[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 84 (Friday, May 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7011-S7013]
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-129. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Alaska; to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.

                         ``House Resolve No. 8

       ``Whereas the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an 
     organization under the auspices of the United Nations, is 
     currently drafting proposals for an international treaty 
     adopting and expanding insurance indemnity provisions for 
     seaborne commodities; and
       ``Whereas, in contrast to existing maritime classifications 
     and the policies and regulations of the United States 
     Department of Transportation and the United States Coast 
     Guard, the IMO proposes classifying coal as a hazardous and 
     noxious material; and
       ``Whereas there is no rational reason or precedent for 
     classifying coal as a hazardous or noxious material and the 
     current maritime insurance has, without exception, adequately 
     provided insurance indemnity for seaborne coal shipping; and
       ``Whereas action classifying coal as a hazardous or noxious 
     material could significantly increase insurance rates and the 
     delivered cost of coal to the benefit of competing fuel 
     sources; and
       ``Whereas this action would dramatically reduce the 
     competitiveness of coal as an import fuel and reduce the 
     amount of exported coal from countries such as the United 
     States; and
       ``Whereas this action would reduce the potential for the 
     export of Alaska coal; and
       ``Whereas the National Coal Association, the United States 
     Coal Exporters Association, and the Alaska Coal Association, 
     together with labor organizations, adamantly oppose the IMO 
     proposal; and
       ``Whereas it is critical that United States Government 
     representatives to the IMO convention oppose the 
     classification of coal as a hazardous or noxious material; be 
     it
       ``Resolved, That the House of Representatives respectfully 
     urges the United States Senate not to ratify a Hazardous and 
     Noxious Substance Convention proposed by the International 
     Maritime Organization that includes coal as a designated 
     hazardous or noxious material.
       ``Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and 
     President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Bob Dole, 
     Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Strom 
     Thurmond, President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate; 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-130. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.
                   ``House Concurrent Resolution 2004

       ``Whereas, since 1949. China has been a divided nation, 
     with the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan and 
     the People's Republic of China on the Chinese mainland 
     exercising exclusive jurisdiction over separate parts of 
     China. The government of Taiwan further acknowledges that two 
     equal and distinct political entities exist within the 
     divided China. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 
     2758, which in 1971 restored to the People's Republic of 
     China its seat in the United Nations while expelling the 
     Republic of China on Taiwan, does not provide a complete 
     solution to the issue of China's seat in the United Nations 
     that resulted from this division of China; and
       ``Whereas, Taiwan's twenty-one million people enjoy a 
     multiparty, democratic form of government, the policies of 
     which conform to those of other democratic nations; and
       ``Whereas, during the past decade, Taiwan has assumed 
     regional and global responsibilities in international 
     development programs and humanitarian relief operations. 
     Taiwan often has closely coordinated its efforts in 
     responding to international disasters and crises and in 
     undertaking programs of assistance for less-developed nations 
     with those of the United States. Taiwan clearly has shown its 
     willingness to assume a direct role in contributing to the 
     well-being of the global community; and
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has joined several important multilateral 
     organizations in recent years, including Asia/Pacific 
     Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asian Development Bank. 
     The United States has supported the admission of Taiwan into 
     these organizations; and
       ``Whereas, Taiwan is currently the fourteenth largest 
     trading nation in the world and its gross national product is 
     the world's twentieth largest. Its annual per capital income 
     exceeds ten thousand dollars in United States
      currency, its foreign exchange reserves exceed eighty 
     billion dollars in United States currency and it has 
     become the world's seventh largest outbound investor; and
       ``Whereas, the government of Taiwan has initiated a 
     campaign to pursue a seat in the United Nations without 
     threatening the current position of the People's Republic of 
     China in this organization. Several other countries have 
     expressed their support of Taiwan's efforts in this capacity 
     by urging the United Nations to consider the exceptional 
     situation of Taiwan in the international community. Taiwan's 
     membership in the United Nations would conform with the 
     established pattern of parallel representation by divided 
     countries as well as with the principle of universality, 
     whereby all people can be represented in this world 
     organization. Furthermore, the participation of Taiwan in the 
     United Nations would contribute to the peace and stability of 
     the Pacific region and therefore to the interests of the 
     United States; and
       ``Whereas, the fifth-largest foreign market for Arizona 
     products in 1993, Taiwan enjoys a friendly commercial 
     relationship with the state of Arizona and last year received 
     $477 million in Arizona exports. Recognizing the importance 
     of trade with Asia and particularly with Taiwan, the Arizona 
     Department of Commerce established the Arizona Asian-Pacific 
     Trade Office in Taipei, Taiwan to help Arizona's exporting 
     companies conduct business in Asia and to strive to increase 
     foreign investment in this state. Arizona is strongly 
     committed to encouraging awareness of both the commercial and 
     cultural benefits of Taiwan, as demonstrated by the recent 
     Multi-State Trade Days mission, in which the Arizona 
     Department of Commerce recruited companies to promote their 
     products in such overseas locations as Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and 
     the activities of the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission, 
     established in 1975 to help promote student exchanges and 
     cultural and business ties with sister cities such as Taipei, 
     Taiwan: Therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Arizona, the Senate concurring:
       ``1. That the Members of the House of Representatives 
     express their support of the broader participation of Taiwan 
     in the United Nations and in the international community, and 
     in so doing, encourage the people of this state and country 
     to recognize the mutual benefits of our ongoing commercial 
     relationship with Taiwan.
       ``2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the Speaker 
     of the United States House of Representatives, to the 
     President of the United States Senate, to the Secretary-
     General of the United Nations, to the United States Trade 
     Representative and each member of the Arizona Congressional 
     delegation.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-131. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations.

