[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 84 (Monday, June 7, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4620-S4621]
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-121. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to work with the 
     leadership of the United States dairy industry to identify 
     measures, including change to federal policies and programs, 
     to minimize price volatility risks now being experienced by 
     dairy farmers across the United States; to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25

       Whereas, the current absence of profitable prices in the 
     dairy industry for farmers, coupled with an outdated 
     regulatory apparatus, is causing an economic crisis in the 
     dairy industry; and
       Whereas, dairy farm prices are at their lowest level in 
     more than thirty years, while producers' operating costs have 
     steadily risen, exacerbated by the rise in energy prices and 
     feed costs; and
       Whereas, milk and dairy products are considered to be 
     essential food and beverage items and basic nutritional 
     building blocks; and

[[Page S4621]]

       Whereas, there is a need for an immediate examination of 
     existing federal programs and policies impacting the dairy 
     industry in order to develop approaches that better help to 
     stabilize farm incomes, and hence benefit farmers as well as 
     local communities and local infrastructure; and
       Whereas, there is a renewed recognition by dairy farm and 
     dairy industry leaders from all sections of the United States 
     that the current pricing crisis is not of benefit to farmers 
     or their customers, including cooperatives, processors, 
     retailers, and consumers; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana Legislature recognizes the 
     importance of an economically viable dairy industry, and its 
     benefit to local economies as well as the national economy: 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana Memorializes 
     the Congress of the United States to work with the leadership 
     of the United States dairy industry, including the leadership 
     of its two major trade organizations, the National Milk 
     Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods 
     Association, to take steps to bring all industry leaders 
     together immediately to identify measures, including change 
     to federal polices and programs, to minimize price volatility 
     risks now being experienced by dairy farmers across the 
     United States; be it further
       Resolved, That Congressional leadership be urged to work 
     cooperatively with the United States Secretary of Agriculture 
     and his staff on these issues insomuch as federal policies 
     and procedures have an impact on domestic and international 
     dairy prices; 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-122. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to support 
     continued investment and progress in implementing the 
     ``Action Plan for Reducing Hypoxia in the North Gulf of 
     Mexico'' by expanding cooperative activities throughout the 
     Mississippi River Basin; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 40

       Whereas, the spread of a large annual hypoxia zone in the 
     Gulf of Mexico poses a significant threat to the health of 
     Louisiana's productive coastal fishery and the communities 
     and parishes who depend on it; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana has participated in the 
     national effort to reduce the spread of Gulf hypoxia since 
     the formation of the federal-state Mississippi River/Gulf of 
     Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force in 1998; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana Legislature has memorialized the 
     Congress and the President of the United States to fulfill 
     their commitment to address this problem through the 
     cooperative framework of the Action Plan for Reducing Hypoxia 
     in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, in House Concurrent 
     Resolution 80 of the 2007 Regular Session of the Legislature 
     of Louisiana and House Concurrent Resolution 148 of the 2009 
     Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the launching of the Mississippi River Basin 
     Healthy Watersheds Initiative by the United States Department 
     of Agriculture in 2009, marks the first targeted federal 
     funding for implementation activities of the Action Plan 
     since it was signed in 2001; and
       Whereas, Louisiana has joined the other states in the 
     Mississippi River Basin who are participating in this 
     initiative to engage partners and stakeholders in nominating 
     watersheds to receive federal funding under this program; and
       Whereas, the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2011, also 
     contains funding dedicated to Action Plan implementation 
     activities under the budget of the United States 
     Environmental Protection Agency; and
       Whereas, our neighboring state of Mississippi has accepted 
     the role of co-chair of the Mississippi River/Watershed 
     Nutrient Task Force, continuing their active collaboration 
     with Louisiana and federal and basin partners to address 
     problems affecting each state's coast and the Gulf of Mexico; 
     and
       Whereas, these steps represent a significant acceleration 
     of progress, while all parties involved recognize that much 
     more remains to be done to reverse the spread of Gulf 
     hypoxia, which requires Congressional participation and 
     support: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to support 
     continued investment and progress in implementing the Action 
     Plan for Reducing Hypoxia in the North Gulf of Mexico by 
     expanding cooperative activities throughout the Mississippi 
     River Basin; be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each 
     member of the Louisiana delegation to the Congress of the 
     United States, and the presiding officers of the Senate and 
     the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United 
     States.

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