[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 16, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1543-S1544]
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 concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     enact legislation to repeal the health insurance tax; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2001

       Whereas, sections 9010 and 10905 of the Patient Protection 
     and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) and section 1406 of 
     the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 
     (P.L. 111-152) impose an unprecedented new tax on health 
     insurance that numerous policy experts agree will be passed 
     on to individuals, working families, small employers and 
     seniors, contradicting a primary goal of health reform by 
     making care more expensive; and
       Whereas, the health insurance tax will cause premiums on 
     the individual market to rise an average of $2,150 for 
     individuals and $5,080 for families nationally over a ten-
     year period, will increase premiums in Arizona by an average 
     of $1,964 over ten years and will increase premiums for 
     families in Arizona over $3,958 over ten years; and
       Whereas, the health insurance tax will impact small 
     employers over the next ten years by reducing future private 
     sector jobs by 125,000, with 59% of these reductions 
     affecting small businesses, and reducing potential sales by 
     at least $18 billion, with 50% affecting small businesses; 
     and
       Whereas, the health insurance tax will increase premiums 
     for small employers in Arizona by an average of $2,674 per 
     employee over ten years and for large employers by an average 
     of $2,645 per employee over ten years; and
       Whereas, the health insurance tax will impact Medicare 
     Advantage beneficiaries in Arizona by costing an average of 
     $3,303 more in premiums and reduced benefits over ten years; 
     and
       Whereas, the health insurance tax will impact Medicaid 
     beneficiaries in Arizona who are enrolled in a coordinated 
     care program by costing an average of $1,337 over ten years, 
     putting pressure on already strained state budgets, 
     decreasing benefits and potentially creating coverage 
     disruption; and
       Whereas, higher premiums are a disincentive for everyone to 
     obtain insurance coverage, particularly younger, healthier 
     people who are likely to drop their policy if it becomes too 
     expensive, which would further erode the risk pool and make 
     coverage even less affordable.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of 
     the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress enact legislation to 
     repeal the health insurance tax, sections 9010 and 10905 of 
     the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and section 
     1406 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 
     2010, to make health care more affordable for working 
     families, individuals and businesses.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President of the United States Senate 
     and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-136. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Michigan memorializing the United States 
     Congress to appropriate funds from the Nuclear Waste Fund for 
     the establishment of a permanent repository for high-level 
     nuclear waste or reimburse electric utility customers who 
     paid into the fund; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6

       Whereas, The nuclear power industry needs a permanent 
     repository for high-level nuclear waste produced by reactors. 
     Nuclear power plays a vital role in meeting our nation's 
     current and future energy needs. However, the failure to 
     construct a permanent repository severely impedes efforts to 
     construct new power plants to provide clean and reliable base 
     load power; and
       Whereas, Over the last 30 years, the nuclear power industry 
     and its customers have paid the federal government billions 
     of dollars to construct a permanent repository. Under the 
     Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the U.S. Congress 
     established the Nuclear Waste Fund to collect money for the 
     repository. Revenue to the fund came from mandatory fees 
     assessed on all nuclear energy. Since 1983, customers of 
     Michigan electric utilities alone have paid $812 million into 
     the fund for construction of the repository; and
       Whereas, A permanent repository for high-level nuclear 
     waste has not been established and constructed. More than 
     2,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from power plants 
     continue to accumulate at temporary and potentially 
     vulnerable sites across the nation,

[[Page S1544]]

     adding to the more than 70,000 metric tons already stored at 
     these sites; and
       Whereas, The Nuclear Waste Fund contains a substantial 
     balance for establishment of the repository. While fee 
     collection was suspended on May 16, 2014, the fund still 
     contains a balance of over $31 billion for the express 
     purpose of supporting radioactive waste disposal activities. 
     It is imperative that Congress meet its obligation to the 
     nuclear power industry and U.S. citizens who paid into this 
     fund: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United 
     States to appropriate funds from the Nuclear Waste Fund for 
     the establishment of a permanent repository for high-level 
     nuclear waste or reimburse electric utility customers who 
     paid into the 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 
     House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-137. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Michigan urging the U.S. Department of Energy 
     and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to fulfill their 
     obligation to establish a permanent repository for high-level 
     nuclear waste; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8

       Whereas, Over the past four decades, nuclear power has been 
     a significant source for the nation's electricity production. 
     According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 
     nuclear power provided about 20 percent of the electricity 
     produced in the United States in 2013, and Michigan's three 
     nuclear power plants provided 28 percent of the electricity 
     generated in Michigan; and
       Whereas, Since the earliest days of nuclear power, the 
     great dilemma associated with this technology is how to deal 
     with used nuclear fuel. Currently, more than 70,000 metric 
     tons of spent nuclear fuel are stored in pools or casks at 
     temporary sites around the country, including Michigan. This 
     high-level radioactive waste demands exceptional care in all 
     facets of its storage and disposal, including transportation; 
     and
       Whereas, More than 30 years ago, Congress enacted the 
     Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to address this issue. The 
     act requires the federal government, through the Department 
     of Energy, to build a repository for the permanent storage of 
     high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and 
     begin accepting waste by January 31, 1998; and
       Whereas, It is now 2015, and the nation still remains 
     without a permanent repository, despite billions of dollars 
     collected from electric ratepayers for the project. Spent 
     nuclear fuel continues to pile up at temporary sites around 
     the country, and the ongoing problem of permanent disposal is 
     a drag on the potential of the nuclear power industry to meet 
     our nation's energy needs. There is only so long that our 
     nation can continue to safely store this waste at temporary 
     sites; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That we urge the U.S. Department of Energy and 
     the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to fulfill their 
     obligation, as provided by law, to establish a permanent 
     repository for high-level nuclear waste; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the Secretary of Energy, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
     Commission, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and 
     the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

                          ____________________