[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4821-S4823]
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-391. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan; to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

                       Senate Resolution No. 163

       Whereas, Federal departments such as the Environmental 
     Protection Agency have sought to implement strict standards 
     on American farmers regarding pesticide use; and
       Whereas, Certain nations allow the use of pesticides that 
     are prohibited for use by American farmers and the export to 
     the United States of agricultural products growth with the 
     assistance of these pesticides; and
       Whereas, This provides an unfair advantage to other nations 
     and their citizens over American farmers and American 
     agricultural workers who depend on this productivity for 
     their livelihood; and
       Whereas, The United States' agriculture is a vital industry 
     to the nation's economy and quality of life; and
       Whereas, Protecting our citizens by proven science and 
     policy is of paramount importance to American citizens; and
       Whereas, No nation should be allowed to export items into 
     our nation using methods such as certain pesticides that the 
     government of the United States prohibits its own farmers 
     from using based on debatable claims of health and 
     environmental concerns; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to prohibit the importation of agricultural 
     and other food items from nations that do not have the same 
     requirements, standards, and restrictions on allowable 
     pesticides and chemicals used in the production, 
     preservation, and growth of the products in future trade 
     agreements; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-392. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Appropriations.

                              Resolutions

       Whereas, although we believe that the United States should 
     retain its position as the strongest military Nation in the 
     world, we also believe that the security of our Nation is 
     dependent fundamentally not on military might, but on the 
     well-being and vitality of our citizens; and
       Whereas, programs which sustain and improve the health, 
     education, and affordable housing, environmental protection, 
     and safety of our citizens are being transferred from the 
     Federal to the State governments; and
       Whereas, the funds being provided by the Federal Government 
     to the States are insufficient to fulfill these 
     responsibilities; and
       Whereas, the seven countries currently identified as our 
     potential adversaries have a combined military budget of 15 
     billion dollars, while the United States military budget for 
     1997 is 265 billion dollars; and
       Whereas, the United States military budget remains at cold 
     war levels and contains: 114 billion dollars not requested by 
     the Pentagon, 25 billion dollars for 10,000 nuclear weapons 
     and their delivery systems, and 40 billion dollars in excess 
     and what many former military leaders and leading executives 
     consider sufficient; and
       Whereas, current Pentagon spending outweighs all military 
     threats, and creates fewer jobs than increased spending on 
     domestic programs would deliver; and
       Whereas, shifting funds from the military to repairing our 
     infrastructure would dramatically improve the lives of our 
     citizens and strengthen our ability to complete successfully 
     in the world market; and
       Whereas, sufficient amounts of money need to be redirected 
     from the military budget to the several States so that the 
     States can meet the critical needs of rebuilding communities 
     and inner cities, repairing schools, educating children, 
     reducing hunger, providing housing, improving transportation, 
     protecting the environment, and obtaining a decent level of 
     health care and safety for all of our citizens, thereby 
     increasing fundamentally our security and well-being; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate memorialize the 
     President and the Congress of the United States to shift 
     sufficient funds from the military to the States for the 
     improvement of the lives of citizens; 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, the Presiding Officers of each branch of 
     Congress and the Members thereof from this commonwealth.
                                  ____

       POM-393. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Appropriations.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, in August of 1996, the United States Congress 
     enacted the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996, so-called; and
       Whereas, Congress in said act forbade use of Federal funds 
     to provide SSI benefits and food stamp benefits for 
     financially needy immigrants lawfully residing in the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, legal immigrants pay taxes and contribute in many 
     ways to the productivity and vitality of our communities; and
       Whereas, the United States was founded and built by 
     immigrants; and

[[Page S4822]]

