[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3427-S3428]
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-384. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Louisiana; to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
       Whereas, Congress, through the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR Act), mandated that 
     the secretary of agriculture consolidate the then existing 
     thirty-two federal milk marketing orders into no fewer than 
     ten nor more than fourteen orders by no later than April 4, 
     1999; and
       Whereas, the FAIR Act also authorized the secretary of 
     agriculture to review and reform the pricing and other 
     provisions of the consolidated orders; and
       Whereas, on January 23, 1998, the secretary of agriculture 
     issued the proposed rules for federal milk order 
     consolidations and reforms; and
       Whereas, these proposed rules included two options for 
     pricing milk used in Class I (fluid milk products), which are 
     noted and referred to as Option 1A and Option 1B; and
       Whereas, Option 1A is similar to the present geographic 
     price structures; however, Option 1B would reduce the minimum 
     federal order prices in Louisiana more than $1.00 per hundred 
     weight; and
       Whereas, while demand has been rising due to increasing 
     population, milk production in Louisiana and the entire 
     Southeast has declined during each of the past seven years; 
     as a result, larger quantities of milk are imported from 
     other regions at higher cost than local milk; and
       Whereas, implementation of Option 1B, even with the highest 
     transition option, would aggravate the loss of dairy farms 
     and local milk production; and
       Whereas, such loss will be devastating to the dairy farmer, 
     the rural communities, and the consumers: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     memorializes the Congress of the United States to support, 
     and urges and requests the secretary of agriculture to 
     incorporate, Option 1A as the pricing procedure in all 
     federal milk marketing orders in his final decision on 
     consolidation and reform of these orders. Be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each 
     member of the Louisiana congressional delegation, and the 
     secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.
                                                                    ____

       POM-385. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania relative to Federal credit unions; 
     to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
       POM-386. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
     Urban Affairs.

  Joint Resolution Memoralizing the Congress of the United States To 
                 Preserve the Current Fair Housing Act

       Whereas, 10 years ago the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 
     1988 amended Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, to 
     extend the principle of equal housing opportunity to people 
     with disabilities and to families with children; and
       Whereas, on February 12, 1998, the Fair Housing Amendments 
     Act of 1998 was introduced for the purpose of repealing the 
     federal protections for people with mental retardation and 
     other disabilities; and
       Whereas, the accomplishments that have been made during the 
     last 30 years to protect people with disabilities and 
     families with children should be celebrated and improved 
     upon, not weakened; Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, That the 
     important civil rights protections extended by the Fair 
     Housing Amendments Act of 1988 must be preserved; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this memorial, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     Charles Canady, Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on 
     the Constitution, 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.
                                                                    ____

       POM-387. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                        House Resolution No. 388

       Whereas, This Commonwealth has used four telephone area 
     codes since the 1940s; and
       Whereas, A shortage of available telephone numbers in two 
     area codes in this Commonwealth has prompted the Pennsylvania 
     Public Utility Commission to create two new area codes since 
     1995, increasing the total number of area codes to six; and
       Whereas, Anticipated shortages in the 717, 215 and 610 area 
     codes prompted the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to 
     institute practices that would conserve telephone numbers in 
     these area codes and so mitigated the need to create 
     additional area codes; and
       Whereas, Beginning in July 1997, the Pennsylvania Public 
     Utility Commission adopted orders authorizing several methods 
     of conserving telephone numbers in the 717, 215 and 610 area 
     codes; and
       Whereas, These methods to reduce the amount of telephone 
     numbers provided to telephone service providers in any given 
     local exchange, to develop a transparent area code and to 
     ration available numbers were challenged at the Federal 
     Communications Commission; and
       Whereas, The delays and denials from the Federal 
     Communications Commission prevented the Pennsylvania Public 
     Utility Commission from implementing its conservation methods 
     and so forced the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to 
     act to create new area codes; and
       Whereas, Due to these delays and denials, this Commonwealth 
     faces a crisis in available telephone numbers in the 717, 215 
     and 610 area codes, which has forced the Pennsylvania Public 
     Utility Commission to tentatively create two new area codes; 
     and
       Whereas, The creation of new area codes prior to the full 
     implementation of conservation methods results in unnecessary 
     inconvenience, confusion and expense to citizens in the 
     affected areas; and
       Whereas, The creation of these proposed new area codes 
     could have been prevented or significantly delayed had the 
     Federal Communications Commission acted expeditiously on the 
     Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's conservation 
     proposals: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of 
     Representatives memorialize the Congress of the United States 
     and the Federal Communications Commission to allow state 
     regulatory agencies the flexibility they need to conserve 
     available telephone numbers and so extend the useful lives of 
     existing area codes; and, be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the chairman of the 
     Federal Communications Commission, the presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                                                    ____

       POM-388. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                    Senate Joint Resolution No. 220

       Whereas, the air transportation needs of the metropolitan 
     Washington region are addressed through a finely balanced, 
     comprehensive regional airport plan; and
       Whereas, under that plan, Ronald Reagan Washington National 
     Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport each 
     perform a separate and unique function in that regional 
     airport plan; and
       Whereas, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 
     functions as the local and regional airport, serving cities 
     within a 1,250-mile radius; and
       Whereas, Washington Dulles International Airport serves as 
     the national and international airport; and
       Whereas, significant local decisions about airport 
     investment and development plans have been based on this 
     locally and federally endorsed balance of traffic; and
       Whereas, the allocation of roles to each airport under the 
     plan has stimulated the growth and development of Washington 
     Dulles International Airport; and
       Whereas, the development of Washington Dulles International 
     Airport has improved the quality of regional, domestic, and 
     international air transportation for all citizens of the 
     region; and

