[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 122 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10073-S10075]
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-659. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Agriculture, 
     Nutrition, and Forestry.

                      ``Senate Joint Resolution 36

       ``Whereas, cotton is an important agricultural commodity in 
     California, as well as in other states in the American 
     Southwest; and
       ``Whereas, the value of the cotton crop in California in 
     1994 exceeded $1 billion; and
       ``Whereas, the cotton crop in California is threatened by 
     insect pests including the cotton pink bollworm, the boll 
     weevil, and the silverleaf whitefly; and
       ``Whereas, the International Cotton Pest Work Committee is 
     an informal organization of volunteers established 
     approximately 35 years ago for the purpose of coordinating 
     research and pest control measures between the United States 
     and Mexico; and
       ``Whereas, since 1967, the United States Department of 
     Agriculture (USDA), in conjunction with the International 
     Cotton Pest Work Committee, has funded and conducted a 
     quarantine program to control and eradicate the cotton pink 
     bollworm; and
       ``Whereas, the USDA, together with the International Cotton 
     Pest Work Committee, also has coordinated a program to 
     develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques for 
     eventual eradication of the cotton pink bollworm; and
       ``Whereas, due to successful IPM and quarantine programs in 
     California and Arizona, the boll weevil has been eradicated 
     in those states; and
       ``Whereas, eradication of the boll weevil in other 
     southwestern states and in Mexico is necessary to ensure that 
     the boll weevil will not be reintroduced into California 
     and Arizona; and
       ``Whereas, the State of California needs the help of the 
     USDA in coordinating programs for the eradication of the boll 
     weevil with New Mexico and Texas and with Mexico; and
       ``Whereas, infestations of the silverleaf whitefly in 
     recent years have had a devastating effect on not only 
     cotton, but on alfalfa, vegetable, and melon crops in 
     California and the other southwestern states and in Mexico; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the USDA, in conjunction with the International 
     Cotton Pest Work Committee, has been conducting IPM research 
     with the goal of controlling and eradicating the silverleaf 
     whitefly; and
       ``Whereas, it is essential that the USDA continue to 
     coordinate these efforts and to provide the scientific 
     resources necessary to control and eradicate the silverleaf 
     whitefly, which can only be successful if conducted on an 
     international scale: 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 do all of the following:
       ``(1) Continue to staff the position of Project Coordinator 
     with Mexico within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
     Services (APHIS) branch of the USDA for international cotton 
     pest programs.
       ``(2) Make eradication of the cotton pink bollworm one of 
     the USDA's highest priorities and appropriate an additional 
     $3.5 million per year for the program.
       ``(3) Coordinate, through the International Cotton Pest 
     Work Committee, the project to eradicate the cotton pink 
     bollworm with the government of Mexico, and the States of 
     California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
       ``(4) Make completion of the USDA Boll Weevil Eradication 
     Program in the southwestern United States and in Mexico one 
     of USDA's highest priorities, and continue to appropriate $1 
     million per year for that purpose.
       ``(5) Make development of IPM strategies for controlling 
     and ultimately eradicating the silverleaf whitefly one of the 
     USDA's highest priorities and continue to appropriate $7 
     million per year for that purpose.
       ``(6) Require the USDA to jointly coordinate with the 
     International Cotton Pest Work Committee the development of 
     an areawide, binational, IPM program for the management of 
     the silverleaf whitefly; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and the 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-660. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                      ``Senate Joint Resolution 48

