[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15224-S15227]
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-344. A resolution adopted by the Governing Board of the 
     Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency relative to the 
     Environmental Protection Agency; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.
       POM-345. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Appropriations:

                       ``Joint Resolution No. 29

       ``Whereas, the Congress of the United States is expected to 
     consider funding for additional Air Force B-2 Stealth Bombers 
     beyond the 20 currently authorized; and
       ``Whereas, international challenges persist, and the 
     availability of stealth bomber technology will enable the Air 
     Force to respond quickly and decisively; and
       ``Whereas, the United States' ability to respond 
     effectively would be greatly undermined if the Air Force's 
     current fleet of bombers is allowed to become obsolescent; 
     and
       ``Whereas, according to the 1995 defense appropriations 
     bill, `Independent studies have concluded that the 20 B-2 
     aircraft currently on order are simply not enough to provide 
     a militarily-significant and cost-effective long-rang 
     conventional bomber force . . .'; and
       ``Whereas, the B-2 is the only aircraft currently in 
     production that incorporates advanced stealth technology, 
     developed in California, that unlike the current fleet of 
     bombers, gives the United States superiority over any 
     adversary in the world; and
       ``Whereas, the B-2 program employees 9,000 people in 
     California at Northrop Grumman Corporation, the prime 
     contractor, and more than 2,000 suppliers throughout the 
     state, and helps support thousands of additional jobs at 
     local businesses: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the B-2 Stealth Bomber is 
     acknowledged as a key element of the military strategy for 
     the defense of the United States; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California 
     respectfully urges the President and the Congress of the 
     United States to provide the necessary funding in the 1996 
     fiscal year for additional production of the Air Force B-2 
     Stealth Bomber, an important national resource; and be it 
     further
       ``Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice 
     President of the United States, 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-346. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                       ``Joint Resolution No. 40

       ``Whereas, the most recent base closure and realignment 
     recommendations forwarded to the President by the federally-
     appointed Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission now 
     include an additional 20 California defense facilities; and
       ``Whereas, Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. 
     Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan led the charge in rebuilding 
     American's defenses in the 20th Century and in practicing a 
     policy of `peace through strength'; and
       ``Whereas, the fruits of this policy were realized with the 
     collapse of the Soviet empire, America's victory in the Cold 
     War, and the military's stunning victory in the Persian Gulf 
     War; and
       ``Whereas, Americans have a profound respect for the men 
     and women of the United States military who faithfully serve 
     the country; and
       ``Whereas, we believe that, if the men and women of the 
     military are sent into harm's way, they must be equipped with 
     whatever is necessary to ensure their safety and to get the 
     job done; and
       ``Whereas, the world remains a dangerous place, with 
     military involvements recently in Iraq, Haiti, and now 
     Bosnia, and the maintenance of our defense should be a top 
     priority; and
       ``Whereas, downsizing and streamlining military operations 
     are important goals--but only as long as the security of the 
     United States is not compromised; and
       ``Whereas, the bases in California, especially McClellan 
     Air Force Base and the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, are vital 
     national assets on the Pacific Rim; and
       ``Whereas, it was recently learned that technology from 
     McClellan Air Force Base was used in the rescue of downed Air 
     Force pilot Scott O'Grady in Bosnia; and
       ``Whereas, the radio beacon and transmitter, as well as the 
     E3A AWACS aircraft equipment and radio communication system 
     used by O'Grady and his rescuers, were repaired and serviced 
     at McClellan Air Force Base; and
       ``Whereas, California has been forced to endure up to 50 
     percent of all national economic impact from base closures; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the closure of these California facilities would 
     represent direct and indirect job losses of up to 46,000 
     jobs, and since the California economy is highly reliant upon 
     the high technology associated with national defense 
     expenditures, these closures will only exacerbate that 
     devastation; and
       ``Whereas, the California economy, already suffering from 
     the strain of previous base closures, would be further 
     injured by these additional closures, which would represent 
     the loss of an estimated additional $10,200,000,000 in annual 
     income: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California memorializes the President of the United States 
     and the United States Congress to reject the entire base-
     closure list to be submitted on or before July 1, 1995, by 
     the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission; and be 
     it further
       ``Resolved, That the President, in consultation with the 
     Congress, is urged to develop a more balanced policy with 
     regard to the security needs of the United States; and be it 
     further
       ``Resolved, That a more balanced national security policy 
     should take into consideration the strong military strategic 
     concerns of the United States Defense Department and the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff; 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 United States 
     House of Representatives, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-347. A resolution adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of 
     the City of San Angelo, Texas relative to trust fund 
     accounts; referred jointly, pursuant to the order of August 
     4, 1977, to the Committee on the Budget, and to the Committee 
     on Governmental Affairs.
       POM-348. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of Caswell County, North Carolina relative to tobacco; to the 
     Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
       POM-349. A resolution adopted by the Military Chaplains 
     Association of the United States of America relative to the 
     Impact Aid Program; to the Committee on Labor and Human 
     Resources.
       POM-350. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Labor and Human 
     Resources:

