[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 83 (Thursday, May 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6909-S6912]
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-117. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Minnesota; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                           ``Resolution No. 3

       ``Whereas, the national railroad passenger corporation, 
     known as Amtrak, provides vitally important service to the 
     people of Minnesota; and
       ``Whereas, over 162,000 persons arrive and depart from 
     points in Minnesota using the Amtrak system; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak provides necessary rail connections 
     between Minnesota and the rest of the country; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak makes significant contributions to the 
     Minnesota economy through a payroll of over $3,000,000 in the 
     state and purchase of nearly $5,000,000 in supplies and 
     equipment; and
       ``Whereas, budget reductions for Amtrak now being discussed 
     in the Congress threaten the existence of Amtrak as a 
     national rail system; and
       ``Whereas, these budget reductions would harm Minnesota 
     through drastic reductions in service and lost contributions 
     to the state's economy; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota, 
     That Congress should provide funding for the Amtrak system 
     that would allow it to continue as a true national system and 
     continue to serve the people of Minnesota; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of State of Minnesota 
     transmit enrolled copies of this memorial to the President of 
     the United States, the President and Secretary of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to Minnesota's Senators and 
     Representatives in Congress.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-118. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Armed Services.
                   ``Assembly Joint Resolution No. 9

       ``Whereas, the United States Navy has occupied the site of 
     the Naval Warfare Assessment Division in Norco, California 
     since 1941; and
       ``Whereas, the Naval Warfare Assessment Division has, since 
     1951, served the Navy as an independent assessment agent to 
     gauge the war-fighting capacity of ships and aircraft, from 
     unit to battlegroup level, by assessing the suitability of 
     design, the performance of equipment and weapons, and the 
     adequacy of training; and
       ``Whereas, the Naval Warfare Assessment Division had its 
     beginning in the Navy during a period when great advancements 
     in weapons technology were being developed and introduced to 
     the fleet; and
       ``Whereas, these new technologies brought with them 
     problems in development, acquisition, operation, and support; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the Navy needed an unbiased resource with direct 
     access to fleet users in order to provide an objective 
     assessment of war-fighting capability, performance, and 
     effects of improvements; and
       ``Whereas, this independent, unbiased assessment has been 
     honed over time into a consolidated, centrally located, and 
     fully integrated organization dedicated to provide Navy and 
     other Department of Defense decisionmakers with critical, 
     accurate, and reliable information needed to improve the war-
     fighting capability and readiness of U.S. Armed Forces; and
       ``Whereas, the threats and challenges facing the military 
     today cannot be met using the technology of yesterday; and
       ``Whereas, the Naval Warfare Assessment Division services 
     focus on weapon and combat system performance, fleet training 
     effectiveness, systems, and material quality and these 
     services are sponsored by more than 120 Navy, Marine Corps, 
     Army, and Air Force programs, and by other U.S. and foreign 
     government agencies; and
       ``Whereas, more than 3,500 government and industry 
     customers rely on the Naval Warfare Assessment Division for 
     its expertise; and
       ``Whereas, the newly opened Warfare Assessment Laboratory 
     in Norco has become the focal point for integrated analysis 
     that electronically links analysts at the Norco site with 
     Navy firing ranges, ships at sea, and aircraft or missiles in 
     actual flight, allowing near real time access to data that 
     used to take weeks to obtain and compile; and
       ``Whereas, this laboratory is a unique facility that can 
     support functions that no other single facility in the United 
     States can support such as Joint Service exercises, war 
     gaming, and simulation; and
       ``Whereas, the central location of the Naval Warfare 
     Assessment Division in Norco is ideal. The facility is in 
     close proximity to the San Diego Naval Complex, the Port 
     Hueneme/Ventura plain Naval Complex, Camp Pendleton, and 
     China Lake. Furthermore, the Naval Warfare Assessment 
     Division is independent of each of these other facilities; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the Naval Warfare Assessment Division 
     contributes more than $149 million to the region's economy by 
     employing more than 1,000 people and by using more than 400 
     contractors and suppliers; and
       ``Whereas, for all of the above reasons, the Naval Warfare 
     Assessment Division is of the utmost importance in 
     maintaining the preparedness of the armed forces for the 
     defense of the United States; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature hereby memorializes 
     the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the President 
     and the Congress of the United States to provide for the 
     continued operation of the Norco Naval Warfare Assessment 
     Division as an essential facility for the readiness and 
     defense of the United States; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the Base Realignment and Closure 
     Commission, the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 
     to each Senator and Representatives from California in the 
     Congress of the United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-119. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Colorado; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation.
                    ``House Joint Resolution 95-1005

