[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 146 (Monday, September 11, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5102-S5114]
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-82. 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 develop, 
     implement, and enforce additional safeguards, policies, and 
     procedures that will significantly enhance airport safety; to 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 1

       Whereas, according to the United States Department of 
     Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, United 
     States airlines and foreign airlines serving the United 
     States carried over eight hundred ninety-five million 
     passengers in 2015; and
       Whereas, airports contribute significantly to local, 
     national, and global economies and provide jobs and fuel 
     trade for economic development; and
       Whereas, approximately forty percent of all tourists travel 
     by air, forty-five million tons of freight are transported 
     annually by air, and fourteen million jobs around the world 
     are tied to air travel, which heavily contribute to economic 
     advancement; and
       Whereas, there are over nineteen thousand airports serving 
     the United States with seven commercial service airports 
     located in the state of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, safety and security are of great concern and are 
     key influencing factors when people select a mode of 
     transportation and a travel destination; and
       Whereas, on a daily basis, the lives of countless airline 
     passengers are dependent upon the implementation of safety 
     regulations adopted to protect the public interest both in 
     the air and at the airport; and
       Whereas, while significant measures have been taken to 
     enhance airport and traveler safety and security 
     professionals are focused on extensive security investments 
     to protect airports and civilians from threats, considerable 
     vulnerabilities still remain; and
       Whereas, public areas of an airport, such as the baggage 
     claim and ticket areas, remain vulnerable because the focus 
     of security is primarily devoted to screening passengers to 
     keep flights safe; and
       Whereas, the perceived weaknesses of an airport can be 
     transformed into potential strengths with appropriate 
     security solutions; and
       Whereas, as security systems become more reliable, 
     competitively priced, and advanced, and there is better 
     integration of products from various equipment manufacturers, 
     security challenges can be overcome with effective solutions; 
     and
       Whereas, in addition to detection and monitoring of 
     movement prior to accessing the terminal of airports, 
     perimeter security could be used to control, manage, and 
     verify a high volume of traffic at the initial point of 
     contact at an airport; 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 develop, implement, and enforce 
     additional safeguards, policies, and procedures that will 
     significantly enhance airport safety; 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-83. 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 continue to 
     provide appropriate and sufficient funding for the National 
     Sea Grant College Program, including that for Louisiana Sea 
     Grant; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 66

       Whereas, the National Sea Grant College Program, a network 
     of thirty-three sea grant colleges and universities, was 
     created in 1966 by the United States Congress in the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United 
     States Department of Commerce; and
       Whereas, the colleges and universities designated under the 
     National Sea Grant College Program were so designated because 
     they were involved in scientific research, education, 
     training, and extension projects and programs that were aimed 
     at preservation and practical development of coastal 
     resources, including those along the Atlantic Ocean, the 
     Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes; and
       Whereas, the Act that created the National Sea Grant 
     College Program stated that the program was to support 
     education, research, and extension by ``Encouraging and 
     developing programs consisting of instruction, practical 
     demonstrations, publications, and otherwise, by sea grant 
     colleges and other suitable institutes, laboratories, and 
     public and private agencies through marine advisory programs 
     with the object of imparting useful information to persons 
     currently employed or interested in the various fields 
     related to the development of marine resources, the 
     scientific community, and the general public.''; and
       Whereas, in 1978, Louisiana Sea Grant, located at Louisiana 
     State University, was designated as the thirteenth sea grant 
     college and in its most recent program review conducted by 
     the National Sea Grant Office of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration was rated as ``. . . exceeds 
     expectations by a substantial margin in some areas/
     aspects.''; and
       Whereas, Louisiana Sea Grant, similar to the agricultural 
     extension or ``county agent'' program of the United States 
     Department of Agriculture, provides many educational and 
     support services to local coastal communities and businesses, 
     including our state's commercial fishermen; and
       Whereas, in 2015, Louisiana Sea Grant activities in the 
     state resulted in $17.7 million in economic benefits, the 
     establishment of nearly one hundred twenty businesses, and 
     the educational experiences of nearly twenty-nine thousand 
     students in our elementary and secondary schools; and
       Whereas, Louisiana Sea Grant was also able to assist 
     twenty-four communities in the development and implementation 
     of sustainable economic and environmental practices to the 
     benefit of those communities and their citizens; and

[[Page S5103]]

       Whereas, Louisiana Sea Grant has been a part of the first 
     response to many coastal crises including hurricanes, floods, 
     and even the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, and the 
     Louisiana Sea Grant has been an essential part of the short-
     term and long-term recovery from those disasters by local 
     coastal communities; and
       Whereas, Louisiana Sea Grant annually reaches more than 
     twenty-five thousand of our state's kindergarten through 
     twelfth grade schoolchildren through professional development 
     for teachers and development of student coastal stewardship 
     activities and has supported more than twelve hundred 
     graduate and undergraduate students in their quest for 
     applicable degrees and research opportunities, furthering the 
     mission of Louisiana Sea Grant to impart ``. . . useful 
     information to persons currently employed or interested in 
     the various fields related to the development of marine 
     resources, the scientific community, and the general 
     public''; and
       Whereas, one of the programs slated to be cut by $30 
     million in the Fiscal Year 2018 President's budget request is 
     the National Sea Grant College Program with an additional 
     Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal that would eliminate funding 
     for the Sea Grant program entirely; and
       Whereas, the Fiscal Year 2018 proposed cut would eliminate 
     the remaining budget for the National Sea Grant College 
     Program this year and, if adopted, would terminate the 
     National Sea Grant Office on the day such a budget cut became 
     effective; and
       Whereas, Louisiana Sea Grant provides vital services to the 
     state of Louisiana and its citizens through the scientific 
     research, education, training, and extension projects and 
     programs that are aimed at preservation and practical 
     development of coastal resources and the loss of these 
     services would deal a devastating blow to communities already 
     stressed due to the magnitude of coastal loss and repeated 
     natural disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding: 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to continue to provide appropriate and 
     sufficient funding for the National Sea Grant College 
     Program, including that for Louisiana Sea Grant; 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-84. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take 
     such actions as are necessary to rectify the revenue sharing 
     inequities between coastal and interior energy producing 
     states and to ensure the dependability of such revenue 
     sharing, to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 101

       Whereas, since 1920, interior states with mineral 
     production in the United States have been privy to a revenue 
     sharing agreement with the federal government that allowed 
     those states to keep fifty percent of the revenues generated 
     in their states from mineral production on federal lands 
     within their borders, including royalties, severance taxes, 
     and bonuses; and
       Whereas, coastal states with onshore and offshore oil and 
     gas production were not included in that revenue sharing 
     agreement and therefore face inequities under the federal 
     energy policies because those coastal states have not been 
     party to this same level of revenue sharing partnership with 
     the federal government; and
       Whereas, coastal energy producing states have a limited 
     partnership with the federal government that allows them to 
     retain very little revenue generated from their offshore 
     energy production and transportation, and activities 
     associated with energy that are produced and transported for 
     use throughout the nation; and
       Whereas, in 2006 the United States Congress passed the Gulf 
     of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) from which the state 
     of Louisiana will begin receiving revenue sharing payments 
     from mineral production in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017; an Act 
     that calls for a sharing of thirty-seven and five tenths 
     percent of coastal production revenues with four gulf states 
     with a cap of $500 million per year; and
       Whereas, according to the most recent data from the United 
     States Energy Information Administration, Louisiana, 
     including its state waters, is the ninth largest producer of 
     oil in the United States while if offshore oil production 
     from federal waters is included, it is the second largest oil 
     producer in the country; and from wells located within the 
     state boundaries including the state waters, Louisiana is the 
     fourth largest producer of gas in the United States while if 
     gas production from federal offshore waters in the Gulf of 
     Mexico is included, it is the second largest gas producer in 
     the United States; and
       Whereas, with eighteen operating refineries in the state, 
     Louisiana is second only to Texas in both total number of 
     refineries and total refinery operating capacity, accounting 
     for nearly one-fifth of the nation's total refining capacity; 
     and
       Whereas, Louisiana contributes to the United States 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve with two facilities located in 
     the state consisting of twenty-nine caverns capable of 
     holding nearly three hundred million barrels of crude oil; 
     and
       Whereas, with three onshore liquified natural gas (LNG) 
     facilities and others already permitted, more LNG facilities 
     than any other state in the country, and the Louisiana 
     Offshore Oil Port, the nation's only deepwater oil port, 
     Louisiana plays an essential role in the movement of natural 
     gas from the United States Gulf Coast region to markets 
     throughout the country; and
       Whereas, it is apparent that Louisiana plays an essential 
     role in supplying the nation with energy and it is vital to 
     the security of our nation's energy supply, roles that should 
     be recognized and compensated at an appropriate revenue 
     sharing level; and
       Whereas, the majority of the oil and gas production from 
     the Gulf of Mexico enters the United States through coastal 
     Louisiana with all of the infrastructure necessary to receive 
     and transport such production, infrastructure that has for 
     many decades damaged the coastal areas of Louisiana, an 
     impact that should be compensated through appropriate revenue 
     sharing with the federal government; and
       Whereas, because Louisiana is losing more coastal wetlands 
     than any other state in the country, in 2006 the people of 
     Louisiana overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment 
     dedicating revenues received from Outer Continental Shelf oil 
     and gas activity through GOMESA to the Coastal Protection and 
     Restoration Fund for the purposes of coastal protection, 
     including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane 
     protection, and infrastructure directly impacted by coastal 
     wetland losses; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana has developed, through a 
     science-based and stakeholder-involved process, a ``2017 
     Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' which 
     identifies and prioritizes the most efficient and effective 
     projects in order to meet the state's critical coastal 
     protection and restoration needs and has received many 
     accolades from the country's scientific community; and
       Whereas, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority 
     is making great progress implementing the projects in the 
     ``Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' with 
     all available funding, projects that are essential to the 
     protection of the infrastructure that is critical to the 
     energy needs of the United States; and
       Whereas, the federal budget proposal released on May 23, 
     2017, recommends the complete elimination of the revenue 
     sharing payments under the GOMESA Act, in effect negating the 
     long-fought-for agreement that our congressional delegation 
     along with the delegations from the other Gulf of Mexico 
     states had entered into with the federal government to 
     compensate those states for the infrastructure demands and 
     damages; and
       Whereas, in order to properly compensate the coastal states 
     for the infrastructure demands that result from production of 
     energy and fuels that heat and cool the nation's homes, 
     offices, and businesses and fuel the nation's transportation 
     needs, revenue sharing for coastal states needs to at least 
     be at the same rate as interior states that produce oil, gas, 
     and coal. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana 
     Congressional Delegation to take such actions as are 
     necessary to treat oil and gas production in the Gulf Coast 
     states in a manner that is at least equal to onshore oil, 
     gas, and coal production in interior states for revenue 
     purposes; and to rectify the revenue sharing inequities 
     between coastal and interior energy producing states in order 
     to address the nationally significant crisis of wetland loss 
     in the state of Louisiana; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana 
     Congressional Delegation, along with the delegations from the 
     other Gulf of Mexico states, to ensure that the agreement 
     codified through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 
     (GOMESA) remains in place and that the Gulf Coast states 
     receive their anticipated revenue sharing payments during 
     Fiscal Year 2017-2018 as outlined in the Act; 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-85. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     California relative to a New Five-year National Offshore Oil 
     and Gas Leasing Program on the Outer Continental Shelf; to 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                        Senate Resolution No. 51

