[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5276-S5277]
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-198. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Rhode Island urging the 
     United States Congress, pursuant to Article V of the United 
     States Constitution, to call a convention of the states for 
     purpose of proposing amendments to the United States 
     Constitution relative to campaign finance; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.

                         House Resolution 7670

       Whereas, The 1st President of the United States George 
     Washington stated, ``The basis or our political systems is 
     the right of the people to make and to alter their 
     Constitutions of Government''; and
       Whereas, It was the stated intention of the framers of the 
     Constitution of the United States of America that the 
     Congress of the United States of America should be 
     ``dependent on the people alone.'' (James Madison Federalist 
     52); and
       Whereas, That dependency has evolved from a dependency on 
     the people alone to a dependency on those who spend 
     excessively in elections, through campaigns or third-party 
     groups: and
       Whereas, The United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens 
     United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) 
     removed restrictions on amounts of independent political 
     spending; and
       Whereas, The removal or those restrictions has resulted in 
     the unjust influence of powerful economic forces, which have 
     supplanted the will of the people by undermining our ability 
     to choose our political leadership, write our own laws, and 
     determine the fate of our state; and
       Whereas, Article V of the United States Constitution 
     requires the United States Congress to call a convention for 
     proposing amendments upon application of two-thirds of the 
     legislatures of the several states for the purpose of 
     proposing amendments to the United States Constitution; Now, 
     therefore be it
       Resolved, That this House of Representatives of the State 
     of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby sees the 
     need for a convention to propose amendments in order to 
     address concerns such as those raised by the decision of the 
     United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal 
     Election Commission and related cases and events including 
     those occurring long before or afterward or for a 
     substantially similar purpose, and desires that said 
     convention should be so limited; and be it further
       Resolved, That this House hereby respectfully requests that 
     the delegates to said convention be comprised equally of 
     individuals currently elected to state and local office, or 
     be selected by election, in each Congressional district for 
     the purpose of serving as delegates, though all individuals 
     elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, 
     be prohibited from serving as delegates to the Convention, 
     and furthermore requests the ability to restrict or expand 
     the power of its delegates within the limits expressed above; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That this House hereby intends that this be a 
     continuing application considered together with applications 
     calling for a convention passed in the 2013-2014 Vermont 
     legislature as R454, the 2013-2014 California legislature as 
     Resolution Chapter 77, the 2013-2014 Illinois legislature as 
     Senate Joint Resolution No. 42, the 2014-2015 New Jersey 
     legislature Senate concurrent Resolution No. 132, and all 
     other passed, pending, and future applications, the 
     aforementioned concerns of Rhode Island notwithstanding until 
     such time as two-thirds of the several states have applied 
     for a Convention and said Convention is convened by Congress; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the citizenry of the State of Rhode Island, 
     speaking through this House of Representatives, and pursuant 
     to Article V of the United States Constitution, hereby 
     petitions the United States Congress to call a Convention for 
     the purpose of proposing Amendments to the Constitution of 
     the United States of America as soon as two-thirds of the 
     several states have applied for a Convention; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States; the 
     Vice President of the United States in his capacity as 
     President of the United States Senate and addressed to him at 
     the office he maintains in the United States Capitol; the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     Minority Leader of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United 
     States Senate, and the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-199. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Rhode Island urging the United States Congress, pursuant to 
     Article V of the United States Constitution, to call a 
     convention of the states for purpose of proposing amendments 
     to the United States Constitution relative to campaign 
     finance; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                         Senate Resolution 2589