                       ``Joint Resolution No. 25

       ``Whereas, the Congress of the United States, acknowledging 
     the fiscal burden 

[[Page S 15225]]
     placed on local educational agencies by the loss of revenue from 
     traditional funding sources such as property, sales and 
     income taxes resulting from a federal presence, in 1950 
     enacted Public Law 81-815/874 authorizing the Impact Aid 
     program that was reauthorized in 1994 as Section 8003 of 
     Title VIII of Public Law 103-382 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 236 and 
     following); and
       ``Whereas, Federal impact aid is funding provided to a 
     local school district in lieu of taxes not paid by the 
     federal government and certain federal employees and to 
     compensate for revenues the local community would collect if 
     the land did not belong to the federal government; and
       ``Whereas, unlike other federally funded education 
     programs, Federal impact aid is not a program designed to 
     respond to a social need or provide supplemental state and 
     local funding but is a program designed to help cover basic 
     education costs; and
       ``Whereas, Federal impact aid is a program that imposes no 
     federal requirements directing states or schools to develop 
     performance standards or learning objectives; and
       ``Whereas, Federal impact aid is funding that goes directly 
     to the local agency for the general support of the education 
     program for all students as determined by the local 
     educational agency without burdensome bureaucratic costs; and
       ``Whereas, there are 229 California school districts 
     serving approximately 2,200,000 students located throughout 
     the state from Del Norte County in the north, to San Diego 
     County in the south, that educate 180,000 federally connected 
     children who depend on the federal fair share financial 
     contribution to the local educational system; and
       ``Whereas, withdrawal of federal impact aid funding would 
     adversely impact the educational program of every school 
     district that depends on federal impact aid to provide the 
     federal government's share of support for the education of 
     the federally connected child and force districts to curtail 
     services to all children; and
       ``Whereas, the withdrawal of federal impact aid funding 
     would result in state and local taxpayers subsidizing the 
     education of the federally connected child; and
       ``Whereas, California and its citizens are struggling to 
     overcome a severe economic crisis; and
       ``Whereas, the federal government's financial support for 
     California's federally connected child and federal presence 
     has declined below the 1981 level of funding although the 
     numbers of children in the educational system has been 
     increasing: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California proclaims its support for the maintenance and full 
     funding of federal impact aid to local school districts; and 
     be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Legislature respectfully memorializes 
     the President and Congress of the United States to uphold the 
     responsibility of the federal government to provide funding 
     to local school districts impacted by a federal presence; 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-351. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Texas; to the Committee on Labor and Human 
     Resources:

