[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 68 (Thursday, May 8, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5947-S5949]
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-91. A resolution from the Senate of the Legislature of 
     the State of Louisiana reletive to the Pledge of Allegiance; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1

       Whereas, one of the founding principles of the United 
     States of America was the free exercise of religion and 
     religious beliefs; and
       Whereas, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States provides that Congress shall make no law 
     establishing a religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of 
     religion; and
       Whereas, Article I, Section 8 of the Louisiana Constitution 
     of 1974 similarly prohibits the enactment of law respecting 
     an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise 
     of religion; and
       Whereas, the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 as a 
     means of celebrating the quadricentennial celebration of 
     Columbus Day in 1892 and as patriotic oath and salute to the 
     flag; and
       Whereas, the words ``under God'' were added to the Pledge 
     of Allegiance by Congress in 1954; and
       Whereas, the display of symbolic patriotism contained in 
     the words of the Pledge of Allegiance is more critical today 
     than ever before in out Nation's history and should be 
     maintained; and
       Whereas, while the United States does not have a provision 
     for a national referendum, Congress may vote to place a 
     national referendum on the ballot as a constitutional 
     amendment to maintain the words ``one nation under God'' in 
     the Pledge of Allegiance, thus allowing the true will of the 
     people to be heard: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to adopt and 
     place on the ballot a national referendum to maintain the 
     words ``one nation under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of 
     the United States House of Representatives and to each member 
     of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-92. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Delaware relative to 
     immigrants in the U.S. Military; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 20

       Whereas, immigrants have a long history of service in the 
     United States military, including service in major wars, 
     including, but not limited to, World War I, World War II,

[[Page S5948]]

     the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and 
     the current war in Iraq; and
       Whereas, the number of immigrants serving in the United 
     States military has grown from 28,000 in 2000 to more than 
     37,000 today, and to date, immigrants comprise nearly 5 
     percent of all enlisted personnel on active duty in the 
     United States Armed Forces and more than 20 percent of 
     Congressional Medal of Honor recipients; and
       Whereas, several immigrants have already lost their lives 
     in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and service in the United States 
     military, particularly in times of conflict, is the ultimate 
     act of patriotism and duty served to the United States; and
       Whereas, many immigrants on active duty are trying to 
     become naturalized citizens and are required by law to be 
     available at all times for military service but are only 
     allowed to apply for United States citizenship after 
     completing three years of service; and
       Whereas, President George W. Bush recently issued an 
     executive order conferring immediate eligibility for 
     citizenship to immigrants serving on active duty in the 
     United States Armed Forces to reward immigrants serving 
     during the post-September 11 war on terrorism: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the 142nd 
     General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate 
     concurring therein, That the Legislature of the State of 
     Delaware urges the President and the Congress of the United 
     States to amend federal selective service and immigration 
     laws to grant the right of citizenship to any and all 
     immigrants honorably discharged from the military; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House transmit copies of 
     this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, and to the members of Delaware's congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-93. A resolution adopted by the Orange County Fire 
     Authority Board of Directors of the State of California 
     relative to first responders; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
       POM-94. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Kansas relative to the Pledge of Allegiance; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.