       ``Whereas, the Congress and President of the United States 
     ratified and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement 
     (NAFTA); and
       ``Whereas, NAFTA is a sovereign-to-sovereign accord that 
     took effect on January 1, 1994; and
       ``Whereas, NAFTA has benefited, and continues to benefit, 
     every state in the nation with import and export trade that 
     has increased national employment, offset trade deficits, and 
     expanded commercial activity; and
       ``Whereas, California and the other border states are 
     required to address NAFTA-related infrastructure needs in the 
     border region and serve as the nation's first line of defense 
     against unsafe and undocumented commercial vehicles and 
     operators; and
       ``Whereas, the President and Congress have provided no 
     federal assistance to California for critically needed border 
     infrastructure; and
       ``Whereas, the State of California has already spent 
     twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) for two commercial 
     vehicle enforcement facilities and remains ready to inspect 
     commercial vehicles from Mexico; and
       ``Whereas, the state is faced with diverting from other 
     critical spending demands more than two hundred million 
     dollars ($200,000,000) for highway facilities in the border 
     region; and
       ``Whereas, because the standard percentage for federal-
     state cost sharing for similar

[[Page S10074]]

     projects is 80 percent federal funding and 20 percent state 
     funding, standard federal reimbursement would be twenty 
     million dollars ($20,000,000) for the commercial vehicle 
     enforcement facilities and one hundred sixty million dollars 
     ($160,000,000) for the highway facilities: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       ``Resolved, by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California memorializes the President and the Congress to 
     recognize the unfunded mandate placed on the border states by 
     the implementation of NAFTA; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California 
     further memorializes the President, congressional leadership, 
     and the members of California's congressional delegation, to 
     speedily adopt legislation that would provide direct 
     financial assistance to border states specifically for the 
     purpose of improving border infrastructure needed to 
     accommodate the demands of NAFTA; 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, the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-661. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City 
     and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, relative to the Community 
     Development Block Grant Program; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.
       POM-662. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                          ``Senate Resolution

       ``Whereas, the Massachusetts General Court has passed 
     legislation to ban the sounding of train whistles at grade 
     level railway/highway crossings, which have in place other 
     adequate forms of safety devices located in the communities 
     which we represent; and
       ``Whereas, the Federal Railway Administration 
     recommendations of standards for grade level railway/highway 
     crossings include the removal of such bans which have been 
     placed at the request of the citizens of the respective 
     communities; and
       ``Whereas, the safety of those citizens who abide by the 
     laws and signals when traveling through these crossings are 
     in no way jeopardized by the ban placed on train whistles at 
     crossings with adequate forms of safety devices in place; and
       ``Whereas, the sounding of train whistles at such crossings 
     has been deemed a health hazard, in addition to being a 
     disturbance of the peace, to those citizens who live in close 
     proximity to the train crossings; and
       ``Whereas, the Massachusetts General Court supports the 
     indefinite postponement of a ruling by the Federal Railway 
     Administration relative to whistle bans in accordance with 
     the Swift Rail Development Act; Now therefore be it
       ``Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate respectfully 
     urges the Congress of the United States to require the 
     Federal Railway Administration to postpone the ruling to 
     remove bans placed on the sounding of train whistles at such 
     crossings; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That copies of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the clerk of the Senate to the President of the 
     United States, to the presiding officers of each branch of 
     Congress and to the Members thereof from this commonwealth.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-663. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Satellite Beach, Florida, relative to the proposed ``Shore 
     Protection Act of 1996''; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.
       POM-664. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Finance.