       Whereas, California's iconic coastal and marine waters are 
     one of our state's most precious resources, and, as elected 
     officials, it is our duty to ensure the long-term viability 
     of California's fish and wildlife resources, and thriving 
     fishing, tourism, and recreation sectors; and
       Whereas, Hundreds of millions of California residents and 
     visitors enjoy the state's ocean and coast for recreation, 
     exploration, and relaxation; and tourism and recreation 
     comprise the largest sector of the state's $445 billion ocean 
     economy; and
       Whereas, There have been no new offshore oil and gas leases 
     in California since the 1969 blowout of a well in federal 
     waters; and

[[Page S5104]]

       Whereas, Beginning in 1921, and many times since, the 
     California Legislature has enacted laws that withdrew certain 
     offshore areas from oil and gas leasing, and by 1989 the 
     state's offshore oil and gas leasing moratorium was in place; 
     and
       Whereas, In 1994, the California Legislature made findings 
     in Assembly Bill 2444, Chapter 970 of the Statutes of 1994, 
     that offshore oil and gas production in certain areas of 
     state waters poses an unacceptably high risk of damage and 
     disruption to the marine environment; and
       Whereas, In the same bill, the Legislature created the 
     California Coastal Sanctuary Act, which included all of the 
     state's unleased waters subject to tidal influence and 
     prohibited new oil and gas leases in the sanctuary, unless 
     the President of the United States has found a severe energy 
     supply interruption and has ordered distribution of the 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Governor finds that the 
     energy resources of the sanctuary will contribute 
     significantly to alleviating that interruption, and the 
     Legislature subsequently amends Chapter 970 of the Statutes 
     of 1994 to allow that extraction; and
       Whereas, Section 18 of the federal Outer Continental Shelf 
     Lands Act (43 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 et seq.) requires the 
     preparation of a nationwide offshore oil and gas leasing 
     program that sets a five-year schedule of lease sales 
     implemented by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management within 
     the United States Department of the Interior; and
       Whereas, Consistent with the principles of Section 18 and 
     the resulting regionally tailored leasing strategy, the 
     current exclusion of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf from 
     new oil and gas development is consistent with the 
     longstanding interests of Pacific coast states, as framed in 
     the 2006 West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health 
     adopted by the Governors of California, Washington, and 
     Oregon; and
       Whereas, In November 2016, the federal Bureau of Ocean 
     Energy Management released a final 2017-2022 leasing program 
     that continues the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the 
     undeveloped areas of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf; and
       Whereas, Governor Brown, in December 2016, requested that 
     then President Obama permanently withdraw California's Outer 
     Continental Shelf from new oil and gas leasing, and along 
     with previous California Governors, has united with the 
     Governors of Oregon and Washington in an effort to commit to 
     developing robust renewable energy sources to reduce our 
     dependence on fossil fuel and help us reach our carbon 
     emission goals; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature has led the nation with 
     its landmark climate change legislation, requiring ambitious 
     greenhouse gas emission reductions of a 40-percent emissions 
     reduction below 1990 levels by 2030, and achieving a 
     renewables portfolio standard of 50 percent by 2030; 
     California must lead the nation in fostering the transition 
     away from offshore fossil fuel production to protect both our 
     climate and oceans from the damaging impacts of climate 
     change, which will affect all life on earth for generations 
     to come; and
       Whereas, President Trump's proposed five-year National 
     Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program represents a renewed 
     call for opening offshore areas for drilling and for lifting 
     moratoriums on energy production in federal areas, that could 
     lead to more oil spills, increased dependence on fossil fuel, 
     and more damaging impact from climate change; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature considers new oil and 
     gas development offshore of the Pacific coast to be a threat 
     to the nation's economy and national security, and to the 
     state's ambitious renewable energy goals; and
       Whereas, The California Senate has previously adopted 
     Senate Resolutions 35 and 44 in 2017, which support the 
     current federal prohibition on new oil or gas drilling in 
     federal waters offshore California, oppose attempts to modify 
     the prohibition, and defend the United States' National 
     Marine Sanctuaries; and
       Whereas, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke took action 
     on June 29, 2017, to open up a 45-day public comment period 
     for a new five-year National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing 
     Program on the Pacific coast's Outer Continental Shelf 
     pursuant to President Donald J. Trump's Executive order on 
     American energy that was issued on April 28, 2017; and
       Whereas, Despite the Trump administration's assertion of 
     support for the program from state and local governments, the 
     States of Washington, Oregon, and California have been 
     consistently united in their opposition to any new oil and 
     gas activities off their coasts, which has resulted in the 
     exclusion of the Pacific coast's Outer Continental Shelf from 
     any National Outer Continental Shelf Program since the 1989-
     1992 program; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the 
     Senate strongly urges the President and the Congress of the 
     United States to permanently safeguard and protect the 
     Pacific coast's Outer Continental Shelf from new oil and gas 
     leasing, and declares the Senate's unequivocal support for 
     the current federal prohibition on new oil or gas drilling in 
     federal waters offshore of the Pacific coast, its opposition 
     to the proposed five-year National Offshore Oil and Gas 
     Leasing Program on the Outer Continental Shelf or any 
     attempts to modify that prohibition, and its determination to 
     consider any appropriate actions to maintain the current 
     prohibition; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the National Program Manager of the 
     federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as the public 
     comment of the Legislature in opposition to the proposed new 
     five-year National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program on 
     the Outer Continental Shelf; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of 
     the United States, to the Governor of California, to the 
     Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, to 
     the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States, to the 
     Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, to 
     the Director of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy 
     Management, and to each member of the California State Senate 
     and Assembly.
                                  ____

       POM-86. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislative 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requesting the 
     Comptroller General of the United States comply with the 
     provisions of Section 411 of Public Law 114-187, known as the 
     ``Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability 
     Act,'' in order to conduct and submit to the United States 
     Congress an audit of the public debt of the territory of 
     Puerto Rico; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                            S. Con. Res. 17


                          STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

       The Government of Puerto Rico is under the control of the 
     ``Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability 
     Act'' (PROMESA), passed on June 30, 2016. Said federal 
     statute provides for the creation of a Fiscal Oversight Board 
     to assist the Government of Puerto Rico in managing its 
     public finances and enable Puerto Rico to regain access to 
     capital markets.
       During the floor debate on PROMESA, it was made clear that 
     the intent of said federal measure was to provide for the 
     restructuring of the debt without favoring any specific 
     creditor. To achieve this, the aforementioned federal 
     legislation requires transparent audits along with annual 
     fiscal and budget plans, and the temporary stay of 
     litigations, to allow the Fiscal Oversight Board a space for 
     carrying out voluntary negotiations. Thus, it was made clear 
     that Puerto Rico's debt would be audited. In the words of 
     Congressman Ryan: ``Congress and the President will appoint 
     the members of this board. It will audit Puerto Rico's books 
     and make sure the restructuring is open and fair [ . . . ].''
       In light of such reality and as part of said processes and 
     the approval of PROMESA, Section 411 was incorporated, 
     directing the Comptroller General of the United States to 
     submit reports on the public debt of the territory, that is, 
     Puerto Rico, within a year of enactment, and thereafter not 
     less than once every two years. Said report would include the 
     historical levels of public debt, current amount and 
     composition thereof, and future projections of each 
     territory's public debt. It should also include the 
     historical levels of each territory's revenue, current amount 
     and composition of each territory's revenue, and future 
     projections of each territory's revenue. Moreover, the report 
     shall state the drivers and composition of the public debt as 
     well as the ability of each territory to repay its public 
     debt. To fulfill said undertaking, the Government of Puerto 
     Rico would provide the Comptroller General with any 
     information necessary to carry out said statutory task.
       The approval of PROMESA and Section 411 invalidated the 
     functions of the Commission for the Comprehensive Audit of 
     the Public Credit (hereinafter, the Commission) created under 
     Act No. 97-2015, to set a fiscal and financial restructuring 
     process in motion in order to audit the entire public debt of 
     Puerto Rico. Consequently, the Commission's purpose became 
     redundant, entailing superfluous public spending.
       The objectives of the Commission were considered even 
     during the incorporation of Section 411 to PROMESA. For such 
     reason, upon the enactment of said federal statute, it was 
     clearly stated in Section 413 that the functions of the 
     Commission would be independent to those provided in PROMESA. 
     Furthermore, it was stated that ``[ . . . ] this particular 
     amendment does not override the authority of the oversight 
     board.'' Therefore, given the fiscal situation facing the 
     Island, it would be contradictory to allocate resources and 
     efforts, when the provisions of PROMESA require an audit 
     conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States.
       Consequently, and in accordance with PROMESA's provisions, 
     the Comptroller General of the United States is entrusted 
     with the audit Puerto Rico's debt, including the historical 
     levels, current amount and composition thereof in the best 
     interest of the People of Puerto Rico. Thusly, we obtain an 
     independent and transparent evaluation of accountability that 
     may be free from collateral attack and that may be 
     effectively used by the Fiscal Oversight Board in carrying 
     out the task entrusted thereto under PROMESA.
       Be it Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico:
       Section 1.--The Comptroller General of the United States is 
     hereby required to comply with the provisions of Section 411 
     of Public Law 114-187, known as the ``Puerto Rico

[[Page S5105]]

     Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act,'' in order 
     to conduct and submit to the U.S. Congress an audit of the 
     public debt of the territory of Puerto Rico.
       Section 2.--A copy of this Concurrent Resolution, 
     translated into English, shall be delivered to the President 
     of the United States, the leadership of the United States 
     Congress, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in 
     Washington D.C., and the media for its disclosure.
       Section 3.--This Concurrent Resolution shall take effect 
     immediately after its approval.
                                  ____

       POM-87. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey opposing the President of the United 
     States's nomination for Administrator of the United States 
     Environmental Protection Agency, and urging the United States 
     Congress to oppose the nomination, to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 211

       Whereas, Created in the wake of elevated concern about 
     environmental pollution, the United States Environmental 
     Protection Agency (EPA) was established on December 2, 1970 
     to consolidate in one agency a variety of federal research, 
     monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement activities to 
     ensure protection of the environment and public health; and
       Whereas, With a stated mission to protect the environment 
     and human health, the EPA, since its inception, has been 
     working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American 
     people; and
       Whereas, The EPA's primary focus has always been, and 
     should be, protecting residents of this country from threats 
     to their air, water, and health, not serving as an advocate 
     for the interests of the very industries that it is charged 
     with regulating; and
       Whereas, President Trump nominated Scott Pruitt, the 
     attorney general of the oil and natural gas-intensive state 
     of Oklahoma, to serve as Administrator of the EPA; and
       Whereas, Mr. Pruitt has spent much of his energy as 
     attorney general fighting the very agency he is being 
     nominated to lead, and according to a biography publicly 
     available on the website of the Oklahoma Office of the 
     Attorney General, Mr. Pruitt ``is a leading advocate against 
     the EPA's activist agenda''; and
       Whereas, As Oklahoma Attorney General, Mr. Pruitt has 
     engaged in lawsuits opposing EPA's policies aimed at 
     protecting air quality and water quality, including being 
     part of the coalition of state attorney generals suing the 
     EPA over its Clean Power Plan, which is aimed at reducing 
     greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, its 
     regulations seeking to curtail emissions of methane, a 
     powerful greenhouse gas, from the oil and natural gas sector, 
     and its regulation concerning the definition of ``Waters of 
     the United States,'' which defines the rivers, streams, 
     lakes, and marshes that fall under the protection of the EPA 
     and the United States Army Corps of Engineers; and
       Whereas, According to numerous press reports, President 
     Trump has said ``For too long, the Environmental Protection 
     Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-
     energy agenda that has destroyed millions of Jobs''; and
       Whereas, Strong environmental standards that protect public 
     health and the environmental resources of this country are 
     not contrary to a strong economy and the creation of jobs; 
     and
       Whereas, The Sierra Club, the nation's largest 
     environmental organization, released the following statement 
     about the nomination. ``Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the 
     U S. Environmental Protection Agency is like putting an 
     arsonist in charge of fighting fires He is a climate science 
     denier who, as Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma, 
     regularly conspired with the fossil fuel industry to attack 
     EPA protections. Nothing less than our children's health is 
     at stake . . .''; and
       Whereas, Instead of nominating a person who seeks to 
     promote the lobbying agenda of special interests and believes 
     that strong environmental protections are obstacles that 
     should be dismantled, the President should nominate a person 
     who is guided by science and will work to ensure that 
     residents of this country have clean air to breathe, clean 
     water to drink, clean soils on which to live and play, and 
     jobs that do not endanger their public health and safety; and
       Whereas, In order to protect the health, safety, and 
     welfare of the country's residents and its natural resources, 
     it is altogether fitting and proper for this House to object 
     to the President's nomination of Scott Pruitt as 
     Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection 
     Agency: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House strongly opposes President Trump's nomination 
     of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the United States 
     Environmental Protection Agency and urges the United States 
     Congress to oppose this nomination,
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President of the United States, the President 
     of the United States Senate, the Senate Majority Leader, the 
     Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United 
     States House of Representatives, and each member of Congress 
     elected from the State of New Jersey.
                                  ____

