[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6957-S6960]
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-135. A memorial adopted by the Legislature of the State 
     of Florida urging Congress to award the United States 65th 
     Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, the Congressional Gold 
     Medal; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                          Senate Memorial 1266

       Whereas, the Borinqueneers trace their lineage to the 
     ``Puerto Rico Regiment of Volunteer Infantry,'' authorized by 
     Congress on March 2, 1899, as the first body of native troops 
     in Puerto Rico, the only Hispanic-segregated unit in the 
     United States Armed Forces that played a prominent role in 
     American military history; and
       Whereas, during World War I, the Borinqueneers rallied a 
     force of over 1,500 to defend the Panama Canal, and upon 
     their return to Puerto Rico were renamed ``The 65th Infantry 
     Regiment;'' and
       Whereas, during World War II, the Borinqueneers served in 
     North Africa and Europe, winning Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arne, 
     Central Europe, and Rhineland battle campaign awards; and 
     were assigned security, anti-sabotage, and other occupation 
     missions around Kaiserslautern and Mannheim, Germany after 
     the war; and
       Whereas, during the Korean War, the Borinqueneers were the 
     only all-Hispanic unit; joined the United States 3rd Infantry 
     Division to be among the first infantry to engage in battle 
     with North Korean troops; served with distinction to earn 4 
     Distinguished Service Crosses, 124 Silver Stars, 9 Korean 
     battle campaign awards, the Presidential and Meritorious Unit 
     Commendations, 2 Korean Presidential Unit Citations, and the 
     Greek Gold Medal for Bravery; and are credited with launching 
     the last recorded battalion-sized bayonet assault in United 
     States Army history; and
       Whereas, legendary United States Army General Douglas 
     MacArthur lauded the Borinqueneers, crediting them with a 
     resolute will to victory and loyalty to the United States, 
     saying, ``They are writing a brilliant record of heroism in 
     battle and I am indeed proud to have them under my command. I 
     wish that we could count on many more like them;'' and
       Whereas, in 1959, the Borinqueneers passed their colors to 
     the National Guard of the United States Territory of Puerto 
     Rico, withdrawing from the Regular Army, the only time in 
     United States Army history that active unit colors were not 
     retired, but, instead, turned over to a National Guard unit; 
     and
       Whereas, today, the legacy of the Borinqueneers lives on in 
     the National Guard in Puerto Rico, which continues to defend 
     the United States in the ongoing War on Terrorism; and
       Whereas, the Borinqueneers served and sacrificed, shedding 
     blood for our democracy and helping to ensure our prosperity 
     as they faced segregation and discrimination, protecting our 
     nation and fighting for the good of all; and
       Whereas, these warriors, the Borinqueneers, deserve a place 
     with all American heroes, and should be honored, commended, 
     and never forgotten for their feats; and
       Whereas, the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest 
     civilian award given by the United States Congress, awarded 
     as an expression of public gratitude on behalf of the nation 
     for distinguished contributions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida, That, 
     in recognition of the bravery and sacrifice of the United 
     States 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, the 
     President and the Congress of the United States are urged to 
     award the Congressional Gold Medal to these true heroes and 
     defenders of our great nation; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this memorial be dispatched to the 
     President of the United States, to the President of the 
     United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, to each member of the Florida 
     delegation to the United States Congress, to the Puerto Rico 
     Resident Commissioner, to the President of the United States 
     65th Infantry Regiment Association, the chairman of the 
     Hispanic Achievers Grant Council, the chairman of the 
     Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance, and the 
     National Association for Uniformed Services.
                                  ____

       POM-136. A resolution adopted by the York County 
     Commissioners, Maine, urging Congress to recognize the 
     importance of the F-35 Lightning II to Maine, the United 
     States and our allies around the world by supporting full 
     funding and full production for the F-35 program; to the 
     Committee on Armed Services.