                      ``Senate Joint Resolution 37

       ``Whereas, the States of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, 
     and Wisconsin have established veterans' home loan programs; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the States of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, 
     and Wisconsin have authority in the Internal Revenue Code to 
     issue qualified veteran mortgage bonds to finance their 
     respective veteran home loan programs; and
       ``Whereas, veterans' eligibility under current federal tax 
     law restricts the eligibility to veterans who served on 
     active duty prior to January 1, 1977; and
       ``Whereas, the Directors of Veterans Affairs of the States 
     of Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin are 
     desirous of extending their respective veteran home loan 
     programs to include the men and women of the United States of 
     America who are dispatched to participate in any conflict 
     that occurred or occurs on or after January 1, 1977; and
       ``Whereas, veterans of these aforementioned conflicts 
     should receive benefits consistent with the benefits 
     available to veterans of previous armed conflicts; and
       ``Whereas, those veterans have been qualified for 
     eligibility into congressionally chartered veterans' 
     organizations by prior acts of the Congress of the United 
     States; 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 Congress and the 
     President of the United States to urge the Congress of the 
     United States to amend paragraph (4) of Section 143(l) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to read: ``Qualified veteran--
     For the purpose of this subsection, the term `qualified 
     veteran' means any veteran who meets such requirements as may 
     be imposed by the state law pursuant to which qualified 
     veterans' mortgage bonds are issued''; 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, and to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, the President of the Senate, and each Member 
     in the Congress of the United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-665. A resolution adopted by the Southern Governers' 
     Association, relative to the National Gambling Commission; to 
     the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
       POM-666. A resolution adopted by the Southern Governers 
     Association, relative to condemning the burning of churches 
     throughout the southern United States; to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary.
       POM-667. A concurent resolution adopted by the Senate of 
     the Legislature of the State of California; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.

                   ``Senate Concurrent Resolution 46

       ``Whereas, home should be a place of warmth, unconditional 
     love, tranquility, and security; however, for many Americans, 
     home is tainted with violence and fear; and
       ``Whereas, domestic violence is more than the occasional 
     family dispute; and
       ``Whereas, according to the United States Department of 
     Health and Human Services, domestic violence is the single 
     largest cause of injury to American women, affecting six 
     million women of all racial, cultural, and economic 
     backgrounds; and
       ``Whereas, according to data published in 1993 by the 
     Commonwealth Fund and a 1994 survey report by the United 
     States Department of Justice, in the United States, a woman 
     is battered every 15 seconds; 40 percent of female homicide 
     victims in 1991 were killed by their husbands or boyfriends; 
     and
       ``Whereas, according to the United States Department of 
     Labor, one million people are assaulted and injured every 
     year as a result of workplace violence, 1,000 people are 
     killed every year due to workplace violence, and 20 percent 
     of battered women lose their jobs due to harassment at work 
     by abusive husbands or boyfriends; and
       ``Whereas, more than one-half of the number of women in 
     need of shelter from an abusive environment may be turned 
     away from a shelter due to lack of space; and
       ``Whereas, women are not the only targets of domestic 
     violence; young children, elderly persons, and men are also 
     victims in their own homes; and
       ``Whereas, emotional scars are often permanent; and
       ``Whereas, a coalition of organizations has emerged to 
     confront this crisis directly. Law enforcement agencies, 
     domestic violence hotlines, battered women and children's 
     shelters, health care providers, churches, and the volunteers 
     that serve those entitles are helping the effort to end 
     domestic violence; and
       ``Whereas, it is important to recognize the compassion and 
     dedication of the individuals involved in that effort, 
     applaud their commitment, and increase public understanding 
     of this significant problem; and
       ``Whereas, the first Day of Unity was celebrated in October 
     1981 and was sponsored by the National Coalition Against 
     Domestic Violence (N.C.A.D.V.) for the purpose of uniting 
     battered women's advocates across the nation in an effort to 
     end domestic violence; and
       ``Whereas, that one day has grown into a month of 
     activities at all levels of government, aimed at creating 
     awareness about the problem and presenting solutions; and
       ``Whereas, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was 
     proclaimed in October 1987: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the 
     Assembly thereof concurring: That the Legislature hereby 
     proclaims the month of October 1996 as Domestic Violence 
     Awareness Month; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a 
     copy of this resolution to the President of the United 
     States, the Governor of the State of California, the Director 
     of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 
     and to each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-668. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                      ``Senate Joint Resolution 39

       ``Whereas, there is a continuing need for economic 
     revitalization in California; and
       ``Whereas, Capital investment from new immigrants is a 
     vital aspect of local and statewide economic revitalization; 
     and
       ``Whereas, an increasing number of affluent immigrants have 
     the desire to reside in California and to invest their 
     financial resources into business ventures here; and
       ``Whereas, the current United States Investor Visa Program 
     inhibits California's ability to attract foreign business 
     investors; and
       ``Whereas, the Immigration and Naturalization Service 
     indicates the full enrollment in the investor visa program 
     would generate $1.6 billion of new investment and 20,000 jobs 
     annually in California; and
       ``Whereas, in the first two years of implementation only 
     825 petitions were filed out

