[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 44 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3377-S3378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-291. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Washington relative to international trade; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                  Engrossed Senate Joint Memorial 8019

       We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of 
     Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative 
     session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as 
     follows:
       Whereas, The trade liberalization efforts of the early 
     1990s and trade agreements such as the North American Free 
     Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization Uruguay 
     Round agreements have increased the role of state 
     policymakers in international trade decisions; and
       Whereas, Trade liberalization has transformed the 
     historical state-federal division of power and taxed state 
     agency resources in dealing with the world marketplace; and
       Whereas, Recent trade agreements have proceeded beyond 
     discussion of tariffs and quotas and now address government 
     regulation, taxation, procurement, and economic development 
     policies that are implemented at state and local levels; and
       Whereas, States often lack a clearly defined institutional 
     trade policy structure,

[[Page S3378]]

     making it difficult to handle requests from trading partners 
     and federal agencies and to articulate a unified state stance 
     on trade issues; and
       Whereas, International lawsuits may be brought against 
     states and governments found to be in violation of trade 
     agreements; and
       Whereas, There is a need for a stronger federal-state trade 
     policy consultation mechanism; and
       Whereas, Many state and local executive, legislative, and 
     judicial branch officials have voiced the need for an 
     informed, nonpartisan trade policy dialogue on a national 
     level; and
       Whereas, Federal-state communication and cooperation in the 
     implementation of trade agreements is needed now more than 
     ever before; and
       Whereas, In August 2004, the Intergovernmental Policy 
     Advisory Committee, a state-appointed advisory committee to 
     the United States Trade Representative, recommended that a 
     Federal-State International Trade Policy Commission would be 
     an ideal resource for objective trade policy analysis and 
     would foster communication among federal and state trade 
     policy officials; and
       Whereas, The creation of a federal-state trade policy 
     infrastructure would assist states in understanding the scope 
     of federal trade efforts and would assist federal agencies in 
     understanding the various state trade processes: Now 
     therefore,
       Your Memorialists respectfully request that the United 
     States Trade Representative create a Federal-State 
     International Trade Policy Commission with membership to be 
     drawn from federal and state trade policy officials; and be 
     it
       Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the 
     United States, the Ambassador Rob Portman, United States 
     Trade Representative, the President of the United States 
     Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each 
     member of Congress from the State of Washington.

              INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

  The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the 
first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:

           By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Ms. Collins):
       S. 2596. A bill to modify the boundaries for a certain 
     empowerment zone designation; to the Committee on Finance.
           By Mrs. CLINTON:
       S. 2597. A bill to facilitate homeownership in high-cost 
     areas; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
     Affairs.
           By Ms. STABENOW:
       S. 2598. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs to establish and operate a community-based outpatient 
     clinic in Alpena, Michigan; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.
           By Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
             Santorum, Mr. Coburn, Mrs. Dole, and Mr. Sununu):
       S. 2599. A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
     Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit the 
     confiscation of firearms during certain national emergencies; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.
           By Mr. WARNER (for himself and Mrs. Clinton):
       S. 2600. A bill to equalize authorities to provide 
     allowances, benefits, and gratuities to civilian personnel of 
     the United States Government in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for 
     other purposes; to the Committee on Armed Services.
           By Mr. ALEXANDER (for himself and Mr. DeMint):
       S. 2601. A bill to amend the Social Security Act to improve 
     choices available to Medicare eligible seniors by permitting 
     them to elect (instead of regular Medicare benefits) to 
     receive a voucher for a health savings account, for premiums 
     for a high deductible health insurance plan, or both and by 
     suspending Medicare late enrollment penalties between ages 65 
     and 70; to the Committee on Finance.
           By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
       S. 2602. A bill for the relief of Silvia Leticia Barojas-
     Alejandre; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
           By Mr. THOMAS (for himself and Mr. Enzi):
       S. 2603. A bill to reduce temporarily the royalty required 
     to be paid for sodium produced on Federal lands, and for 
     other purposes; read the first time.
           By Mr. ALLARD:
       S. 2604. A bill to address the forest and watershed 
     emergency in the State of Colorado that has been exacerbated 
     by the bark beetle infestation, to provide for the conduct of 
     activities in the State to reduce the risk of wildfire and 
     flooding, to promote economically healthy rural communities 
     by reinvigorating the forest products industry in the State, 
     to encourage the use of biomass fuels for energy, and for 
     other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.
           By Mr. ALLARD:
       S. 2605. A bill to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park 
     and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide 
     for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge; 
     to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
           By Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mr. Coburn):
       S. 2606. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security 
     Act to make publicly available on the official Medicare 
     Internet site medicare payment rates for frequently 
     reimbursed hospital impatient procedures, hospital outpatient 
     procedures, and physicians' services; to the Committee on 
     Finance.
           By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. Bennett):
       S. 2607. A bill to establish a 4-year small business health 
     insurance information pilot program; to the Committee on 
     Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
           By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. Vitter):
       S. 2608. A bill to ensure full partnership of small 
     contractors in Federal disaster reconstruction efforts; to 
     the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
           By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. Leahy):
       S. 2609. A bill to improve the oversight and regulation of 
     tissue banks and the tissue donation process, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.
           By Mr. INHOFE:
       S. 2610. A bill to enhance the management and disposal of 
     spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and for 
     other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works.
           By Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Martinez, 
             Mr. McCain, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Graham, and Mr. 
             Brownback):
       S. 2611. A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration 
     reform and for other purposes; read the first time.
           By Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Specter, 
             Mr. McCain, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Graham, and Mr. 
             Brownback):
       S. 2612. A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration 
     reform and for other purposes; read the first time.
           By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Obama):
       S. 2613. A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to 
     establish a program to provide reimbursement for the 
     installation of alternative energy refueling systems; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
           By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Obama):
       S. 2614. A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to 
     establish a program to provide reimbursement for the 
     installation of alternative energy refueling systems; to the 
     Committee on Finance.
           By Ms. MURKOWSKI:
       S. 2615. A bill to provide equitable treatment for the 
     people of the Village corporation established for the Native 
     Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
           By Mr. SANTORUM (for himself and Mr. Specter):
       S. 2616. A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and 
     Reclamation Act of 1977 and the Mineral Leasing Act to 
     improve surface mining control and reclamation, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
           By Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Kerry, 
             Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Lincoln, and Mr. DeWine):
       S. 2617. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to 
     limit increases in the costs to retired members of the Armed 
     Forces of health care services under the TRICARE program, and 
     for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed Services.
           By Mr. HARKIN (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
       S. 2618. A bill to permit an individual to be treated by a 
     health care practitioner with any method of medical treatment 
     such individual requests, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
           By Mr. PRYOR:
       S. 2619. A bill to authorize the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency to provide relief to the victims of 
     Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita by placing manufactured 
     homes in flood plains, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
           By Mrs. CLINTON:
       S. 2620. A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to 
     authorize the Assistant Secretary for Aging to provide older 
     individuals with financial assistance to select a flexible 
     range of home and community-based long-term care services or 
     supplies, provided in a manner that respects the individuals' 
     choices and preferences; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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