[[Page S6958]]

       POM-137. A concurrent resolution adopted by the General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio urging Congress to reconsider 
     the statute and appropriations creating FirstNet; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 15

       Whereas, Ohio's first responders require mission critical 
     communications infrastructure to effectively do their jobs; 
     and
       Whereas, Ohio has invested over $500,000,000 in system 
     assets that include over 200 tower sites, shelters, 
     generators, mobile towers, microwave backhaul consoles, and 
     mobile and portable radios; and
       Whereas, Over 55,000 first responders and public service 
     users at the federal, state, and local government levels rely 
     on the assets that Ohio has invested in; and
       Whereas, The federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 
     Creation Act of 2012 created the First Responder Network 
     Authority (FirstNet) within the United States Department of 
     Commerce National Telecommunications and Information 
     Administration and tasked FirstNet with building and 
     maintaining a single, nationwide, interoperable broadband 
     public safety network; and
       Whereas, FirstNet is requiring states to inventory their 
     assets and develop statewide plans to allow federal use or 
     takeover of those assets for the undetermine nationwide 
     broadband public safety network; and
       Whereas, FirstNet is requiring states to opt into, and 
     provide an undetermined level of financial support to, the 
     nationwide broadband public safety network; and
       Whereas, FirstNet appears to lack sufficient funding for 
     the nationwide broadband public safety network, but is 
     requiring a self-sustaining model; and
       Whereas, FirstNet lacks planning and did not seek input 
     from Ohio as evidenced by the witnesses who testified before, 
     and submitted testimony to, the United States House of 
     Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee 
     on Communications and Technology in a March 2013, hearing 
     entitled ``Oversight of FirstNet and Emergency 
     Communications'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That we, the members of the 130th General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the 
     Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to hold regular 
     hearings regarding the nationwide broadband public safety 
     network and require that FirstNet create a publicly vetted 
     business plan that identifies the exact costs that Ohio will 
     be mandated to appropriate or obligate for the nationwide 
     broadband public safety network; and be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the 130th General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the 
     Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to include 
     amendments to the law that would allow Ohio to opt-out of the 
     nationwide broadband public safety network with no net costs; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the 130th General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the 
     Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to include 
     amendments to the law that require FirstNet to provide full 
     written assurances that communications provided by the 
     nationwide broadband public safety network will meet and 
     exceed the current level of service for Ohio's state and 
     local public safety officers in the areas of reliability, 
     redundancy, and state-based system control; and be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the 130th General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the 
     Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to include 
     amendments to the law that require FirstNet to provide fair 
     market compensation to Ohio for access and utilization of 
     state-owned assets in support of the network's deployment; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the 130th General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the United 
     States Congress to reconsider the statute and appropriations 
     creating FirstNet; and be if further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 
     authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and 
     Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States 
     Senate, all members of the United States House of 
     Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, the members of 
     the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of 
     Ohio.
                                  ____

       POM-138. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Utah urging Congress to pass legislation that 
     would reduce the federal tax on fuels by the amount of any 
     increase in the rate of the tax on fuels by the states; to 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6

       Whereas, federal fuel taxes associated with the Federal Aid 
     Highway Act of 1956 were implemented to construct a 41,250-
     mile National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, 
     commonly called the Interstate System;
       Whereas, the Interstate System, with more than 46,000 miles 
     open to traffic, has been completed for more than 20 years;
       Whereas, federal highway user fees are increasingly used 
     for nonhighway purposes;
       Whereas, states are required to adopt federal labor 
     regulations, such as Davis-Bacon rules, that can 
     substantially increase project costs; and to the members of 
     Utah's congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-139. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging Congress to 
     enact amendments to the federal Electronic Communications 
     Privacy Act to require law enforcement authorities to have a 
     warrant to access e-mail, no matter the age or location of 
     the email; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                        House Resolution No. 30

       Whereas, More and more citizens rely on electronic mail 
     communication to conduct both private and professional 
     business. Our ability to store communications at locations 
     other than where the communication originated, such as ``in 
     the cloud,'' has contributed to new challenges in protecting 
     individual's privacy. ECPA fails to adequately protect 
     Americans from unreasonable searches of their private 
     information stored with cloud and mobile providers; and
       Whereas, The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled 
     that law enforcement must have a valid warrant to access e-
     mail stored on a provider's server, no matter the age of the 
     e-mail. However, rulings in the lower courts have limited 
     jurisdiction. E-mail providers and storage location can be 
     anywhere in the United States and possibly the world; and
       Whereas, Google, Inc. has stated that it will not release 
     any e-mails, regardless of age, without a warrant. Google 
     officials note that the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment 
     protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and that 
     Amendment takes priority over ECPA;
       Whereas, The United States Senate had before it an 
     amendment last November that would have required warrants for 
     all e-mail seizures. However, that amendment was stripped 
     from the vehicle bill before passage; and
       Whereas, The legislature finds that, in an era where 
     technology dominates communication and increasingly more 
     business-related and sensitive information is being stored 
     via cloud-based email, more than ever, it is important for 
     government to protect the rights of privacy and due process 
     afforded to all of our state's residents: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge 
     Congress to enact amendments to the federal Electronic 
     Communications Privacy Act to require law enforcement 
     authorities to have a warrant to access email, no matter the 
     age or location of the e-mail; 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-140. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the Congress of the 
     United States to enact legislation that promotes growth of 
     domestic alternative fuel sources, such as natural gas, and 
     reduces dependence on foreign oil; to the Committee on Energy 
     and Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 132