[[Page S10075]]

     of the 10,000 visa available under the United States Investor 
     Visa Program; and
       ``Whereas, other countries, such as Canada have tailored 
     their investor visa programs to attract significant capital 
     investment; and
       ``Whereas, the California Policy Seminar Brief, Volume 7, 
     Number 13, reported that Canada has attracted over $3 billion 
     in investment through their Business Migration Program 
     between 1986 and 1990; and
       ``Whereas, immigrant business investment in Canada resulted 
     in a 30 percent increase in employment in the manufacturing 
     firms that were invested in: 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 reduce the current 
     investment threshold under the United States Investor Visa 
     Program to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) minimum 
     investment and five employees to allow states greater 
     flexibility in focusing investment funds to address specific 
     economic needs; 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 House of 
     Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States, and to the 
     Director of the United States Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-669. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                      ``Senate Joint Resolution 49

       ``Whereas, California, with 3.3 million veterans, has the 
     largest concentration of veterans in the United States and 
     the number continues to grow as up to 50,000 newly separated 
     service members per year select California as their 
     residence; and
       ``Whereas, California has historically been 
     underrepresented by the United States Department of Veterans 
     Affairs (USDVA) in that California has only one USDVA 
     employee for each 8,000 veterans while the rest of the nation 
     averages one USDVA employee for each 6,000 veterans; and
       ``Whereas, this inequity means less staff to revolve the 
     more complex claims of the veterans of this state; and
       ``Whereas, this inequity is aggravated by the fact that the 
     mix of claims causes California to have a larger compensation 
     share and a smaller pension share than the rest of the 
     nation; and
       ``Whereas, despite this large population of veterans and 
     their families, the proposed USDVA Field Restructuring Plan 
     would transfer veterans' disability pension benefits 
     processing services from California to Phoenix, Arizona and 
     other states; and
       ``Whereas, the restructuring proposal will not, under any 
     circumstances, provide a reasonable level of service to 
     California veterans; and
       ``Whereas, the transfer of disability pension processing 
     activities from the Los Angeles and Oakland USDVA offices to 
     Phoenix reflects restructuring that is driven by budget 
     concerns, and not by concern for veterans' service; and
       ``Whereas, it is estimated that the servicing of disability 
     pension claims for those veterans whose files will not be in 
     Phoenix reduces the case management effectiveness of not only 
     the county veterans service offices but also the national 
     service organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     and the Employment Development Department of California, and 
     will have a significant impact on cost-avoiding state Medi-
     Cal (medicaid) appropriations as they apply to our aging 
     veteran population due to reduced levels of service, 
     timeliness factors, and the required ongoing training that is 
     currently shared by county veterans service officers and the 
     Los Angeles and Oakland regional USDVA offices; and
       ``Whereas, it is the understanding of the Legislature that 
     the proposed USDVA Field Restructuring Plan is based on old 
     and unreliable data that attacks California's regional USDVA 
     offices as inefficient and overmanaged and these assumptions 
     are not valid today; and
       ``Whereas, reducing the size of the offices or moving the 
     offices to Phoenix, Arizona or any other state, or otherwise 
     attempting to effectuate the ``smaller is better'' doctrine 
     in this case will not solve the increasing problems of 
     California more than 3.3 million veterans and their 
     dependents: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly,'' That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully memorializes the President, the 
     Congress of the United States, and the United States 
     Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain the status quo, 
     and to reconsider the decision to adopt the proposed USDVA 
     Field Restructuring Plan; 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 House of 
     Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from 
     California in the Congress of the United States, and to the 
     Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans 
     Affairs.''
                                                                    ____
                                  

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