[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1733-S1734]
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-33. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                       House Joint Memorial 4006

       Whereas, more than three thousand eight hundred women in 
     Washington will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year; 
     and
       Whereas, nearly one thousand women in Washington lost their 
     lives to breast cancer in 1996; and
       Whereas, women who die from breast cancer lose an average 
     of twenty years of their life; and
       Whereas, breast cancer is the second leading cause of 
     cancer death in women; and
       Whereas, the medical treatment costs of breast cancer 
     nation-wide total over six billion dollars annually; and
       Whereas, underfunded research into the causes of breast 
     cancer have not yet determined a cause, prevention, or cure 
     for the disease; and
       Whereas, research into the cause and cure for all cancers 
     totals only one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget; 
     and
       Whereas, the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     State of Washington honor and support the American Cancer 
     Society's ``Campaign 2.6'' signature drive: Now, therefore, 
     your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President of the 
     United States and members of the United States Congress 
     recommit to eradicating breast cancer by investing two 
     billion six million dollars in breast cancer research between 
     now and January 1, 2000, and mandate that cancer activists be 
     among those who decide how that money is appropriated; be it
       Resolved, That Copies of the Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of 
     the United States; the Honorable Patty Murray, United States 
     Senator; the Honorable Linda Smith, United States 
     Representative; John Seffrin of the American Cancer Society 
     National Home Office; Sherry Bailey of the American Cancer 
     Society National Home Office; Fran Visco of the National 
     Breast Cancer Coalition; Willie Stewart, Chairman of the 
     Board of Directors, Western Pacific Division of the American 
     Cancer Society; Ann Marie Pomerinke, Chief Executive Officer, 
     Western Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society; 
     Theresa Miller of the Breast Cancer Task Force of the Western 
     Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society; Deb Schiro 
     of the division office of the Western Pacific Division of the 
     American Cancer Society; the President of the United States 
     Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each 
     member of Congress from the State of Washington.
                                  ____