[[Page S3428]]

       Whereas, the improvement in air transportation alternatives 
     has brought to local passengers the benefits of increased 
     competition in the form of competitive fares and a broad 
     array of new service options between these two airports; and
       Whereas, the region has also benefited from investments by 
     many new firms in Northern Virginia that have located to this 
     area because of the presence of a major international 
     airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and the 
     strength and continued viability of competitive air service 
     offerings at both Washington Dulles International Airport and 
     Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; and
       Whereas, the increased business activity has produced 
     substantial economic benefits for the region; and
       Whereas, a linchpin of this balanced regional air 
     transportation system is the rule at Ronald Reagan Washington 
     National Airport limiting flights to 1,250 miles from the 
     airport; and
       Whereas, changes to the perimeter rule would threaten air 
     service to smaller communities within the perimeter than now 
     enjoy convenient access to Northern Virginia by air; and
       Whereas, this perimeter rule was enacted as Section 6012 of 
     the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986; and
       Whereas, legislation is being considered in the United 
     States Congress that would provide for exemptions from the 
     perimeter rule; and
       Whereas, any change in the current perimeter rule would 
     threaten the benefits now enjoyed by citizens of the region 
     as a result of the balance of services among the regional 
     airports; and
       Whereas, maintaining the perimeter rule is critical to the 
     continued effectiveness of the balanced regional air 
     transportation plan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, 
     That the General Assembly oppose any relaxation of, exemption 
     from, or amendment to Section 6012 of the Metropolitan 
     Washington Airports Act of 1986 or the regulations 
     promulgated pursuant thereto; and, be it
       Resolved further, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the President of the United States 
     Senate, and the members of the Virginia Congressional 
     Delegation in order that they may be apprised of the sense of 
     the Virginia General Assembly in this matter.
                                                                    ____

       POM-389. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                       House Joint Memorial 4032

       Whereas, The people of the State of Washington are facing 
     the impacts of the listing and proposed listings of salmon 
     and steelhead stocks under the federal Endangered Species 
     Act; and
       Whereas, These listings represent a serious threat to the 
     continued economic well-being of the people of the State of 
     Washington; and
       Whereas, The people of the State of Washington will fully 
     comply with the requirements of the federal Endangered 
     Species Act within its borders and territorial waters; and
       Whereas, The salmon and steelhead that spawn in the State 
     of Washington spend most of their life cycle outside of 
     waters controlled by the state; and
       Whereas, Considerable threats to the salmon and steelhead 
     of the State of Washington can only be addressed by the 
     intervention of the United States Government; and
       Whereas, The success of any conservation plan implemented 
     under the federal Endangered Species Act for listed salmon 
     and steelhead runs in the State of Washington is in doubt 
     without immediate action by the federal government;
       Now, therefore, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that 
     the United States Government immediately resolve the United 
     States-Canada fishing dispute, enforce the two hundred-mile 
     limit and the ban on high seas drift net fishing, and provide 
     funding for salmon recovery efforts which mitigate the loss 
     of habitat caused by the construction of hydroelectric dams 
     on the Columbia River.
       Be it resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of 
     the United States, the President of the United States Senate, 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member 
     of Congress from the State of Washington.
                                                                    ____

       POM-390. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of West Virginia; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 25

       Whereas, Television has become a medium of great importance 
     as a source of information and entertainment to the citizens 
     of West Virginia and the United States; and
       Whereas, Cable television sometimes provides the only 
     access to quality television signals in many areas of West 
     Virginia; and
       Whereas, Cable television services in West Virginia are not 
     subject to effective competition; and
       Whereas, Over the last ten years, despite the efforts of 
     the Congress of the United States and the Legislature of West 
     Virginia, the prices that consumers pay for cable television 
     services have escalated at alarming rates, for out pacing the 
     increase in the costs of other goods or services; and
       Whereas, The enormous increases in the costs for 
     subscribers of cable television services is a result of the 
     absence of competition in the industry coupled with 
     inadequate regulation; and
       Whereas, It is the duty of government to intervene to 
     protect its citizens from the pricing practices of 
     monopolies: Therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That this 
     legislature respectfully urges the Congress of the United 
     States to address this important issue by enacting 
     comprehensive legislation to create widespread competition 
     within the cable television industry and until such time as 
     competition exists, that the Congress of the United States 
     will pass comprehensive legislation allowing the several 
     states and local franchising authorities to have complete and 
     unfettered power and authority to regulate the rates that 
     cable television companies may charge to the subscribers of 
     cable television service, including charges for any and all 
     tiers of programming; and, be it further
       Resolved, This Legislature respectfully urges the Congress 
     of the United States to enact laws requiring cable television 
     companies to permit consumers to select and decline 
     individual channels that they desire to have or not to have, 
     so that consumers are not forced to buy programming that they 
     do not want simply to be able to have the programming that 
     they do want; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates be 
     hereby directed to transmit appropriate copies of this 
     resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker 
     of the United States House of Representatives, the President 
     of the United States Senate, and to each member of the West 
     Virginia Delegation of the Congress.

                          ____________________