[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 68 (Tuesday, May 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3049-S3051]
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-11. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Illinois urging Congress to 
     vote against the F-35 alternate engine appropriations 
     measure; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                        House Resolution No. 73

       Whereas, the federal government, now more than ever, needs 
     to eliminate wasteful spending programs from its budget; and
       Whereas, the federal deficit recently hit $13.5 trillion; 
     and
       Whereas, the Department of Defense will spend $708 billion 
     on defense spending in the 2011 fiscal year for both base 
     defense programs and overseas contingency operations to 
     promote the safety and welfare of our nation; and
       Whereas, Congress has planned to appropriate $465 million 
     for an alternate GE F136 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike 
     Fighter program in the Defense Appropriations Bill; and
       Whereas, the Department of Defense has already contracted 
     the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which has gone through 
     multiple series of testing and development; and
       Whereas, no military aircraft in the past three decades has 
     been procured with multiple engine suppliers; and
       Whereas, developing the alternate engine would cost $2.9 
     billion dollars over the next two to three years; and
       Whereas, having multiple engine suppliers will require 
     additional spending for two sets of parts, two production and 
     maintenance lines, and additional personnel and training, 
     which will lead to the production of fewer Joint Strike 
     Fighter planes; and
       Whereas, President Barack Obama, with urging from military 
     officials and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, vows to veto 
     the Defense Authorization Bill if the alternate engine 
     appropriation is included in the bill; and
       Whereas, defense spending can be used more efficiently for 
     more vital military programs; therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     Seventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, That we 
     encourage the members of the Illinois congressional 
     delegation to vote against the F-35 alternate engine 
     appropriations measure; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
     presented to President Barack Obama, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the President pro 
     tempore of the United States Senate, and the members of the 
     Illinois congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-l2. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Illinois urging Congress to 
     enact legislation that creates a mortgage foreclosure 
     moratorium; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
     Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 10

       Whereas, the mortgage foreclosure crisis deepened after it 
     was disclosed that several large home mortgage lenders 
     utilized procedures that were legally insufficient to support 
     foreclosures; and
       Whereas, after problems were revealed about the manner in 
     which foreclosure affidavits were processed, the uncertainty 
     about the true ownership of mortgages, and the questionable 
     legal standing of the entities that initiated foreclosure 
     proceedings, 2 of the nation's largest residential lenders 
     announced that they were each beginning a self-imposed 
     mortgage foreclosure moratorium; and
       Whereas, although this crisis has its origins in numerous 
     events, practices, and policy decisions, a central element of 
     the foreclosure problem is the Mortgage Electronic Registry 
     System (MERS), an electronic registry of land records which 
     was created in 1998 by the Federal National Mortgage 
     Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home

[[Page S3050]]

     Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and several large 
     U.S. banks; and
       Whereas, today MERS is listed as the agent for mortgage 
     lenders on documents for 65 million home loans, which 
     represent about 60% of the mortgages in the United States, 
     and is the agent for about 97% of the home mortgages created 
     between 2005 and 2008; and
       Whereas, although MERS boasts on its Web site that it 
     ``simplifies the way mortgage ownership and servicing rights 
     are originated, sold and tracked'' which ``eliminates the 
     need to prepare and record assignments when trading 
     residential and commercial mortgage loans'', housing 
     counselors and advocates have documented patterns of abuse 
     and fraud by mortgage servicers that utilized MERS; and
       Whereas, joining MERS at the center of the foreclosure 
     crisis is the practice of ``robo-signing'', the process of 
     generating thousands of affidavits often by unskilled and 
     unqualified employees who neither read nor certified the 
     underlying documents, which are used to obtain summary 
     judgments in foreclosure proceedings; and
       Whereas, since a large volume of mortgages were digitized, 
     there have been countless instances of original promissory 
     notes being lost or misplaced; in lieu of producing the 
     original promissory notes in the foreclosure proceedings, 
     servicers simply provided ``robo-signed'' affidavits that 
     state that the loan servicers own the notes; and
       Whereas, court records in mortgage foreclosure cases have 
     documented egregious examples of: falsified documents; ``fee 
     padding''; misapplication of mortgage payments; and improper, 
     unnecessarily expensive insurance assessments, which, in 
     turn, precipitated defaults on otherwise up-to-date loans and 
     wholly improper mortgage foreclosures; and
       Whereas, the effect of all of these problems and the 
     resulting consumer confusion cry out for a nationwide 
     moratorium on pending and new mortgage foreclosures; 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     Seventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, That we 
     urge Congress to enact legislation that creates a mortgage 
     foreclosure moratorium to allow a thorough review of 
     foreclosure actions, provide meaningful opportunities for 
     homeowners to renegotiate their mortgages so as to avoid 
     foreclosure, enact further reforms, and allow the entire 
     housing market to return to normalcy; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
     presented to President Barack Obama, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the President pro 
     tempore of the United States Senate, and each member of the 
     Illinois congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-13. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Illinois urging Congress to 
     enact legislation relative to compelling lending institutions 
     to provide mortgagors modifications to home loans before 
     foreclosing on residential properties; to the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 45

