[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2435-S2439]
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-205. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona petitioning the United States 
     Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members 
     of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal 
     Service Company to honor their unique and distinguished 
     service with the Ghost Army during World War II; to the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2008

       Whereas, during World War II in the European Theater of 
     Operations, the American GIs of the 23rd Headquarters Special 
     Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company wielded 
     creativity and illusion to fool the German Army on the 
     battlefield; and
       Whereas, using inflatable tanks and artillery, sound 
     equipment and impersonation, Ghost Army soldiers contrived to 
     confuse the enemy about where the real Allied fighting units 
     were located; and
       Whereas, in so doing, these unsung heroes risked their own 
     lives to draw fire away from American troops on the 
     battlefields of Europe; and
       Whereas, these soldiers carried out more than 20 deception 
     missions on or near the front lines in France, Luxembourg, 
     Belgium, Germany and Italy, which cost them dozens of 
     casualties, including the loss of three lives; and
       Whereas, the men of these United States Army units are 
     credited with saving thousands of American GIs and helping 
     win World War II; and
       Whereas, their daring battlefield deceptions were kept 
     secret for more than fifty years after the war, and, because 
     of that secrecy, they never received public recognition for 
     their valor; and
       Whereas, the veterans of the 23rd Headquarters Special 
     Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company made significant 
     contributions to our nation but never sought praise or honors 
     for themselves for their wartime exploits; and
       Whereas, these men literally serve as an inspiration to the 
     latest generation of soldiers serving in intelligence roles 
     as the United States Army uses the story of the Ghost Army in 
     the Intelligence School at Fort Huachuca; and
       Whereas, several soldiers who called Arizona home before or 
     after the war served in these deception units, including 
     Glenn Uhles, who is buried in the National Memorial Center of 
     Arizona, and painter Hal Laynor; and
       Whereas, this state is deeply grateful for the 
     extraordinary courage and remarkable ingenuity of the Ghost 
     Soldiers in facing the enemy, and the people of Arizona laud 
     these veterans for their proficient use of innovative tactics 
     during World War II, which saved lives and made significant 
     contributions to the defeat of the Axis powers; and
       Whereas, the extraordinary accomplishments of the 23rd 
     Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service 
     Company deserve belated official recognition now, while some 
     of the soldiers are still living. Wherefore your memorialist, 
     the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the 
     Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress award a Congressional 
     Gold Medal to the members of the 23rd Headquarters Special 
     Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company to honor their 
     unique and distinguished service with the Ghost Army during 
     World War II.
       2. That the Members of the United States Congress enact 
     H.R. 2701 and S. 1256 to honor

[[Page S2436]]

     the achievements of the Ghost Army in conducting deception 
     operations in Europe during World War II.
       3. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State 
     of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-206. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     allow the Department of Transportation to provide additional 
     Essential Air Service (EAS)-specific waivers for the 1,500 
     flight-hour training requirement to airlines to allow second-
     in-command commercial airline pilots the flexibility to serve 
     EAS communities; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2005