       Whereas, the United States needs a balanced and sensible 
     domestic energy policy; and
       Whereas, the Renewable Fuel Standard, established by the 
     Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded and extended by the 
     Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, requires the 
     blending of increasing volumes of designated renewable fuels 
     into the total transportation fuel supply, in a large part, 
     as a way to reduce our country's dependence on foreign 
     petroleum; and
       Whereas, reducing dependence on foreign oil is not only a 
     matter of national security but a significant opportunity to 
     enhance economic prosperity and job growth in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, currently there are multiple routes to ethanol, 
     including several from traditional fossil fuels such as 
     natural gas, which is plentiful in Louisiana and several 
     other states in the country; and
       Whereas, Louisiana is committed to being a leader in 
     development of a sustainable national energy policy: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to enact legislation that promotes growth of 
     domestic alternative fuel sources, such as natural gas, and 
     reduces dependence on foreign oil; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-141. A resolution adopted by the California State Lands 
     Commission memorializing support for the Federal Land 
     Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2013; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-142. A resolution adopted by the California State Lands 
     Commission urging Congress to ensure that the entire Harbor 
     Maintenance and Trust Fund receipts and interest is for the 
     intended purpose of maintaining navigation channels; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-143. A resolution adopted by the Lancaster City 
     Council, California urging Congress to enact comprehensive 
     immigration

[[Page S6959]]

     reform; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       POM-144. A communication from citizens of California 
     memorializing their support for the President's plan to 
     increase investments for preschool and early childhood 
     education; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.
       POM-145. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of 
     Delaware memorializing a commitment to the strong and 
     deepening relationship between Taiwan and Delaware; to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, Taiwan and the United States are long-standing 
     friends with a shared historical relationship and dearly 
     cherished values of freedom, democracy, and human rights; and
       Whereas, 2013 will mark the 13th anniversary of the sister-
     state relationship between Delaware and Taiwan; and
       Whereas, for the past 12 years, the sister-state 
     relationship with Taiwan has been strengthened through the 
     efforts of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative 
     Office (TECRO) resulting in better mutual understanding; and
       Whereas, Taiwan is the world's eighteenth largest economy, 
     one of the key trading partners of the United States, and the 
     two-way trade volume between the United States and Taiwan 
     reached sixty-three billion dollars in 2012; and
       Whereas, Taiwan is now a member of the U.S. Visa Waiver 
     program (effective November 1st, 2012); reflecting our 
     friendship, trust, and cooperation, and making travel between 
     Taiwan and the United States for business and tourism even 
     more convenient; and
       Whereas, negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Agreement 
     (BIA) between Taiwan and the United States are ongoing and 
     are an important step towards strengthening bilateral trade 
     and paving the way for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA); and
       Whereas, President Barack Obama and the leaders of eight 
     Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries announced the 
     achievement of the broad outlines for a 21st century TPP 
     agreement on November 12, 2011, and Taiwan has expressed a 
     keen interest to participate, so as to forge close linkages 
     among economics, enhance competitiveness, and benefit 
     consumers: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 147th 
     General Assembly of the State of Delaware, that we hereby 
     reaffirm our commitment to the strong and deepening 
     relationship between Taiwan and Delaware; and be it further
       Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the 
     President of the United States, the President of the United 
     States Senate, and the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives.
                                  ____

       POM-146. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of West Virginia urging the United 
     States Congress to begin the process of amending the 
     Constitution to provide that corporations are not entitled to 
     the entirety of protections or rights of natural persons, 
     specifically so that the expenditure of corporate money to 
     influence the electoral process is no longer a form of 
     constitutionally protected speech; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 24