       Whereas, the United States continues to experience an 
     unprecedented number of mortgage foreclosures and these, in 
     turn, have contributed to a real estate market that has 
     declined in a precipitous fashion; and
       Whereas, when a residential mortgagor defaults on his or 
     her mortgage, it is common for the lending institution 
     involved to obtain the property back from the mortgagor by 
     way of receiving a deed in lieu of foreclosure or by 
     foreclosing and then purchasing the property at a foreclosure 
     judicial sale; and
       Whereas, in recent years, it is not unusual for a lending 
     institution to have a large inventory of foreclosed 
     properties and this has often led to a lending institution 
     repeatedly resorting to selling a foreclosed property at a 
     ``short sale'' price, which means that the sale price for the 
     individual home is significantly less than the mortgagor's 
     purchase price or even the amount of the mortgagor's 
     outstanding loan at the time of the foreclosure; and
       Whereas, the credit rating of a person whose home has been 
     foreclosed is often very low and this means that even if the 
     person could afford a more modestly priced property than the 
     foreclosed home, the former homeowner is unable to qualify 
     for a loan under today's standards; and
       Whereas, if a lending institution that expects to sell a 
     foreclosed residential property at a ``short sale'' price 
     were compelled to offer to the mortgagor modifications in the 
     terms of the mortgagor's home mortgage loan, the mortgagor 
     would, in many cases, be able to afford the home under the 
     modified loan terms and remain in his or her home; in that 
     case, the lending institution would avoid adding to its 
     foreclosed properties inventory, the residential mortgagor 
     might be able to remain in his or her home, the real estate 
     market would be improved because fewer ``short sale'' 
     properties would be depressing home prices on the market, 
     neighborhood blight and crime would be reduced due to the 
     decline in empty and vandalized homes, and all of these 
     circumstances would tend to stem the tide of neighborhood 
     deterioration that is due to the large number of foreclosures 
     and vacancies; therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     Seventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, That we 
     urge Congress to pass legislation that would compel any 
     lending institution, before foreclosing on a residential 
     property occupied by a mortgagor, to provide the mortgagor 
     with modifications to the home loan that are reasonable for 
     the mortgagor and that include, but are not limited to, an 
     interest rate reduction, a term extension, or other changes 
     to the elements of the home loan, provided that the homeowner 
     is interested in remaining in the home and qualified for the 
     modified loan terms; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
     presented to President Barack Obama, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the President pro 
     tempore of the United States Senate, and each member of the 
     Illinois congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-14. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Washington relative to public access to the upper 
     Stehekin Valley within the North Cascades National Park; to 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                 Substitute Senate Joint Memorial 8004