       Whereas, the City of Prescott is an Essential Air Service 
     (``EAS'') community; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress instituted a 
     requirement following the February 2009 airline accident 
     involving Colgan Air Flight 3407; and
       Whereas, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded 
     that the cause of the crash was pilot error and inability to 
     properly handle the aircraft; and
       Whereas, following the crash, Congress implemented a 
     requirement that all second-in-command commercial pilots 
     obtain roughly 1,500 hours of flight time; and
       Whereas, the first pilot in command of Colgan Air Flight 
     3407 had logged 3,379 total hours of flight time and the 
     second pilot in command had logged 2,244 hours of flight 
     time; and
       Whereas, the pilots involved in the Flight 3407 crash met 
     all the requirements under the new rule but were unfamiliar 
     with the aircraft that crashed; and
       Whereas, the current flight-hour requirement is the same 
     regardless of the aircraft in use; and
       Whereas, the current flight-hour requirement emphasizes 
     quantity of flight hours over quality of flight hours; and
       Whereas, EAS communities are often small or rural in nature 
     and rely on smaller regional airlines using smaller aircraft, 
     including smaller turboprop or jets, to support their 
     communities; and
       Whereas, without these smaller airlines and the pilots to 
     fly the aircraft, rural communities would lose their 
     connectivity to the rest of the nation; and
       Whereas, many pilots cannot justify the high cost of 
     education with several years of low salaries and 
     unpredictable schedules to obtain the required 1,500 hours of 
     flight time before being able to advance to a regional or 
     major airline; and
       Whereas, the 1,500 flight-hour rule incentivizes many 
     pilots, on achieving the minimum requirement, to work for 
     large commercial airlines in an effort to pay off their 
     student loan expenses instead of remaining in EAS 
     communities; and
       Whereas, before the rule's implementation, second-in-
     command commercial pilots needed only approximately 250 hours 
     of flight time; and
       Whereas, the current 1,500 flight-hour rule has reduced the 
     number of pilots working in EAS communities.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of 
     the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress act expeditiously to 
     allow the United States Department of Transportation to 
     provide additional EAS-specific waivers for the 1,500 flight-
     hour training requirement to airlines to allow second-in-
     command commercial airline pilots the flexibility to serve 
     EAS communities.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State 
     of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-207. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Idaho urging the Secretary of Transportation to 
     revise regulations to provide that the weight of a trailer 
     being pulled by a commercial motor vehicle may not be 
     included in the trigger weight of 26,001 pounds, requiring 
     the truck's operator to have a commercial driver's license; 
     to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                      House Joint Memorial No. 12

       Whereas, Congress has delegated authority to the United 
     States Secretary of Transportation to prescribe regulations 
     on minimum standards for written and driving tests of an 
     individual operating a motor vehicle; and
       Whereas, Congress granted authority to the United States 
     Secretary of Transportation to prescribe different minimum 
     testing standards for different classes of commercial motor 
     vehicles; and
       Whereas, Congress provided by law in 49 U.S.C. 31301 that 
     one factor in establishing whether a vehicle is a commercial 
     motor vehicle is whether the vehicle has a gross vehicle 
     weight rating or gross vehicle weight of no more than 26,001 
     pounds, but made no mention of combination vehicles pulling 
     trailers; and
       Whereas, the United States Secretary of Transportation has 
     prescribed regulations that apply the trigger weight to a 
     combination of vehicles if a vehicle being towed exceeds 
     10,000 pounds. For example, the operator of a commercial 
     truck weighing 15,500 pounds that tows a trailer weighing 
     11,000 pounds would be required to obtain a Class A 
     commercial driver's license; and
       Whereas, many small businesses use trailers in their work, 
     such as landscape work and construction or repair work; and
       Whereas, requiring small business owners to obtain 
     commercial driver's licenses in order to pull trailers behind 
     their trucks poses an unnecessary obstacle to the ability of 
     small business owners to earn their living. Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, By the members of the Second Regular Session of 
     the Sixty-fourth Idaho Legislature, the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that the 
     United States Secretary of Transportation is urged to revise 
     regulations to provide that the weight of a trailer being 
     pulled by a commercial motor vehicle may not be included in 
     the trigger weight of 26,001 pounds, requiring the truck's 
     operator to have a commercial driver's license. Be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed 
     to forward a copy of this Memorial to the United States 
     Secretary of Transportation, the President of the Senate and 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, and 
     to the congressional delegation representing the State of 
     Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-208. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     reauthorize Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
     Determination Act funding; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                    Senate Concurrent Memorial 1007

