[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 92 (Monday, July 17, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7067-S7072]
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-551. A resolution adopted by the Assembly of the State 
     of Wisconsin relative to the Washington Juneteenth 2000 
     National Holiday Observance; ordered to lie on the table.

                         Assembly Resolution 29

       Whereas, more than 130 years old, Juneteenth, National 
     Freedom Day is the oldest and only African-American holiday 
     observance in the United States, which is also known as 
     ``Emancipation Day,'' ``Emancipation Celebration,'' ``Freedom 
     Day,'' ``Jun-Jun'' and ``Juneteenth''; and
       Whereas, Juneteenth National Freedom Day commemorates the 
     survival, due to God-given strength and determination, of 
     African-Americans, who were first brought to this country 
     stacked in the bottom of slave ships in a month-long journey 
     across the Atlantic Ocean, known as the ``Middle Passage''; 
     and
       Whereas, approximately 11,500,000 African-Americans 
     survived the voyage to the New World (the number that died is 
     likely greater), only to be subjected to whipping, 
     castration, branding, rape, tearing apart of families and 
     forced submission to slavery for more than 200 years after 
     arrival in the United States; and
       Whereas, Juneteenth commemorates the day on which freedom 
     was proclaimed to all slaves in the South by Union General 
     Granger, on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, more than 2.5 
     years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by 
     President Abraham Lincoln; and
       Whereas, for the first time, in over 130 years of the 
     annual celebration, Juneteenth has finally been ``officially 
     recognized'' as Juneteenth Independence Day in America by the 
     President and Congress of the United States; and
       Whereas, this reality is particularly underscored by the 
     fact that it was in the 1st Session of the 105th Congress, 
     via the bipartisan cooperation of former Congresswoman 
     Barbara Rose-Collins (D-Michigan, former Senator Carol 
     Mosley-Braun (D-Illinois), Congressman J.C. Watts (R-
     Oklahoma), former

[[Page S7068]]

     House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), Senate Majority 
     Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and Senate Minority Leader 
     Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), that Senate Joint Resolution 11 
     and House Joint Resolution 56 were successfully shepherded 
     through both houses of Congress, in a successful effort to 
     officially recognize Juneteenth as the Independence Day 
     observance of Americans of African descent in 1997; and
       Whereas, Americans of all colors, creeds, cultures, 
     religions and countries-of-origin share in a common love of, 
     and respect for, ``freedom,'' as well as a determination to 
     protect their right to freedom through democratic 
     institutions, by which the ``tenets-of-freedom'' are 
     guaranteed and protected; and
       Whereas, the ``19th of June'' or Juneteenth Independence 
     Day, along with the ``4th of July,'' completes the ``cycle of 
     freedom'' for America's Independence Day observances; and
       Whereas, ``Until All are Free, None are Free'' is an oft-
     repeated maxim that can be used to highlight the significance 
     of the end of the era of slavery in the United States; and
       Whereas, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation is 
     sponsoring the premier celebration, concert, worship services 
     and campaign to commemorate America's 2nd Independence Day 
     observance, the ``19th of June,'' as one which completes the 
     cycle of America's 18th century Independence Movement, 
     initiated with the ``4th of July,'' 1776, ``Declaration of 
     Independence'' and to recognize this country's movement 
     towards a ``One America,'' advanced by a sincere dialogue of 
     the realization of what Juneteenth historically means to all 
     Americans, promoting racial healing, restoration and justice: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the assembly, That the members of the Wisconsin 
     assembly support this historic recognition and encourage 
     participation of our members, families and communities in the 
     ``officially recognized'' Washington Juneteenth 2000 National 
     Holiday Observance, on the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial 
     and U.S. capital grounds, scheduled for Saturday, June 17, 
     2000, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., which will be followed by a 
     Sunday evening Juneteenth Fathers' Day Benefit Concert 
     honoring African-American Fathers, and a Monday, June 19, 
     2000, noon rally in support of National Juneteenth 
     Independence Day holiday legislation and a series of evening 
     Juneteenth prayer and praise worship services in churches and 
     houses of worship throughout the Washington, D.C., area and 
     the country; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a 
     copy of this resolution to the president and secretary of the 
     U.S. senate, to the speaker and clerk of the U.S. house of 
     representatives and to each member of the congressional 
     delegation from this state attesting the adoption of this 
     resolution by the 1999 assembly of the state of Wisconsin.
                                  ____

