[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 17, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6451-S6452]
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-113. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey urging the Governor of New Jersey to 
     join the United States Climate Alliance and take a leadership 
     role in protecting the citizens of New Jersey and the United 
     States, the environment, and the planet from the devastating 
     effects of climate change, to the Committee on Environment 
     and Public Works.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 264

       Whereas, The Paris Climate Accord, also known as the 
     ``Paris Agreement, which was agreed to by nearly every 
     country in the world, is the first global pact aimed at 
     reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to avert the worst 
     effects of climate change; and
       Whereas, The Paris Agreement, unlike previous pacts, 
     requires every country to take action to lower greenhouse gas 
     emissions rather than differentiating between developed and 
     developing countries, and
       Whereas, Although scientists have estimated that at best, 
     the agreement will only cut greenhouse gas emissions by half 
     of what is necessary to avoid an increase in atmospheric 
     temperatures enough to prevent a cascade of devastating 
     consequences, the agreement represents a turning point for 
     the world and will cause fundamental shifts in global 
     financial and energy markets; and
       Whereas, The Paris Agreement sent a powerful signal that 
     the world is committed to a low carbon future; and
       Whereas, The climate change caused by rising global 
     temperatures will likely: increase the frequency, severity, 
     and duration of heat waves, creating a greater risk for heat-
     related illnesses and deaths, especially among the elderly, 
     very young, disabled, and poor; increase the intensity of 
     hurricanes creating stronger peak winds and increased 
     rainfall, increase the risk of flooding within storm-affected 
     areas and increase the risk of drought in areas located 
     outside storm tracks; and continue to decrease the size of 
     polar ice sheets and land-based glaciers, causing sea levels 
     to rise and contribute to enhanced coastal erosion, coastal 
     flooding, and the loss of coastal wetlands, and
       Whereas, Under the Paris Agreement, every participating 
     country agreed to submit an individual plan to tackle its 
     greenhouse gas emissions and to report regularly on its 
     emissions and progress made in implementing and achieving its 
     nationally determined contributions; and
       Whereas, President Trump's decision to withdraw the United 
     States from the Paris Agreement will assuredly weaken global 
     efforts to avoid drastic climate change; and
       Whereas, The Trump administration has already communicated 
     its intention to dismantle domestic plans to reduce 
     greenhouse gas emissions, such as protections to reduce gas 
     emissions from the methane gas emissions from oil and gas 
     production and the plan to reduce emissions from power 
     plants; and
       Whereas, In response to President Trump's announcement of 
     his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris 
     Agreement, the Governors of California, New York, and 
     Washington have announced the formation of the United States 
     Climate Alliance, a coalition to convene states committed to 
     upholding the Paris Agreement and to taking aggressive action 
     to address climate change; and
       Whereas, Together California, New York, and Washington 
     represent about 68 million people, or one-fifth of the 
     country's population, and account for nearly 10 percent of 
     the greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and
       Whereas, In addition, 85 mayors, 82 presidents and 
     chancellors of universities, and the leaders of over 100 
     businesses have pledged to continue to meet the United 
     States' greenhouse gas emissions targets despite the 
     President's decision to withdraw the United States from the 
     agreement; and
       Whereas, The United States Climate Alliance will act as a 
     forum to sustain and strengthen existing climate programs, 
     promote the sharing of information and best practices, and 
     develop and implement new programs to reduce carbon 
     emissions; and
       Whereas, The United States Climate Alliance is committed to 
     upholding the Paris Agreement and reducing greenhouse gas 
     emissions in order to avoid the disastrous repercussions of 
     unchecked climate change for the United States and the 
     planet; Now, therefore be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House urges the Governor of New Jersey to join the 
     United States Climate Alliance and take a leadership role in 
     protecting the citizens of New Jersey and the United States, 
     the environment, and the planet from the devastating effects 
     of climate change.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the Governor of New Jersey, the Commissioner of 
     the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the 
     President and Vice-President of the United States, and every 
     member of Congress elected from this State.
                                  ____

       POM-114. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey urging the President of the United 
     States and the United States Congress to continue the state 
     and federal partnership managing the Medicaid program in New 
     Jersey and in the nation; to the Committee on Finance.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 198