       Whereas, rural communities and schools in and around 
     national forests have historically relied on a share of 
     receipts from timber harvests to support education services 
     and roads; and
       Whereas, in the 1980s, federal restrictions substantially 
     diminished the revenue-generating timber harvests permitted 
     in these forests; and
       Whereas, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
     Determination Act (SRS) was passed in 2000 to stabilize and 
     transition payments to counties and schools away from the 
     declining and unreliable share of timber sales; and
       Whereas, the failure of Congress to honor the more than 
     100-year-old contract between the federal government and 
     heavily forested communities by not reauthorizing SRS funding 
     for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 and other years created 
     budgetary shortfalls for rural counties and school districts.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of 
     Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress immediately reauthorize 
     SRS funding for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 and work toward a 
     long-term solution.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit a copy of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and 
     each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-209. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Idaho memorializing its opposition to any new 
     federal national monument designations or further 
     designations of wilderness in the State of Idaho without the 
     approval of the United States Congress and the Idaho 
     Legislature; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                      House Joint Memorial No. 14

       Whereas, the Antiquities Act was passed by the United 
     States Congress and signed into law by President Theodore 
     Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. The law gives the President of the 
     United States the authority to, by presidential proclamation, 
     create national monuments from federal lands to protect 
     significant natural, cultural or scientific features. The law 
     has been used more than one hundred times since its passage; 
     and
       Whereas, the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964 and, since 
     that time, the United States Congress has designated nearly 
     110 million acres of federal wildlands as official 
     wilderness, which has the highest form of protection of any 
     federal wildland; and
       Whereas, almost sixty-two percent of land in Idaho is 
     federal land; and
       Whereas, residents of the State of Idaho support multiple 
     use of public land. Current multiple use and private land 
     protection policies governing the management of public land 
     in Idaho have generally served and sustained the interests of 
     Idaho residents; and
       Whereas, ranching and agriculture play a substantial role 
     in the state's heritage and identity and should be preserved; 
     and
       Whereas, ranching, agriculture, mining, the forestry 
     industry and recreation are primary economic drivers in the 
     state, with agribusiness and recreation each contributing an 
     estimated $7.6 billion, the mining industry contributing $1.3 
     billion and the forestry industry contributing $2 billion to 
     the economy annually in recent years, all of which would be 
     substantially impacted by any land management changes; and
       Whereas, Idaho residents, families and visitors currently 
     enjoy multiple use on federal lands and have generations of 
     family traditions. Changing federal land designations would 
     impact local wildlife management as well as opportunities to 
     hunt and fish; and

[[Page S2437]]

       Whereas, changes in federal land designations or 
     classifications would affect land use by imposing 
     restrictions on development, resource extraction, recreation 
     and land exchanges that would result in diminished economic 
     opportunities and restrictions on access and multiple use; 
     and
       Whereas, the people of the State of Idaho value abundant 
     water resources and water rights and have concern that new 
     national monument designations or further designation of 
     wilderness by Congress could affect those resources and 
     rights; and
       Whereas, the Idaho Roadless Rule is Idaho's 2006 plan that 
     provides a framework for use and protection of more than nine 
     million acres of federal public backcountry. The rule is 
     viewed as a nationwide model of collaboration among groups 
     and individuals with diverse interests and concerns; and
       Whereas, the Roadless Rule specifically prescribes 
     protective management under the wildland recreation theme, 
     and it is feared that utilization of the Antiquities Act for 
     new national monument designations or further designation of 
     wilderness by Congress would overturn the agreement reached 
     in the formulation of the Idaho Roadless Rule, with no effort 
     to reach consensus through coordination as required by 
     federal law; and
       Whereas, several years ago, advisory votes relating to a 
     suggested new national monument designation and a wilderness 
     designation in Idaho were held in a number of potentially 
     affected counties in central and eastern Idaho, both showing 
     over ninety percent opposition to such designations. Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the members of the Second Regular Session of 
     the Sixty-fourth Idaho Legislature, the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we 
     oppose any new federal national monument designations or 
     further designations of wilderness in the State of Idaho 
     without the approval of the United States Congress and the 
     Idaho Legislature. Be it further
       Resolved, That the Idaho congressional delegation is urged 
     to introduce and support legislation to oppose any new 
     federal national monument designations or further 
     designations of wilderness in the State of Idaho without the 
     approval of the United States Congress and the Idaho 
     Legislature. Be it further
       Resolved, That any efforts to reach decisions regarding 
     lands and resources of the State of Idaho administered by 
     federal agencies or their designees be made through the 
     lawful coordination process as required by the National 
     Environmental Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and 
     Management Act, the National Forest Management Act, the 2012 
     Forest Service Planning Rule and other federal acts requiring 
     coordination, rather than by unilateral administrative 
     processes that exclude the residents of the State of Idaho. 
     Be it further
       Resolved, That, nothing in this Joint Memorial is intended 
     to conflict with the maximization of the collaborative 
     process and the Good Neighbor Authority, together with the 
     tools available to address stakeholder interests in the 
     management of federal lands. Be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed 
     to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the 
     Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of 
     Congress, and to the congressional delegation representing 
     the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-210. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     immediately conduct a full and transparent investigation into 
     organ transplant and procurement practices in the People's 
     Republic of China; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2004