       ``Whereas, the United States Congress, in a late amendment 
     to the ``Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 
     1994'', P.L. 103-305, preempted all state regulation of the 
     prices, routes, and service of motor carriers of property 
     operating in intrastate commerce, effective January 1, 1995; 
     and
       ``Whereas, intrastate commerce by definition occurs wholly 
     within the borders of a state; and
       ``Whereas, the Supreme Court of the United States declared 
     as early as 1824 that under the Commerce Clause, article I, 
     section 8 of the United States Constitution, ``the completely 
     internal commerce of a state, . . . , may be considered as 
     reserved for the state itself''; and
       ``Whereas, however broad Congress's power over interstate 
     commerce may be, the inherent power of the states to govern 
     their own internal affairs remains unquestioned, and is in 
     fact guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution; and [[Page S6910]] 
       ``Whereas, regulation of common carriers, innkeepers, 
     millers, ferrymen, and others whose activities are affected 
     with a public interest is one of the bedrock principles of 
     common law, predating the United States Constitution itself 
     by hundreds of years; and
       ``Whereas, Colorado has regulated common carriers by motor 
     vehicle at least since 1927, and has regulated railroads and 
     other public utilities since territorial days; and
       ``Whereas, the prevention of discriminatory pricing, 
     disparities in service, and other abuses by persons supplying 
     vital public services was instrumental in promoting the 
     orderly development of this state and remains crucial to the 
     state's economic health; and
       ``Whereas, the people of Colorado well understand and 
     appreciate the dangers of excessive governmental regulation; 
     and
       ``Whereas, a total lack of regulation has dangers of its 
     own; and
       ``Whereas, the people of Colorado are in the best position 
     to judge where they choose to be with regard to commerce 
     wholly within the borders of the state; and
       ``Whereas, the United States Congress acknowledged that one 
     effect of P.L. 103-305 would be to render worthless the 
     intrastate operating authority held by property carriers on 
     the effective date of the legislation, but suggested no 
     method by which that loss would be compensated; and
       ``Whereas, such action constituted a disregard for the Due 
     Process and Just Compensation Clauses of the Fifth Amendment 
     to the United States Constitution; and
       ``Whereas, the January 1, 1995, effective date of P.L. 103-
     305, coming as it does before Colorado and most other states 
     convened their legislatures for the year--and particularly in 
     a year in which many states have no scheduled legislative 
     session at all--is a cause of chaos for state enforcement 
     officials as well as regulated persons and entities; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixtieth 
     General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate 
     concurring herein:
       ``(1) That the United States Congress is urged immediately 
     to repeal section 601(c) of the ``Federal Aviation 
     Administration Authorization Act of 1994'', P.L. 103-305;
       ``(2) That, failing such repeal, the effective date of said 
     section be postponed for at least two years to allow Colorado 
     and the other states affected by the Act to prepare an 
     orderly legislative and regulatory response; and
       ``(3) That, if Congress does not provide such relief, the 
     Colorado General Assembly intends fully to explore its 
     options regarding relief through the courts and, possibly, to 
     join with other states in seeking such relief.
       ``Be it further resolved, That copies of this Resolution be 
     sent to speaker of the House of Representatives Newt 
     Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole, House Minority 
     Leader Richard Gephardt, Senate Minority Leader Thomas 
     Daschle, each member of the Colorado congressional 
     delegation, Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena, 
     Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton, and the presiding 
     officers of each house of the legislatures of the several 
     states.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-120. A resolution adopted by the House of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Indiana; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                       ``House Resolution No. 60