       POM-552. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey relative to flood areas and flood 
     victims; to the Committee on Banking, House, and Urban 
     Affairs.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 200

       Whereas, Tremendous damage was caused in the State of New 
     Jersey by the high winds, waves, storm surge, severe flooding 
     and fires associated with Hurricane Floyd; and
       Whereas, Up to 13 inches of rain fell in portions of the 
     State, causing rivers and other inland waterways to flood 
     streets, homes and businesses, and high winds downed many 
     trees and damaged many structures; and
       Whereas, The President of the United States declared 
     certain counties in this State, including Bergen, Essex, 
     Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and 
     Union, to be federal disaster areas, and this federal 
     disaster declaration allows for the federal funding of 
     disaster relief to public entities, businesses and 
     individuals, as well as funding for mitigation against future 
     similar disasters; and
       Whereas, The damages in the State resulting from Hurricane 
     Floyd and its associated flooding are estimated by the 
     Federal Emergency Management Agency to be approximately 
     $500,000,000 and this estimate is rising as more assessments 
     are conducted and verified; and
       Whereas, The total number of houses, apartments and 
     businesses destroyed, damaged or affected by Hurricane Floyd 
     and its associated flooding exceeds 70,000; and
       Whereas, United States Senator Frank Lautenberg and United 
     States Representative Marge Roukema have proposed federal 
     legislation to help small businesses and farmers recover from 
     the damage inflicted by Hurricane Floyd and its associated 
     flooding, which legislation would make available, through the 
     Federal Emergency Management Agency, one-time grants to small 
     businesses and farmers in amounts up to $50,000 or at least 
     50 percent of the cost to replace non-insured contents and 
     inventory or to carry out repairs, provided that the grant is 
     not used to relocate the business outside of the community 
     and provided that the grant recipient purchases and maintains 
     flood insurance coverage; and
       Whereas, Individuals and businesses have suffered 
     extraordinary hardships, and it is in the public interest to 
     assist individuals and businesses recovering from the 
     devastating effects of Hurricane Floyd in the most 
     expeditious manner possible; and
       Whereas, It is in the best interest of the residents of the 
     State to urge the President, the Congress of the United 
     States, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take 
     all available steps to provide financial assistance in the 
     most expeditious manner possible to New Jersey's flood areas 
     and flood victims; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House urges the President and the Federal Emergency 
     management Agency to provide financial assistance in the most 
     expeditious manner possible to provide relief to New Jersey's 
     flood areas and flood victims. This House also urges the 
     President and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to not 
     deduct any State monies provided for flood relief from the 
     calculation of federal monies allocated to New Jersey to 
     recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Floyd and 
     its aftermath.
       2. This House urges the Congress of the United States to 
     act swiftly on legislation proposed by United States Senator 
     Frank Lautenberg and United States Representative Marge 
     Roukema to help small business and farmers recover from the 
     damage inflicted by Hurricane Floyd and its associated 
     flooding.
       3. A duly authorized copy of this resolution, signed by the 
     Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk 
     thereof, shall be transmitted to the President of the United 
     States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     majority and minority leaders of the United States Senate and 
     the United States House of Representatives, the Director of 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and each member of 
     Congress elected from the State of New Jersey.
                                  ____

       POM-553. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to consumer credit 
     reporting agencies; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
     Urban Affairs.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 310