       Whereas, Congress should be applauded for the restoration 
     of SSI benefits for legal immigrants through passage of the 
     Balanced Budget Act of 1997; and
       Whereas, Congress must continue in this effort by resolving 
     to restore its financial responsibility in the Food Stamp 
     Benefits Program as the present situation imposes a financial 
     burden on the States and needy residents of the States; 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
     respectfully requests that the President and the Congress of 
     the United States restore to the States the authority to 
     provide federally funded food stamp benefits to needy, lawful 
     residents of the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
     respectfully requests that the President and the Congress of 
     the United States restore to the Commonwealth adequate 
     Federal funding to allow for the provision of food stamp 
     benefits for financially needy immigrants lawfully residing 
     in this Commonwealth; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the clerk of the House of Representatives to the 
     President of the United States of America, the Presiding 
     Officer of each branch of the United States Congress and each 
     Member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-394. A resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors 
     of the County of Yuba, California relative to Beale Air Force 
     Base; to the Committee on Armed Services.
       POM-395. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 52

       Whereas, on the night of July 17, 1944, two transport 
     vessels loading ammunition at the Port Chicago naval base on 
     the Sacramento River in California were suddenly engulfed in 
     a gigantic explosion, the incredible blast of which wrecked 
     the naval base and heavily damaged the town of Port Chicago, 
     located 1.5 miles away; and
       Whereas, everyone on the pier and aboard the two ships was 
     killed instantly--some 320 American naval personnel, 200 of 
     whom were Black enlisted men; and another 390 military and 
     civilian personnel were injured, including 226 Black enlisted 
     men; and
       Whereas, the two ships and the large loading pier were 
     totally annihilated and an estimated $12,000,000 in property 
     damage was caused by the huge blast; and
       Whereas, this single, stunning disaster accounted for 
     nearly one-fifth of all Black naval casualties during the 
     whole of World War II; and
       Whereas, the specific cause of the explosion was never 
     officially established by a Court of Inquiry, in effect 
     clearing the officers-in-charge of any responsibility for the 
     disaster and insofar as any human cause was invoked, laid the 
     burden of blame on the shoulders of the Black enlisted men 
     who died in the explosion; and
       Whereas, following the incident, many of the surviving 
     Black sailors were transferred to nearby Camp Shoemaker where 
     they remained until July 31, when two of the divisions were 
     transferred to naval barracks in Vallejo near Mare Island; 
     another division, which was also at Camp Shoemaker until July 
     31, returned to Port Chicago to help with the cleaning up and 
     rebuilding of the base; and
       Whereas, many of these men were in a state of shock, 
     troubled by the vivid memory of the horrible explosion; 
     however, they were provided no psychiatric counseling or 
     medical screening, except for those who were obviously 
     physically injured; none of the men, even those who had been 
     hospitalized with injuries, was granted survivor leaves to 
     visit their families before being reassigned to regular 
     duties; and none of these survivors was called to testify at 
     the Court of Inquiry; and
       Whereas, Captain Merrill T. Kline, Officer-in-Charge of 
     Port Chicago, issued a statement praising the African 
     American enlisted men and stating that ``the men displayed 
     creditable coolness and bravery under those emergency 
     conditions''; and
       Whereas, after the disaster, white sailors were given 30 
     days' leave to visit their families--according to survivors, 
     this was the standard for soldiers involved in a disaster--
     while only African American sailors were ordered back to work 
     the next day to clean and remove human remains; and
       Whereas, after the disaster, the preparation of Mare Island 
     for the arrival of African American sailors included moving 
     the barracks of white sailors away from the loading area in 
     order to be clear of the ships being loaded in case of 
     another explosion; and
       Whereas, the survivors and new personnel who later were 
     ordered to return to loading ammunition expressed their 
     opposition, citing the possibility of another explosion; the 
     first confrontation occurred on August 9 when 328 men from 
     three divisions were ordered out to the loading pier; the 
     great majority of the men balked, and eventually 258 were 
     arrested and confined for three days on a large barge tiered 
     to the pier; and
       Whereas, fifty of these men were selected as the ring-
     leaders and charged with mutiny, and on October 24, 1944, 
     after only 80 minutes of a military court, all 50 men were 
     found guilty of mutiny--10 were sentenced to 15 years in 
     prison, 24 sentenced to 12 years, 11 sentenced to 10 years, 
     and five sentenced to eight years; and all were to be 
     dishonorably discharged from the Navy; and
       Whereas, after a massive outcry the next year, in January 
     1946, 47 of the Port Chicago men were released from prison 
     and ``exiled'' for one year overseas before returning to 
     their families; and
       Whereas, in a 1994 investigation, the United States Navy 
     stated that ``there is no doubt that racial prejudice was 
     responsible for the posting of only African American enlisted 
     personnel to loading divisions at Port Chicago''; and
       Whereas, in the 1994 investigation, the United States Navy, 
     prompted by Members of Congress, admitted that the routine 
     assignment of only African American enlisted personnel to 
     manual labor was clearly motivated by race; 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 Congress and the 
     President of the United States to act to vindicate the 
     sailors unjustly blamed for, and the sailors convicted of 
     mutiny following, the Port Chicago disaster, and to rectify 
     any mistreatment by the military of those sailors; 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, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
     and each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-396. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania relative to Federal credit unions; 
     to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
       POM-397. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and Councilmen 
     of the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee relative to the 
     Department of Energy Laboratory for Comparative and 
     Functional Genomics in Oak Ridge (TN); to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
       POM-398. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Colorado; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                     House Joint Resolution 98-1018