       Whereas, since July 1999, the People's Republic of China 
     has persecuted practitioners of Falun Gong--a spiritual 
     practice with key values of truthfulness, compassion and 
     forbearance for achieving physical and spiritual well-being 
     through exercise and meditation--as documented by the United 
     States Department of State, the United States Commission on 
     International Religious Freedom, Amnesty International, Human 
     Rights Watch, Freedom House and many other governmental and 
     third-party organizations; and
       Whereas, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners 
     involves the widespread use of torture, forced labor work, 
     illegal detention centers and prisons, and these illegally 
     detained prisoners of conscience experience forced medical 
     examinations, including blood and urine testing, x-rays, 
     ultrasounds and CT scans; and
       Whereas, the official reported transplant numbers in China 
     increased threefold nationwide between 1999 and 2004, 
     parallel to the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong; and
       Whereas, the organ transplant system in China does not 
     comply with the World Health Organization's requirement for 
     transparent and traceable accessibility of organ procurement 
     practices, and the People's Republic of China has prevented 
     any independent or impartial inspection and verification of 
     its transplant system; and
       Whereas, the current chairman of China's Human Organ and 
     Transplant Committee, Dr. Huang Jiefu, claimed that China 
     would stop sourcing organs from executed prisoners on January 
     1, 2015, yet no official agency of the People's Republic of 
     China has made such a declaration nor has this claim been 
     verified by any independent researcher. In May 2016, Dr. 
     Jiefu announced via state-run media that China would increase 
     the number of transplant centers from 169 to 300 over the 
     next five years; and
       Whereas, the People's Republic of China has not officially 
     repealed provisions implemented in 1984 that allow the 
     harvesting of organs from executed prisoners, and the use of 
     organs from executed prisoners therefore remains legal; and
       Whereas, large discrepancies exist between the People's 
     Republic of China's officially reported transplant numbers 
     and those estimated by independent researchers; and
       Whereas, updated evidence estimates that between 30,000 and 
     100,000 transplants occur annually in China without 
     identified organ sources; and
       Whereas, updated evidence suggests that a significant 
     number of Falun Gong practitioners may have been killed for 
     their organs since 1999; and
       Whereas, recipients for these transplants are Chinese 
     citizens and individuals from abroad, including the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, in 2015, the United States Commission on 
     International Religious Freedom's annual report again listed 
     China as a ``country of particular concern'' due to severe 
     human rights violations and illegal organ harvesting 
     practices, stating that ``imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners 
     are particularly targeted''; and
       Whereas, in 2015 and 2016, the Congressional-Executive 
     Commission on China condemned ongoing, unethical forced organ 
     harvesting practices in China; and
       Whereas, in March 2015, the Council of Europe passed a 
     Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs that stated 
     ``trafficking in human organs violates human dignity and the 
     right to life and constitutes a serious threat to public 
     health''; and
       Whereas, in May 2016, the Minnesota Legislature passed 
     Resolution S.F. No. 2090, ``expressing concern over 
     persistent and credible reports of systematic, state-
     sanctioned, forced organ harvesting from nonconsenting 
     prisoners of conscience, primarily from Falun Gong 
     practitioners imprisoned for their spiritual beliefs, and 
     members of other religious and ethnic minority groups in the 
     People's Republic of China''; and
       Whereas, in June 2016, the United States House of 
     Representatives passed House Resolution 343 expressing 
     concern over China's organ procurement from nonconsenting 
     prisoners of conscience, including ``large numbers of Falun 
     Gong practitioners and members of other religious and ethnic 
     minority groups''; and
       Whereas, in September 2016, the European Parliament passed 
     Written Declaration 0048, which states that ``the 
     international community has strongly condemned organ 
     harvesting in China and actions should be taken to end it''; 
     and
       Whereas, the charitable medical ethics advocacy association 
     Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, which has monitored 
     and objectively reported on the transplant situation in China 
     for the last decade, was nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace 
     Prize; and
       Whereas, the killing of prisoners, including religious or 
     political prisoners, to sell their organs for transplant is 
     an egregious and intolerable violation of the fundamental 
     right to life.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of 
     the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress immediately conduct a 
     full and transparent investigation into organ transplant and 
     procurement practices in the People's Republic of China.
       2. That the United States Congress prohibit the entry into 
     the United States of doctors involved in unethical organ 
     procurement or transplant surgery using organs harvested from 
     prisoners in China.
       3. That the United States Congress enact legislation to 
     prohibit United States citizens from receiving organ 
     transplants abroad if the organ sourcing is neither 
     transparent nor traceable according to international ethical 
     guidelines.
       4. That Arizona's medical community caution patients 
     against traveling to China for organs and strive to raise 
     awareness among health care providers, students, patients and 
     the public of the unethical organ transplant practices in the 
     People's Republic of China.
       5. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives, the Executive Director of the Arizona 
     Medical Board and the Dean of the University of Arizona 
     College of Medicine.
                                  ____