       Whereas, the Fair Credit Reporting Act established a 
     statutory framework for protecting the rights of consumers to 
     fair disclosure of credit information; and
       Whereas, the Fair Credit Reporting Act permits credit 
     reporting agencies to report information related to a 
     consumer's credit history; and
       Whereas, credit reporting agencies provide an overall 
     rating of the consumer's credit risk on the consumer's credit 
     report; and
       Whereas, credit reporting agencies consider the number of 
     inquiries into a consumer's credit report when determining 
     the overall rating; and
       Whereas, the number of inquiries requesting a consumer's 
     credit report is not substantially related to a consumer's 
     credit risk and is often outside the consumer's control; and
       Whereas, creditors rely on the information reported by 
     credit reporting agencies to evaluate the credit risk of a 
     consumer; and
       Whereas, many consumers are denied credit based on a credit 
     reporting agency's rating of that consumer: Now, therefore be 
     it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring; 
     That the Congress of the United States be urged to amend the 
     Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit credit reporting 
     agencies from using information related to the number of 
     inquires in a consumer's credit report to determine the 
     consumer's overall rating; and, be it
       Resolved further, That the General Assembly of Virginia 
     most fervently urge and encourage each state legislative body 
     of the United States of America to enact this resolution, or 
     one similar in context and form, as a show of solidarity in 
     petitioning the federal government for greater protection for 
     consumers in obtaining credit; and, be it
       Resolved finally, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates 
     transmit 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, 
     the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, each 
     member of the Virginia Congressional Delegation, and to the 
     Chairman of the Council of State Governments, requesting that 
     he distribute copies of this resolution to the presiding 
     officer of each house of each state legislative body in the 
     United States of America in order that they may be apprised 
     of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this 
     matter.
                                  ____

       POM-554. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii, relative to community goals and 
     outcomes; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, the Hawaii State Legislature has recognized the 
     importance of measuring progress towards shared outcomes 
     through the establishment of the Hawaii Performance 
     Partnerships Board by Act 160, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, 
     and the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution No. 38 by the 
     Legislature in 1998; and
       Whereas, a memorandum of agreement has been executed 
     between the federal, state, county, community, and business 
     sectors to encourage and facilitate cooperation to redesign 
     and test an outcomes-oriented approach to intergovernmental 
     service delivery; and
       Whereas, the federal government, through the efforts of the 
     National Partnership for Reinventing Government, has 
     empowered federal agencies to provide incentives, such as 
     decreased state matching funds, waived

[[Page S7069]]

     regulations, or additional federal funds to state agencies in 
     partnership with community-based organizations that measure 
     progress towards shared outcomes through initiatives such as 
     Boost4Kids; and
       Whereas, Hawaii's aloha spirit connects its people in a 
     unique manner, by guiding our decisions and actions; and
       Whereas, Hawaii's communities have joined together to 
     create outcomes and goals to improve the well-being of 
     Hawaii's people in several different efforts, such as Ke Ala 
     Hoku, Education Goals 2000, Healthy 2010, Hawaii Family 
     Touchstones; and
       Whereas, the acceptance of a common set of desired 
     outcomes, compatible with statutory mandates, will enable 
     state, county, and community agencies to focus on achieving 
     positive results that exemplify Hawaii's uniqueness; and
       Whereas, achieving results require creation of 
     accountability systems that cross agency boundaries to 
     measure the combined efforts of many partners, both public 
     and private; and
       Whereas, the Hawaii Performance Partnerships Board has 
     considered the achievements of many of Hawaii's people in 
     creating outcomes and goals: 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 following key community 
     outcomes are hereby endorsed by the Legislature as state 
     policy:
       (1) A safe, nurturing social environment;
       (2) A healthy, natural environment;
       (3) A thriving, diverse, sustainable economy;
       (4) Educated people; and
       (5) Civic vitality;
       Be it further resolved, That public and private agencies 
     committed to improving the well-being of Hawaii's peoples be 
     encouraged to utilize these outcomes as a basis for policy 
     and program development, planning, and for budgeting; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, that all public and private agencies are 
     encouraged to form partnerships and measure progress towards 
     the outcomes most appropriate to their individual missions; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this concurrent 
     resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Vice President 
     of the United States, the United States Secretary of 
     Agriculture, the United States Secretary of Education, the 
     United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
     Hawaii Performance Partnerships Board, the Mayor of the 
     County of Maui, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, 
     the Mayor of the County of Kauai, the Mayor of the County of 
     Hawaii, Aloha United Way, the Hawaii Community Foundation, 
     HMSA Foundation/Hawaii Medical Service Association, The 
     Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, all state departments, 
     Partnering for Outcomes, State Procurement Office, Good 
     Beginnings Alliance, Interdepartmental Council, Hawaii 
     Primary Care Association, and Covering Kids.
                                  ____