       Whereas, the Internet is a massive global network spanning 
     local government, state, and international borders; and
       Whereas, transmissions over the Internet are made through 
     packet-switching, a process that makes it not only impossible 
     to determine with any degree of certainty the precise 
     geographic route or endpoints of specific Internet 
     transmissions but infeasible to separate interstate from 
     intrastate Internet transmissions or domestic from foreign 
     transmissions; and
       Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that 
     state taxation of companies operating outside the borders of 
     the state is constitutional only if there is a substantial 
     connection between the state and the company and the tax is 
     fairly apportioned, does not discriminate against interstate 
     commerce, and is fairly related to services provided by the 
     state; and
       Whereas, the tax laws and regulations of local governments, 
     state governments, and the federal government were 
     established long before the Internet or interactive computer 
     services became available; and
       Whereas, taxation of Internet transmissions by local, 
     state, and federal governments without a thorough 
     understanding of the impact such taxation would have on 
     Internet users and providers could have unintentional and 
     unpredictable consequences and may be unconstitutional if it 
     does not meet the tests set forth by the United States 
     Supreme Court; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress is being asked to 
     consider federal legislation that would establish a national 
     policy on the taxation of the Internet and other interactive 
     computer services; now, therefore,
       Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 
     Sixty-first General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the 
     Senate concurring herein: That the Colorado General Assembly 
     does not support at this time any Congressional action that 
     would establish a national policy expanding taxation of the 
     Internet and other interactive computer services; be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Colorado General Assembly endorses a 
     moratorium on taxation of the internet and interactive 
     computer services until the impact of such taxation can be 
     thoroughly studied and evaluated; be it further
       Resolved, That the Colorado General Assembly encourages 
     Congress to establish or appoint a consultative group to 
     study, evaluate, and report back to Congress on the impact of 
     any taxation on the use of the Internet and other interactive 
     computer services and the users of those services; be it 
     further
       Resolved, That any consultative group established or 
     appointed by Congress should include state and local 
     governments, consumer and business groups, and other groups 
     and individuals that may be impacted by a national policy on 
     the taxation of the internet and other interactive computer 
     services; be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to 
     the United States Senate, the United States House of 
     Representatives, Governor Roy Romer, the National Governors' 
     Association, and each member of the Colorado Congressional 
     Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-399. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Minnesota; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation.

[[Page S4823]]

                            Resolution No. 6

       Whereas, the Aircraft Repair Station Safety Act of 1997 
     would provide for more stringent standards for certification 
     of foreign repair stations by the Federal Aviation 
     Administration and would revoke the certification of any 
     repair facility that knowingly uses defective parts; and
       Whereas, the Aircraft Repair Station Safety Act of 1997 
     would require all maintenance facilities, whether domestic or 
     foreign, to adhere to the same safety and operating 
     procedures; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota, That 
     it urges the President and Congress of the United States to 
     enact the Aircraft Repair Station Safety Act of 1997; be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State of the State of 
     Minnesota is directed to prepare copies of this memorial and 
     transmit them to the President and Vice-President of the 
     United States, the President and the Secretary of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the chair of the Senate Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the chair of the 
     House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
     Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.

                          ____________________