       POM-88. 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 complete 
     the Comite River Diversion Canal Project, and to take such 
     actions as are necessary to authorize the use of Hazard 
     Mitigation Grant Program funds to complete the construction 
     of an authorized United States Army Corps of Engineers 
     project under the current emergency rules and circumstances, 
     to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 97

       Whereas, the flooding of August 2016 was declared a state 
     and national disaster resulting in the loss of life and 
     destruction of property; and
       Whereas, the Comite River Diversion Canal Project remains 
     incomplete twenty-five years after its authorization and if 
     completed could have substantially reduced flood stages by as 
     much as five feet and mitigated the devastation caused by the 
     floods; and
       Whereas, approximately $117 million of local, state, and 
     federal funding has been invested in the project; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana anticipates receiving 
     Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding from the Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency as a result of the flood and the 
     national declaration of emergency; and
       Whereas, the flood of 2016 has shown the urgent need to 
     complete the project as a means to protect life and property 
     in the future as citizens impacted by the flood rebuild their 
     homes and lives: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to complete the Comite River Diversion Canal 
     Project; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to authorize the use of Hazard Mitigation 
     Grant Program funds to complete the construction of an 
     authorized United States Army Corps of Engineers project 
     under the current emergency rules and circumstances; 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-89. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey urging the United States Senate not to 
     enact H.R. 1628, the ``American Health Care Act of 2017'', to 
     the Committee on Finance.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 252

       Whereas, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
     (ACA), which was signed into law on March 23, 2010, 
     established a comprehensive series of health insurance 
     reforms designed to make universal, quality, affordable 
     health coverage available to all Americans while ending 
     certain common health insurance industry practices that 
     limited access to coverage; and
       Whereas, since its enactment, the ACA has helped reduce the 
     number of people without health insurance through the use of 
     tax subsidies, coverage mandates, and expansions to Medicaid. 
     In New Jersey alone, an additional 480,000 people obtained 
     coverage under the Medicaid expansion, and the uninsured rate 
     in the State was reduced to 8.7 percent, representing a 34 
     percent decrease in the uninsured population between 2013 and 
     2015: and
       Whereas, on March 20, 2017, H.R.1628, the American Health 
     Care Act of 2017 (AHCA), sometimes known as ``Trumpcare,'' 
     was introduced in the United States House of Representatives. 
     On May 4, 2017, the House voted to pass the bill; and
       Whereas, on March 23, 2017, the nonpartisan Congressional 
     Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the AHCA would result in 
     an additional 24 million people being without health 
     insurance by 2026, as compared with the uninsured rate under 
     the ACA. Although the House of Representatives amended the 
     bill prior to passage, the membership did not wait for a new 
     CBO score before holding a vote, suggesting the House passed 
     the bill without the benefit of an impartial analysis of its 
     potential effects; and
       Whereas, as passed by the House of Representatives, the 
     AHCA would eliminate many of the provisions of the ACA that 
     were designed to expand access to health insurance, including 
     rolling back the Medicaid expansion; and
       Whereas, in its current form, Trumpcare would revise the 
     way tax subsidies are structured and allow states to opt out 
     of certain ACA protections designed to prevent certain 
     industry practices that limited access to health care for 
     women and individuals with preexisting conditions; and
       Whereas, specifically, under the current version of the 
     AHCA, states would be allowed to opt out of the requirement 
     that all health insurance policies include coverage for 
     essential health benefits, including emergency services, 
     habilitative and rehabilitative services, inpatient care, 
     outpatient care, maternity and newborn care, mental health 
     and addiction treatment, lab tests, preventative care, 
     prescriptions, and pediatric services; and
       Whereas, before enactment of the ACA, women who wanted 
     coverage for maternity

[[Page S5106]]

     and newborn care were frequently charged premiums and 
     deductibles that nearly matched the out of pocket costs for 
     those services. Experts predict that, in states that opt out 
     of the maternity and newborn care coverage requirement, women 
     will again be charged significantly higher rates for this 
     coverage; and
       Whereas, the nation is currently in the midst of an opioid 
     addiction epidemic that has caused overdose and mortality 
     rates to skyrocket. Efforts to address and curtail opioid 
     addiction could be significantly hampered in states that opt 
     out of mandatory coverage for mental health and addiction 
     treatment; and
       Whereas, prior to enactment of the ACA, insurers denied 
     coverage to people with preexisting conditions or charged 
     them significantly higher premiums and deductibles; 35 states 
     and the federal government created high risk pools to attempt 
     to provide coverage to these individuals, however, the pools 
     were expensive to operate and required significant 
     governmental subsidies. Even with the subsidies, the pools 
     were generally unable to provide coverage to everyone with a 
     preexisting condition, and many pools implemented waiting 
     lists, annual and lifetime limits on coverage, high 
     deductibles, and waiting periods before coverage began; and
       Whereas, in its current form, Trumpcare would replace 
     coverage protections for people with preexisting conditions 
     with the same high risk pools that failed in the past. 
     According to an analysis published by Avelere, the $23 
     billion included in the Trumpcare plan to fund the pools 
     would cover approximately five percent of the 2.2 million 
     people with preexisting conditions; the Commonwealth Fund 
     estimates that high risk pools will require $178 billion in 
     funding each year to coves everyone with a preexisting 
     condition; and
       Whereas, New Jersey Policy Perspective predicts that 
     rolling back the Medicaid expansion will eliminate coverage 
     for 562,000 people in New Jersey, and permanent structural 
     changes to Medicaid will jeopardize coverage for an 
     additional 1.8 million State residents, including seniors, 
     people with disabilities, and children; and
       Whereas, under the AHCA, it is estimated that a total of 
     1.25 million New Jersey residents will be uninsured by 2020. 
     This would be an increase of 127,000 over the number of 
     uninsured people prior to the enactment of the ACA, and 
     includes 86,000 people who had coverage under Medicaid prior 
     to enactment of the ACA, but are expected to lose coverage 
     because the State will not be able to replace lost federal 
     funding; and
       Whereas, it would cost New Jersey an estimated $8.8 billion 
     over the next decade to maintain Medicaid coverage at the 
     expanded levels, assuming there is no increase in enrollment; 
     and
       Whereas, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective, caps 
     on Medicaid spending under Trumpcare will cost New Jersey $30 
     billion in federal funds and potentially result in tens of 
     thousands of lost jobs; and
       Whereas, the AHCA is expected to increase out-of-pocket 
     health care costs by an average of $2,740 per year for each 
     of the 250,000 New Jersey residents who purchase insurance 
     through the ACA marketplace; and
       Whereas, although the AHCA would provide 250 New Jersey 
     millionaires with a federal tax break averaging $57,000 per 
     year, it is expected to increase federal taxes by 30 percent 
     for middle and lower income New Jerseyans; and
       Whereas, the Center for American Progress conservatively 
     estimates that it will cost $790 million per year to provide 
     health coverage for the 37,000 New Jerseyans with a 
     preexisting condition. Currently, the AHCA would allocate an 
     average $353 million to each state, leaving New Jersey with a 
     $437 million funding gap, the 11th highest in the nation; and
       Whereas, numerous health care groups have expressed 
     opposition to the AHCA, including the American Medical 
     Association, the American Hospital Association, the American 
     Academy of Family Physicians, the National Alliance on Mental 
     Illness, and the American Diabetes Association; and
       Whereas, an increase in the number of uninsured individuals 
     will likely increase costs for hospitals, which are required 
     to treat anyone who presents at the emergency department, 
     regardless of their coverage status. In New Jersey, expanded 
     Medicaid coverage under the ACA resulted in $400 million in 
     cost savings from payments to hospitals to offset the cost of 
     caring for individuals without insurance. These gains are 
     likely to be erased under Trumpcare to its current form; and
       Whereas, if enacted, the AHCA will eliminate health 
     security for millions of Americans, particularly older 
     adults, women, and individuals with preexisting conditions. 
     The United States Senate has both the opportunity and the 
     responsibility to stop this disastrous legislation from 
     becoming law; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. The General Assembly of New Jersey respectfully urges 
     the United States Senate not to enact H.R. 1628, titled the 
     American Health Care Act of 2017.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly 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, and every member of the 
     Congress of the United States elected from the State of New 
     Jersey.
                                  ____

       POM-90. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Texas 
     urging the United States Congress to support policies to 
     increase the operational efficiency, and thereby the 
     environmental performance, of existing electric-generating 
     units and to support the preservation of a fuel-diverse 
     electric generation portfolio critical to our domestic 
     economic, energy, and national security; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                             H.R. No. 1833