       POM-211. A joint memorial adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Idaho urging the Department of State to support 
     several positions in negotiations with Canada regarding any 
     modification or future implementation of the Columbia River 
     Treaty; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                      House Joint Memorial No. 11

       Whereas, since it was implemented in 1964, the Columbia 
     River Treaty has provided for a coordinated management of the 
     Columbia River to reduce flooding impacts and increase power 
     generation throughout the Columbia River Basin; and
       Whereas, the treaty provides that either the United States 
     or Canada may terminate

[[Page S2438]]

     the treaty by providing written notice at least 10 years in 
     advance of termination; and
       Whereas, the U.S. and Canadian entities previously reviewed 
     the treaty and determined that the treaty should be modified; 
     and
       Whereas, on December 7, 2017, the U.S. State Department 
     issued a press release stating that the United States and 
     Canada will begin negotiations to modernize the treaty in 
     early 2018; and
       Whereas, the U.S. Entity Regional Recommendation of 2013 
     concluded that the purposes of a ``modernized'' treaty should 
     be expanded to include consideration of ``ecosystem-based 
     function'' in addition to the original flood control and 
     hydropower purposes of the treaty; and
       Whereas, unless otherwise agreed to, the treaty provides 
     that, in 2024, flood control operations will automatically 
     shift from providing guaranteed flood control space in 
     Canadian reservoirs to ``called upon'' flood control 
     operations; and
       Whereas, the U.S. and Canadian entities have provided 
     differing interpretations of the ``called upon'' flood 
     control provisions, with the U.S. Entity asserting that 
     ``called upon'' operations apply only to dams in the Columbia 
     River Basin specifically authorized for ``system-wide flood 
     control,'' and the Canadian Entity taking the position that 
     all U.S. storage projects in the Columbia River Basin must be 
     utilized for system-wide flood control before Canadian 
     reservoirs are called upon to provide any flood control 
     space; and
       Whereas, altered flood control operations could have 
     devastating impacts on reservoir storage and operation 
     levels, irrigation, recreation, hydropower, local flood 
     control and other authorized purposes in Idaho; and
       Whereas, the Canadian Entitlement, whereby the U.S. and 
     Canadian entities share the increased power production 
     created by coordinated river operations, has proven to be 
     imbalanced in favor of Canada; and
       Whereas, including ecosystem-based function in a modernized 
     treaty could have adverse impacts on existing beneficial uses 
     of the river and create greater uncertainty in a river system 
     that is already heavily regulated; and
       Whereas, the Regional Recommendation fails to recognize the 
     substantial investment in ecosystem-based function made by 
     Northwest region hydropower producers and their customers, 
     including billions of dollars invested in fish passage and 
     habitat efforts and the development and implementation of 
     robust environmental mitigation plans; and
       Whereas, navigation should be protected, and adverse flows 
     should not impact the transportation channel or lock system 
     operations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the members of the Second Regular Session of 
     the Sixty-fourth Idaho Legislature, the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we 
     urge the U.S. Department of State to support the following 
     positions in negotiations with Canada regarding any 
     modification or future implementation of the Columbia River 