       Calling upon the United States Congress to propose a 
     constitutional amendment addressing the Supreme Court 
     decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission.
       Whereas, in 2010, the United States Supreme Court issued 
     its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission 
     that enabled corporations and unions to spend unlimited 
     amounts of money in support of or in opposition to candidates 
     for election; and
       Whereas, the people of West Virginia and all other states 
     should have the power to limit by law the extent to which 
     money can be spent in their political systems: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate: That the Senate hereby calls upon 
     the United States Congress to propose a constitutional 
     amendment addressing the Supreme Court decision in Citizens 
     United v. Federal Elections Commission; and be it further
       Resolved, that the West Virginia Senate supports an 
     amendment to the United States Constitution to establish that 
     corporations and unions are not entitled to the same rights 
     and protections as natural persons under the Constitution; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, that such an amendment should assure the power of 
     the federal, state and local governments to limit, regulate 
     and require disclosure of sources of all money spent in the 
     course of political elections; and be it further
       Resolved, that the West Virginia Senate requests that the 
     West Virginia Congressional Delegation support such an the 
     United States had the opportunity to vote on state and local 
     ballot measures, including the states of Montana and 
     Colorado, calling for a constitutional amendment to limit 
     money in politics, including the entire states of Montana and 
     Colorado, and all proposed resolutions passed with 
     overwhelming and bipartisan support, averaging seventy-five 
     percent of voters in favor: Now therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate: That the Senate calls upon the 
     United States Congress to propose a constitutional amendment 
     overturning the United States Supreme Court's Citizens United 
     v. Federal Election Commission ruling and related cases; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, that the West Virginia Senate supports an 
     amendment to the United States Constitution to establish that 
     corporations and unions are not entitled to the same rights 
     and protections as natural persons under the Constitution; 
     and, be it
       Resolved, that such an amendment should assure the power of 
     the federal, state and local governments to limit, regulate 
     and require disclosure of sources of all money spent to 
     influence elections; and, be it
       Resolved, that the West Virginia Senate requests that the 
     West Virginia Congressional Delegation support such an 
     amendment, work diligently towards its passage and vote at 
     all stages to advance such legislation in the Congress; and, 
     be it
       Further Resolved, that the Clerk is hereby directed to 
     forward a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of 
     the United States and the President pro Tempore of the United 
     States Senate, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the majority and minority leaders of both 
     houses of Congress and to each United States Senator and 
     Member of the House of Representatives from West Virginia.
                                  ____

       Opposing the United States Supreme Court's interpretation 
     of the Constitution in Citizens United v. Federal Election 
     Commission regarding the constitutional rights of 
     corporations; supporting an amendment to the Constitution to 
     provide that corporations are not entitled to the entirety of 
     protections or rights of natural persons, specifically so 
     that the expenditure of corporate money to influence the 
     electoral process is no longer a form of constitutionally 
     protected speech; and calling on Congress to begin the 
     process of amending the Constitution.
       Whereas, in 2010 the United States Supreme Court issued its 
     decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 
     holding that independent spending on elections by 
     corporations and other groups could not be limited by 
     government regulations; and
       Whereas, this decision rolled back the legal restrictions 
     on corporate spending in the electoral process, allowing for 
     the unlimited corporate spending to influence elections, 
     candidate selection and policy decisions; and
       Whereas, in reaching this decision, a narrow majority of 
     the Supreme Court, relying on and expanding prior decisions, 
     interpreted the First Amendment of the Constitution to afford 
     corporations the same free speech protections as natural 
     persons; and
       Whereas, the Supreme Court relied on other prior decisions 
     which afforded the spending of money to influence elections 
     the full protection of the First Amendment and disregarded 
     the distorting and corrupting effects of unlimited money in 
     elections; and
       Whereas, in his eloquent dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens 
     rightly recognized that, ``corporations have no consciences, 
     no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. 
     Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of 
     human beings, to be sure, and their `personhood' often serves 
     as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves 
     members of `We the People' by whom and for whom our 
     Constitution was established''; and
       Whereas, the court's decision in Citizens United severely 
     hampers the ability of federal, state and local governments 
     to enact reasonable campaign finance reforms and regulations 
     regarding corporate political activity; and
       Whereas, corporations should not be afforded the entirety 
     of protections or rights of natural persons, such that the 
     expenditure of corporate money to influence the electoral 
     process is a form of constitutionally protected speech; and
       Whereas, in 2012 the same narrow majority of the Supreme 
     Court voted to strike down longstanding campaign finance laws 
     in the State of Montana without hearing any evidence or 
     argument on that state's own history and experience with 
     corporate spending and corruption; and
       Whereas, several proposed amendments to the Constitution 
     have been introduced in Congress that would allow government 
     to regulate the raising and spending of money by corporations 
     to influence elections; and
       Whereas, on Election Day, 2012, over six million voters 
     across the United States, including the states of Colorado 
     and Montana, had the opportunity to vote on state and local 
     ballot measures calling for a constitutional amendment to 
     limit money in politics, and all proposed initiatives passed 
     overwhelmingly, averaging seventy-five percent support: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That the Senate opposes the United 
     States Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution in 
     Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission regarding the 
     constitutional rights of corporations; supports an amendment 
     to the Constitution to provide that corporations are not 
     entitled to the entirety of protections or rights of natural 
     persons, specifically so that the expenditure of corporate 
     money to influence the electoral process is no longer a form 
     of constitutionally protected speech; and calls on Congress 
     to begin the process of amending the Constitution; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, that the Senate respectfully opposes the United 
     States Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution in 
     Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and related 
     cases allowing unlimited corporate election spending; and be 
     it further