       Whereas, Fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and 
     oil, currently meet more than three quarters of primary 
     global energy demand around the world and in the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, According to the International Energy Agency, 
     under current energy and environmental policies, fossil fuels 
     will continue to play a role of this magnitude for the next 
     quarter century or more; even assuming global adoption of 
     policies consistent with the IEA's ``climate-stabilizing'' 
     450 Scenario, more than half of total worldwide and U.S. 
     energy demand would still be met by fossil fuels in 2040; and
       Whereas, The U.S. Department of Energy has reported that 
     ``carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies 
     provide a key pathway to address the urgent U.S. and global 
     need for affordable, secure, resilient, and reliable sources 
     of clean energy''; environmental advocates who recognize the 
     value and enduring role of fossil fuels as an essential 
     source of energy have come to support the accelerated 
     development and broad deployment of carbon capture 
     technologies for fossil fuels as part of a sustainable energy 
     future; similarly, fossil energy advocates who have 
     recognized the role carbon capture can play in creating new 
     opportunities support the development and deployment of 
     carbon capture technologies for fossil fuels; and
       Whereas, The United States and Texas have abundant supplies 
     of fossil energy, the production and use of which provide 
     important economic, energy, and national security benefits to 
     our nation and our state; Texas is the nation's largest 
     producer of natural gas, oil, lignite coal, and fossil fuels 
     in total, and it has the nation's largest proved reserves of 
     both natural gas and oil, as well as the ninth-largest 
     recoverable reserves of coal; it is the nation's largest 
     consumer of coal for electricity generation and the largest 
     consumer of natural gas for both electricity generation and 
     industrial use; 77 percent of the electricity generated in 
     Texas is produced from the use of fossil fuels; and
       Whereas, Reliable and affordable electricity is vital to 
     economic growth and job creation and to the well-being of all 
     citizens; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, ``A 
     diverse portfolio of energy resources is critical to U.S. 
     energy and national policy . . . being more robust and 
     resilient in comparison to a system that is heavily dependent 
     on a limited set of energy resources . . . [and] helps 
     insulate the economy from certain risks, including price 
     volatility and risks from supply disruptions''; and
       Whereas, Texas is a leader in the research and development 
     of technologies that provide clean, safe, and reliable power 
     generation, and it is committed to continued research and 
     development of carbon reduction strategies for fossil fuels, 
     including existing and emerging CCUS technologies such as 
     geological sequestration, mineral carbonation, and the 
     beneficial use of captured carbon dioxide; and
       Whereas, In Texas, many academic, private, and governmental 
     initiatives and institutions are engaged in efforts to 
     address the environmental, health, and economic impacts of 
     energy production and use through collaborations on applied 
     CO2 research, practical applications, workforce development, 
     and public education; among them are the Petra Nova Project 
     at the W. A. Parish Electric Generating Station in Fort Bend 
     County, the Texas Clean Energy Project in Ector County, the 
     NET Power project in Harris County, the Energy and 
     Environment Initiative at Rice University, the Texas Carbon 
     Management Project, and the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at The 
     University of Texas at Austin; and
       Whereas, Legislation was introduced in the 114th U.S. 
     Congress to enhance and extend current federal tax 
     incentives, under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, 
     that sustain and promote such collaborations and encourage 
     private industry in energy generation, manufacturing, and 
     agriculture to adopt and deploy existing and emerging 
     technologies that increase carbon capture, utilization, and 
     storage; environmental and energy advocates have come 
     together in support of this legislation in a groundbreaking 
     coalition of environmental advocacy groups, labor unions, and 
     energy producers from the coal, oil and gas, ethanol, and 
     algae-biomass industries; moreover, the legislation has 
     received strong bipartisan support in both the United States 
     Senate and the United States House of Representatives; and
       Whereas, Congress and the president are also currently 
     considering a large-scale federal infrastructure initiative 
     to strengthen our nation's transportation, public works, and 
     energy infrastructure, which could also serve as a vehicle 
     for advancing ``jobs-ready'' carbon capture projects; the 
     U.S. Department of Energy has determined that ``a combination 
     of tax incentives and research, development, demonstration, 
     and deployment

[[Page S5107]]

     (RDD&D) will be critical to developing transformational 
     carbon capture technologies and to driving down the costs of 
     capture''; and
       Whereas, The Lone Star State has long been committed to a 
     forward-looking energy strategy that maximizes both 
     environmental quality and economic opportunity; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 85th 
     Texas Legislature hereby respectfully urge the Congress of 
     the United States to enact legislation to expand and extend 
     the current federal tax credit for carbon capture, 
     utilization, and storage under Section 45Q of the Internal 
     Revenue Code; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Texas House of Representatives 
     respectfully urge Congress to provide appropriations to the 
     U.S. Department of Energy sufficient to achieve and sustain a 
     robust carbon capture research, development, demonstration, 
     and deployment program and to support the inclusion of 
     economically and environmentally beneficial carbon capture 
     projects in any forthcoming federal infrastructure 
     initiative; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Texas House of Representatives 
     respectfully urge Congress to support policies to increase 
     the operational efficiency, and thereby the environmental 
     performance, of existing electric-generating units and to 
     support the preservation of a fuel-diverse electric 
     generation portfolio critical to our domestic economic, 
     energy, and national security; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the chief clerk forward official copies of 
     this resolution to the president of the United States, to the 
     president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of 
     Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the 
     members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request 
     that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record 
     as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of 
     America.
                                  ____

       POM-91. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California opposing cuts to and proposals to 
     privatize Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and calling 
     on California's Representatives in the United States Congress 
     to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize and to 
     support legislation to improve and expand these systems to 
     strengthen their protections, to the Committee on Finance.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 8

       Whereas, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are the 
     foundation of the income and health security of older 
     Americans, younger Americans with permanent and severe 
     disabilities, and American families, whose economic 
     circumstances preclude them from purchasing health insurance 
     in the private market; and
       Whereas, Social Security is our nation's most important 
     source of retirement income, providing more than half the 
     income of two-thirds of senior beneficiaries and virtually 
     all the income of one-third of them; its most important 
     source of disability insurance; and its most important life 
     insurance program; and
       Whereas, Social Security and Medicare are the foundations 
     of income and health security for older Californians and 
     those with severe work disabilities, providing monthly cash 
     benefits and health insurance to over 5.5 million residents, 
     including almost 4 million retired workers and over 700,000 
     disabled workers; and
       Whereas, Social Security is the single most important 
     source of life insurance for California's children, which 
     currently provides a virtually guaranteed income to over 
     350,000 children throughout our state; and
       Whereas, Social Security prevents more than 1.9 million 
     Californians from living in poverty; and
       Whereas, Social Security is even more important to rural 
     Californians, one in 4 of whom received benefits in 2014, 
     than to metropolitan Californians, one in 7 of whom received 
     benefits; and
       Whereas, Social Security benefits annually contribute over 
     $80 billion to our state's economy; and
       Whereas, Social Security provides benefits to over 9 
     million veterans nationwide, which is about 4 out of every 10 
     veterans; and
       Whereas, Our nation is facing a retirement income crisis as 
     the result of the decline of traditional pensions, the 
     failure of 401(k) balances, and the stagnation or even 
     decline in many areas of home equity and earnings, all of 
     which have caused many workers to fear that they will never 
     be able to retire and maintain their standard of living; and
       Whereas, 47 percent of elderly Californians are struggling 
     just to make ends meet and more than half of working 
     Californians will not have saved enough to be able to 
     maintain their standard of living in retirement; and
       Whereas, Improving Social Security benefits is a solution 
     to the retirement crisis; as well as to other serious 
     problems such as rising income and wealth inequality; and
       Whereas, Social Security's funding is independent of that 
     of the rest of the federal government, and has never 
     contributed to, and by law can never contribute to, the 
     federal deficit; and
       Whereas, Social Security in fact had a surplus of $2.8 
     trillion at the end of 2015 that is expected to grow to $2.9 
     trillion by 2020; and
       Whereas, Social Security has sufficient resources to meet 
     all its obligations through 2034 and has dedicated revenues 
     that would meet three-quarters of promised benefits 
     thereafter; and
       Whereas, Social Security's funding shortfall after 2034 is 
     modest: about half the cost of the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 
     2003; and
       Whereas, There are many policy options available to 
     Congress to close Social Security's long-term funding gap and 
     to improve its benefits, including eliminating or increasing 
     the cap on earnings subject to the payroll tax, or gradually 
     increasing the contribution rate from 6.2 percent to 7.2 
     percent, or subjecting investment income to Social Security 
     contributions, or treating contributions to all salary 
     reduction plans like 401(k) plans as covered earnings for 
     Social Security, or by dedicating revenues from progressive 
     taxes like the estate tax or a financial transactions tax to 
     pay part of the future cost of Social Security; and
       Whereas, According to a multigeneration study conducted by 
     the National Academy of Social Insurance, 77 percent of 
     Americans (69 percent of Republicans, 84 percent of 
     Democrats, and 76 percent of Independents) agree that it is 
     critical to preserve Social Security for future generations 
     even if it means increasing taxes paid by working Americans, 
     and there is even greater multipartisan support (71 percent 
     of Republicans, 92 percent of Democrats, and 84 percent of 
     Independents) for preserving it by increasing taxes paid by 
     wealthier Americans; and
       Whereas, Medicare has provided health care in retirement 
     since 1965 and in disability since 1972 to several 
     generations of American workers; and
       Whereas, Medicare now covers over 5.6 million Californians, 
     providing over $50 billion in benefits to California's senior 
     and disabled beneficiaries in 2009 (22 percent of all health 
     spending in the state); and
       Whereas, Medicare insures these people, who represent the 
     part of our population with the highest health care costs, at 
     a fraction of the administrative costs of private health care 
     plans; and
       Whereas, Medicare has controlled its costs of care better 
     than private insurance plans; and
       Whereas, Other nations, which essentially have Medicare for 
     all of their citizens, are able to provide high-quality 
     health care at a fraction of the cost and with better health 
     care outcomes; and
       Whereas, Current proposals in Congress to radically reduce 
     Medicare to a ``premium support'' or ``voucher'' program and 
     to further privatize the system would result in increased 
     health care insecurity and costs for seniors and disabled 
     beneficiaries and reduce the ability of our government to 
     contain our nation's overall health care expenditures, which 
     currently equal 17.8 percent of our gross domestic product 
     (GDP), by far the highest relative cost of any industrialized 
     nation (the euro area's costs are about 8 percent); and
       Whereas, Medicaid is our nation's most important source of 
     long-term care, as well as vital insurance for our most 
     vulnerable seniors, children, and people with disabilities, 
     providing health coverage to over 74 million people; and
       Whereas, Medicaid provides health coverage to over 12 
     million Californians whose economic circumstances preclude 
     them from participating in the private health care insurance 
     system, yet who need and deserve medical treatment as much as 
     any American in better economic circumstances; and
       Whereas, Current Congressional proposals to limit federal 
     Medicaid funding through the use of block grants to the 
     states threaten to severely limit Medicaid's ability to 
     provide adequate health care coverage to the most vulnerable 
     among us; and
       Whereas, Our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid 
     systems are fundamental to protecting against risks to which 
     all Californians are subject; and
       Whereas, Our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid 
     systems give expression to widely held values, including 
     caring for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves, 
     personal responsibility, hard work, and personal dignity; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature opposes cuts to and 
     proposals to privatize Social Security, Medicare, and 
     Medicaid and calls on our state's Representatives in Congress 
     to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize and to 
     support legislation to improve and expand these systems to 
     strengthen their protections; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the President of 
     the United States to honor his campaign promise not to cut 
     these programs, to veto any legislation to do so, and to work 
     with Congress to expand and improve these programs; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-92. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Texas 
     urging the United States Congress to recognize the importance 
     of trade between Texas and Mexico and foster international 
     commerce, to the Committee on Finance.

