         ``Legislative Resolve

       ``Whereas, China has been a divided nation since 1949, and 
     the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People's Republic of 
     China on the Chinese mainland have exercised exclusive 
     jurisdiction over separate parts of China; and
       ``Whereas, the United Nations' General Assembly Resolution 
     2758 adopted in 1971 does not constitute a complete solution 
     to the issue of China's seat in the United Nations; and
       ``Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan acknowledges 
     that two equal and distinct political entities exist within 
     the divided China; and
       ``Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan is currently the 
     14th largest trading nation in the world; its gross national 
     product is the 20th largest national product in the world; 
     its annual per capita income exceeds $10,000; its foreign 
     exchange reserves exceed $80,000,000,000; and it has become 
     the seventh largest outbound investor in the world; and
       ``Whereas, the 21,000,000 people on Taiwan enjoy a 
     democratic form of government, and the policies of the 
     Republic of China on Taiwan conform to those of other 
     democratic nations; and
       ``Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan has joined other 
     nations in responding to international disasters and crises, 
     has undertaken programs of assistance for less developed 
     nations, and has in other ways accepted regional and global 
     responsibilities; and
       ``Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan has joined 
     several important multilateral organizations in recent years, 
     including the Asia/Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Asian 
     Development Bank, and its admission into these organizations 
     has been supported by the United States; and
       ``Whereas, a consensus has emerged in the Republic of China 
     on Taiwan that it should participate in the United Nations, 
     and the Republic of China on Taiwan has launched a campaign 
     to pursue a seat in the United Nations without prejudice to 
     the current position of the People's Republic of China in the 
     United Nations; and
       ``Whereas, membership of the Republic of China on Taiwan in 
     the United Nations conforms to the United Nations' principle 
     of universality and would contribute to the peace and 
     stability of the Pacific region, and, therefore, to the 
     interests of the United States; be it
       ``Resolved by the Alaska State Legislature That the 
     Republic of China on Taiwan deserves to be allowed full 
     membership in the United Nations.
       ``Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Bill Clinton, President of the United States; the Honorable 
     Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and 
     President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Boutros Boutros 
     Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations; the Honorable 
     Madeleine Albright, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; 
     the Honorable Robert C. Byrd, President Pro Tempore of the 
     U.S. Senate; the Honorable Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the 
     U.S. House of Representatives; and to the Honorable Ted 
     Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and 
     the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the 
     Alaska delegation in Congress.''
                                  ____

       POM-593. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                              ``Resolution

       ``Whereas, Local governments are the most responsive to the 
     people's needs and the first governments to feel the wrath of 
     their constituents when taxes increase; and
       ``Whereas, Local governments play vital roles in the daily 
     lives of their citizens; and
       ``Whereas, State expenses for Federal mandates cost an 
     estimated $75 billion nationally; and
       ``Whereas, Up to 60% of some state budgets are spent on 
     Federal-State programs; and
       ``Whereas, The Federal government continues to create or 
     expand domestic spending programs with little or no review of 
     the financial burdens it will place on state and local 
     governments; and
       ``Whereas, In 1993 alone, President Clinton signed 13 bills 
     into law, mandating programs that will cost state and local 
     governments billions of extra dollars primarily for health 
     care, human services and justice programs; and
       ``Whereas, Some mandates, such as the Americans with 
     Disabilities Act of 1990, were enacted without any reliable 
     estimates of the cost to state and local governments; 
     therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Senate of Pennsylvania memorialize the 
     United States Congress to provide perpetual funding to state 
     governments, local governments or school districts for any 
     mandated programs it enacts; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted 
     to the President, the Vice-President, presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.''
                                  ____

       POM-594. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                              ``Resolution

       ``Whereas, The Commonwealth is currently spending nearly 
     20% of its State funds on the health care costs of its 
     citizens; and
       ``Whereas, The costs of health care both to this 
     Commonwealth and to individuals is rising rapidly; and
       ``Whereas, The Commonwealth must operate a balanced budget 
     and Federal mandates are placing increasing stress on our 
     ability to do so; and
       ``Whereas, Changes to the very essence of the health care 
     delivery system of the nation are undergoing debate within 
     Congress; and
       ``Whereas, This debate could profoundly alter the 
     expectations and the finances of the citizens of this 
     Commonwealth; and
       ``Whereas, Under President Clinton's Health Security Act, 
     states would have the primary responsibility for ensuring 
     that all citizens within a state have access to health plans 
     providing the national benefits package; therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to provide funding for the 
     health care requirements it implements over the life of those 
     requirements; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted 
     to the President, the Vice President, the presiding officers 
     of each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.''
                                  ____