       POM-555. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Mayfield Heights, Ohio relative to a United Nations 
     Convention, to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       POM-556. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California relative to East Timorese refugees; 
     to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 54

       Whereas, In 1975, after the former Portuguese colony of 
     East Timor gained its independence, Indonesian forces invaded 
     East Timor and occupied the country despite the call of the 
     United Nations Security Council for Indonesia to withdraw its 
     forces; and
       Whereas, In 1976 the Indonesian government admitted that 
     60,000 East Timorese had been killed since the invasion and 
     President Suharto signed legislation declaring East Timor as 
     Indonesia's 27th province; and
       Whereas, In the 1970's and 1980's tens of thousands of East 
     Timorese died of starvations, military bombardment, and 
     executions as thousands of other suffered malnutrition, 
     sterilization, relocation in settlement camps, and arrest and 
     torture at the hands of the Indonesian forces; and
       Whereas, Despite continued military attacks on East 
     Timorese civilians during 1999 and fears of widespread 
     violence against voters, a heavy turnout at the polls on 
     August 30, 1999, provided almost an 80 percent vote for the 
     independence of East Timor from Indonesia; and
       Whereas, Within hours of the announcement of the election 
     results on September 4, 1999, a systematic campaign of terror 
     was launched against the East Timorese by the Indonesian 
     armed forces and their allied militias during which three-
     quarters of the population was displaced. In a coordinated 
     manner, the Indonesian military and militias forced hundreds 
     of thousands of East Timorese at gunpoint to board trucks, 
     boats, and airplanes for transportation to West Timor and 
     other parts of Indonesia; and
       Whereas, By the end of 1999, United Nations agencies 
     reported that over 125,000 East Timorese had returned home; 
     however, more than 100,000 East Timorese remain unable to 
     return home, many months after the announcement of the 
     referendum results and despite repeated pledges by the 
     Indonesian government to remedy the situation. Thousands of 
     East Timorese taken to other areas of Indonesia remain 
     unaccounted for now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly. That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully requests the President and the 
     Congress of the United States to employ diplomatic and other 
     resources to persuade the Indonesian government to expedite 
     the return of all East Timorese refugees in Indonesia who 
     wish to return home; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, and to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-557. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii relative to Pearl Harbor Naval 
     Shipyard; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102

       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is strategically 
     located in the Pacific Ocean and the Naval Base is in the 
     best interest of the National Security; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is the largest 
     industrial employer in the State of Hawaii; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard employed 6,900 
     employees in 1989, and has since experienced a 58% reduction 
     of the workforce, and currently employs 3,200 employees; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was the Homeport for 
     41 Navy ships and submarines in 1989, and currently is the 
     Homeport for 31 navy ships and submarines; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard provided Navy contract 
     work for 65 to 75 percent of the private ship repair industry 
     in Hawaii; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard spends in excess of 
     $350 million in material purchases, contracts with local 
     businesses, and payroll costs; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard provides for trade and 
     skills training for the youth of Hawaii through the 
     Apprentice program in partnership with the University of 
     Hawaii; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard resolves a quality of 
     life issue for the military by accomplishing the ship repair 
     overhauls and repairs in Hawaii and the Homeport of the Navy 
     ships; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard has the capacity to 
     accomplish more Navy work in Pearl Harbor with the skilled 
     workforce and the availability of the Homeport ships; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard needs to be ``right 
     sized'' for its current and future workload to allow Pearl 
     Harbor and the Navy to maintain and overhaul ships in Hawaii; 
     and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard would require the 
     hiring of 700 to 800 permanent civilian employees over the 
     next two years to obtain the necessary skilled personnel to 
     execute the Navy work; and
       Whereas, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard has an application 
     list of 1,000 qualified local applicants seeking employment 
     at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard: 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 this body hereby urges the 
     United States Navy to increase the workload and employment in 
     Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to utilize the full capacity of 
     the Hawaiian ship repair industry; and be it further
       Resolved, That the United States Navy is requested to brief 
     the Legislature and community business leaders on the future 
     work load plans for Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, 
     the Governor, and the United States Navy through the chain of 
     command to the Chief of Naval Operations, the Secretary of 
     the Navy, and the Secretary of Defense.
                                  ____

       POM-558. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to toxic waste; 
     to the Committee on Armed Services.