                 ``Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 15

       ``Whereas, eighty-two national toll-free telephone hotlines 
     provide assistance to victims of crime and disease but there 
     is no such hotline for victims of domestic violence, who may 
     not know whom to call or how to find a shelter; and
       ``Whereas, a national hotline for battered women was in 
     operation from September, 1988, until June, 1992, receiving 
     approximately 10,000 calls a month in its last months of 
     operation; and
       ``Whereas, after the hotline closed for lack of funding, 
     national women's organizations and statewide family violence 
     coalitions reached a consensus that the Texas Council on 
     Family Violence should lead a project to reestablish the 
     hotline; and
       ``Whereas, the Texas Council on Family Violence has 
     developed a plan to reestablish the national hotline after 
     first establishing a pilot project in Texas; and the Texas 
     Council on Family Violence has received more than $200,000 
     for the implementation of the Texas Pilot Hotline and has 
     hired a hotline specialist who has worked on a detailed plan 
     for the project; and
       ``Whereas, the Texas Council on Family Violence has 
     developed a budget summary regarding the costs of the 
     National Domestic Violence Hotline as well as the Texas pilot 
     project; and
       ``Whereas, since 1978, the Texas Council on Family Violence 
     has worked closely with the Texas Legislative, Texas state 
     agencies, and Texas elected officials and has consistently 
     demonstrated their organizational capacity and the requisite 
     expertise to run a domestic violence hotline and has secured 
     a portion of the funding to implement and maintain a 
     statewide hotline for domestic violence victims and is poised 
     to receive grant funding from the federal government to set 
     up the nationwide 1-800 hotline for victims of domestic 
     violence; and
       ``Whereas, section 316 of the Family Violence Prevention 
     and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.), as added by 
     Section 40211, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act 
     of 1994 (Pub. L. No. 103-322), signed into law by President 
     Clinton on September 13, 1994, provides funds for a National 
     Domestic Violence Hotline Grant to fund a 1-800 hotline for 
     victims of domestic violence; and the Texas Council on Family 
     Violence has worked for two years to obtain private and 
     public money to establish such a hotline: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       ``Resolved, That the 74th Legislative of the State of Texas 
     hereby petition the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
     award to the Texas Council on Family Violence the National 
     Domestic Violence Hotline Grant to set up a national hotline 
     for victims of domestic violence; and, be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Texas Secretary of State forward 
     official copies of this resolution to the President of the 
     United States, the president of the senate and speaker of the 
     house of representatives of the United States Congress, all 
     members of the Texas delegation to the congress, and to the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services with the request that 
     this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a 
     petition to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-352. A resolution adopted by the Military Chaplains 
     Association of the United States of America relative to the 
     Department of Veterans' Affairs Chaplain Service; to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
       POM-353. A resolution adopted by the Council of City of 
     Honolulu, Hawaii relative to the proposed ``Filipino Veterans 
     Equity Act of 1995''; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
       POM-354. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alabama; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                    ``House Joint Resolution No. 271

       ``Whereas, Alabama's atomic veterans showed steadfast 
     dedication and undisputed loyalty to their country and made 
     intolerable sacrifices in service to America; and
       ``Whereas, these atomic veterans gave their all during the 
     terribly hot atomic age to keep our country strong and free; 
     and
       ``Whereas, these atomic veterans were unknowingly placed in 
     the line of fire, after being assured that they faced no 
     harm, and were subjected to an ungodly bombardment of 
     ionizing radiation; and
       ``Whereas, the radiation to which they were exposed is now 
     and will continue to eat away at their bodies every second of 
     every day for the rest of their lives with no hope of 
     cessation or cure; and
       ``Whereas, because their wounds were not of the 
     conventional type, and were not caused by the enemy but by 
     the United States Government, the atomic veterans did not 
     receive service-connected medical disability benefits and did 
     not receive a medal such as the Purple Heart; and
       ``Whereas, many atomic veterans have already died and 
     others will die a horrible and painful death: Now therefore 
     be it
       ``Resolved by the Legislature of Alabama, both Houses 
     thereof concurring, That atomic veterans be recognized by the 
     federal government, and that the United States Senators and 
     Representatives from Alabama support legislation granting 
     service-connected medical and disability benefits to all 
     atomic veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation and 
     legislation issuing a medal to atomic veterans to express the 
     gratitude of the people and government of the United States 
     for the dedication and sacrifices of these veterans, be it 
     further
       ``Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent by the 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives to the President of the 
     United States, the Vice President of the United States, the 
     Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Secretary 
     of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the 
     Chairpersons of the Senate and the House of Representatives' 
     Veterans Affairs Committees, and each member of Alabama's 
     Congressional Delegation.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-355. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                    ``Senate Joint Resolution No. 14

       ``Whereas, the Philippine Islands became a United States 
     possession in 1898 when they were ceded from Spain following 
     the Spanish-American War and remained a possession of the 
     United States until 1946; and
       ``Whereas, in 1934, Congress passed Public Law 73-127, the 
     Philippine Independence Act, that set a 10-year timetable for 
     the eventual independence of the Philippines and in the 
     interim established a Commonwealth of the Philippines with 
     certain powers over its internal affairs; and
       ``Whereas, the granting of full independence ultimately was 
     delayed for two years until 1946 because of the Japanese 
     occupation of the islands from 1942 to 1945; and
       ``Whereas, during the interval between 1934 and the final 
     independence in 1946, the United States retained certain 
     sovereign powers over the Philippines, including the right, 
     upon order of the President of the United States, to call 
     into the service of the United States Armed Forces all 
     military forces organized by the Commonwealth government; and
       ``Whereas, President Roosevelt invoked this authority by 
     executive order of July 26, 1941, bringing the Philippine 
     Commonwealth Army into the service of the United States Armed 
     Forces of the Far East under the 

