[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4012-S4013]
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-517. A resolution adopted by the Executive Board of the 
     Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO in opposition to 
     breaching of the Snake River and Columbia River dams; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-518. A resolution adopted by the legislature of the 
     State of Alaska relative to S. 2214, a bill opening the 
     coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to 
     responsible exploration, development, and production of its 
     oil and gas resources; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                       Legislative Resolve No. 38

       Whereas, in 1973, during the Arab oil embargo, the United 
     States was 36 percent dependent on foreign supplies, while 
     today the United States relies on imports to supply over 56 
     percent of its energy consumption; and
       Whereas, in the last eight years, the nation's demand for 
     petroleum products has grown by 14 percent while domestic 
     production was declined by 17 percent; and
       Whereas, by 2020, the United States expects to be 64 
     percent dependent on other countries to fuel its industry, 
     transportation, and homes; and
       Whereas United States consumers are paying the price, with 
     home heating oil costs in the Northeastern states surpassing 
     41.70 a gallon, while gasoline prices have climbed to $2 a 
     gallon for mid-range gasoline in California; and
       Whereas some airplane passengers are currently paying a $20 
     fuel surcharge on tickets; and
       Whereas the nation's growing reliance on foreign oil is 
     strengthening the aggressive pricing policies of the 
     Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); and
       Whereas the United States is currently receiving 44 percent 
     of its imported oil from OPEC countries, including 1,400,000 
     barrels a day from Saudi Arabia and 700,000 barrels a day 
     from Iraq; and
       Whereas Iraq has emerged as the fastest growing source of 
     United States oil imports; and
       Whereas Iraq has emerged as the fastest growing source of 
     United States oil imports; and
       Whereas the United States is spending $300,000,000 a day on 
     foreign oil, accounting for one-third of the entire trade 
     deficit; and
       Whereas the United States Secretary of Energy recently 
     visited the OPEC countries of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and 
     Kuwait and non-OPEC member Mexico to urge increased 
     production, but did not visit Alaska; and
       Whereas it will take 10,000 dockings of foreign 
     supertankers carrying 500,000 barrels of oil each to provide 
     65 percent of the nation's oil needs in 2020; and
       Whereas, if the United States is going to reduce its 
     dependence on foreign oil, it must look toward domestic 
     sources, including Alaska's Arctic; and
       Whereas federal legislation has been introduced by Senator 
     Murkowski calling for the opening of the 1,500,000-acre 
     coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to 
     environmentally sound exploration, development, and 
     production of oil and gas resources; and
       Whereas the coastal plain is America's best possibility for 
     the discovery of another giant, Prudhoe Bay-sized oil and gas 
     discovery in North America; and
       Whereas, in 1998, a three-year study by the United States 
     Geological Survey estimated the recoverable oil potential of 
     the coastal plain to be as high as 16,000,000,000 barrels of 
     oil, which could replace Saudi oil imports to the United 
     States for 30 years; and
       Whereas the vast majority of Alaskans, including the Native 
     residents of Kaktovik,

[[Page S4013]]

     the only community located in the Arctic National Wildlife 
     Refuge, supports coastal plain development; and
       Whereas the state will ensure the continued health and 
     productivity of the Porcupine Caribou herd and the protection 
     of land, water, and wildlife resources during the exploration 
     and development of the coastal plain of the Arctic National 
     Wildlife Refuge; and
       Whereas coastal plain development could provide hundreds of 
     thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in government 
     revenue, and could contribute billions of dollars to the 
     nation's economy; and
       Whereas many national groups may argue against the 
     development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge gas 
     reserves because there is no vehicle to bring the gas to 
     market; be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska Legislature supports Alaska's 
     role in providing this nation with a major portion of its 
     domestic oil and encourages the United States Congress to 
     pass S. 2214, a bill opening the coastal plain of the Arctic 
     National Wildlife Refuge to responsible exploration, 
     development, and production of its oil and gas resources; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That oil exploration and development activity be 
     conducted in a manner that protects the wildlife and the 
     environment and utilizes the state's work force to the 
     maximum extent possible; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Alaska Legislature opposes any efforts 
     to declare the coastal plain a national monument; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Alaska Legislature urges the current 
     leaseholders on the North Slope to make every effort to 
     promptly build a natural gas pipeline to bring Alaska's 
     natural gas to market and thereby avoiding resistance by 
     national organizations that the gas resources in the Alaska 
     National Wildlife Refuge would be stranded.
       Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Bill Clinton, President of the United States; the Honorable 
     Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and 
     President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Bruce Babbitt, 
     United States Secretary of the Interior; the Honorable J. 
     Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; 
     the Honorable Trent Lott, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; 
     the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, 
     U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. 
     Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; 
     and to all other members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. 
     House of Representatives serving in the 106th United States 
     Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-519. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii relative to extending Medicare to 
     prescription drugs for the elderly and disabled; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 73