                          ``Senate Resolution

       ``Whereas, the extermination of the more than one and one-
     half million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks and the forced 
     deportation of countless others has been remembered every 
     year on April twenty-fourth since Nineteen Hundred and 
     Fifteen as Armenian Martyrs Day; and [[Page S7012]] 
       ``Whereas, eighty years ago Armenians were forced to 
     witness the slaughter of their relatives and the loss of 
     their ancestral homeland; and
       ``Whereas, modern Turkey continues to deny and distort the 
     facts of the genocide and honors the perpetrators of the 
     crime against humanity as national heroes; and
       ``Whereas, the continued denial of the Armenian genocide by 
     the present-day Turkish Government deprives the Armenian 
     people full recognition of this tragic chapter in their 
     history; and
       ``Whereas, the Armenian people have not received 
     reparations for their losses; and
       ``Whereas, ancestral Armenian lands have not been returned 
     to the Armenian people; Now therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate hereby joins in 
     commemorating this eightieth anniversary of the Armenian 
     genocide on April twenty-fourth, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-
     Five and urges the citizenry of the Commonwealth of 
     Massachusetts to do the same; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate respectfully 
     calls on the President of the United States to request the 
     Turkish Government to acknowledge the genocide perpetrated 
     against the Armenians in 1915-1923; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to the President of the 
     United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-132. A concurrent resolution adopted by the General 
     Assembly of the State of Indiana; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                  ``House Concurrent Resolution No. 71