[[Page S 15226]]

     command of Lt. General Douglas MacArthur; and
       ``Whereas, there are four groups of Filipino nationals who 
     are entitled to all or some of the benefits to which United 
     States veterans are entitled. These are:
       ``(1) Filipinos who served in the regular components of the 
     United States Armed Forces.
       ``(2) Regular Philippine Scouts, called `Old Scouts,' who 
     enlisted in Filipino-manned units of the United States Army 
     prior to October 6, 1945.
       ``(3) Special Philippine Scouts, called `New Scouts,' who 
     enlisted in the United States Armed Forces between October 6, 
     1945, and June 30, 1947, primarily to perform occupational 
     duty in the Pacific following World War II.
       ``(4) Members of the Philippine Commonwealth Army who on 
     July 26, 1941, were called into the service of the United 
     States Armed Forces. This group includes organized guerrilla 
     resistance units that were recognized by the United States 
     Army; and
       ``Whereas, the first two groups, Filipinos who served in 
     the regular components of the United States Army and Old 
     Scouts, are considered United States veterans and are 
     generally entitled to the full range of United States 
     veterans' benefits; and
       ``Whereas, the other two groups, New Scouts and members of 
     the Commonwealth Army, are eligible for certain benefits, and 
     some of these are paid at lower than full rates. United 
     States veterans' medical benefits for the four groups of 
     Filipino veterans vary depending upon whether the person 
     resides in the United States or the Philippines; and
       ``Whereas, the Old Scouts were created in 1901 pursuant to 
     the Act of February 2, 1901, that authorized the President of 
     the United States `to enlist natives [of the Philippines] . . 
     . for service in the Army, to be organized as scouts . . . or 
     as troops or companies, as authorized by this Act, for the 
     regular Army'; and
       ``Whereas, prior to World War II, these troops assisted in 
     the maintenance of domestic order in the Philippines and 
     served as a combat ready force to defend the islands against 
     foreign invasion; and
       ``Whereas, during the war, they participated in the defense 
     of and retaking of the islands from Japanese occupation. The 
     eligibility of Old Scouts for benefits based on military 
     service in the United States Armed Forces, including 
     veterans' benefits, has long been established; and
       ``Whereas, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs 
     operates a comprehensive program of veterans' benefits in the 
     Republic of the Philippines, including the operation of a 
     federal Department of Veterans Affairs office in Manila; and
       ``Whereas, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs does 
     not operate a program of this type in any other country; and
       ``Whereas, the program in the Philippines evolved because 
     the Philippines were a United States possession during the 
     period 1898-1946, and many Filipinos have served in the 
     United States Armed Forces, and because the preindependence 
     Commonwealth Army of the Philippines was called into the 
     service of the United States Armed Forces during World War II 
     (1941-1945); and
       ``Whereas, many Filipino veterans, however, have been 
     discriminated against by the classification of their service 
     as not being service rendered in the United States Armed 
     Forces for purposes of benefits from the federal Department 
     of Veterans' Affairs; and
       ``Whereas, Filipinos gallantly served at Bataan and 
     Corregidor, giving their toil, blood, and lives so as to 
     provide the United States valuable time to rearm materiel and 
     men to launch the counter-offensive in the Pacific war; and
       ``Whereas, all other nationals, even foreigners, who served 
     in the United States Armed Forces have been recognized and 
     granted full rights and benefits, but the Filipinos who 
     actually were American nationals at that time were and are 
     still denied recognition and singled out for exclusion, and 
     this treatment is unfair and discriminatory; and
       ``Whereas, on March 6, 1995, House Resolution 1136 was 
     introduced in the United States House of Representatives, and 
     on January 4, 1995, Senate bill 55 was introduced in the 
     United States Senate, to deem service in the organized 
     military forces of the government of the Commonwealth of the 
     Philippines and the Philippine Scouts during World War II to 
     be active service for the purpose of benefits under programs 
     administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
       ``Whereas, on January 4, 1995, Senate bill 72 was 
     introduced in the United States Senate, to direct the 
     Secretary of the Army to issue a certificate of service to 
     Filipino nationals whom the Secretary determines have 
     performed any military service in the Philippine Islands 
     during World War II that qualifies the person or a survivor 
     to receive any military, veterans', or other benefits under 
     federal laws; and
       ``Whereas, the proposed legislation would bring relief to 
     the estimated remaining 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino veterans 
     (out of the initial 175,000 to 200,000 troops) who risked 
     their lives during World War II, surviving the occupation of 
     the Philippine Islands and the infamous Bataan Death March, 
     and who, now in their mid-60's to mid-90's, have been 
     battling for years to obtain the benefits of other veterans 
     of that war: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully memorializes the President and 
     Congress of the United States to act favorably on legislation 
     pertaining to granting full veterans' benefits to Filipino 
     veterans of the United States Armed Forces; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a 
     copy 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-356. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                    ``Senate Joint Resolution No. 19