                        House Resolution No. 124

       Whereas, the United States and the people of Hawaii have 
     had long historical, cultural, and economic ties with the 
     people of the Philippines as part of the Pacific-Asia 
     community; and
       Whereas, Filipinos all over the world, including the 
     Filipino-American community in Hawaii and the United States 
     and their friends, commemorated the centennial of the birth 
     of the Republic of the Philippines (June 12, 1898), a 
     culmination of the Filipino peoples' struggle for freedom and 
     independence against Spanish colonial rule; and
       Whereas, in December 1992, United States military forces 
     withdrew from Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base, thus 
     ending almost a century of United States military presence in 
     the Philippines; and
       Whereas, reports from the United States General Accounting 
     Office, United States Department of Defense, the World Health 
     Organization, United States experts, environmental baseline 
     surveys conducted by American firms, and recent media 
     reports, including those conducted by the Boston Globe and 
     CNN, identified serious contamination at forty-six sites at 
     both Clark and Subic bases; and
       Whereas, many of the chemicals identified, such as 
     polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Aldrin, Dieldrin, Benzene, 
     and Heptachlor,

[[Page S7070]]

     are part of the family chemicals known as persistent organic 
     pollutants (POPs) because of their persistence in the 
     environment and association with health problems like cancer, 
     reproductive failure, and behavior disorders; and
       Whereas, a ``Health for All'' survey conducted by 
     internationally-recognized health expert Doctor Rosalie 
     Bertell on behalf of the Canadian Institute for the Concern 
     for Public Health and released in November 1998, found 
     conspicuously high and disparate levels of kidney, urinary, 
     nervous, and female system health problems among 716 families 
     surveyed in the Clark Air Base area alone; and
       Whereas, on January 27, 1999, the Philippines House of 
     Representatives Committee on Ecology released a report 
     holding the United States responsible for toxic wastes left 
     behind in the former United States military bases at Clark 
     and Subic, which threaten to make these areas economically 
     devastated, largely uninhabitable, and unusable; and
       Whereas, the Filipino-American community, including the 
     National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NFFAA) 
     and various church groups, such as the Church Coalition for 
     Human Rights in the Philippines and the 20th General Synod of 
     the United Church of Christ (United States), have expressed 
     grave concern for the United States government's lack of 
     response and responsibility over its legacy of toxic wastes 
     in the Philippines; and
       Whereas, The Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, Inc., a 
     civil rights group based in Hawaii, is spearheading the 
     information campaign in Hawaii regarding this issue: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Twentieth 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, 
     That the Legislature expresses its strong concern for the 
     serious environmental problems caused by toxic wastes left 
     behind by the United States and the grave threat these wastes 
     pose to public health in the communities adjoining its former 
     bases in Clark and Subic; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the United Sates 
     government to assist the Philippines, which has neither the 
     funds nor the technical capacity to conduct an environmental 
     clean up, as it has already done in cleaning up toxic 
     contamination in overseas United States military bases in 
     Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and in other countries; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to the President of the United States, the 
     President pro tempore of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
     members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Governor of 
     Hawaii, the President of the Philippines, the President of 
     the Philippines Senate, and the Speaker of the Philippines 
     Senate, and the Speaker of the Philippines House of 
     Representatives.
                                  ____

       POM-559. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to the United States 
     Army Museum; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 207