       ``Whereas, China has been a divided nation since 1949, and 
     the governments of the Republic of China on Taiwan 
     (hereinafter cited as ``Taiwan'') and the People's Republic 
     of China on Mainland China (hereinafter cited as ``Mainland 
     China'') have exercised jurisdiction over separate parts of 
     China;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has the 19th largest gross national 
     product in the world, strong and vibrant economy, and one of 
     the largest foreign exchange reserves of any nation;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has dramatically improved its record on 
     human rights and routinely holds free and fair elections in a 
     multiparty system, as evidenced most recently by the December 
     3, 1994 balloting for local and provincial officials;
       ``Whereas, The 21 million people on Taiwan are not 
     represented in the United Nations and their human rights as 
     citizens of the world are therefore severely abridged;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has in recent years repeatedly expressed 
     its strong desire to participate in the United Nations;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has much to contribute to the work and 
     funding of the United Nations;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has demonstrated its commitment to the 
     world community by responding to international disasters and 
     crises such as environmental destruction in the Persian Gulf 
     and famine in Rwanda by providing financial donations, 
     medical assistance, and other forms of aid;
       ``Whereas, The world community has reacted positively to 
     Taiwan's desire for international participation, as shown by 
     Taiwan's continued membership in the Asian Development Bank, 
     the admission of Taiwan into the Asia-Pacific Economic 
     Cooperation group as a full member, and the accession of 
     Taiwan as an observer at the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
     Trade as the first step toward becoming a contracting party 
     to that organization;
       ``Whereas, The United States has supported Taiwan's 
     participation in these bodies and indicated, in its policy 
     review of September 1994, a stronger and more active policy 
     of support for Taiwan's participation in other international 
     organizations;
       ``Whereas, Taiwan has repeatedly stated that its 
     participation in international organizations is that of a 
     divided nation, with no intention to challenge the current 
     international status of Mainland China;
       ``Whereas, The United Nations and other international 
     organizations have established precedents concerning the 
     admission of separate parts of divided nations, such as Korea 
     and Germany; and
       ``Whereas, Taiwan's participation in international 
     organizations would not prevent or imperil a future voluntary 
     union between Taiwan and Mainland China any more than the 
     recognition of separate governments in the former West 
     Germany and the former East Germany prevented the voluntary 
     reunification of Germany. Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the House of Representatives of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Indiana, the Senate concurring:
       ``Section 1. Taiwan deserves full participation, including 
     a seat in the United Nations, and the government of the 
     United States should immediately encourage the United Nations 
     to establish an ad hoc committee for the purpose of studying 
     membership for Taiwan in that organization and its related 
     agencies.
       ``Section 2. The Principal Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives is directed to transmit a copy of this 
     resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker 
     of the United States House of Representatives, and the United 
     States Senate Majority Leader.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-133. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington; to the Committee on the Budget.

                      ``House Joint Memorial 4029

       ``Whereas, A safe and efficient national transportation 
     system is essential to the nation's international 
     competitiveness; key to domestic productivity; and vital to 
     our quality of life; and
       ``Whereas, despite the transportation investments promised 
     in the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation 
     Efficiency Act (ISTEA), Congress has yet to fully fund the 
     authorizations it contains for highways and transit; and
       ``Whereas, The current levels of federal funding for the 
     nation's highway and public transportation systems are 
     inadequate to meet rehabilitation needs, to ensure the safety 
     of the traveling public, to begin solving congestion and 
     rural access problems, to conduct adequate transportation 
     research programs, and to keep America competitive in world 
     economy; and
       ``Whereas, The Federal motor fuel tax and aviation fuel tax 
     have traditionally been regarded as user fees paid by 
     transportation users,
      the proceeds of which are and will continue to be required 
     to help meet America's transportation requirements; and
       ``Whereas, The action to divert transportation user fees 
     from documented transportation needs was taken by Congress 
     despite strong support for placing the revenue in the Highway 
     Trust Fund from the National Governors' Association, the 
     United States Conference of Mayors, and the American 
     Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in 
     addition to many industry and transportation user 
     organizations; and
       ``Whereas, Use of the transportation fuel taxes for deficit 
     reduction purposes places the burden of reducing the deficit 
     on industry and individuals based predominantly on how many 
     miles they travel, without taking into account their ability 
     to pay; and because of the long distances that must be driven 
     by many people and industries in some states as opposed to 
     other states, great inequities are inherent in any proposal 
     to utilize motor fuel taxes for deficit reduction purposes; 
     and
       ``Whereas, Including of the transportation trust funds in 
     the Unified Federal Budget subjects transportation programs 
     to arbitrary expenditure ceilings, despite the fact that 
     trust fund expenditures are fully financed by users, and do 
     not contribute to the federal deficit; and
       ``Whereas, In recent years the imposition of such budgetary 
     limitations has resulted in a substantial build up of revenue 
     in the trust funds, while states and local agencies have 
     received less federal funding than authorized and available, 
     and as a consequence, the nation's transportation needs are 
     being inadequately addressed: Now, therefore,
       ``Your Memorialists respectfully urge Congress to:
       ``(1) Invest the resources in the nation's transportation 
     system needed to enable economic competitiveness and job 
     creation, as a minimum by fully funding at the earliest 
     possible time the ISTEA highway and transit authorizations;
       ``(2) Recognize and reaffirm the traditional user-fee 
     principle that has sustained the development of the national 
     transportation system for more than 70 years, by reserving 
     the transportation user fees now being collected for deficit 
     reduction solely for future transportation purposes; and
       ``(3) Act expeditiously to remove the Highway Trust Fund 
     and Airport and Airway Trust Fund from the Unified Federal 
     Budget, be it
       ``Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the President and the Secretary of the United 
     States Senate, to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United 
     States House of Representatives, and to each member of this 
     state's delegation to Congress.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-134. A concurrent resolution adopted by the General 
     Assembly of the State of Iowa; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                 ``Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 11

