[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2321-S2322]
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-7. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     New Jersey memorializing Congress to protect the automobile 
     industry and expand national infrastructure projects and 
     related industries; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
     Urban Affairs.

                        Senate Resolution No. 37

       Whereas, a number of specialists have warned that the 
     collapse of the national economy could occur if certain stop-
     gap and long-term actions are not implemented to overcome the 
     problems facing the automotive and machine tool sectors of 
     our economy; and
       Whereas, the loss of the physical capabilities of the 
     automotive industry, especially its tool sector, could mean 
     the end of America's status as a leading world economic 
     power; and
       Whereas, while it is in the best interests of our national 
     security to have a strong, vibrant manufacturing and 
     industrial sector, capable of producing the necessary 
     machinery and technology to defend the citizens of the United 
     States and protect our interests abroad, our manufacturing 
     and industrial sector has experienced a dramatic reduction in 
     capacity and production over the last several decades; and
       Whereas, government has an obligation to promote economic 
     activity through the creation of new capital investment, 
     which will result in the expansion of employment 
     opportunities and help jump-start long-term capital 
     investment by private investors.; and
       Whereas, as government leaders, we must ensure the 
     continued viability of our automotive and machine tool 
     industries, which is a vital element of the State and federal 
     economy; and
       Whereas, diversification of the productive potential of the 
     automotive and machine tool industries into a broader sector 
     of production, coupled with a shift into the domain of 
     essential capital goods and economic infrastructure, such as 
     the repair, expansion, and improvement of our national 
     railway systems, and the development of other urgently needed 
     infrastructure projects, will save existing manufacturing 
     jobs and create large new areas of employment in 
     infrastructure and manufacturing for our citizenry in a 
     manner comparable to the best of the New Deal programs that 
     rescued the nation and the world from the ravages of the 
     Great Depression; and
       Whereas, the impact of this intervention will be to provide 
     thousands of productive jobs in the state of New Jersey, 
     repair our infrastructure, and create at least ten million 
     jobs nationally, thus restoring our tax base and increasing 
     the standard of living. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
       1. The Senate of the State of New Jersey respectfully 
     memorializes the Congress of the United States to intervene 
     on behalf of national economic interests to ensure that the 
     productive potential of the automobile industry, with its 
     featured technology and machine tool capability, be 
     protected.
       2. The Senate of the State of New Jersey respectfully 
     memorializes the Congress of the United States to intervene 
     to vastly expand the construction and maintenance of 
     infrastructure projects and related industries.
       3. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by 
     the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary 
     thereof, shall be transmitted to each member of New Jersey's 
     congressional delegation and to the Speaker and Clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. and 
     the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, 
     Washington, D.C.
                                  ____

       POM-8. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan memorializing the Congress to assist Michigan in 
     rebuilding the State's economy, in light of Michigan's high 
     rate of unemployment and pressures on the State's 
     Unemployment Trust Fund; to the Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 232

       Whereas, our nation is facing an economic crisis, the depth 
     and breath of which has not been seen in decades. With 
     Michigan's historic connection to the automotive industry, 
     the Great Lakes State's economic struggles have been a 
     precursor to the nation's economic maelstrom. Michigan has 
     the nation's highest unemployment rate and has lost 538,000 
     jobs since 2000. Clearly, federal assistance is necessary to 
     help Michigan restart its economic engine and help drive the 
     national economy back to full recovery. Given the severity of 
     Michigan's economic downturn, the state should be given 
     priority when distributing stimulus dollars to spur economic 
     growth in our country; and
       Whereas, indeed, Michigan is now at a tipping point between 
     economic despair and recovery. Technological innovation and 
     business reforms and efficiencies adopted in response to 
     Michigan's ``one-state recession'' are already paying 
     dividends. However, the national economy and numerous federal 
     policies have continued to negatively impact our

[[Page S2322]]

     state's ability to pull itself up by its bootstraps. Chief 
     among these are Michigan's longtime status as a donor state 
     for federal highway funding dollars and the relative lack of 
     federal public works and defense investment in this state; 
     and
       Whereas, Congress could be of great assistance in our 
     state's economic redevelopment efforts, in particular, 
     temporarily suspending the federal match for highway 
     infrastructure investment, improving the state's share of 
     federal highway funding so Michigan is no longer a donor 
     state, and giving greater weight to Michigan firms in 
     contracting would provide an immediate stimulus to our 
     stagnant state economy. Moreover, longer term efforts such as 
     creating tax-free state economic recovery zones; reducing 
     taxation on innovation, production, and investment; allowing 
     states to designate certain areas of the state as exempt from 
     federal corporate taxes capped at $1 billion per year; 
     enhancing investment tax credit availability; and targeting 
     federal infrastructure investment to those states with the 
     highest rates of unemployment would help provide economic 
     stability where it is needed the most; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, that we hereby memorialize the 
     Congress of the United States to assist Michigan in 
     rebuilding the state's economy, in light of unemployment and 
     pressures on the state's Unemployment Trust Fund; 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-9. A report from a law enforcement office relative to 
     the Open Government Sunset Review Act; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                          ____________________