       Whereas, the Department of the Army has been granted 
     approval by Congress to establish a national United States 
     Army Museum; and
       Whereas, several sites are being considered by Congress for 
     the location of this museum, including Fort Belvoir in 
     Fairfax County; and
       Whereas, Fort Belvoir is located near Mount Vernon, the 
     residence of George Washington, the first President of the 
     United States and Commander-in-Chief; and
       Whereas, locating the United States Army Museum in Virginia 
     would enhance Virginia's tourism and economic development 
     efforts; and
       Whereas, locating the United States Army-Museum at Fort 
     Belvoir is a logical choice due to its proximity to 
     Washington, D.C., the Pentagon, and Arlington Cemetery: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, 
     That the Congress of the United States be urged to establish 
     the national United States Army Museum at Fort Belvoir, 
     Virginia; and, be it
       Resolved further, That the Clerk of the House of Delegate 
     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 General Assembly of Virginia in this 
     matter.
                                  ____

       POM-560. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California relative to commercial marketing; to 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 50

       Whereas, The death penalty was originally instituted in 
     California in 1851 under the Criminal Practices Act and 
     reinstated in 1978; and
       Whereas, Due to the heinous nature of crimes that are 
     punishable by the death penalty, only 5 percent of murderers 
     reside on death row; and
       Whereas, The international retail corporation, the United 
     Colors of Benetton, has glamorized death row inmates through 
     photos and interviews, in order to sell Benetton products; 
     and
       Whereas, Such ``shock marketing'' perversely profiles 
     criminals who have committed grossly inhuman acts of murder; 
     and
       Whereas, The 26 criminals profiled by Benetton have 
     murdered at least 45 innocent victims; and
       Whereas, The advertisement campaign is causing unnecessary 
     pain and distress to the family and friends of the murder 
     victims; and
       Whereas, This marketing constitutes a flippant ``style 
     statement'' in what has been, and should remain, a serious 
     issue for responsible public debate; and
       Whereas, A good corporate citizen must maintain a good 
     standard of ethics and respect the bounds of responsible 
     discourse concerning matters of policy dealing with the lives 
     of citizens and the values of law-abiding citizens; and
       Whereas, The glamorization of death row inmates in 
     Benetton's marketing campaign does not appear to be 
     consistent with being a good corporate citizen: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California Jointly. That Benetton's glorification of 
     criminals for profit is both inappropriate and insensitive to 
     the families of the victims; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Members of the Assembly and Senate of 
     the State of California encourage all citizens in California 
     to express to the United Colors of Benetton, in whatever 
     manner they deem most effective, their opinion of the 
     inappropriate and insensitive death row marketing campaign 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, the Majority Leader of the Senate, the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States, to the President of the United States Chamber of 
     Commerce, the President of the California Chamber of 
     Commerce, the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and 
     the Chairman of the Board of the United Colors of Benetton.
                                  ____

       POM-561. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Colorado relative to the Federal 
     Communications Commission; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                     Senate Joint Resolution 00-031

       Whereas, According to its comprehensive plan and its duly 
     adopted zoning regulations, the Board of County Commissioners 
     of Jefferson County, Colorado denied an application by Lake 
     Cedar Group, LLC, to rezone land on Lookout Mountain from 
     residential and agricultural zoning to planned development 
     zoning in order to allow construction of an 854-foot 
     telecommunications supertower and a 26,000 square foot 
     support building; and
       Whereas, Such decision was a quasi-adjudicative decision 
     based on factual evidence presented to the Jefferson County 
     Board of County Commissioners and application of applicable 
     legal standards and as such can be appealed judicially to 
     Jefferson County District Court, which court is fully 
     empowered to grant full and appropriate relief to the 
     appellant if appropriate under the facts of the case; and
       Whereas, Lake Cedar Group filed an appeal of Jefferson 
     County's decision in Jefferson County District Court, which 
     appeal is now pending the filing of briefs by the parties; 
     and
       Whereas, Despite the pending judicial appeal, and after 
     Jefferson County spent several months preparing the 
     voluminous record of proceedings for the Jefferson County 
     District Court action, Lake Cedar Group, without notifying 
     the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners or any 
     other interested party, filed a petition with the Federal 
     Communications Commission (FCC) requesting the FCC to 
     ``preempt'' Jefferson County's decision and to declare 
     Jefferson County's decision ``prohibited and unenforceable''; 
     and
       Whereas, By Public Notice dated April 10, 2000, the FCC 
     seeks public comment on Lake Cedar Group's petition; and
       Whereas, In the United States, control over individual land 
     use decisions is firmly vested in local governments, through 
     statutory delegation from state governments; and
       Whereas, The FCC is barred by the 10th Amendment to the 
     United States Constitution from attempting to preempt 
     decisions made by local governments on individual land use 
     applications because the United States Congress has not 
     directed or authorized the FCC to preempt such local 
     decisions; and
       Whereas, The FCC lacks not only the authority, but also the 
     expertise and any adopted standards to second-guess and 
     invalidate local government land use decisions; and
       Whereas, Any attempt by the FCC to preempt local government 
     land use decision-making in this manner would represent an 
     illegal, unauthorized, and unjustified attack on state- and 
     local-government land use authority; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-second General Assembly 
     of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives 
     concurring herein:

[[Page S7071]]

     That the General Assembly of the State of Colorado hereby 
     encourages the FCC not to preempt local government land use 
     decision-making and state judicial processes, thus overriding 
     local and state government authority; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to 
     the President of the United States Senate; the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives; each member of 
     Colorado's Congressional delegation; each member of the House 
     of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade 
     and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Commerce; the 
     Governor of Colorado; and the Commissioners of the Federal 
     Communications Commission.
                                  ____

       POM-562. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana relative to Internet taxation; to 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 9

       Whereas, the Internet is a collection of computer networks 
     that enables people to communicate electronically with people 
     in other states and nations around the world and millions of 
     organizations and consumers are taking advantage of this 
     technological innovation to transact electronic interstate 
     commerce; and
       Whereas, business-to-consumer sales transacted through the 
     Internet have increased the interstate commerce of items 
     which have traditionally been sold in intrastate commerce, 
     increasing competition between traditional ``main street'' 
     family businesses and interstate mail order and electronic 
     commerce businesses; and
       Whereas, under current federal court decisions, some 
     Internet vendors and other remote sellers cannot be legally 
     compelled to collect sales and use taxes from consumers in 
     other states; and
       Whereas, the difficulties in requiring sales and use tax 
     collections from remote sellers place local ``main street'' 
     merchants at an unfair competitive disadvantage and the 
     Internet and Internet vendors should not receive preferential 
     tax treatment at the expense of such merchants; and
       Whereas, state sales and use tax collections comprise a 
     substantial percentage of state revenues; and
       Whereas, states have the primary responsibility for the 
     delivery of education, public safety, transportation, and 
     health and human services; and
       Whereas, the projected growth of electronic commerce 
     transactions will have a substantial negative impact on state 
     sales and use tax collections; and
       Whereas, the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act has 
     temporarily limited the states' ability to design new taxing 
     schemes to keep up with today's rapidly transforming 
     technology-drive economy; and
       Whereas, prior to the end of the moratorium period imposed 
     by the Internet Tax Freedom Act, the United States Congress 
     will be charged with the responsibility to decide the future 
     course of taxation of the Internet, possibly to the detriment 
     of state and local governments and traditional ``main 
     street'' merchants: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Louisiana Legislature does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to consider the needs 
     of state and local governments and local ``main street'' 
     retailers when determining a course of action regarding 
     Internet taxation; be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-563. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana relative to the Migratory Bird 
     Treaty Act; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 23