       POM-34. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on Armed 
     Services.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, the Base Closure and Realignment Commission was 
     created pursuant to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment 
     Act of 1990 to study the viability of United States military 
     installations and to issue reports regarding the closure and 
     realignment of select installations; and
       Whereas, the commission thoroughly reviewed data and input 
     from all interested parties, including the Department of 
     Defense, which recommended Tobyhanna Army Depot for increased 
     mission responsibility; and
       Whereas, in its final deliberations, the Defense Base 
     Closure and Realignment Commission concurred with the 
     efficiency and productivity analyses of the Tobyhanna Army 
     Depot work force; and
       Whereas, the commission issued a report to the President of 
     the United States on July 1, 1995, which recommended the 
     transfer of the ground communications-electronics workload 
     from the Sacramento Air Logistics Center, California, to the 
     Tobyhanna Army Depot; and
       Whereas, in recommending that the McClellan Air Force Base, 
     Sacramento, California, should be closed, the commission 
     directed that its ground communications-electronics workload 
     transfer to Tobyhanna Army Depot; and
       Whereas, this recommendation and others included in the 
     commission's 1995 report were accepted by the President, 
     submitted to the Congress of the United States and signed as 
     the Base Closure and Realignment Report of 1995 on July 13, 
     1995; and
       Whereas, the commission's report indicated that the 
     Tobyhanna Army Depot can perform the ground communications-
     electronics workload just as efficiently and more cost 
     effective than the Sacramento Air Logistics Center; and
       Whereas, the Tobyhanna Army Depot has proven to be one of 
     the United States' most cost-effective installations; and
       Whereas, the transfer of the ground communications-
     electronics workload to the Tobyhanna Army Depot would 
     involve the movement of approximately 900 positions to the 
     Tobyhanna Army Depot; and
       Whereas, these 900 positions constitute a significant staff 
     complement for the Tobyhanna Army Depot, although these 900 
     positions represent less than 10% of the total complement 
     based at the Sacramento Air Logistics Center; and
       Whereas, the Tobyhanna Army Depot is northeastern 
     Pennsylvania's largest employer, and the transfer of these 
     900 positions would represent an important influx to the 
     regional economy; and
       Whereas, the Tobyhanna Army Depot has the capacity, 
     capability and skills necessary to immediately perform a 
     significant portion of the Sacramento Air Logistics Center's 
     ground communications-electronics workload; and
       Whereas, the Base Closure and Realignment Report of 1995 
     required that the President of the United States initiative 
     workload transfers no later than July 13, 1997, and complete 
     those transfers no later than July 13, 2001; and
       Whereas, at the recommendation of the Secretary of Defense, 
     the President of the United States of America accepted these 
     decisions; and
       Whereas, the transfer of the 900 ground communications-
     electronics positions to Tobyhanna Army Depot has not been 
     initiated, even though this transfer was approved by the 
     President of the United States and shown to be in the 
     interests of cost-effectiveness and military efficiency; and
       Whereas, it is apparent that leaders in the state of 
     California seek to delay or prevent the movement of the 
     ground communications-electronics workload to Tobyhanna; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been severely 
     impacted by the Department of Defense base closure process in 
     each round from 1988 to 1996 and has not sought special 
     protection from these impacts; and
       Whereas, these efforts by the elected officials of 
     California will violate the intention of the 1995 Defense 
     Base Closure and Realignment Commission, negate annual 
     savings of $160 million and impact the readiness of the 
     nation's armed forces; Therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania memorialize the President of the United States 
     to effect the immediate transfer of the ground 
     communications-electronics workload from the Sacramento Air 
     Logistics Center to the Tobyhanna Army Depot; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, to the presiding officers 
     of each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-35. A resolution adopted by the Puerto Rican Bar 
     Association Board of Directors relative to opposition to the 
     Death Penalty; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.
       POM-36. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislative of 
     the State of Washington; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

[[Page S1734]]

       Whereas, the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is the nation's 
     most advanced test reactor; and
       Whereas, numerous independent studies have suggested that 
     the facility could one day be used to produce cancer-curing 
     medical isotopes; and
       Whereas, the facility has also been considered by the 
     Department of Energy (DOE) for short-term production of 
     tritium for our nation's defense needs; and
       Whereas, utilizing the FFTF for this purpose could help 
     postpone construction of more expensive options for tritium 
     production, thus freeing federal dollars for environmental 
     purposes during DOE's ``Ten Year Cleanup Plan''; and
       Whereas, this would protect Hanford clean up from budget 
     pressures during this time frame and ensure that the federal 
     government fulfills its responsibilities under the Tri-Party 
     Agreement; and
       Whereas, private sector involvement in the FFTF project 
     could further reduce federal expenditures needed for tritium 
     production; and
       Whereas, DOE and President William J. Clinton have 
     announced their decision to keep the FFTF on standby for 
     potential use for medical and tritium purposes; and
       Whereas, this decision could lead to the development of a 
     major cancer treatment center in Washington State; and
       Whereas, sixty-nine nationally recognized cancer 
     researchers have expressed their strong support for 
     preserving the FFTF, and have argued that they would find it 
     ``unconscionable to shut down the FFTF without a full review 
     of its potential for future operation, including isotope 
     production'': Now, therefore,
       Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States 
     Congress and executive agencies approve and endorser the plan 
     to fully and fairly evaluate the FFTF for use in meeting 
     critical national needs, and urge that the long-term best 
     interests of clean-up activities at Hanford and cancer 
     research be given top priority by DOE in arriving at its 
     decision, be it
       Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of 
     the United States, the Secretary of Energy, the President of 
     the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State 
     of Washington.
                                  ____

       POM-37. A petition from the citizens of the State of 
     California relative to violence, abuse, and the women's 
     citizenship; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works.

                          ____________________