       Whereas, The 1st President of the United States George 
     Washington stated. ``The basis of our political systems is 
     the right of the people to make and to alter their 
     Constitutions of Government'': and
       Whereas, It was the stated intention of the framers of the 
     Constitution of the United States of America that the 
     Congress of the United States of America should be 
     ``dependent on the people alone.'' (James Madison. Federalist 
     52): and
       Whereas, That dependency has evolved from a dependency on 
     the people alone to a dependency on those who spend 
     excessively in elections, through campaigns or third-party 
     groups; and
       Whereas, The United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens 
     United v. Federal Election Commission. 558 U.S. 310 (2010) 
     removed restrictions on amounts of independent political 
     spending; and
       Whereas, The removal of those restrictions has resulted in 
     the unjust influence of powerful economic forces, which have 
     supplanted the will of the people by undermining our ability 
     to choose our political leadership, write our own laws, and 
     determine the fate of our state; and
       Whereas, Article V of the United States Constitution 
     requires the United States Congress to call a convention for 
     proposing amendments upon application of two-thirds of the 
     legislatures of the several states for the purpose of 
     proposing amendments to the United States Constitution: Now, 
     therefore be it
       Resolved, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and 
     Providence Plantations hereby sees the need for a convention 
     to propose amendments in order to address concerns such as 
     those raised by the decision of the United States Supreme 
     Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and 
     related cases and events including those occurring long 
     before or afterward or for a substantially similar purpose, 
     and desires that said convention should be so limited: and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests 
     that the delegates to said convention be comprised equally of 
     individuals currently elected to state and local office, or 
     be selected by election, in each Congressional district for 
     the purpose of serving as delegates, though all individuals 
     elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, 
     be prohibited from serving as delegates to the Convention, 
     and furthermore requests the ability to restrict or expand 
     the power of its delegates within the limits expressed above; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That this Senate hereby intends that this be a 
     continuing application considered together with applications 
     calling for a convention passed in the 2013-2014 Vermont 
     legislature is R454, the 2013-2014 California legislature is 
     Resolution Chapter 77, the 2013-2014 Illinois legislature as 
     Senate Joint Resolution No. 42, the 2014-2015 New Jersey 
     legislature Senate concurrent Resolution No. 132, and all 
     other passed, pending, and future applications, the 
     aforementioned concerns of Rhode Island notwithstanding until 
     such time as two-thirds of the several states have applied 
     for a Convention and said Convention is convened by Congress; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the citizenry of the State of Rhode Island, 
     speaking through this Senate, and pursuant to Article V of 
     the United States Constitution, hereby petitions the United 
     States Congress to call a Convention for the purpose of 
     proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States 
     of America as soon as two-thirds of the several states have 
     applied for a Convention; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States; the 
     Vice President of the United States in his capacity as 
     President of the United States Senate and addressed to him at 
     the office he maintains in the United States Capitol; the 
     Speaker of the United States House

[[Page S5277]]

     of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the 
     United States Senate, and the Rhode Island Congressional 
     Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-200. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Delaware rescinding all previous applications 
     by the Legislature to the United States Congress to call a 
     constitutional convention; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 60

       Whereas, the General Assembly of the State of Delaware has, 
     at various times, previously made applications to the 
     Congress of the United States of America to call a convention 
     to propose amendments concerning specific subjects to the 
     United States Constitution, pursuant to Article V; and
       Whereas, over the course of time, the will of the people of 
     the State of Delaware may have changed with regard to the 
     General Assembly's previous calls for a convention to amend 
     the United States Constitution; and
       Whereas, the General Assembly of the State of Delaware does 
     not want its previous applications for a constitutional 
     convention, most of which were made over 3 decades ago, to be 
     aggregated with calls for a convention from other states: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 148th 
     General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate 
     concurring therein, That the General Assembly rescinds all 
     prior applications to the Congress of the United States of 
     America to call a convention pursuant to Article V of the 
     United States Constitution, including all of the following:
       1. House Joint Resolution No. 7 (1907).
       2. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 of the 109th General 
     Assembly (1943).
       3. House Concurrent Resolution No. 2 of the 126th General 
     Assembly (1971).
       4. House Concurrent Resolution No. 36 of the 128th General 
     Assembly (1976).
       5. House Joint Resolution No. 43 of the 128th General 
     Assembly (1976).
       6. House Concurrent Resolution No. 9 of the 129th General 
     Assembly (1977).
       7. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 79 of the 129th General 
     Assembly (1978).
       8. House Concurrent Resolution No. 56 of the 137th General 
     Assembly (1994); and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the 
     President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, members of the Delaware congressional 
     delegation, and the Administrator of the United States 
     General Services Administration.
                                  ____

       POM-201. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of West Virginia urging the Congress of the 
     United States, pursuant to Article V of the United States 
     Constitution, to call a convention of the states for the sole 
     and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United 
     States Constitution that would provide for a balanced budget; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     House Concurrent Resolution 36