       Whereas, The United States Department of the Interior 
     manages one-fifth of the land of the United States and offers 
     unparalleled recreational opportunities throughout the 
     nation, affirming the nation's intent to set aside certain 
     areas of outstanding scenic and scientific value for the 
     employment of present and future generations; and
       Whereas, the National Park Service is a bureau of the 
     United States Department of the Interior and manages the 394 
     units of the national park system. Annually, more than 500 
     million people visit the national parks and monuments, 
     wildlife refuges, and recreational sites; and
       Whereas, Tourism is an important component of the 
     Washington state economy and is sustained, in part, by our 
     national parks and forests, including Mount Rainier National 
     Park, North Cascades National Park, and the Olympic National 
     Park; and
       Whereas, National parks provide significant economic 
     benefits to local communities, many of which are almost 
     solely dependent upon visitors to these parks; and
       Whereas, the North Cascades National, Park honors 
     Washington state's natural and cultural heritage and provides 
     valuable educational and recreational opportunities for our 
     citizens; and
       Whereas, the primitive road to Cottonwood Camp was built 
     over 100 years ago in the late 1800s and existed prior to the 
     creation of the North Cascades National Park in 1968 and the 
     Washington Parks Wilderness Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-668); and
       Whereas, The road leading to Cottonwood Camp provides 
     revered access to exceptional day hikes and fishing 
     opportunities in the upper Stehekin Valley by the residents 
     of eastern Washington, as well as for many people across this 
     state and beyond; and
       Whereas, the National Park Service developed a shuttle 
     system utilizing this primitive road corridor to facilitate 
     more than 2,500 people per year access to the upper Stehekin 
     Valley from eastern Washington; and
       Whereas, the upper portion of the road between Car Wash 
     Falls and Cottonwood Camp has been closed for many years due 
     to historical flooding events of the Stehekin river in two 
     key areas, destroying a critical link for hikers, horseback 
     riders, and other recreationalists between the Lake Chelan 
     National Recreation area, the Stephen Mather Wilderness 
     trailheads, and the North Cascades National Park; and
       Whereas, the closure of this primitive road has restricted 
     access for the old and young alike to witness the grandeur of 
     this special place in a day hike from eastern Washington; and
       Whereas, allowing the National park Service to relocate and 
     rebuild the upper Stehekin Valley Road on higher ground with 
     no net loss of acreage to the park or the Wilderness would 
     preserve the park's existing use as identified in the 1988 
     Washington Wilderness Act and would mitigate the negative 
     environmental impact of the road washing out;
       Now, therefore, Your Memorialists respectively pray that 
     the United States Congress, the United States Department of 
     the Interior, and the National Park Service work 
     cooperatively with Washington state to ensure that all 
     citizens have the continued opportunity to access the upper 
     Stehekin Valley within the North Cascades National Park by 
     reestablishing this primitive road to keep this essential 
     recreational access corridor open: Be it
       Resolved, that copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the 
     United States, the Secretary of the United States Department 
     of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service, 
     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-15. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     New Jersey urging Congress to create a post-deployment 
     assistance program for veterans at Fort Monmouth; to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                        Senate Resolution No. 82

       Whereas, since October 2001 approximately 1,600,000 
     Americans have been deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom 
     and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
       Whereas, for the first time since the Vietnam War, American 
     troops have been engaged in protracted and sustained ground

[[Page S3051]]

     combat and are under a continuous threat of insurgent 
     attacks; and
       Whereas, since the deployment of military personnel after 
     September 11, 2001, 5,602 Americans have rendered the 
     ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms and 38,899 
     Americans have been wounded in combat as of July 22, 2010; 
     and
       Whereas, countless American soldiers have returned home 
     with post-traumatic stress disorder due to the horrifying and 
     life-threatening experiences they endured during deployment; 
     and
       Whereas, post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to 
     suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, marital 
     problems, anger management issues, violent behavior, 
     insomnia, employment problems, and even criminal behavior; 
     and
       Whereas, the impact of deployment to a combat zone is not 
     limited to the soldier, but can also have serious 
     psychological ramifications for the soldier's spouse and 
     children; and
       Whereas, our nation is forever indebted to our veterans and 
     their families for the tremendous sacrifices they have made 
     to protect the freedoms that all Americans enjoy, and 
     therefore it is our national responsibility to care for 
     veterans and their family members who suffer from 
     psychological conditions caused by deployment to a combat 
     zone; and
       Whereas, for over sixty years, the U.S. Military Academy 
     Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth has trained some of 
     America's bravest men and women for a life of service and 
     dedication to our country; and
       Whereas, based upon the recommendations of the Defense Base 
     Closure and Realignment Commission of 2005, the Department of 
     Defense has declared that the military facility at Fort 
     Monmouth, including the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory 
     School, is in surplus to federal needs and will be closed in 
     2011; and
       Whereas, the school is an ideal place to house a federally 
     funded program designed to assist veterans with post-
     deployment issues and provide them with the proper 
     psychiatric, psychological, medical and social care that they 
     so clearly deserve; and
       Whereas, local veteran groups, such as Veterans Helping 
     Veterans, are the ideal types of organizations to administer 
     this program because of their similar experiences and their 
     unique understanding of the stress and trauma caused by 
     deployment to a combat zone: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
       1. The United States Congress and Department of Defense are 
     respectfully urged to create a federally funded program that 
     provides post-deployment assistance for veterans at the 
     current U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School facility at 
     Fort Monmouth.
       2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by 
     the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of 
     the Senate, shall be transmitted to the President and Vice-
     President of the United States, the Majority and Minority 
     Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority 
     Leader of the United States House of Representatives, every 
     member of Congress elected from this State, and the Secretary 
     of Defense.
                                  ____

       POM-16. A resolution adopted by the National Society of the 
     Sons of the American Revolution relative to designating a 
     permanent national memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring 
     World War I service; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.
       POM-17. A resolution adopted by the National Society of the 
     Sons of the American Revolution relative to a proposed 
     Constitutional amendment giving Congress the power to protect 
     the flag of the United States; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary. 

                          ____________________