[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3783-S3784]
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-13. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Republic 
     of the Philippines, forwarded by the Acting Assistant 
     Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Department of 
     State, expressing the sense of the Senate to thank the United 
     States Congress for the approval of the Conference Report on 
     the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which 
     provides the amount of one hundred ninety-eight million 
     dollars for the benefit of eligible Filipino veterans; to the 
     Committee on Appropriations.

                           Resolution No. 161

       Whereas, then President of the United States Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt issued a military order on 26 July 1941, calling 
     into service the organized military forces of the country 
     under the command of General Douglas MacArthur to fight with 
     the American soldiers in World War II;
       Whereas, President Roosevelt's military order stated that, 
     ``As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United 
     States, I hereby call and order into service of the Armed 
     Forces of the United States for the period of the existing 
     emergency, and place under the command of a General Officer, 
     United States Army, to be designated by the Secretary of War 
     from time to time, all of the organized military forces of 
     the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines'':

[[Page S3784]]

       Whereas, on February 20, 1946, then President Harry Truman 
     affirmed the status of these Filipino veterans as ``nationals 
     of the United States'' who ``fought, as American nationals, 
     under the American flag, and under the direction of our 
     military leaders'';
       Whereas, President Truman likewise recognized that they 
     ``fought with gallantry and courage under most difficult 
     conditions'';
       Whereas, regrettably, on 18 February and 17 May 1946, the 
     First and Second Supplemental Surplus Appropriation 
     Rescission Acts, collectively known as the Rescission Acts of 
     1946, were enacted, preventing our veterans from receiving 
     benefits which were previously granted to them;
       Whereas, our veterans have been fighting for more than six 
     decades for the restoration of their honor and the 
     recognition of their dignity as soldiers who fought with the 
     Americans during World War II;
       Whereas, previous administrations, starting from former 
     President Elpidio Quirino, including Philippine Ambassadors 
     to the United States, have continuously exerted collective 
     efforts for the realization of this goal;
       Whereas, on June 2007, members of the United States 
     Congress expressed their support for the passage of a 
     legislative measure reversing, the ill effects the Rescission 
     Acts of 1946 and granting pension benefits to our veterans 
     then pending in the US Congress;
       Whereas, these legislators, however, intimated their 
     concern that upon the passage of this US bill, the benefits 
     currently granted to our veterans would be revoked, as 
     provided under RA 6948, amended by RA 7696;
       Whereas, to address this concern and to grant full benefits 
     to our veterans which they rightfully deserve, Republic Act 
     No. 9499, otherwise known as the Filipino World War II 
     Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008, was signed into 
     law on 9 April 2008;
       Whereas, the law paved the way for the approval by the 
     United States Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 
     otherwise known as the Economic Stimulus Bill, with the 
     valiant and unfaltering support of Senators Daniel K. Inouye, 
     Harry Reid and Daniel Kahikina Akaka, and Representatives 
     Robert Filner, Mike Honda and Nancy Pelosi, among other 
     legislators;
       Whereas, on 13 February 2009, both Houses of the US 
     Congress approved the Conference Report on the Economic 
     Stimulus Bill, with 60 affirmative votes and 38 negative 
     votes;
       Whereas, United States President Barack Obama is scheduled 
     to sign the Economic Stimulus Bill in Denver, Colorado, on 17 
     February 2009, the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the 
     enactment of the First Rescission Act;
       Whereas, the end of the decades-long suffering of our 
     veterans is now within reach, for when the Economic Stimulus 
     Bill is enacted into law, our surviving veterans can claim up 
     to Fifteen Thousand Dollars (USD 15,000) in lump-sum 
     benefits, not as monetary compensation for their gallantry 
     during World War II, but as recognition of their honor for 
     risking life and limb for our allies and our country. Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved as it is hereby resolved by the Senate of the 
     Philippines, To express the sense of the Senate to commend 
     Senator Daniel K. Inouye and the United States Congress for 
     the approval of the Conference Report on the American 
     Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provides the 
     amount of One Hundred Ninety-eight Million Dollars (USD 
     198,000,000) for the benefit of eligible Filipino Veterans.
                                  ____

       POM-14. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     New Mexico memorializing a request that Congress be urged to 
     hold hearings on a new management system for the Valles 
     Caldera National Preserve; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                         Senate Memorial No. 32

       Whereas, the Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of New 
     Mexico's most spectacular places and important wildlife 
     habitats, consisting of eighty-nine thousand acres of forest, 
     high-mountain grassland and clear streams nestled into the 
     caldera of an ancient volcano; and
       Whereas, hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation are 
     important parts of the way of life in New Mexico; and
       Whereas, accessible and protected public lands benefit 
     local economies by offering a higher quality of life that 
     attracts tourism and high-wage jobs; and
       Whereas, the current management experiment at the Valles 
     Caldera National Preserve is based on a system set up for the 
     Presidio, an urban area located in San Francisco, California; 
     and
       Whereas, it has become clear that the experimental 
     management system for the Valles Caldera National Preserve 
     will never generate adequate funding without developing, and 
     thereby destroying, the Valles Caldera itself; and
       Whereas, the current experimental management system has 
     failed to provide adequate access to the public for 
     responsible use and enjoyment of the area; and
       Whereas, a new management system would improve opportunity 
     for the public to responsibly enjoy the Valles Caldera 
     National Preserve, thereby benefiting all residents and 
     helping the local economy; and
       Whereas, a new management system would expand access to 
     hunting, fishing and outdoor recreational opportunities for 
     all residents regardless of financial means; and
       Whereas, a new management system would improve natural 
     resource management at the Valles Caldera National Preserve 
     and put it on more solid financial footing, ensuring that 
     this spectacular place can be enjoyed by present and future 
     generations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Mexico, That 
     Congress be urged to hold hearings as soon as possible on the 
     establishment of a new management system for the Valles 
     Caldera National Preserve, in which the United States Forest 
     Service, the National Park Service or the United States Fish 
     and Wildlife Service provide management to improve 
     responsible public access, expand hunting, fishing and 
     outdoor recreational opportunities for the public and place 
     the Valles Caldera National Preserve on firm financial 
     footing so that present and future generations can enjoy and 
     experience this spectacular place and benefits to the economy 
     can be fully realized; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this memorial be transmitted to 
     the New Mexico Congressional Delegation and the Chief Clerks 
     of the United States House of Representatives and Senate for 
     distribution to the appropriate committees.

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