                       Senate Resolution No. 1827

       Whereas, this nation was founded by people seeking a place 
     where they could practice their religion freely; and
       Whereas, the first settlers found themselves in a strange 
     and strenuous land which required them to call upon the 
     strength of their God and to place themselves in his trust; 
     and
       Whereas, our founding fathers, in creating our national 
     constitution, assured the freedom of choice in one's practice 
     of religion. However, our national leaders in times of stress 
     have called upon our belief and trust in a superior being to 
     see this nation through difficult times, and have 
     acknowledged the continuous presence of our God by inscribing 
     on our currency the reassuring phrase ``In God we trust'' and 
     by including the phrase ``one Nation under God'' in our 
     pledge of allegiance; and
       Whereas, the strength of a nation can be measured in its 
     citizens' desire for domestic tranquility and in their 
     abiding belief in a supreme being. Accordingly, it is urged 
     upon the Congress of the United States that this basic 
     requirement of a great nation be recognized by amending our 
     constitution as follows: ``Resolved by the Senate and House 
     of Representatives of the United States of America in 
     Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring 
     therein), that the following article is proposed as an 
     amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which 
     shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the 
     Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-
     fourths of the several states within seven years after the 
     date of its submission for ratification:
       Section 1. The first amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States shall not be construed to prohibit the 
     recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, which 
     shall be, `I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United 
     States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, 
     one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice 
     for all.'
       Section 2. The first amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States shall not be construed to prohibit the 
     recitation or use of the national motto, which shall be, `In 
     God we trust' ''; and
       Whereas, we urge Congress to pass this Constitutional 
     Amendment and to send it on to the individual states for 
     their approval: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of Kansas, That we 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to seek a 
     constitutional amendment to protect the pledge of allegiance 
     and our national motto; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to 
     provide an enrolled copy of this resolution to the President 
     of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     of the United States Congress and to each member of the 
     Kansas Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-95. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Delaware relative to Free 
     Trade; to the Committee on Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, the United States should promote the values of 
     freedom, democracy, and a commitment to open markets and the 
     free exchange of both goods and ideas at home and abroad; and
       Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan shares these 
     values with the United States and has struggled throughout 
     the past 50 years to create what is today an open and 
     thriving democracy; and
       Whereas, the United States must continue to support the 
     growth of democracy and ongoing market opening in Taiwan if 
     this relationship is to evolve and reflect the changing 
     nature of the global system in the 21st Century; and
       Whereas, despite the fact that Taiwan only recently became 
     a member of the World Trade Organization and that it has no 
     formal trade agreement with the United States, Taiwan has 
     nevertheless emerged as the United States' eighth largest 
     trading partner; and
       Whereas, American business and workers have benefited 
     greatly from this dynamic trade relationship, most recently 
     in the computer and electronics sector; and
       Whereas, Taiwan is a gateway to other Pacific Rim markets 
     for United States exports, helping to preserve peace and 
     stability within the entire region; and
       Whereas, United States agricultural procedures have been 
     particularly under represented in the list of United States 
     exports to the region, despite the importance of the markets 
     for growers of corn, wheat, and soybeans; and
       Whereas, a free trade agreement would not only help 
     Taiwan's economy dramatically expand its already growing 
     entrepreneurial class, but it would also serve an important 
     political function; and
       Whereas, the United States needs to support partner 
     countries that are lowering trade barriers; and
       Whereas, Taiwan has emerged the past two decades as one of 
     the United States' most important allies in Asia and 
     throughout the world; and
       Whereas, in the interest of supporting, preserving and 
     protecting the democratic fabric of the government of Taiwan, 
     it is made clear that the United States supports the 
     withdrawal of missiles deployed as a threat again Taiwan by 
     the People's Republic of China; and
       Whereas, it is in the interest of the United States to 
     encourage the development of both these institutions; and
       Whereas, the United States has an obligation to its allies 
     and it its own citizens to encourage economic growth, market 
     opening, and the destruction of trade barriers as a means of 
     raising living standards across the board; and
       Whereas, a free trade agreement with Taiwan would be a 
     positive step toward accomplishing all of these goals: Now 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 142nd 
     General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate 
     concurring therein, That the Bush Administration be 
     encouraged to support a free trade agreement between the 
     United States and Taiwan; and be it further
       Resolved, That the United States policy should include the 
     pursuit of some initiative in the World Trade Organization 
     which will give Taiwan meaningful participation in a manner 
     that is consistent with the organization's requirements; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the 
     President of the United States, the United States Secretary 
     of State, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Government of 
     Taiwan, the World Trade Organization, and the members of 
     Delaware's congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-96. A joint resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia relative to nitrogen reduction 
     technology; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                    Senate Joint Resolution No. 424

       Whereas, the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are 
     national treasures that play a vital role in many sectors of 
     Virginia's economy including the commercial seafood, 
     recreational fishing, and tourism industries; and
       Whereas, while significant progress has been made in 
     restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, they remain 
     in a significantly degraded condition; and
       Whereas, nitrogen pollution, the most serious problem 
     facing water quality in the Bay today, results in excessive 
     algae growth that clouds water, depletes oxygen, and severely 
     impacts vital bay grasses, young fish, and crabs; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth is a signatory to the Chesapeake 
     2000 Agreement, in which Virginia pledged to significantly 
     reduce nitrogen pollution sufficient to remove the Chesapeake 
     Bay from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's 
     impaired waters list by 2010; and
       Whereas, upgrading sewage treatment plants, which currently 
     contribute 61 million pounds of nitrogen annually to the Bay, 
     is one of the most cost-effective steps that can be taken to 
     significantly reduce nitrogen pollution; and
       Whereas, sewage treatment plants in Virginia discharge up 
     to 25 milligrams of nitrogen per liter of wastewater, while 
     current technology allows the nitrogen content of treated 
     wastewater to be reduced to only three milligrams per liter; 
     and

[[Page S5949]]

       Whereas, United States Senators of Virginia and the United 
     States House of Representatives from the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 
     8th, 10th, and 11th Virginia Congressional Districts have 
     introduced legislation to provide cost-share grant funding to 
     allow Bay watershed sewage treatment plants to substantially 
     reduce their nitrogen pollution by installing NRT: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, 
     That the Congress of the United States be urged to adopt 
     legislation in support of funding for nitrogen reduction 
     technology (NRT) in the 108th Congress; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit copies of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     and the members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation so 
     that they may be apprised of the sense of the General 
     Assembly of Virginia in this matter.
                                  ____