                             H.R. No. 1025

       Whereas, Trade between Texas and Mexico plays a vital role 
     in the economic prosperity of the Lone Star State; and

[[Page S5108]]

       Whereas, Each year, Texas sends about 36 percent of the 
     state's total exports to Mexico, and in 2015, exports to 
     Mexico totaled nearly $92.5 million; goods exported to Mexico 
     include computer and electronic products, petroleum and coal 
     products, chemicals, machinery, and transportation equipment, 
     all of which are produced by industries that supply hundreds 
     of thousands of jobs to the Lone Star State; and
       Whereas, Since the ratification of the North American Free 
     Trade Agreement in 1994, the export of U.S. goods to Mexico 
     has risen 325 percent, while imports into the United States 
     from Mexico have increased 458 percent; in 2012, Americans 
     spent $277.5 billion for goods from Mexico, and Mexico is 
     America's third-largest supplier of oil, after Canada and 
     Saudi Arabia; additionally, nearly half of the tomatoes and 
     two-thirds of the mangoes consumed in the United States come 
     from Mexico; and
       Whereas, The importance of this trade to Texas border 
     cities, counties, and businesses is very significant, and 
     disruption to international commerce would be economically 
     damaging; and
       Whereas, Mexico is the largest trading partner of Texas and 
     the third-largest of the United States, and it is imperative 
     that our federal government take proactive steps to 
     strengthen ties with Mexico and build bridges of economic 
     opportunity that will benefit Texas and the entire nation: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 85th 
     Texas Legislature hereby urge the United states Congress to 
     recognize the importance of trade between Texas and Mexico 
     and foster international commerce; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the chief clerk of the house forward 
     official copies of this resolution to the president of the 
     United States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker 
     of the House of Representatives of the United States 
     Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to 
     Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in 
     the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the 
     United States of America.
                                  ____

       POM-93. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Florida opposing United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 and requesting its 
     repeal or fundamental alteration; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          House Resolution 281

       Whereas, the United States has long supported a negotiated 
     settlement leading to a sustainable two-state solution with 
     the democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a demilitarized, 
     democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and 
     security, and
       Whereas, since 1993, the United States has facilitated 
     direct, bilateral negotiations between both parties toward 
     achieving a two-state solution and ending all outstanding 
     claims, and
       Whereas, it is the long-standing policy of the United 
     States that a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian 
     conflict will only come through direct, bilateral 
     negotiations between the two parties, and
       Whereas, it was the long-standing position of the United 
     States to oppose and, if necessary, veto United Nations 
     Security Council resolutions dictating additional binding 
     parameters on the peace process, and
       Whereas, it was also the long-standing position of the 
     United States to oppose and, if necessary, veto one-sided or 
     anti-Israel United Nations Security Council resolutions, and
       Whereas, the United States has stood in the minority 
     internationally over successive administrations in defending 
     Israel in international forums, including vetoing one-sided 
     resolutions in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 
     2011 before the United Nations Security Council, and
       Whereas, the United States recently signed a new memorandum 
     of understanding with the Israeli government regarding 
     security assistance, consistent with long-standing support 
     for Israel among successive administrations and Congresses 
     and representing an important United States commitment toward 
     Israel's qualitative military edge, and
       Whereas, on November 29, 2016, the United States House of 
     Representatives unanimously passed House Concurrent 
     Resolution 165, expressing and reaffirming long-standing 
     United States policy in support of a direct, bilaterally 
     negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and 
     in opposition to United Nations Security Council resolutions 
     that impose a solution to the conflict, and
       Whereas, on December 23, 2016, the United States Permanent 
     Representative to the United Nations disregarded House 
     Concurrent Resolution 165 and departed from long-standing 
     United States policy by abstaining and permitting United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be adopted under 
     Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, and
       Whereas, the United States' abstention on United Nations 
     Security Council Resolution 2334 contradicts the Oslo Accords 
     and its associated process that is predicated on resolving 
     the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between the parties through 
     direct, bilateral negotiations, and
       Whereas, United States Security Council Resolution 2334 
     claims that ``the establishment by Israel of settlements in 
     the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East 
     Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant 
     violation under international law and a major obstacle to the 
     achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and 
     comprehensive peace,'' and
       Whereas, by referring to the ``4 June 1967 lines'' as the 
     basis for negotiations, United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 effectively states that the Jewish Quarter of 
     the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall, Judaism's 
     holiest site, are ``occupied territory,'' thereby equating 
     these sites with outposts in the West Bank that the Israeli 
     government has deemed illegal, and
       Whereas, passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 effectively legitimizes efforts by the 
     Palestinian Authority to impose its own solution through 
     international organizations and unjustified boycotts or 
     divestment campaigns against Israel by calling ``upon all 
     States, bearing in mind paragraph 1 of this resolution, to 
     distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the 
     territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied 
     since 1967:'' and will require the United States and Israel 
     to take effective action to counteract the resolution's 
     potential harmful impacts, and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 
     did not directly call upon Palestinian leadership to fulfill 
     their obligations toward negotiations or mention that part of 
     the eventual Palestinian state is currently controlled by 
     Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 
     sought to impose or unduly influence solutions to final-
     status issues and is biased against Israel: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Florida, That the Florida House of Representatives finds:
       (1) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 undermined the long-standing position of the 
     United States to oppose and veto United Nations Security 
     Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-
     status issues or are one-sided and anti-Israel, reversing 
     decades of bipartisan agreement.
       (2) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 undermines the prospect of Israelis and 
     Palestinians resuming productive, direct, bilateral 
     negotiations.
       (3) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 contributes to the politically motivated acts 
     of boycotting, divesting from, and sanctioning Israel and 
     represents a concerted effort to extract concessions from 
     Israel outside of direct, bilateral negotiations between the 
     Israelis and Palestinians, which must be actively rejected.
       (4) Any future measures taken by any organization, 
     including the United Nations Security Council, to impose an 
     agreement or parameters for an agreement will set back the 
     peace process, harm the security of Israel, contradict the 
     enduring bipartisan consensus on strengthening the United 
     States-Israel relationship, and weaken support for such 
     organizations.
       (5) A durable and sustainable peace agreement between 
     Israel and the Palestinians is only possible with direct, 
     bilateral negotiations between the parties resulting in a 
     Jewish, democratic state living next to a demilitarized 
     Palestinian state in peace and security.
       (6) The United States government should work to facilitate 
     serious, direct, unconditional negotiations between the 
     parties toward a sustainable peace agreement.
       (7) The United States government should oppose and veto 
     future one-sided, anti-Israel United Nations Security Council 
     resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-status 
     issues.
       That the Florida House of Representatives opposes and 
     requests the repeal or fundamental alteration of United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 so that the 
     resolution:
       (1) Is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel.
       (2) Authorizes all final-status issues toward a two-state 
     solution to be resolved through direct, bilateral 
     negotiations between the parties involved. Be it further
       Resolved That copies of this resolution be presented to the 
     President of the United States, the President and Secretary 
     of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the Israeli 
     Embassy in Washington, D.C. for transmission to the proper 
     authorities of the State of Israel as a tangible token of the 
     sentiments expressed herein.
                                  ____

       POM-94. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Florida opposing United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 and requesting its 
     repeal or fundamental alteration; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          House Resolution 281

       Whereas, the United States has long supported a negotiated 
     settlement leading to a sustainable two-state solution with 
     the democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a demilitarized, 
     democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and 
     security, and
       Whereas, since 1993, the United States has facilitated 
     direct, bilateral negotiations between both parties toward 
     achieving a two-state solution and ending all outstanding 
     claims, and
       Whereas, it is the long-standing policy of the United 
     States that a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian 
     conflict will only come through direct, bilateral 
     negotiations between the two parties, and
       Whereas, it was the long-standing position of the United 
     States to oppose and, if necessary, veto United Nations 
     Security Council

[[Page S5109]]

     resolutions dictating additional binding parameters on the 
     peace process, and
       Whereas, it was also the long-standing position of the 
     United States to oppose and, if necessary, veto one-sided or 
     anti-Israel United Nations Security Council resolutions, and
       Whereas, the United States has stood in the minority 
     internationally over successive administrations in defending 
     Israel in international forums, including vetoing one-sided 
     resolutions in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 
     2011 before the United Nations Security Council, and
       Whereas, the United States recently signed a new memorandum 
     of understanding with the Israeli government regarding 
     security assistance, consistent with long-standing support 
     for Israel among successive administrations and Congresses 
     and representing an important United States commitment toward 
     Israel's qualitative military edge, and
       Whereas, on November 29, 2016, the United States House of 
     Representatives unanimously passed House Concurrent 
     Resolution 165, expressing and reaffirming long-standing 
     United States policy in support of a direct, bilaterally 
     negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and 
     in opposition to United Nations Security Council resolutions 
     that impose a solution to the conflict, and
       Whereas, on December 23, 2016, the United States Permanent 
     Representative to the United Nations disregarded House 
     Concurrent Resolution 165 and departed from long-standing 
     United States policy by abstaining and permitting United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be adopted under 
     Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, and
       Whereas, the United States' abstention on United Nations 
     Security Council Resolution 2334 contradicts the Oslo Accords 
     and its associated process that is predicated on resolving 
     the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between the parties through 
     direct, bilateral negotiations, and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 
     claims that ``the establishment by Israel of settlements in 
     the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East 
     Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant 
     violation under international law and a major obstacle to the 
     achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and 
     comprehensive peace,'' and
       Whereas, by referring to the ``4 June 1967 lines'' as the 
     basis for negotiations, United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 effectively states that the Jewish Quarter of 
     the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall, Judaism's 
     holiest site, are ``occupied territory,'' thereby equating 
     these sites with outposts in the West Bank that the Israeli 
     government has deemed illegal, and
       Whereas, passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 effectively legitimizes efforts by the 
     Palestinian Authority to impose its own solution through 
     international organizations and unjustified boycotts or 
     divestment campaigns against Israel by calling ``upon all 
     States, bearing in mind paragraph 1 of this resolution, to 
     distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the 
     territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied 
     since 1967,'' and will require the United States and Israel 
     to take effective action to counteract the resolution's 
     potential harmful impacts, and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 
     did not directly call upon Palestinian leadership to fulfill 
     their obligations toward negotiations or mention that part of 
     the eventual Palestinian state is currently controlled by 
     Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 
     sought to impose or unduly influence solutions to final-
     status issues and is biased against Israel; Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Florida:
       That the Florida House of Representatives finds:
       (1) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 undermined the long-standing position of the 
     United States to oppose and veto United Nations Security 
     Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-
     status issues or are one-sided and anti-Israel, reversing 
     decades of bipartisan agreement.
       (2) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 undermines the prospect of Israelis and 
     Palestinians resuming productive, direct, bilateral 
     negotiations.
       (3) The passage of United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2334 contributes to the politically motivated acts 
     of boycotting, divesting from, and sanctioning Israel and 
     represents a concerted effort to extract concessions from 
     Israel outside of direct, bilateral negotiations between the 
     Israelis and Palestinians, which must be actively rejected.
       (4) Any future measures taken by any organization, 
     including the United Nations Security Council, to impose an 
     agreement or parameters for an agreement will set back the 
     peace process, harm the security of Israel, contradict the 
     enduring bipartisan consensus on strengthening the United 
     States-Israel relationship, and weaken support for such 
     organizations.
       (5) A durable and sustainable peace agreement between 
     Israel and the Palestinians is only possible with direct, 
     bilateral negotiations between the parties resulting in a 
     Jewish, democratic state living next to a demilitarized 
     Palestinian state in peace and security.
       (6) The United States government should work to facilitate 
     serious, direct, unconditional negotiations between the 
     parties toward a sustainable peace agreement.
       (7) The United States government should oppose and veto 
     future one-sided, anti-Israel United Nations Security Council 
     resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-status 
     issues.
       That the Florida House of Representatives opposes and 
     requests the repeal or fundamental alteration of United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 so that the 
     resolution:
       (1) Is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel.
       (2) Authorizes all final-status issues toward a two-state 
     solution to be resolved through direct, bilateral 
     negotiations between the parties involved; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be presented to 
     the President of the United States, the President and 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk 
     of the United States House of Representatives, and the 
     Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., for transmission to the 
     proper authorities of the State of Israel as a tangible token 
     of the sentiments expressed herein.
                                  ____

       POM-95. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana recognizing the 
     Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana as an Indian tribe; to the 
     Committee on Indian Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 227