       ``Whereas, the American Legion estimates that more than 
     20,000 Persian Gulf War veterans are suffering from `Gulf War 
     illness' that is an affliction involving various undiagnosed, 
     chronic ailments with symptoms that include fatigue, skin 
     problems, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, neurological 
     symptoms, neuropsychological symptoms, respiratory system 
     symptoms, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal symptoms, 
     cardiovascular symptoms, abnormal weight loss, and menstrual 
     disorders; and
       ``Whereas, there is evidence that Persian Gulf War 
     participants were exposed to chemical and biological warfare 
     agents, chemical and biological warfare pretreatment drugs, 
     and other hazardous materials and substances that are being 
     linked to the symptoms of `Gulf War illness'; and
       ``Whereas, there is also evidence that spouses and other 
     family members of Persian Gulf War veterans are experiencing 
     health problems related to `Gulf War illness'; and
       ``Whereas, in November 1994 Congress enacted the Persian 
     Gulf War Veterans' Act authorizing the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs to compensate any Persian Gulf War veteran suffering 
     from a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed 
     illness or combination of undiagnosed illnesses that became 
     manifest either during active duty in the Southwest Asia 
     theater of operations or within a certain period following 
     service in that area during the Persian Gulf War; and
       ``Whereas, despite mounting evidence that illnesses 
     suffered by many Persian Gulf War veterans are service 
     connected, many of the medical complaints of these veterans 
     have yet to be diagnosed as service connected; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully memorializes the President and the 
     Congress of the United States to take action to, as soon as 
     possible, identify and locate those veterans of the Persian 
     Gulf War that may be suffering from `Gulf War illness,' and 
     make adequate federal funds available for research on `Gulf 
     War illness' and for full medical treatment for all of those 
     veterans suffering from `Gulf War illness,' particularly 
     those veterans who have chronic disabilities resulting from 
     military service during the Persian Gulf War; 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 Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States, and to 
     the Administrator of Veterans Affairs.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-357. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                           ``Joint Resolution

       ``Whereas, September 1995 marks the 50th anniversary of the 
     end of World War II, the greatest armed conflict the world 
     has ever known, in which the victory of the Allied united 
     nations made possible the promise of peace, dignity and 
     freedom for all peoples; and
       ``Whereas, in that conflict some 250,000 Americans served 
     in the United States Merchant Marine, which carried goods, 
     grain, armaments, food, personnel and materiel to Allied 
     forces in both the Pacific and the Atlantic theaters, in the 
     great ocean convoys President Roosevelt called the `American 
     bridge of ships'; and
       ``Whereas, in that conflict 6,835 United States merchant 
     mariners and over 1,800 United States Navy personnel on 
     merchant ships gave their lives for their country, the 
     highest casualty rate of any United States service in World 
     War II; and
       ``Whereas, in that conflict over 600 United States merchant 
     mariners were incarcerated in Axis POW camps, suffering a 
     casualty rate of over 10%; and
       ``Whereas, in that conflict Maine built and launched almost 
     270 Liberty ships at the Todd-Bath East and West Yards in 
     South Poland, Maine and sent thousands of officers and 
     enlisted personnel into the United States Merchant Marine, 
     continuing the proud Maine tradition of `those that go down 
     to the sea in ships': Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, That we, your Memorialists, respectfully 
     recommend and urge the Congress of the United States to 
     provide that certain service of members of the United States 
     Merchant Marine during World War II constitutes active 
     military service as proposed in bipartisan bills S-254 and H-
     44, now before the 104th Congress, as just and due 
     recognition of the United States merchant mariners' 
     selflessness, sacrifice and service to their country and the 
     Allied cause; and be it further

[[Page S 15227]]

       ``Resolved, That suitable copies of this Memorial, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United 
     States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States 
     and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.''

                          ____________________