       ``Whereas, Amtrak, the national railroad passenger 
     corporation providing national railroad passenger service, is 
     energy efficient and environmentally beneficial, consuming 
     about half as much energy per passenger mile as an airline 
     and causing less air pollution; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak provides mobility to citizens of many 
     smaller communities poorly served by air and bus services and 
     to those persons with medical conditions which prevent them 
     from flying; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak is nine times safer than driving a motor 
     vehicle on a passenger mile basis, and operates even in 
     severe weather conditions; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak travel rose forty-eight percent from 1982 
     to 1993 and Amtrak dramatically improved coverage of its 
     operating costs from revenues; and
       ``Whereas, expansion of Amtrak service by using existing 
     rail rights-of-way would cost less and use less land than new 
     highways and airports and would further increase Amtrak's 
     energy efficiency advantage; and
       ``Whereas, federal investment in Amtrak has fallen in the 
     last decade while it has risen for airports and highways; and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak pays a fuel tax that airlines do not pay; 
     and
       ``Whereas, Amtrak workers and vendors pay more in taxes 
     than the federal government invests in Amtrak: Now therefore, 
     be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 
     concurring, That the President of [[Page S7013]] the United 
     States and the Congress are urged to do the following:
       ``1. Maintain the current level of Amtrak funding.
       ``2. Exempt Amtrak from paying fuel taxes that airlines do 
     not pay.
       ``3. Include a strong Amtrak system in any plans for a 
     national transportation system: be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the 
     President of the United States, the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representations, and members of Iowa's congressional 
     delegation.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-135. A resolution adopted by the Senate of Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                       ``Senate Resolution No. 21

       ``Whereas, H.R. 602, Title III, if enacted, would grant the 
     State of Hawaii concurrent jurisdiction over Baker Island, 
     Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Howland Island, 
     the Midway Islands, and Palmyra Atoll, to the same extent as 
     and in the same manner that such jurisdiction applies to all 
     other areas within the State of Hawaii; and
       ``Whereas, all of these areas have historical links to the 
     State of Hawaii, the Territory of Hawaii, and the Kingdom of 
     Hawaii, and are either part of the Hawaiian Archipelago or 
     are within the same relative distance as the distant islands 
     of the State; and
       ``Whereas, no rights or liabilities of title or ownership 
     are transferred to Hawaii as a result of this Act; and
       ``Whereas, the people of Hawaii have demonstrated, by their 
     wise governance and stewardship of the ocean resources of the 
     Hawaiian Archipelago, both living and non-living, their 
     desire to insure wise management and careful preservation of 
     the ocean environment; and
       ``Whereas, Hawaii's political, economic, and social destiny 
     has been linked, historically, to the ocean environment and 
     its resources, and Hawaii's people, from the early Polynesian 
     voyagers who discovered these islands nearly two thousand 
     years ago, to Hawaii's present-day citizens, represent one of 
     the great oceanic societies of globe; and
       ``Whereas, Hawaii's future, now as in the past, is linked 
     to its surrounding seas and its freedom to make wise use of 
     them; and
       ``Whereas, the joint exercise of concurrent jurisdiction
        over these islands and atolls will undoubtedly devolve to 
     great benefit to the strategic interests of both the State 
     of Hawaii and the United States of America; and
       ``Whereas, the Omnibus Territories Act, H.R. 602, grants 
     the Governor of the State of Hawaii authority to accept or 
     refuse jurisdiction over these areas, with no time limitation 
     imposed on this decision: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate of the Eighteenth Legislature of 
     the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1995, that the United 
     States Congress is respectfully urged to enact H.R. 602 as it 
     pertains to allowing Hawaii to assume jurisdiction over these 
     islands and atolls; and, be it further
       ``Resolved, That certified copies of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, the Speaker 
     of the United States House of Representatives, and the 
     President of the United States Senate.
     

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