       Whereas, The Council of State Governments (CSG) is the 
     nation's only organization serving all three branches of 
     state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters 
     the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials 
     shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, 
     national and international opportunities to network, develop 
     leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships; 
     and
       Whereas, New Jersey is a part of the CSG's Eastern Regional 
     Conference, which is comprised of New Jersey and 10 other 
     member states from Maine to Maryland, the U.S. Virgin 
     Islands, Puerto Rico, and five eastern Canadian Provinces; 
     and
       Whereas, The CSG's Eastern Regional Conference has adopted 
     a resolution urging the federal Executive and Legislative 
     branches of government to maintain the integrity of the 
     strong state and federal partnership that has been the 
     hallmark of the federal Medicaid program since its inception 
     more than fifty years ago; and
       Whereas, As a member of CSG's Eastern Regional Conference, 
     New Jersey strongly supports the continued partnership of the 
     State and the federal government in managing the Medicaid 
     program in New Jersey; and
       Whereas, The Medicaid program was enacted as Title XIX of 
     the Social Security Act in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson 
     to provide medical assistance to individuals whose incomes 
     and resources were insufficient to meet the costs of 
     necessary medical services; and
       Whereas, Federal laws and policies establish a broad 
     framework for the Medicaid program and states are provided 
     flexibility within that framework to design state Medicaid 
     programs which best meet the unique needs of each state to 
     provide all necessary medical services without individual 
     state or national spending caps; and
       Whereas, New Jersey has designed a Medicaid program that is 
     a unique support system tailored to the needs of New Jersey 
     residents; and
       Whereas, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 
     2010, commonly known as the Affordable Care Act, allowed 
     states to opt to expand income eligibility for Medicaid to 
     138 percent of the federal poverty level and provided states 
     a federal match for expenditures to cover 100 percent of the 
     state Medicaid costs for this new cohort through calendar 
     year 2016, after which the match will gradually decrease to 
     90 percent of these costs in calendar year 2020; and
       Whereas, New Jersey chose to provide this expanded Medicaid 
     coverage to its citizens starting in January 2014 and more 
     than 500,000 New Jersey residents have received health 
     insurance coverage through this new expanded eligibility; and
       Whereas, In total, over 1.7 million New Jersey residents, 
     or 20 percent of the State's population, receive their health 
     insurance coverage and gain access to vital health related 
     services through the Medicaid program; and
       Whereas, New Jersey's total Medicaid budget equals $17 
     billion in combined State and federal dollars; and
       Whereas, In addition to providing access to health 
     insurance for individuals, the Medicaid program provides 
     critical financial resources for health care providers and 
     institutions who care for the underserved, supporting the 
     region's health care infrastructure through the Medicaid 
     Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program; and
       Whereas, New Jersey institutions anticipate receiving over 
     $500 million in Medicaid DSH payments in 2016 to support the 
     provision of services to the underserved and develop the 
     region's health care infrastructure; and
       Whereas, Like its partner states throughout the eastern 
     region, New Jersey has benefited from the State and federal 
     partnership which manages the Medicaid program; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. New Jersey, as one of the partner states in the CSG 
     Eastern Regional Conference, strongly supports the 
     continuation of the state and federal partnership managing 
     the Medicaid program in New Jersey and in the nation.
       2. The Legislature urges the President and the Congress of 
     the United States to continue the state and federal 
     partnership managing the Medicaid program to ensure the 
     continuation of the provision of health care services to 
     needy New Jersey residents.
       3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to each member of Congress representing the State of 
     New Jersey, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, 
     the Chief Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & 
     Medicaid Services, and the President of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-115. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey condemning the President of the 
     United States's decision to withdraw the United States from 
     the Paris Climate Accord; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 263

       An Assembly Resolution condemning President Trump's 
     decision to withdraw the

[[Page S6452]]

     United States from the Paris Climate Accord.
        Whereas, The Paris Climate Accord, also known as the 
     ``Paris Agreement,'' is a landmark international agreement 
     reached in 2015 between 195 countries aimed at reducing 
     carbon emissions, slowing rising global temperatures, and 
     helping countries deal with the effects of climate change; 
     and
       Whereas, The Paris Agreement ended the strict 
     differentiation between developed and developing countries 
     that characterized earlier efforts to reduce greenhouse gas 
     emissions, and replaced it with a common framework that 
     commits all participating countries to put forward their best 
     efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
        Whereas, The agreement reaffirmed the goal of limiting 
     global temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius, 
     while urging further efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 
     degrees Celsius; and
       Whereas, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has 
     concluded that the rising global temperature is very likely 
     due to a corresponding increase in the levels of greenhouse 
     gases in the atmosphere produced by human activity and is 
     causing, Earth's climate to change; and
       Whereas, The climate change caused by rising global 
     temperatures will likely: increase the frequency, severity, 
     and duration of heat waves, creating a greater risk for heat-
     related illnesses and deaths, specially among the elderly, 
     very young, disabled. and poor; increase the intensity of 
     hurricanes creating stronger peak winds and increased 
     rainfall, increase the risk of flooding within storm-affected 
     areas and increase the risk of drought in areas located 
     outside storm tracks; and continue to decrease the size of 
     polar ice sheets and land-based glaciers, causing sea levels 
     to rise and contribute to enhanced coastal erosion, coastal 
     flooding, and the loss of coastal wetlands; and
       Whereas, Under the Paris Agreement. every participating 
     country agreed to submit an individual plan to tackle its 
     greenhouse gas emissions and to report regularly on its 
     emissions and progress made in implementing and achieving its 
     nationally determined contributions; and
       Whereas, President Trump's decision to withdraw the United 
     States from this landmark agreement will seriously weaken 
     global efforts to avoid drastic climate change; and
       Whereas, Given the devastating effects of raising global 
     temperatures, it is critical that this country remain in the 
     Paris Climate Accord in order to globally reduce carbon 
     emissions, slow rising global temperatures, and help 
     countries deal with the effects of climate change; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
        1. This House condemns President Trump's decision to 
     withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.
        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, every member of Congress elected from this State, the 
     Governor of New Jersey, and the Commissioner of the New 
     Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
                                  ____