       ``Whereas, the lack of uniformity in current motor vehicle 
     registration and titling practices affords consumers with 
     little protection from the few unscrupulous individuals that 
     steal, rebuild, and resell cars;
       ``Whereas, consumers can only make informed decisions about 
     previously damaged and rebuilt vehicles, if they are aware of 
     the vehicles' history;
       ``Whereas, in the Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law 
     102-519), Congress established a task force to study problems 
     relating to motor vehicle titling, registration and salvage 
     controls that contribute to motor vehicle theft and fraud;
       ``Whereas, a majority of the states have little or no 
     formal or standardized procedures for checking the history of 
     a motor vehicle title;
       ``Whereas, title branding, a term used to describe the 
     adding of some mark or notation on a vehicle title, is not 
     uniform in state titling procedures, with 61 different 
     designations being used among the states that do brand titles 
     and with 38 states not recognizing either the identical brand 
     or all of the brands of the other states;
       ``Whereas, although in most states, a rebuilt vehicle must 
     undergo a vehicle identification number inspection to ensure 
     that the vehicle is not stolen and has its V.I.N. changed or 
     repaired who do the inspection vary considerably from state 
     to state;
       ``Whereas, title washing, the act of eliminating certain 
     information from the title of a vehicle, is common and easy 
     for thieves who use the differences in state branding 
     procedures or the lack thereof for their own personal gain;
       ``Whereas, inconsistencies in state definitions of salvage, 
     a perceived weakness in many states retitling procedures, and 
     a blanket branding of stolen vehicles, by requiring vehicle 
     identification and safety inspections, restrictions on 
     procedures for obtaining duplicate vehicle titles; and
       ``Whereas, the enactment of federal legislation would be 
     beneficial to the states and to consumers by providing 
     uniform definition of salvages and rebuilt vehicles, by 
     requiring vehicle identification and safety inspections, 
     restrictions on procedures for obtaining duplicate vehicle 
     titles; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the House of Representatives of the General 
     Assembly of the state of Indiana:
       ``Section 1. That we do hereby urge the Congress of the 
     United States to enact such legislation as may be necessary 
     to provide uniformity among the states in the titling of 
     rebuilt and salvaged motor vehicles.
       ``Section 2. That the Principal Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives transmit a copy of this resolution to the 
     President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives and to members of the 
     Indiana Congressional Delegation.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-121. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Armed 
     Services.
       ``Whereas the closure of the Naval Air Facility in Adak, 
     Alaska, is anticipated to occur in 1996; and
       ``Whereas the land and existing infrastructure of the 
     facility could be used after the closure to benefit people 
     and businesses in the state, as well as to serve the long-
     term interests of the state and the federal government; and
       ``Whereas the closure of the facility presents a unique 
     opportunity to develop a new community for the western 
     Aleutians, to promote commercial ventures, and to use the 
     existing land and infrastructure for community purposes; and
       ``Whereas, unless appropriate steps are taken immediately 
     to preserve the building and other infrastructure from damage 
     by wind and moisture, the future use of the existing 
     infrastructure and the development of the Adak community will 
     be jeopardized; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved That the House of Representatives supports the 
     conversion of the Naval Air Facility in Adak, Alaska, into a 
     facility that can be used beneficially by the citizens of the 
     western Aleutians; and be it further
       ``Resolved That the House of Representatives respectfully 
     requests the United States Department of the Navy, Department 
     of the Interior, and Department of Defense to
       ``(1) take effective and timely measure to preserve the 
     infrastructure that constitutes the Naval Air Facility in 
     Adak, Alaska;
       ``(2) work closely with all federal and state agencies and 
     the Aleut Corporation regarding the future use of the 
     facility after its closure;
       ``(3) designate in a timely manner an authority, preferably 
     the Aleut Corporation, for developing the future use of the 
     property constituting the facility; and
       ``(4) arrange for the transfer of the property that 
     constitutes the facility to the Aleut Corporation as part of 
     the corporation's entitlement under 43 U.S.C. 1601-1641 
     (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act).''
                                                                    ____

       POM-122. A resolution adopted by the House of Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                             ``H.R. No. 294