       POM-97. A resolution adopted by the Chemung County 
     Legislature of the State of New York relative to the 
     Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-98. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan relative to the 
     Funding of Transportation Initiatives by the Federal 
     Government; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, for several decades, Michigan has sent much more 
     federal highway tax money to Washington than it has received 
     in return. This imbalance has helped our nation build the 
     country's highway infrastructure. With the national 
     infrastructure largely completed, the continuation of the 
     imbalance has created a serious challenge for Michigan and 
     other ``donor states''; and
       Whereas, Michigan, which typically loses between $150 
     million and $400 million each year by sending more to 
     Washington than it receives, is severely hampered. The unfair 
     practice of contributing hundreds of millions of dollars 
     beyond the amount we receive to fund projects in other parts 
     of the country makes it far more difficult for Michigan to 
     maintain the quality of its highways. The loss of funding 
     also represents a serious loss of economic activity; and
       Whereas, the chairman of the House Transportation and 
     Infrastructure Committee and the chairman of the Senate 
     Environment and Public Works Committee in Congress have 
     proposed a major change in how federal highway funds are 
     distributed. They have called for a funding formula that 
     would guarantee that all states receive a minimum of 95 
     percent of what they each contribute to the federal highway 
     program; and
       Whereas, the potential impact for Michigan of a guarantee 
     of at least 95 percent of this funding would be very 
     significant. Even as the economy calls for more careful 
     public expenditures, this proposed policy change would help 
     Michigan and bring greater fairness to the issue of 
     transportation spending. Citizens, visitors, and businesses 
     of this state would benefit enormously from this long overdue 
     policy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United 
     States to enact legislation to provide that all states 
     receive a minimum of 95 percent of transportation funds sent 
     to the federal government and to urge Congress to make the 
     return of transportation money to the states a higher 
     priority within existing federal revenues; 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-99. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan relative to 
     reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                        House Resolution No. 23

       Whereas, the Interstate Traveler Project is an elevated 
     maglev (magnetic levitation) rail mass transit system that is 
     based upon a conduit cluster concept powered by hydrogen and 
     solar power. The project promises to provide travelers with a 
     clean, quiet, safe, reliable mode of transportation. The 
     intent of the project is to create the world's first 
     switchable maglev rail network that will provide inter-urban/
     inter-city pedestrian, automobile, and light freight transit 
     services. The project will simultaneously produce, store, and 
     distribute hydrogen, which will not only serve as an 
     alternative energy resource, but also will give Michigan's 
     automakers the incentive to produce hydrogen internal 
     combustion engines, fuel cell cars, and the manufacturing 
     opportunity to build maglev rail cars; and
       Whereas, by fully integrating with the interstate highway 
     system, existing transportation infrastructure, and mass 
     transmit systems, the Interstate Traveler Project seeks to 
     reduce traffic congestion and air pollution while improving 
     traffic safety and efficiency. The Interstate Traveler 
     Project substations will utilize the existing interstate 
     highway system's entrances and exits, providing a seamless 
     link of private automobiles, pedestrian traffic, existing 
     municipal bus routes, and tax services. These substations 
     will also support the hydrogen distribution system, as well 
     as fiber optics, water, electricity, and other utilities. 
     Although the Interstate Traveler Project is ideally suited 
     for the interstate highway, system, it may also be integrated 
     with existing and abandoned railroad right-of-ways or along 
     other appropriate lands; and
       Whereas, the Interstate Traveler Project is consistent with 
     the 2003 State-of-the-Union address which called on Congress 
     to appropriate $1.2 billion for hydrogen fuel cell 
     technology: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we 
     memorialize Congress to enact legislation to support 
     research, development, and construction of the Interstate 
     Traveler Project through the reauthorization of the 
     Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) and/or 
     other related federal programs; 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-100. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington relative to veterans with 
     disabilities; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                       Senate Joint Memorial 8008

       Whereas, many American service members have sacrificed 
     their lives for the United States; and
       Whereas, many of these service members have retired from 
     active duty and 28 percent of the retirees were found to be 
     disabled; and
       Whereas, those retired disabled service members are 
     required by law to have their retirement income reduced 
     dollar for dollar to pay their disability compensation; and
       Whereas, retired veterans make up approximately ten percent 
     of all veterans living in this state and the retired disabled 
     veterans make up approximately 36.6 percent of the retired 
     veteran population of this state; and
       Whereas, concurrent receipt of both the retired pay and the 
     disability compensation pay would add financially to the 
     welfare of this state as well as the veterans: Now, 
     therefore,
       Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President, in 
     acting upon the recommendations of the National Service 
     Organizations, fund the enacted law for all disabled retired 
     veterans. Your Memorialists further pray that Congress and 
     the President affirm the debt owed these veterans and pass a 
     budget to furnish the veterans their concurrent receipt: Be 
     it
       Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the 
     United States, the Secretary of the United States Department 
     of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of the United States 
     Department of Defense, 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-101. A resolution adopted by the Department of 
     Veteran's Affairs of the State of Alabama relative to 
     recouping cost incurred from ``Operation Iraqi Freedom'' from 
     the Country of Iraq; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                          ____________________