       Whereas, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced many Indians 
     living east of the Mississippi River to sell their lands and 
     move to less fertile lands on a Western reservation that 
     would not be taken from them; and
       Whereas, the five tribes most affected by the Indian 
     Removal Act of 1830 through the loss of lives, homes, and 
     land were the Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole, and 
     Cherokee; and
       Whereas, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 caused Indians 
     living in the South to embark on what became known as the 
     ``Trail of Tears'' from 1830 to 1842; and
       Whereas, as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, 
     many small groups of the five tribes escaped and crossed the 
     Mississippi River into Louisiana and settled near the central 
     and western part of Louisiana in the present-day parishes of 
     Rapides, Vernon, Natchitoches, and Calcasieu, which was 
     referred to as ``No Man's Land'' or ``Rio Hondo''; and
       Whereas, the Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana exists today, 
     and the tribe has full documentation of bloodlines of all 
     tribal members, as well as many documented sources regarding 
     the activities of the tribe; and
       Whereas, it is imperative that the state of Louisiana 
     recognize Indian tribes within its borders, to support their 
     tribal aspirations, to preserve their cultural heritage and 
     improve their economic conditions, and to assist them in the 
     achievement of their just rights: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize the 
     Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana as an Indian tribe of the 
     state; be it further
       Resolved, That the Congress of the United States and the 
     United States Bureau of Indian Affairs are hereby 
     memorialized, requested, and urged to take such steps as are 
     necessary to effect the formal recognition of the 
     Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana as an Indian tribe, and to 
     acknowledge that the rights of the Natchitoches Tribe of 
     Louisiana are no less than those of other Indian tribes in 
     the United States, and, accordingly, to take such executive 
     or congressional action as may be appropriate; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the president of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress 
     of the United States, each member of the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation, and the director of the Bureau of 
     Indian Affairs, United States Department of the Interior.
                                  ____

       POM-96. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of New Mexico rescinding three previous 
     applications to the United States Congress to call a 
     convention to propose amendments to the United States 
     Constitution; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       House Joint Resolution 10

       Whereas, Article 5 of the United States constitution reads 
     in part as follows: ``the Congress . . . on the Application 
     of the Legislatures and two thirds of the several States, 
     shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in 
     either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as 
     Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures 
     of three fourths of the several States''; and
       Whereas, in 1951, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     House Joint Resolution Number 12 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose 
     specified amendments to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1965, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution Number 2 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1976, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution 1 to make an application to the 
     United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution; Now, 
     therefore, be it

[[Page S5110]]

       Resolved, By the Legislature of the State of New Mexico 
     that House Joint Resolution Number 12, passed in the first 
     session of the twentieth legislature of the state of New 
     Mexico, Senate Joint Resolution Number 2, passed in the first 
     session of the twenty-seventh legislature of the state of New 
     Mexico, and Senate Joint Resolution 1, passed in the second 
     session of the thirty-second legislature of the state of New 
     Mexico, be rescinded; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted, 
     within thirty days of its passage, to the speaker of the 
     United States house of representatives, the clerk of the 
     United States house of representatives, the president of the 
     United States senate, the secretary of the United States 
     senate and the members of the New Mexico congressional 
     delegation; and be it further
       Resolved, That a request be hereby made that the official 
     journals and record of the senate and the house of 
     representatives of the United States congress include the 
     resolution or a notice of its receipt.
                                  ____

       POM-97. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey condemning the United States Executive 
     Order concerning immigration and the firing of the Acting 
     Attorney General, and supporting legal action by other states 
     against the immigration ban; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 138

       Whereas, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order 
     on January 27, 2017 selectively banning entry of immigrants 
     and nonimmigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, 
     Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days; 
     suspending refugee admission for 120 days; and barring all 
     Syrian refugees from entering the United States indefinitely; 
     and
       Whereas, the ban reportedly has resulted in individuals 
     with legal resident status and valid visas being denied entry 
     into the United States, many of whom have been trapped 
     overseas and separated from their families; and
       Whereas, those reportedly denied entry include children, 
     students and professors of United States institutions of 
     higher education, employees of United States corporations, 
     and Iraqis who have worked with the United States military 
     against militant extremist groups in their own country; and
       Whereas, the states of Washington and Minnesota have 
     challenged the ban in federal court on the grounds that it 
     violates the equal protection, establishment, and due process 
     clauses of the United States Constitution and the federal 
     Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965; and
       Whereas, Judge Robart of the Federal District Court in 
     Seattle, Washington issued a temporary nationwide restraining 
     order halting the President's Executive Order; and
       Whereas, President Trump's reaction was to immediately 
     ridicule the Judge referring to him as a ``so-called Judge''; 
     and
       Whereas, the President's action disrespects the separation 
     of powers which forms the basis of our government; and
       Whereas, more than 15 Attorneys General have filed an 
     amicus brief supporting the court's temporary stay against 
     the Executive Order; and
        Whereas, nearly 100 United States corporations have filed 
     an amicus brief opposing the President's immigration ban, 
     arguing that American workers and the economy will suffer; 
     and
       Whereas, the President of the United States fired the 
     Acting Attorney General of the United States for refusing to 
     defend the Executive Order, as she was not convinced the 
     Executive Order was lawful, and as such, not consistent with 
     her responsibility to uphold the laws of the United States; 
     and
        Whereas, firing the Acting Attorney General for upholding 
     her oath of office sends a negative message to top-level 
     federal Executive Branch employees, likely having a chilling 
     effect on their willingness to speak truth to power and 
     uphold their responsibilities; and
       Whereas, the immigration ban is arbitrarily directed at 
     those adhering to one specific religion, violating one of the 
     United States Constitution's most fundamental tenets, the 
     freedom of religion; and
       Whereas, the United States has always been a nation that 
     welcomes and protects those seeking to practice their 
     religious beliefs without fear of government interference or 
     persecution; and
       Whereas, the United States is a nation of immigrants, built 
     by those seeking a better life for themselves, their 
     families, and generations to follow; and
       Whereas, the State of New Jersey, home to Ellis Island, 
     celebrates the diversity of our residents and takes pride in 
     the contributions made to our great State by immigrants, past 
     and present, who came to our shores ``yearning to breathe 
     free''; and
        Whereas, a brief has been filed by former Central 
     Intelligence Agency and Department of State officials 
     countering the President's national security arguments, 
     claiming the ban ``could do long-term damage to our national 
     security and foreign policy interests, endangering U.S. 
     troops in the field and disrupting counterterrorism and 
     national security partnerships. It will aid ISIL's propaganda 
     effort and serve its recruitment message by feeding into the 
     narrative that the United States is at war with Islam. It 
     will hinder relationships with the very communities that law 
     enforcement professionals need to address the threat''; and
       Whereas, approximately 900 United States Department of 
     State diplomats have signed a dissent memo opposing the 
     President's ban as it ``stands in opposition to the core 
     American and constitutional values that we, as federal 
     employees, took an oath to uphold''; and
       Whereas, the memo cautions that the ban ``will immediately 
     sour relations'' with governments that are ``important allies 
     and partners in the fight against terrorism, regionally and 
     globally''; and
       Whereas, in addition to the ban being ill-conceived and 
     mean-spirited, the processes associated with the ban were 
     mismanaged, including the reported failure to allow for legal 
     review by the Department of Homeland Security; and
       Whereas, the mismanagement extended to the implementation 
     of the ban which resulted, in part, in individuals being 
     detained in airports across the country and, despite an order 
     to do so by a New York District Judge, the federal government 
     has yet to produce a list of these individuals; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House condemns the Executive Order signed by 
     President Trump suspending immigration for 90 days from seven 
     Muslim-majority countries; suspending all refugee admissions 
     into the United States for 120 days; and indefinitely barring 
     all Syrian refugees from entering the United States.
        2. This House condemns the firing of the Acting Attorney 
     General for refusing to enforce the ban which she deemed 
     unlawful.
        3. This House extends its support to the states of 
     Washington and Minnesota in their legal fight against the 
     President's immigration ban.
        4. This House urges the New Jersey Attorney General to 
     join his fellow Attorneys General in their amicus brief 
     supporting a federal district court's stay of the ban.
        5. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States 
     Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, every member of Congress elected 
     from New Jersey, and the New Jersey Attorney General.
                                  ____

       POM-98. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the United States 
     Congress to reauthorize the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment to 
     prevent the United States Department of Justice from spending 
     funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical 
     marijuana laws; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 36

       Whereas, The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment prevents the United 
     States Department of Justice from spending funds to interfere 
     with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws; and
       Whereas, The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment does not change the 
     status of marijuana with respect to Federal law; and
       Whereas, The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment states, ``None of 
     the funds made available in this Act to the Department of 
     Justice may be used, with respect to any of the States of 
     Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, 
     Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, 
     Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 
     Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New 
     Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, 
     Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, 
     Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, or 
     with respect to either the District of Columbia as Guam, to 
     prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that 
     authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation 
     of medical marijuana''; and
       Whereas, On December 16, 2014, the Rohrabacher-Farr 
     amendment was initially signed into Federal law as part of an 
     omnibus spending bill; and
       Whereas, On December 18, 2015, the Rohrabacher-Farr 
     amendment was reauthorized as part of the fiscal year 2016 
     Federal omnibus appropriations bill; and
       Whereas, In September 2016, the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment 
     was reauthorized again as a part of a short-term spending 
     bill; and
       Whereas, The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment must be 
     reauthorized each fiscal year in order to remain in effect; 
     and
       Whereas, The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment expires on April 
     28, 2017; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United States to 
     reauthorize the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment to prevent the 
     United States Department of Justice from spending funds to 
     interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana 
     laws; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the 
     President of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-99. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of New Mexico rescinding three previous 
     applications to the United States Congress to call a 
     convention to propose amendments to the United States 
     Constitution, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

[[Page S5111]]

  


                       House Joint Resolution 10

       Whereas, Article 5 of the United States constitution reads 
     in part as follows: ``the Congress . . . on the Application 
     of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, 
     shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in 
     either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as 
     Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures 
     of three fourths of the several States''; and
       Whereas, in 1951, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     House Joint Resolution Number 12 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose 
     specified amendments to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1965, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution Number 2 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1976, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution 1 to make an application to the 
     United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the legislature of the State of New Mexico That 
     House Joint Resolution Number 12, passed in the first session 
     of the twentieth legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     Senate Joint Resolution Number 2, passed in the first session 
     of the twenty-seventh legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     and Senate Joint Resolution 1, passed in the second session 
     of the thirty-second legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     be rescinded; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted, 
     within thirty days of its passage, to the speaker of the 
     United States house of representatives, the clerk of the 
     United States house of representatives, the president of the 
     United States senate, the secretary of the United States 
     senate and the members of the New Mexico congressional 
     delegation; and be it further
       Resolved,  That a request be hereby made that the official 
     journals and record of the senate and the house of 
     representatives of the United States congress include the 
     resolution or a notice of its receipt.
                                  ____

       POM-100. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of New Mexico rescinding three previous 
     applications to the United States Congress to call a 
     convention to propose amendments to the United States 
     Constitution; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       House Joint Resolution 10

       Whereas, Article 5 of the United States constitution reads 
     in part as follows: ``the Congress . . . on the Application 
     of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, 
     shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in 
     either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as 
     Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures 
     of three fourths of the several States''; and
       Whereas, in 1951, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     House Joint Resolution Number 12 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose 
     specified amendments to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1965, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution Number 2 to make an application to 
     the United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, in 1976, the legislature of New Mexico passed 
     Senate Joint Resolution 1 to make an application to the 
     United States congress to call a convention to propose a 
     specified amendment to the United States constitution; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of New Mexico that 
     House Joint Resolution Number 12, passed in the first session 
     of the twentieth legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     Senate Joint Resolution Number 2, passed in the first session 
     of the twenty-seventh legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     and Senate Joint Resolution 1, passed in the second session 
     of the thirty-second legislature of the state of New Mexico, 
     be rescinded; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted, 
     within thirty days of its passage, to the speaker of the 
     United States house of representatives, the clerk of the 
     United States house of representatives, the president of the 
     United States senate, the secretary of the United States 
     senate and the members of the New Mexico congressional 
     delegation; and be it further
       Resolved, That a request be hereby made that the official 
     journals and record of the senate and the house of 
     representatives of the United States congress include the 
     resolution or a notice of its receipt.
                                  ____