       ``Whereas, the self-governing Commonwealth of Northern 
     Marianas (``CNMI''), located between Guam and the Tropic of 
     Cancer, is comprised of an archipelago of sixteen islands, of 
     which six are inhabited, the three largest and most populous 
     being Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, whose native islanders, 
     predominantly of Chamorro cultural extraction, achieved 
     United States citizenship on November 3, 1986, when the 
     islands, which were formerly a United Nations trust territory 
     administered by the United States became a commonwealth of 
     the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the commonwealth, in particular the island of 
     Rota, has, allegedly, over the last several years been a 
     scene of grievous abuses and violations of human rights 
     against overseas Filipino contract workers such as domestic 
     helpers, waitresses, farm laborers, construction workers, 
     entertainers, and teachers: it being alleged that there are 
     at least one hundred eighty-five documented cases of rape, 
     forced prostitution, kidnapping, torture, assault and 
     battery, and violations of labor rights committed by 
     employers and local government officials, who are largely of 
     Chamorro extraction; and
       ``Whereas, it is alleged that waitresses are forced into 
     prostitution (as ``take out'' girls) and nude dancing and 
     locked up during their free time; housemaids are kidnapped, 
     beaten and raped; farm laborers are treated as virtual 
     slaves; construction workers are abandoned without pay; 
     teachers are degraded by their students, cafeteria workers, 
     and administrators; and employees of all categories are 
     routinely cheated of their wages and their passports are held 
     by their employers, who typically impose large illegal 
     penalties if they quit their jobs; and
       ``Whereas, these alleged injustices are inflicted by 
     employers and government officials, notably the police, under 
     a seemingly flawed regulatory system in which close family or 
     political ties exist between employers and local authorities, 
     and are evidently trivialized, on the island of Rota, by its 
     mayor, who calls criticism ``overblown'', insisting that 
     rapes are ``bound to happen in any society'' and forced 
     prostitution ``is not rampant on Rota; it happens 
     everywhere''; and
       ``Whereas, the influx of Filipino and other Asian workers 
     has actually made the native Chamorros a minority on their 
     own island--of the commonwealth's population of nearly 
     63,000, indigenous residents now compose less 
     [[Page S6911]] than thirty-seven percent, whereas contract 
     workers, ``statesiders'', and others make up the rest, 
     Filipinos making up the bulk of the commonweath's 27,000-
     strong alien labor force, the others coming from China and 
     elsewhere in Asia--has nonetheless made the contract workers 
     a vast, politically powerless underclass, whose complaints of 
     abuses are countered with threats and deportations and may 
     also be stifled altogether if the commonwealth enacts a 
     proposed $200 fee for filing a complaint with its Division of 
     Labor; and
       ``Whereas, federal authorities responding to abuse 
     complaints have allegedly encountered challenges to their 
     jurisdiction, hostility from tight-knit local communities and 
     witnesses too intimidated to testify, prompting them to 
     compare their enforcement efforts there to similar efforts in 
     the old Deep South and to comment that in the Northern 
     Marianas the ``indigenous rights'' promoted by Washington 
     have come to mean the exploitation of Asian minorities, and 
     that ``It's American policy gone bad. Good intentions got 
     flipped around''; and
       ``Whereas, the United States Department of the Interior is 
     presently spearheading an aggressive federal interagency 
     effort to stop labor and civil rights abuses of non-U.S. 
     citizen workers in CNMI, coordinating the activities of the 
     FBI, the U.S. Attorneys' Office, the Department of Justice's 
     Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, and 
     several other agencies; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 
     Eighteenth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular 
     Session of 1995, That the United States Congress is 
     respectfully requested to expedite and fully investigate 
     claims of human rights abuse in the Commonwealth of Northern 
     Marianas; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the United States Congress is requested to 
     review and assess the feasibility of taking control of 
     immigration and minimum wage functions and responsibilities 
     from the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas; and be it 
     further.
       ``Resolved, That the United States Congress is respectfully 
     requested to review the terms of the Compact Agreement 
     between the United States and the Commonwealth of Northern 
     Marianas to determine what further action should be taken to 
     resolve the alleged abuses of human rights; and be it 
     further.
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to the Clerk of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives, the Secretary of the U.S. Senate, the 
     members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Secretary 
     of the Department of the Interior, and the President of the 
     Philippines through its consulate.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-123. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Alaska; to the Committee on Environmental and Public 
     Works.