       Whereas, outpatient prescription drugs, which are not 
     covered under Medicare, are a substantial out-of-pocket 
     burden for many Medicare beneficiaries, as over one-third of 
     beneficiaries have no coverage for prescription drugs; and
       Whereas, it has been argued that because roughly two-thirds 
     of beneficiaries have some type of drug coverage from other 
     sources, a Medicare drug benefit for all beneficiaries is not 
     necessary; and
       Whereas, however, recent research has identified many gaps 
     in private drug coverage and the degree of protection it 
     affords; and
       Whereas, the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act 
     (Act) (H.R. 664/S. 731) would allow 39,000,000 Medicare 
     beneficiaries to buy prescription drugs at up to forty 
     percent of current retail prices; and
       Whereas, as of February 10, 2000, 138 House congressional 
     members and 12 Senate congressional members have co-sponsored 
     the Act, making it the most broadly supported drug reform 
     bill in Congress; and
       Whereas, this legislation would end price discrimination 
     among prescription drug makers against the elderly and 
     disabled on Medicare who have no or inadequate prescription 
     drug insurance coverage; and
       Whereas, a number of states have state-funded programs, 
     separate from Medicare, to assist elderly and disabled 
     individuals to purchase prescription drugs, however, Hawaii 
     is not among these states; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature of the 
     State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of 
     Representatives concurring, That the United States Congress 
     is urged to support legislation to extend Medicare benefits 
     to include prescription drug coverage for the elderly and 
     disabled; and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate of 
     the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, each member of Hawaii's 
     Congressional Delegation, the State Director of Health, and 
     the State Director of Human Services.
                                  ____

       POM-520. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to extending 
     Medicare to prescription drugs for the elderly and disabled; 
     to the Committee on Finance.

                        Senate Resolution No. 28

       Whereas, outpatient prescription drugs, which are not 
     covered under Medicare, are a substantial out-of-pocket 
     burden for many Medicare beneficiaries, as over one-third of 
     beneficiaries have no coverage for prescription drugs; and
       Whereas, it has been argued that because roughly two-thirds 
     of beneficiaries have some type of drug coverage from other 
     sources, a Medicare drug benefit for all beneficiaries is not 
     necessary; and
       Whereas, however, recent research has identified many gaps 
     in private drug coverage and the degree of protection it 
     affords; and
       Whereas, the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act 
     (Act) (H.R. 664/S. 731) would allow 39,000,000 Medicare 
     beneficiaries to buy prescription drugs at up to forty 
     percent of current retail prices; and
       Whereas, as of February 10, 2000, 138 House congressional 
     members and 12 Senate congressional members have co-sponsored 
     the Act, making it the most broadly supported drug reform 
     bill in Congress; and
       Whereas, this legislation would end price discrimination 
     among prescription drug makers against the elderly and 
     disabled on Medicare who have no or inadequate prescription 
     drug insurance coverage; and
       Whereas, a number of states have state-funded programs, 
     separate from Medicare, to assist elderly and disabled 
     individuals to purchase prescription drugs, however, Hawaii 
     is not among these states; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature of the 
     State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, That the United 
     States Congress is urged to support legislation to extend 
     Medicare benefits to include prescription drug coverage for 
     the elderly and disabled; and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to the President of the Senate of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, each member of Hawaii's Congressional 
     Delegation, the State Director of Health, and the State 
     Director of Human Services.
                                  ____

       POM-521. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan relative to voluntary, 
     individual, unorganized, and non-mandatory prayer in public 
     schools; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       Senate Resolution No. 158

       Whereas, the United States of America was founded by men 
     and women with varied religious beliefs and ideals; and
       Whereas, The First Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution states that ``Congress shall make no laws 
     respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the 
     free exercise thereof . . .,'' which means that the 
     government is prohibited from establishing a state religion. 
     However, no barriers shall be created against the practice of 
     any religion; and
       Whereas, The establishment clause of the First Amendment 
     was not drafted to protect Americans from religion, rather, 
     its purpose was clearly to protect Americans from government 
     mandates with respect to religion; and
       Whereas, The Michigan Legislature strongly believe that 
     reaffirming a right to voluntary, individual, unorganized, 
     and non-mandated prayer in public schools is an important 
     element of religious choice guaranteed by the Constitution, 
     and will reaffirm those religious rights and beliefs upon 
     which the nation was founded; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this 
     legislative body memorialize the Congress of the United 
     States to strongly support voluntary, individual, 
     unorganized, and non-mandatory prayer in the public schools 
     of this nation; and be it further.
       Revolved. That a copy 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.

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