       POM-116. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Colorado concerning ensuring 
     access to reproductive health care; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        House Resolution 17-1005

       Whereas, Colorado has always been committed to a quality 
     health care system and to creating policies that meet the 
     health needs of women and families, including affordable 
     reproductive health services; and
       Whereas, Colorado was the first state to allow safe, legal 
     abortion on a bipartisan basis in 1967; and
       Whereas, The American College of Obstetricians and 
     Gynecologists has stated that ``[s]afe, legal abortion is a 
     necessary component of women's health care'', and health 
     providers and associations affirm that good access to 
     reproductive health care deeply and positively impacts 
     women's lives and futures; and
       Whereas, Reproductive health care is both safe and common. 
     More than 90% of women have used contraception, about three 
     in ten women will have an abortion in her lifetime, and more 
     than half of women will have a child at some point in their 
     lives.
       Whereas, People may disagree with the decision to seek an 
     abortion, but it is a decision that each person should make 
     for themselves with the counsel of their health providers, 
     their families, and their faiths; and
       Whereas, Rates of maternal mortality are decreasing around 
     the world, but increasing in the United States for women of 
     color who face an alarming and disparate rate of pregnancy 
     complications and maternal mortality; and
       Whereas, Restrictions on the availability of reproductive 
     health care and limits on health coverage, such as policies 
     denying insurance coverage for reproductive health services, 
     have a disparate impact on low-income women and women of 
     color and their families; and
       Whereas, Obstacles to obtaining the best method of 
     contraception for each person's unique health and life 
     circumstances remain a barrier to many; and
       Whereas, Low-income women and women of color face a higher 
     rate of unintended pregnancy, so ensuring access to 
     contraception is a critical part of helping to address health 
     disparities in marginalized communities; and
       Whereas, An inability or difficulty to conceive is not only 
     emotionally difficult for people looking to start a family 
     but can be prohibitively expensive, so we must do more to 
     help people seeking to build their families, regardless of 
     sexual orientation or gender identity; and
       Whereas, There is a continued need to address inequities in 
     health care access and ensure culturally and linguistically 
     appropriate training of health providers; now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-
     first General Assembly of the State of Colorado: That we, the 
     members of the Colorado House of Representatives, find that:
       (1) Colorado continues to be a state where all individuals' 
     health remains a top priority, and Coloradans resist attempts 
     to undermine the right to access reproductive health care;
       (2) Access to comprehensive and affordable reproductive 
     health care is critical to ensure that people have the 
     information and services to prevent unintended pregnancies, 
     the support to have healthy pregnancies and become parents 
     when they are ready, and the ability to raise their children 
     in a safe and healthy environment and to be able to care for 
     their families with dignity;
       (3) State, county, and city health departments shall 
     promote policies to ensure access to a full range of 
     reproductive health care, including abortion, and eliminate 
     disparities that prevent low-income women and women of color 
     from seeking safe, high-quality care;
       (4) Both public and private health insurance should cover 
     the full range of reproductive health care, including 
     abortion;
       (5) Facilities and professionals providing reproductive 
     health services shall not be subjected to regulations that do 
     not have a medical benefit and that are more burdensome than 
     those imposed on other facilities or health care 
     professionals that provide medically comparable procedures. 
     Provision of services should be based on the best medical 
     practices as developed by medical experts and supported by 
     medical evidence.
       (6) All qualified health care professionals shall be able 
     to provide the full range of reproductive health care, 
     including abortion, and have access to appropriate medical 
     training. Be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to 
     President Donald J. Trump; Vice President Mike Pence; Paul 
     Ryan, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; 
     Orrin Hatch, President Pro Tempore of the United States 
     Senate; Governor John W. Hickenlooper; Dr. Larry Wolk, 
     Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health and 
     Environment; and the members of Colorado's Congressional 
     Delegation.

                          ____________________