                      ``Legislative Resolve No. 10

       ``Whereas, in 1972, the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 
     1251-1387) allowed a broad expansion of federal jurisdiction 
     over wetlands by modifying the definition of navigable waters 
     to include all waters of the United States; and
       ``Whereas, in 1975, the United States Army Corps of 
     Engineers expanded wetland regulations to include restricted 
     discharge of dredged and fill material into wetlands; and
       ``Whereas, wetlands regulations have been expanded further 
     to include isolated wetlands and those not adjacent to 
     navigable waters; and
       ``Whereas, the expansion of the regulations governing 
     wetlands by federal agencies exceeds what the Congress 
     intended when it enacted the federal Clean Water Act; and
       ``Whereas, Alaska contains more wetlands than all other 
     states combined; and
       ``Whereas, according to the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, approximately 170,200,000 acres of wetlands existed 
     in Alaska in the 1780s and approximately 170,000,000 acres of 
     wetlands exist today, representing a loss rate of less than 
     1/10 of one percent in a decade through human and natural 
     processes; and
       ``Whereas, approximately 98 percent of all Alaska 
     communities, including 200 of 209 remote villages in Alaska, 
     are located in or adjacent to wetlands; and
       ``Whereas, with negligible benefit to the environment in 
     Alaska, the expansion of wetlands regulations has placed an 
     increasing and unnecessary burden on private landowners, 
     Native organizations, and local and state governments by 
     inhibiting reasonable community growth and environmentally 
     benign, sensitive resource development; and
       ``Whereas, 88 percent of Alaska's wetlands are publicly 
     owned, while only 26 percent of wetlands in the contiguous 48 
     states are in public ownership; and
       ``Whereas, more than 60,000,000 acres of Alaska's wetlands 
     are known to be conserved in some form of land designation, 
     including federally designated wilderness land, federal part 
     and refuge land, and state park and refuge land, that 
     restrict utilization or degradation of wetlands; now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved That the Alaska State Legislature respectfully 
     requests the United States Congress to exclude Alaska from a 
     ``no net loss'' policy associated with the federal Clean 
     Water Act, and to amend the federal Clean Water Act to modify 
     the wetlands regulatory program
       ``(1) to provide flexibility in Alaska wetlands permitting 
     commensurate with the large amount of wetlands set aside in 
     Alaska and the low historic rate of wetlands loss in Alaska; 
     and
       ``(2) to relax the restrictions on the use of wetlands in 
     Alaska; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature respectfully 
     requests the United States Congress to recognize the unique 
     contribution the citizens of Alaska have made to wetlands 
     conservation and Alaska's outstanding record of wetlands 
     conservation.
       POM-124. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Alaska; to the Committee on Finance.

                      ``Legislative Resolve No. 12

       ``Whereas it is estimated that 37,000,000 Americans are 
     without health insurance, many while between jobs, and that 
     more Americans are underinsured because of the effects of 
     rising health care costs and spending, which are forcing 
     employers to trim the level and availability of health care 
     benefits provided to their employees; and
       ``Whereas overutilization of health care services for 
     relatively small claims is one of the most significant causes 
     of health care cost and spending increases: currently more 
     than two-thirds of all insurance claims for medical spending 
     are less than $3,000 per family per year in this country; and
       ``Whereas, in response to runaway cost increases for health 
     care spending, the private sector has developed the concept 
     of medical savings accounts, which is designed to ensure 
     health insurance availability and is based on providing 
     incentives to eliminate unnecessary medical treatment and 
     encourage competition in seeking health care; and
       ``Whereas, under a medical savings account arrangement, an 
     employer currently providing employee health care benefits 
     could purchase a lower cost, higher deductible major medical 
     policy of each employee to replace the existing policy and 
     then set aside the saved premium differential in a medical 
     savings amount for the participating employee; and
       ``Whereas, through employer-funded medical savings account 
     arrangements and the reduced cost of qualified insurance 
     policies with higher deductibles, millions of Americans could 
     insure themselves for both routine and major medical 
     services; and
       ``Whereas, the participating employees would be able to use 
     the money in their medical savings accounts to pay medical 
     care expenses up to the amount of the insurance policy 
     deductible and any money in the account at the end of the 
     plan year would belong to the employee to use as the employee 
     saw fit; and
       ``Whereas, the possibility of using the balance in the 
     employee's medical savings account for other purposes is a 
     strong incentive not to abuse health expenditures and to 
     institute ``cost shopping'' for medical care services; and
       ``Whereas, by setting aside money for employees to spend on 
     health care, employees could change jobs and use the money 
     they had earned so far to buy interim health insurance or 
     cover health care expenses thereby eliminating the problem of 
     uninsured between jobs and helping to reduce `job-lock'; and
       ``Whereas, medical care decisions are highly individualized 
     and involve personal factors that cannot be standardized 
     without interfering with personal choice and so should remain 
     the employee's prerogative; and
       ``Whereas, under medical savings account arrangements, 
     individual policyholders will have a strong stake in reducing 
     costs, and this sample financial mechanism will expand health 
     insurance options to others who presently have no insurance; 
     and
       ``Whereas, this method of decreasing the health care cost 
     burdens in this country would require no new federal 
     bureaucracy and would be revenue neutral to employers; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature respectfully 
     requests the Congress of the United States to enact 
     legislation swiftly and in good faith to enable Americans to 
     establish medical savings accounts.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-125. A resolution adopted by the Common Council of the 
     City of Syracuse, New York; to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-126. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Alexandria, Virginia; to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-127. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Nevada; to the Committee on Finance.