       POM-101. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana memorializing the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to investigate the current condition of economic development 
     in the State of Louisiana concerning the Revitalizing Auto 
     Communities Environmental Response Trust's fulfillment of 
     fiduciary duties regarding the former General Motors 
     Shreveport plant and operations; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                              A Resolution

       To memorialize the United States Congress to take such 
     actions as are necessary to investigate the current condition 
     of economic development in the state of Louisiana concerning 
     the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response 
     Trust's (hereinafter ``RACER Trust'') fulfillment of 
     fiduciary duties regarding the former General Motors 
     Shreveport plant (hereinafter ``GM-Shreveport plant'') and 
     operations.
       Whereas, perpetual declining sales and employment loss led 
     to the 2009 bankruptcy of the General Motors Corporation, and 
     by 2012, a complete cessation of automobile manufacturing at 
     the former GM-Shreveport plant, which for more than thirty 
     years was a generator of jobs and economic opportunity in the 
     state of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the bankruptcy of General Motors was not an 
     ordinary business bankruptcy; rather, it was orderly and 
     structured in a way to facilitate General Motors' ability to 
     be absolved of certain environmental and tax liabilities; and
       Whereas, this included a cash infusion from the federal 
     government to the benefit of General Motors, and General 
     Motors' consideration for the properties left behind to be 
     leveraged in the public's general and equitable interests, 
     with such interests defined and directed toward the 
     replacement of lost jobs; and
       Whereas, according to a Report to Congressional Committees 
     issued by the United States Government Accountability Office, 
     the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) ``provided 
     unprecedented support to two of the nation's three largest 
     auto manufacturers--General Motors and Chrysler--after 
     deteriorating economic conditions resulted in a dramatic 
     decline in auto sales and significant financial losses to 
     these companies''; and
       Whereas, ``through the Automotive Industry Financing 
     Program (AIFP) under the Troubled Asset Relief Program 
     (TARP), Treasury committed $62 billion to help GM and 
     Chrysler continue operating while restructuring into more 
     viable companies''; and
       Whereas, the website of the RACER Trust explains that after 
     the bankruptcy of General Motors, ``the RACER Trust was 
     created in March 2011 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court'' and 
     equipped with ``nearly $500 million...received at the time of 
     the Trust's establishment'' to ``clean up and position for 
     redevelopment the properties and other facilities owned by 
     the former General Motors Corporation''; and
       Whereas, such properties and facilities to be included for 
     clean up and revitalization necessarily include the former 
     GM-Shreveport plant; and
       Whereas, during February 2013, the RACER Trust and Elio 
     Motors entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement whereby 
     Elio Motors was expected to acquire from the RACER Trust all 
     of the property, both movable and immovable property, 
     relative to the former GM-Shreveport plant; however, Elio 
     Motors purchased only the movable property and as such, 
     entered into a Security Agreement with the RACER Trust in the 
     amount of twenty-three million dollars to acquire the movable 
     property; and
       Whereas, circumstances changed regarding the sale of all of 
     the former GM-Shreveport plant to Elio Motors; instead, the 
     immovable property of the plant was purchased by the Caddo 
     Parish Industrial Development Board; and
       Whereas, at the request of the Caddo Parish Industrial 
     Development Board, a parent company known as Industrial 
     Realty Group first purchased the immovable property of the 
     former GM-Shreveport plant and immediately resold this same 
     property to the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board; 
     and
       Whereas, the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board then 
     leased the immovable property back to Industrial Realty 
     Group; and
       Whereas, as the lessee and property manager of the former 
     GM-Shreveport plant, Industrial Realty Group next subleased a 
     portion of the plant to Elio Motors; and
       Whereas, Elio Motors assumed the plant as a sublessee 
     during the latter part of 2013 and was expected to 
     manufacture automobiles, stimulate economic growth, and 
     create approximately one thousand five hundred jobs by the 
     end of 2015; and
       Whereas, since 2013 and currently, Elio Motors is not 
     engaged in automobile manufacturing at the former GM-
     Shreveport plant, and as a result, related economic 
     development and stimulated growth in this state have not 
     materialized as projected and desired; and
       Whereas, with the present and future state of the former 
     GM-Shreveport plant subject to the direction and actions of 
     Industrial Realty Group and Elio Motors, the House Committee 
     on Commerce was interested to hear the testimony of certain 
     stakeholders to identify and expound upon the circumstances, 
     challenges, and barriers surrounding automobile manufacturing 
     and the anticipated accompanying job growth; and
       Whereas, pursuant to House Resolution No. 37 of the 2016 
     Second Extraordinary Session, the House Committee on Commerce 
     met in Shreveport, Louisiana, on October 26, 2016, to do all 
     of the following:
       (1) Study the state of the automotive manufacturing 
     industry in the state of Louisiana since the onset of the 
     most recent worldwide economic turndown that began in 2008.
       (2) Investigate and report on the activities of the RACER 
     Trust in the state of Louisiana.

[[Page S5112]]

       (3) Tour and assess the current condition and circumstances 
     of any Louisiana based properties either currently or 
     previously under the control and supervision of the RACER 
     Trust in the state of Louisiana.
       (4) Take testimony from local, regional, and state 
     officials and economic development stakeholders regarding 
     barriers and obstacles impacting the ability to effectively 
     market facilities either currently or previously under the 
     control of the RACER Trust; and
       Whereas, though representatives were present to testify, 
     the representatives were not parties to nor directly privy to 
     the process of negotiations between the RACER Trust, 
     Industrial Realty Group, the Department of Economic 
     Development, the Caddo Parish Commission, and the Caddo 
     Parish Industrial Development Board; and
       Whereas, the RACER Trust's commitment of the former GM-
     Shreveport plant to Industrial Realty Group and Elio Motors 
     is a matter of vital concern regarding the economic 
     development in this state, not solely due to the lack of 
     automobile manufacturing on behalf of Elio Motors, but 
     because prior to this divestment, in a letter dated November 
     14, 2013, the Department of Economic Development and the 
     North Louisiana Economic Partnership expressed concern to the 
     RACER Trust regarding the transaction; and
       Whereas, despite the value of the assets encompassed within 
     the former GM-Shreveport plant, the RACER Trust is believed 
     to have provided the Caddo Parish Commission with only the 
     following two options in consideration for the eventual fate 
     of the former GM-Shreveport plant:
       (1) Committal of the former GM-Shreveport plant to 
     Industrial Realty Group.
       (2) Complete demolition of the plant; and
       Whereas, it is a matter of state interest and concern that 
     the prospect of the former GM-Shreveport plant's demise may 
     have actually been a false threat used as a catalyst to urge 
     the Caddo Parish Commission and other local and state 
     economic development officials to support and commit the 
     former GM-Shreveport plant into the contractual care of 
     Industrial Realty Group and Elio Motors; and
       Whereas, the assets of the former GM-Shreveport plant 
     possess great potential to be a source of real opportunity 
     for economic growth and job creation in Louisiana, but 
     although publicly owned, no provisions or mechanisms for 
     federal or local oversight are in place to rectify this 
     agreement made in furtherance of the state's economic 
     development that has not materialized to provide an economic 
     benefit to this state; and
       Whereas, in light of the dire circumstances surrounding the 
     former GM-Shreveport plant, the state is compelled, and 
     requests the United States Congress in its constitutional 
     power, to investigate the process of negotiations which 
     resulted in Industrial Realty Group's and Elio Motors' 
     attainment of the former GM-Shreveport plant, per the 
     recommendation of the federally created RACER Trust: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to 
     investigate the current condition of economic development in 
     the state of Louisiana, relative to the RACER Trust's 
     fulfillment of fiduciary duties concerning the former GM-
     Shreveport plant and operations; 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-102. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Maryland rescinding any and all prior 
     applications by the General Assembly to the United States 
     Congress to call a convention to propose amendments to the 
     United States Constitution, pursuant to the terms of Article 
     V; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                         Joint Resolution No. 2

       Whereas, The Constitution of the United States has been, 
     since its creation in 1787, the bulwark of American liberty 
     and strength. It was the first written national Charter to 
     clearly set forth the respective duties and powers of the 
     Chief Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary, and is 
     the basis of America's checks and balances system of 
     government, assuring the rule of the majority while 
     protecting the rights of the minority. It provides for the 
     peaceful resolution of our basic political disputes and 
     allows for an orderly succession of political leaders without 
     bloodshed or revolution; and
       Whereas, Since its ratification, the Constitution has been 
     amended 27 times, each time by the proposal of an amendment 
     by the Congress, often on initial petition by the states and 
     always with subsequent ratification by the requisite number 
     of state legislatures. Despite wrenching debate, political 
     turmoil, and many grave political and economic problems--
     including the Great Depression--our nation has not had 
     another Constitutional Convention since 1787; and
       Whereas, The first Convention was called to make revisions 
     to the Articles of Confederation and decided instead to 
     discard that governmental system altogether and create an 
     entirely new and extremely different one. In recent years, we 
     have heard such diverse proposals as the elimination of 
     portions of the Bill of Rights or granting the President the 
     power to dissolve Congress; and
       Whereas, Although historical records maintained by the 
     State and the Library of Congress are incomplete and in some 
     instances unclear as to the final disposition of legislation 
     proposed by the General Assembly to initiate a call to 
     Congress for a Constitutional Convention, it is reported that 
     the Maryland General Assembly has passed several such calls 
     for a Constitutional Convention since the 1930s These calls 
     include: (1) House Resolution (1939) (unconfirmed) calling 
     for limitations on the federal taxing power; (2) House Joint 
     Resolution 40 (1964) calling for standards concerning the 
     size and boundaries of congressional districts; (3) Senate 
     Joint Resolution 1 (1965) calling for legislative autonomy 
     concerning the apportionment of State legislative bodies; (4) 
     Senate Resolution 47 (1973) (unconfirmed), a memorial from 
     the Senate of Maryland calling for the allowance of school 
     prayer in public schools; and (5) Senate Joint Resolution 4 
     (1975) calling for a balanced federal budget. It is generally 
     believed that these calls never expire, and current 
     generations are now bound by decisions made in a different 
     time and culture. The need to advance these various policy 
     reforms should be debated anew, and not bind future 
     generations without any consideration; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the General Assembly of Maryland, That this 
     body does hereby rescind, repeal, cancel, void, nullify, and 
     supersede any and all prior applications by the General 
     Assembly to the Congress of the United States of America to 
     call a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution 
     of the United States of America, whether or not the calls are 
     confirmed by the historical records maintained by the State 
     or the Library of Congress, pursuant to the terms of Article 
     V thereof, regardless of when and regardless of whether such 
     applications were for a more limited convention to propose 
     one or more amendments regarding one or more specific 
     subjects and purposes or for a general convention to propose 
     an unlimited number of amendments upon an unlimited number of 
     subjects; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly urges the legislatures 
     of each and every state which has applied to Congress to call 
     a convention for either a general or limited Constitutional 
     Convention to repeal and withdraw such applications; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by 
     the Department of Legislative Services to the Honorable 
     Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., Governor of Maryland; the Honorable 
     Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., President of the Senate of 
     Maryland; and the Honorable Michael E. Busch, Speaker of the 
     House of Delegates; and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be 
     sent by the Secretary of State to:
       (1) the Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the 
     United States, President of the United States Senate, Suite 
     S-212, United States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 
     20510; the Honorable Orrin Hatch, President Pro Tempore of 
     the United States Senate, 104 Hart Office Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Paul D. Ryan, 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 1233 
     Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and
       (2) the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators 
     Benjamin L. Cardin and Christopher Van Hollen, Jr., Senate 
     Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and Representatives 
     Andrew P. Harris, C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III, John P. 
     Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, John 
     Delaney, Elijah E. Cummings, and Jamie Raskin, House Office 
     Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and
       (3) the Honorable David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the 
     United States, National Archives and Records Administration, 
     709 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20408; and
       (4) the Honorable Julie E. Adams, Secretary of the United 
     States Senate, United States Capitol Building, Suite S-312, 
     Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Elizabeth MacDonough, 
     Parliamentarian of the United States Senate, United States 
     Capitol Building, Suite 5-133, Washington, D.C. 20510; the 
     Honorable Karen L. Haas, Clerk of the United States, House of 
     Representatives, Suite H-154, United States Capitol Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20515; and the Honorable Thomas J. Wickham, 
     Jr., Parliamentarian of the United States, House of 
     Representatives, Room H-209, United States Capitol Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20515, requesting that they publish this 
     Joint Resolution in the Congressional Record and list this 
     application in the official tally of state legislative 
     applications that repeal and withdraw any prior application 
     by a state legislature that calls for the Congress of the 
     United States of America to call a convention to propose 
     amendments to the Constitution of the United States, pursuant 
     to the terms of Article V thereof, regardless of when and 
     regardless of whether such applications were for a more 
     limited convention to propose one or more amendments 
     regarding one or more specific subjects and purposes or for a 
     general convention to propose an unlimited number of 
     amendments upon an unlimited number of subjects.
                                  ____

       POM-103. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Maryland rescinding any and all prior 
     applications by the General Assembly to the United States 
     Congress to call a convention to propose amendments to the 
     United States Constitution, pursuant to the terms of Article 
     V, to the Committee on the Judiciary.

