[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S11917]
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-643. A resolution adopted by the House of the General 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relative to the 
     issuance of a postal stamp to honor coal miners; to the 
     Committee on Governmental Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 639

       Whereas, Our entire Nation owes our coal miners a great 
     deal more than we could ever repay them for the difficult and 
     dangerous job that they performed so that we could have the 
     fuel we needed to operate our industries and to heat our 
     homes; and
       Whereas, It would be proper and fitting for our Nation to 
     recognize our coal miners, both past and present, for their 
     contributions to this Nation; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives memorialize the 
     United States Postal Service to issue a postage stamp to 
     honor our coal miners and to commemorate their contributions 
     to our Nation and its citizens; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be delivered to 
     the United States Postal Service, to the presiding officers 
     of each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-644. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Texas relative to the State 
     Criminal Alien Assistance Program; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                       Senate Resolution No. 1106

       Whereas, The United States Congress has established the 
     State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) to provide 
     federal assistance to states and localities for costs 
     incurred for the imprisonment of undocumented aliens who 
     commit criminal offenses; and
       Whereas, The SCAAP program, which is administered by the 
     United States Department of Justice, has a funding level 
     authorized by statute of $650 million per year; actual SCAAP 
     funding for the 1999 fiscal year, however, is only $585 
     million, an amount that provides state and local governments 
     a mere 30 percent of their total reimbursable costs; and
       Whereas, The amount of money spent in Texas by local and 
     state governmental agencies related to incarceration of 
     undocumented aliens charged or convicted with criminal 
     offenses ranks as the third highest in the nation; and
       Whereas, Although full funding of the SCAAP program to the 
     $650 million level will not decrease the total number of 
     undocumented aliens held in state or county facilities, 
     increased funding will raise the level of costs reimbursed by 
     the federal government to approximately 40 percent of the 
     costs for incarceration of these prisoners; now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 76th 
     Legislature, hereby respectfully request the Congress of the 
     United States to fully fund the State Criminal Alien 
     Assistance Program at the authorized level of $650 million; 
     and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate forward official 
     copies of this Resolution to the President of the United 
     States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and 
     to all the members of the Texas delegation to the Congress 
     with the request that this Resolution be officially entered 
     in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of 
     the United States of America.
                                  ____

       POM-645. A petition from a citizen of the State of New York 
     relative to primary and general elections; to the Committee 
     on Rules and Administration.

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