                             ``File No. 27

       ``Whereas, the provisions set forth in 42 U.S.C.Sec. 415 
     for determining the primary insurance amount of a person 
     receiving social security were amended in 1977 by Public Law 
     95-216; and
       ``Whereas, that amendment resulted in disparate benefits 
     according to when a person initially becomes eligible for 
     benefits; and
       ``Whereas, persons who were born during the years 1917 to 
     1926, inclusive, and who are commonly referred to as ``notch 
     babies,'' receive lower benefits than persons who were born 
     before that time; and
       ``Whereas, the payment of benefits under the social 
     security system is not based on need or other considerations 
     related to welfare, but on a program of insurance based on 
     contributions by a person and his employer; and
       ``Whereas, the discrimination between persons receiving 
     benefits is totally inequitable and contrary to the 
     principles of justice and fairness; and
       ``Whereas, the Social Security Trust Fund has adequate 
     reserves to eliminate this gross inequity; now, therefore, be 
     it [[Page S6912]] 
       Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of Nevada, 
     jointly, That Congress is hereby urged to enact legislation 
     to eliminate inequities in the payment of social security 
     benefits to persons based on the year in which they initially 
     become eligible for such benefits; and be it further
       Resolved, That Congress is hereby urged to eliminate these 
     inequities without reducing the benefits of persons who were 
     born before 1917; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted by 
     the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to the Vice President of the 
     United States as presiding officer of the Senate, the Speaker 
     of the House of Representatives and each member of the Nevada 
     Congressional Delegation; and be it further
       Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon 
     passage and approval.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-128. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington; to the Committee on Finance.

                      ``Senate Joint Memorial 8012

       ``Whereas, the Federal Internal Revenue Code currently 
     requires individuals to pay income taxes on unemployment 
     benefit payments that they have received; and
       ``Whereas, the taxation of Unemployment Insurance Benefits 
     impacts over eight million persons annually and reduces their 
     income on average by seventeen percent for a total of three 
     billion dollars; and
       ``Whereas, this taxation of Unemployment Benefits is an 
     onerous burden on individuals that are generally experiencing 
     a dramatic reduction in income due to their loss of 
     employment; and
       ``Whereas, the taxation of Unemployment Benefits undermines 
     the purpose of Unemployment Insurance, by dramatically 
     reducing the amount of moneys available to workers and their 
     families that are experiencing a loss of wages due to no 
     fault of their own. In addition, local economies are 
     adversely impacted due to the loss of income in the 
     community; and
       ``Whereas, the Washington State Unemployment Insurance Task 
     Force, comprised of Business, Labor, and Legislative members, 
     in their 1995 Report, found the Taxation of Unemployment 
     Insurance Benefits to be an unfair burden on workers;
       ``Now, therefore, Your Memorialists respectively request 
     that the Congress of the United States enact legislation 
     removing Unemployment Insurance Benefits from taxation under 
     the Internal Revenue Code. Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the 
     United States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of 
     Congress from the State of Washington.''
     

                          ____________________