       POM-595. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                              ``Resolution

       ``Whereas, Local governments are on the front line in the 
     battle against crime; and
       ``Whereas, Violent crime can ruin the qualify of life for 
     the citizens and business enterprises in our cities and 
     towns; and
       ``Whereas, Local governments are struggling to provide 
     basic services to their citizens with reasonable amounts of 
     tax revenues; and
       ``Whereas, Some local governments are at maximum allowable 
     rates for property taxes, wage taxes and other taxes; and
       ``Whereas, The United States House of Representatives and 
     the United States Senate are debating the provisions of 
     President Clinton's anticrime legislation; and
       ``Whereas, The Crime Bill authorizes over $15 billion in 
     funding to address crime on several fronts, including $3.45 
     billion to place 100,000 new police officers on the nation's 
     streets, $3 billion for grants to states to construct 
     additional prisons, $7 billion for community programs and 
     $525 million for programs providing employment opportunities 
     for young adults; and
       ``Whereas, The legislation provides grants for state and 
     local governments to hire additional law enforcement 
     officers; and
       ``Whereas, Federal funding for the hiring of 100,000 new 
     police officers represents only 75% of the cost while local 
     governments would have to contribute 25%; and
       ``Whereas, Federal funding for the program is to continue 
     only for three years, and thereafter local governments would 
     have to provide 100% of the future cost of supporting the 
     100,000 new police officers; and
       ``Whereas, The legislation mandates life imprisonment for 
     the conviction of a felony if the defendant previously was 
     convicted of two serious Federal or state offenses, thereby 
     putting further financial burdens on state and local 
     correctional systems; therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to appropriate Federal aid 
     for the police hiring program each year to a level that would 
     allow Federal support to continue beyond three years; and be 
     it further
       ``Resolved, That if Congress cannot commit to fully funding 
     its aid to urban areas by funding programs for as long as a 
     serious crime problem exists in this country, that the grant 
     program be omitted from the Crime Bill in order to avoid 
     putting the unfunded present and future costs onto local 
     governments; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted 
     to the President of the United States, to the Vice President 
     of the United States, to the presiding officers of each house 
     of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.''
                                  ____

       POM-596. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of New Jersey; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                         ``Assembly Resolution

       ``Whereas, All too often, the federal government attempts 
     to solve problems by mandating programs and policies on State 
     and local governments; and
       ``Whereas, While these mandates do not cost the federal 
     government any money, they can be expensive to implement, may 
     wreak havoc with State and local government budgets, and 
     often force States and localities to raise taxes and reduce 
     services in non-mandated programs; and
       ``Whereas, In addition to cost, these mandates may not be 
     appropriate in all areas of the nation; and
       ``Whereas, Given our system of government, it is wrong for 
     federal politicians to take advantage of their power to place 
     these onerous obligations on State and local governments; and
       ``Whereas, If federal politicians mandate a program on 
     State and local governments, then the federal government 
     should provide them with the revenues as well as the 
     responsibilities; and
       ``Whereas, It is now time for federal politicians to 
     recognize that States and localities can no longer afford the 
     financial burden which is being imposed upon them: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       ``1. This House memorializes the President and Congress of 
     the United States to federally fund any program which the 
     federal government mandates on State and local governments.
       ``2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed 
     by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the 
     Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the President of the 
     United States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, and every member of 
     Congress elected from this State.''
                                  ____

       POM-597. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                              ``Resolution

       ``Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to enact legislation that 
     would require Memorial Day to be observed each year on May 
     30; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted 
     to the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to 
     each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.''
                                  ____

       POM-598. A resolution adopted by the Arkansas Legislative 
     Council relative to health care reform; to the Committee on 
     Labor and Human Resources.

                          ____________________