[[Page S6960]]

       Resolved, that the Senate supports an amendment to the 
     United States Constitution to establish that corporations are 
     not entitled to the same rights and protection as natural 
     persons under the Constitution; and, be it
       Further Resolved, that such an amendment should assure the 
     power of the federal, state and local governments to limit, 
     regulate and require disclosure of sources of all money spent 
     to influence elections; and be it further
       Resolved, that the Senate charges the West Virginia 
     Congressional Delegation with the duty to support such an 
     amendment, to work diligently towards its passage and to vote 
     at all stages to advance such legislation in the Congress; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, that the Senate declares its intention to ratify 
     such an amendment if and when the Congress shall submit it to 
     the states; and be it further
       Resolved, that the Clerk is hereby directed to deliver a 
     copy of this resolution to the Vice President of the United 
     States and the President pro tempore of the United States 
     Senate, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to 
     the Majority and Minority Leaders of both houses of Congress 
     and to each United States Senator and Member of the House of 
     Representatives from West Virginia.
                                  ____

       POM-147. A resolution adopted by the Municipal Legislature 
     of Catano, Puerto Rico petitioning for the release of a 
     Puerto Rican political prisoner; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-148. A resolution adopted by the Alabama Town Board, 
     New York memorializing opposition to any legislation which 
     infringes upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-149. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to operate the 
     fleet of the United States Postal Service vehicles on natural 
     gas; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 180

       Whereas, since its founding in 1775, the United States 
     Postal Service has been an indispensable part of the 
     country's communication network; and
       Whereas, the modern United States Postal Office has 
     struggled to compete with the package delivery services of 
     the Federal Express and the United Parcel Service; and
       Whereas, with the decline in first class mail volume and 
     increased competition in package delivery, the United States 
     Postal Office loses billions every year; and
       Whereas, in attempts to stay solvent the United States 
     Postal Office has delivered more junk mail, closed smaller 
     postal offices, and considered ending mail deliveries on 
     Saturdays; and
       Whereas, one avenue that the United States Postal Office 
     has not explored is the operation of the Postal Service motor 
     vehicle fleet on natural gas; and
       Whereas, on average natural gas costs one-third less than 
     gasoline at the pump and natural gas is convenient and 
     abundant; and
       Whereas, natural gas prices have exhibited significant 
     stability compared to oil prices and this stability makes it 
     easier to plan accurately for long-term costs; and
       Whereas, natural gas vehicles have lower maintenance costs 
     because the gas burns cleanly resulting in less wear and tear 
     on engines; and
       Whereas, the operation of the fleet of the United States 
     Postal Service vehicles on natural gas would be an excellent 
     way to save the United States Postal Service millions of 
     dollars each year while making their vehicles safer and more 
     efficient: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to operate the fleet of the United States 
     Postal Service vehicles on natural gas; and be it further
       Resolved, that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.

                          ____________________