[[Page S5113]]

  


                       Joint Resolution No. 0003

       Whereas, The Constitution of the United States has been, 
     since its creation in 1787, the bulwark of American liberty 
     and strength. It was the first written national Charter to 
     clearly set forth the respective duties and powers of the 
     Chief Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary, and is 
     the basis of America's checks and balances system of 
     government, assuring the rule of the majority while 
     protecting the rights of the minority. It provides for the 
     peaceful resolution of our basic political disputes and 
     allows for an orderly succession of political leaders without 
     bloodshed or revolution; and
       Whereas, Since its ratification, the Constitution has been 
     amended 27 times, each time by the proposal of an amendment 
     by the Congress, often on initial petition by the states and 
     always with subsequent ratification by the requisite number 
     of state legislatures. Despite wrenching debate, political 
     turmoil, and many grave political and economic problems--
     including the Great Depression--our nation has not had 
     another Constitutional Convention since 1787; and
       Whereas, The first Convention was called to make revisions 
     to the Articles of Confederation and decided instead to 
     discard that governmental system altogether and create an 
     entirely new and extremely different one. In recent years, we 
     have heard such diverse proposals as the elimination of 
     portions of the Bill of Rights or granting the President the 
     power to dissolve Congress; and
       Whereas, Although historical records maintained by the 
     State and by the Library of Congress are incomplete and in 
     some instances unclear as to the final disposition of 
     legislation proposed by the General Assembly to intiate a 
     call to Congress for a Constitutional Convention, it is 
     reported that the Maryland General Assembly has passed 
     several such calls for a Constitutional Convention since the 
     1930s. These calls include: (1) House Resolution (1939) 
     (unconfirmed) calling for limitation on the federal taxing 
     power; (2) House Joint Resolution 40 (1964) calling for 
     standards concerning the size and boundaries of congressional 
     districts; (3) Senate Joint Resolution 1 (1965) calling for 
     legislative autonomy concerning the apportionment of State 
     legislative bodies; (4) Senate Resolution 47 (1973) 
     (unconfirmed), a memorial from the Senate of Maryland calling 
     for the allowance of school prayer in public schools; and (5) 
     Senate Joint Resolution 4 (1975) calling for a balanced 
     federal budget. It is generally believed that these calls 
     never expire, and current generations are now bound by 
     decisions made in a different time and culture. The need to 
     advance these various policy reforms should be debated anew, 
     and not bind future generations without any consideration; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That this 
     body does hereby rescind, repeal, cancel, void, nullify, and 
     supersede any and all prior applications by the General 
     Assembly to the Congress of the United States of America to 
     call a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution 
     of the United States of America, whether or not the calls are 
     confirmed by the historical records maintained by the State 
     or the Library of Congress, pursuant to the terms of Article 
     V thereof, regardless of when and regardless of whether such 
     applications were for a more limited convention to propose 
     one or more amendments regarding one or more specific 
     subjects and purposes or for a general convention to propose 
     an unlimited number of amendments upon an unlimited number of 
     subjects; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly urges the legislatures 
     of each and every state which has applied to Congress to call 
     a convention for either a general or limited Constitutional 
     Convention to repeal and withdraw such applications; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by 
     the Department of Legislative Services to the Honorable 
     Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., Governor of Maryland; the Honorable 
     Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., President of the Senate of 
     Maryland; and the Honorable Michael E. Busch, Speaker of the 
     House of Delegates; and be it further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be 
     sent by the Secretary of State to:
       (1) the Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the 
     United States, President of the United States Senate, Suite 
     S-212, United States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 
     20510; the Honorable Orrin Hatch, President Pro Tempore of 
     the United States Senate, 104 Hart Office Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Paul D. Ryan, 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 1233 
     Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and
       (2) the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators 
     Benjamin L. Cardin and Christopher Van Hollen, Jr., Senate 
     Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and Representatives 
     Andrew P. Harris, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger III, John P. 
     Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, John 
     Delaney, Elijah E. Cummings, and Jamie Raskin, House Office 
     Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and
       (3) the Honorable David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the 
     United States, National Archives and Records Administration, 
     709 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20408; and
       (4) the Honorable Julie E. Adams, Secretary of the United 
     States Senate, United States Capitol Building, Suite S-312, 
     Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Elizabeth MacDonough, 
     Parliamentarian of the United States Senate, United States 
     Capitol Building, Suite S-133, Washington, D.C. 20510; the 
     Honorable Karen L. Haas, Clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, Suite H-154, United States Capitol Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20515; and the Honrable Thomas J. Wickham, 
     Jr., Parliamentarian of the United States House of 
     Representatives, Room H-209, United States Capitol Building, 
     Washington, D.C. 20515, requesting that they publish this 
     Joint Resolution in the Congressional Record and list this 
     application in the offical tally of state legislative 
     applications that repeal and withdraw any prior application 
     by a state legislature that calls for the Congress of the 
     United States of America to call a convention to propose 
     amendments to the Constitution of the United States, pursuant 
     to the terms of Article V thereof, regardless of when and 
     regardless of whether such applications were for a more 
     limited convention to propose one or more amendments 
     regarding one or more specific subjects and purposes or for a 
     general convention to propose an unlimited number of 
     amendments upon an unlimited number of subjects.
                                  ____

       POM-104. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey opposing action by the President of 
     the United States to rescind the Deferred Action for 
     Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 210

       Whereas, New Jersey has long been a welcoming home for 
     immigrants from around the world and appreciates the valuable 
     contributions immigrants make to our State and our nation; 
     and
       Whereas, New Jersey's immigrant population includes 
     undocumented immigrants who have come to the United States in 
     pursuit of the American dream and to build a better life for 
     themselves and their families, and
       Whereas, Many of these families include children who were 
     brought to New Jersey at a very young age and were raised and 
     educated in the State, and
       Whereas, In 2013, the New Jersey Legislature passed Senate 
     Bill No. 2479, informally referred to as the New Jersey Dream 
     Act, to ensure that these children have access to affordable 
     higher education by allowing them to qualify for in-State 
     tuition rates at public institutions of higher education, and
       Whereas, The New Jersey Dream Act bill, in its original 
     form, also permitted these students to apply for State 
     student financial aid programs; and
       Whereas, Governor Chris Christie conditionally vetoed the 
     New Jersey Dream Act based on his objections to the section 
     of the bill that allowed undocumented students to participate 
     in State student financial aid programs, and asked the 
     Legislature to remove that provision; and
       Whereas, The Legislature, in order to provide tuition 
     equality for these students, concurred with the terms of 
     Governor Christie's conditional veto, and
       Whereas, Without eligibility for State student financial 
     aid programs, many of these students need to work to afford 
     the cost of a college education, and
       Whereas, As a result of Governor Christie's conditional 
     veto and in order to continue their pursuit of higher 
     education, many of these students registered with the federal 
     Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a 
     policy implemented under President Barack Obama's 
     Administration. Under DACA, the federal government agreed to 
     exercise its prosecutorial discretion to defer deportation of 
     undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as 
     children and allowed these students to qualify for employment 
     authorization in the United States, and
       Whereas, President Donald Trump was sworn into office on 
     January 20, 2017 and is expected to rescind DACA, exposing 
     these students to the threat of immediate deportation, and
       Whereas, Such action by President Trump would punish young 
     men and women who followed the proper course of action in 
     registering for DACA so that they could pursue their higher 
     education, and
       Whereas, These students have spent their formative years in 
     the United States and know only America as their home, pay 
     taxes and contribute to our economy as hard-working 
     employees, and add rich diversity to our schools through 
     class participation and campus programs; and
       Whereas, Rescinding the DACA policy would deprive the State 
     of the many contributions of these students: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House opposes any action by President Donald Trump 
     to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 
     policy.
       2. This House further urges Governor Chris Christie, given 
     that his conditional veto of the New Jersey Dream Act bill 
     led many of these students to register for DACA, to use all 
     power within his means to urge President Trump to leave DACA 
     intact so that these New Jersey students are not subject to 
     immediate deportation to a country they have never known and 
     so that these students may continue to work and pursue their 
     higher education
       3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice-President of the United 
     States, the Governor of this State, the Majority and Minority 
     Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority

[[Page S5114]]

     Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and 
     every member of Congress elected from this State.
                                  ____

       POM-105. A resolution adopted by the Fish and Game 
     Commission of the State of California supporting the existing 
     four California national marine sanctuaries, their 
     boundaries, and legal protections; strongly and unequivocally 
     supporting the current federal prohibition on new oil or gas 
     drilling in federal waters offshore California; opposing 
     attempts to modify the prohibition, and considering any 
     appropriate actions to maintain the prohibition; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-106. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Lakeport, California urging the President of the 
     United States, the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
     Secretary of Agriculture to protect the Berryessa Snow 
     Mountain National Monument and the economic, historical, 
     cultural, and ecological values which it provides, and to 
     honor and protect the integrity of all National Monuments as 
     they have been designated by Presidents of the United States 
     since 1906; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-107. A resolution adopted by the Lauderdale Lakes City 
     Commission, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida recommending that the 
     Affordable Care Act be maintained, particularly those 
     provisions regarding pre-existing conditions and coverage for 
     children up to the age of 26 years, for at least a work-in-
     period of ten (10) years, in order to give the citizens and 
     other covered persons the opportunity to make the necessary 
     adjustments consequent of reduced coverage; to the Committee 
     on Finance.
       POM-108. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida opposing the 
     President of the United States's withdrawal of the United 
     States from the Paris Climate Agreement; honoring and 
     upholding the City's commitment to the policies, goals, and 
     standards set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement; 
     reaffirming the City's role as a global urban leader in 
     efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the 
     impacts of human activities that contribute to climate 
     change, and enhance resiliency; and respectfully urging 
     Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature to join the 
     growing list of states seeking to meet or exceed the goals of 
     the Paris Climate Agreement; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.
       POM-109. A resolution adopted by the Lauderdale Lakes City 
     Commission, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida expressing support for 
     the Paris Climate Accord and expressing an intent to 
     symbolically join with other local governments to adopt, 
     honor and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in 
     the Paris Climate Accord; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          ____________________