       Whereas, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 
     provides authority for a Convention to be called by the 
     Congress of the United States for the purpose of proposing 
     amendments to the Constitution upon application of two thirds 
     of the Legislatures of the several states (``amendments 
     convention''); and
       Whereas, This application is to be considered as covering 
     the same subject matter as the presently outstanding balanced 
     budget applications from other states, including, but not 
     limited to, previously adopted applications from Alabama, 
     Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 
     Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, 
     Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New 
     Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, 
     Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Utah, and this 
     application shall be aggregated with same for the purpose of 
     attaining the two thirds of states necessary to require the 
     calling of a convention, but shall not be aggregated with any 
     applications on any other subject; and
       Whereas, This application constitutes a continuing 
     application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution 
     of the United States until the Legislatures of at least two 
     thirds of the several states have made applications on the 
     same subject and supersedes all previous applications by this 
     Legislature on the same subject: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: 
       That as provided in Article V of the Constitution of the 
     United States the Legislature of the State of West Virginia 
     herewith respectfully applies for an Amendments Convention to 
     Propose a Constitutional Amendment limited to proposing an 
     amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring 
     that in the absence of a national emergency the total of all 
     federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal 
     year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal 
     revenues for that fiscal year together with any related and 
     appropriate fiscal restraints; and be it further
       Resolved, That the amendments convention contemplated by 
     this application shall be entirely focused upon and 
     exclusively limited to the subject matter of proposing for 
     ratification an amendment to the Constitution providing that 
     in the absence of a national emergency the total of all 
     federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal 
     year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal 
     revenues for that fiscal year together with any related and 
     appropriate fiscal restraints; and be it further
       Resolved, That this application constitutes a continuing 
     application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution 
     of the United States until at least two thirds of the 
     Legislatures of the several states have made application for 
     an equivalently limited amendments convention; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward 
     certified copies of this resolution to the President and 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and 
     Secretary of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, and to 
     the presiding officers of each house of the several State 
     Legislatures, requesting their cooperation in applying for 
     the amendments convention limited to the subject matter 
     contemplated by this application.
                                  ____

       POM-202. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of West Virginia urging the Congress of the 
     United States, pursuant to Article V of the United States 
     Constitution, to call a convention of the states for the sole 
     and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United 
     States Constitution that would provide for a balanced budget; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     House Concurrent Resolution 36

       Whereas, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 
     provides authority for a Convention to be called by the 
     Congress of the United States for the purpose of proposing 
     amendments to the Constitution upon application of two thirds 
     of the Legislatures of the several states (``amendments 
     convention''); and
       Whereas, This application is to be considered as covering 
     the same subject matter as the presently outstanding balanced 
     budget applications from other states, including, but not 
     limited to, previously adopted applications from Alabama, 
     Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 
     Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, 
     Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New 
     Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, 
     Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Utah, and this 
     application shall be aggregated with same for the purpose of 
     attaining the two thirds of states necessary to require the 
     calling of a convention, but shall not be aggregated with any 
     applications on any other subject; and
       Whereas, This application constitutes a continuing 
     application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution 
     of the United States until the Legislatures of at least two 
     thirds of the several states have made applications on the 
     same subject and supersedes all previous applications by this 
     Legislature on the same subject: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
       That as provided in Article V of the Constitution of the 
     United States, the Legislature of the State of West Virginia 
     herewith respectfully applies for an Amendments Convention to 
     Propose a Constitutional Amendment limited to proposing an 
     amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring 
     that in the absence of a national emergency the total of all 
     federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal 
     year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal 
     revenues for that fiscal year together with any related and 
     appropriate fiscal restraints; and be it further
       Resolved, That the amendments convention contemplated by 
     this application shall be entirely focused upon and 
     exclusively limited to the subject matter of proposing for 
     ratification an amendment to the Constitution providing that 
     in the absence of a national emergency the total of all 
     federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal 
     year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal 
     revenues for that fiscal year together with any related and 
     appropriate fiscal restraints; and be it further
       Resolved, That this application constitutes a continuing 
     application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution 
     of the United States until at least two thirds of the 
     Legislatures of the several states have made application for 
     an equivalently limited amendments convention; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward 
     certified copies of this resolution to the President and 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and 
     Secretary of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, and to 
     the presiding officers of each house of the several State 
     Legislatures, requesting their cooperation in applying for 
     the amendments convention limited to the subject matter 
     contemplated by this application.
                                  ____

       POM-203. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to criminal investigations; to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
       POM-204. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to constitutional conventions; to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary.

                          ____________________