       Whereas, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1972 as amended 
     (16 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) was enacted to protect and manage 
     migratory birds in the United States and includes the 
     regulation of taking, possessing, transporting, shipping, 
     exporting, and importing of migratory birds; and
       Whereas, the enforcement of those laws and regulations is 
     essential to the goal of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 
     enforcement which, in the state of Louisiana, is the 
     responsibility of the enforcement division of the Department 
     of Wildlife and Fisheries; and
       Whereas, the hunting of migratory birds is a widespread 
     recreational and tourist activity in the state of Louisiana 
     with an economic impact in the state in excess of $131 
     million, including an annual harvest of over 3.5 million 
     birds by more than 128,000 hunters participating in over 1.7 
     million hunting trips; and
       Whereas, with that level of activity in the state of 
     Louisiana, the enforcement division of the Department of 
     Wildlife and Fisheries is confronted with the monumental task 
     of enforcement of the provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty 
     Act, violations of which are estimated to have an annual 
     negative impact on the state's economy of nearly $8.2 
     million; and
       Whereas, the enforcement division of the Department of 
     Wildlife and Fisheries has performed this responsibility 
     through the years and, in fact, has issued more than eighty-
     nine percent of the citations issued for violations of the 
     Migratory Bird Treaty Act, all without the benefit of federal 
     monetary support for its efforts: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Louisiana Legislature does hereby 
     memorialize the U.S. Congress to authorize and appropriate 
     sufficient funds to the enforcement division of the 
     Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to enable the 
     enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and to enable 
     efforts for conservation and protection of the migratory 
     birds required by that Act; be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to 
     the presiding officers of the House of Representatives and 
     the Senate of the U.S. Congress and to each member of the 
     Louisiana congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-564. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to highway rest 
     stops; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 103

       Whereas, it is a well-established fact that driver fatigue 
     is a major factor contributing to highway accidents; and
       Whereas, federal law prescribes limits on the number of 
     continuous hours truckers may drive and the length of time 
     they must rest before driving again; and
       Whereas, one of the most convenient places where long-haul 
     truckers could break their trip and get the rest they need to 
     operate safely is rest stops along interstate highways; and
       Whereas, this option is not realistically open to truckers, 
     because the Commonwealth limits vehicle stays at these rest 
     stops to no more than two hours; and
       Whereas, the cost of motel rooms and the inability of many 
     motel parking lots to accommodate large tractor-trailer 
     combinations make use of motels an impractical option for 
     truckers seeking to get their required rest as prescribed by 
     federal law; and
       Whereas, construction of additional interstate highway rest 
     stops and expansion of existing facilities would enable 
     truckers to comply with federal hours-of-service requirements 
     safely and inexpensively, resulting in fewer highway 
     accidents and improved safety for the motoring public: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, 
     That the Congress of the United States be urged to provide 
     federal funding for expansion of certain highway rest stops 
     and for construction of additional interstate highway rest 
     stops and, be it
       Resolved further, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates 
     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 General Assembly of Virginia in this 
     matter.
                                  ____

       POM-565. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California relative to hemophilia relief; to the 
     Committee on Appropriations.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 55

       Whereas, The Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998 
     (P.L. 105-369) was enacted by Congress to provide for 
     compassionate payments to individuals with blood-clotting 
     disorders, such as hemophilia, who contracted the human 
     immunodeficiency virus due to contaminated blood products; 
     and
       Whereas, In its review of the events surrounding the HIV 
     infection of thousands of people with blood-clotting 
     disorders, such as hemophilia, a 1995 study, entitled ``HIV 
     and the Blood Supply,'' of the Institute of Medicine found a 
     failure of leadership and an inadequate institutional 
     decisionmaking process in the system responsible for ensuring 
     blood safety, concluding that a failure of leadership led to 
     less than effective donor screening, weak regulatory actions, 
     and insufficient communication to patients about the risk of 
     AIDS; and
       Whereas, It is important for both the federal and state 
     government to halt immediately the funding of a product or 
     program if they become aware of a risk of infection when 
     using the product and have not informed the public; and
       Whereas, This legislation, named after a teenage 
     hemophiliac who died from AIDS, was enacted to provide 
     financial relief to the families of hemophiliacs who were 
     devastated by the federal government's policy failure in its 
     handling of the AIDS epidemic; and
       Whereas, Although the relief bill has been enacted into 
     law, Congress has been reluctant to fund it: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Assembly and Senate 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 fully fund the Ricky Ray 
     Hemophilia Relief Fund, enacted into law under the Ricky Ray 
     Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998, so that there is no delay 
     between the authorization and the timely appropriation of 
     this relief; and be it further
       Resolved, That the President and the Congress of the United 
     States are respectfully urged to withhold the appropriation 
     of funds to programs that have not clearly disclosed to the 
     consumer the risks of infection for a product the program 
     manufactures or distributes; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, to the Speaker of the House

[[Page S7072]]

     of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States.

                          ____________________