     Treaty:
       (1) Recognize and protect the authorized purposes and water 
     rights for storage projects in Idaho, including irrigation, 
     recreation, hydropower and local flood control;
       (2) Advocate that only storage projects specifically 
     authorized by Congress for system-wide flood control may be 
     required to provide such benefits under the treaty, with no 
     increased flood control burden placed on projects in Idaho;
       (3) Recognize a need to review and rebalance the Canadian 
     Entitlement;
       (4) Recognize the ecosystem benefits that have already been 
     provided by storage projects in the United States pursuant to 
     the other federal laws and refrain from advocating for 
     additional ecosystem contributions from U.S. projects;
       (5) Recognize that ecosystem restoration, as that term has 
     been used by some proponents of modernization, is 
     intentionally vague and if incorporated into an international 
     treaty could be used as a vehicle to override and infringe 
     upon existing federal environmental laws and usurp state 
     sovereignty over water and, therefore, require any treaty 
     modification to preserve federal environmental protection 
     laws and state water laws and reject any additional 
     mitigation requirements;
       (6) Require any treaty modification to recognize the 
     primary authority and state sovereignty of Idaho and its 
     sister states over their respective water resources;
       (7) Reject any attempts through the treaty modification 
     process to incorporate the reintroduction of anadromous 
     species above Hells Canyon or Dworshak, as such efforts are 
     outside the scope of the treaty purposes; and
       (8) Protect navigation so that adverse flows do not impact 
     the transportation channel or block system operations; and be 
     it further
       Resolved that the Chief Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed 
     to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the 
     Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of 
     Congress, and to the congressional delegation representing 
     the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States, the 
     U.S. Department of State, the Columbia River Treaty 
     Negotiator, the U.S. Entity Coordinator, Bonneville Power 
     Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
                                  ____

       POM-212. A concurrent resolution adopted by General 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky urging the United 
     States Congress to amend the federal Controlled Substances 
     Act to remove hemp from the definition of marijuana; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 35

       Whereas, for several years, hemp, a non-narcotic low-
     concentration THC variety of the cannabis plant, has been 
     listed along with marijuana under the federal Controlled 
     Substances Act; and
       Whereas, in 2014, Congress enacted a provision of law, now 
     codified as 7 U.S.C. sec. 5940, authorizing state departments 
     of agriculture and institutions of higher education to grow 
     or cultivate industrial hemp in jurisdictions where it is 
     allowed by state law for purposes of research conducted under 
     an agricultural pilot program or other agricultural or 
     academic research; and
       Whereas, since 2014, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture 
     has conducted a hemp research pilot program that is widely 
     regarded as a model for other states to emulate; and
       Whereas, Kentucky's farmers planted 33 acres of hemp in 
     2014, a total of 922 acres in 2015, some 2,300 acres in 2016, 
     and 3,200 acres in 2017; and
       Whereas, from 2014 to 2017, the number of farmers in 
     Kentucky growing hemp increased from 20 to 204, with even 
     more interest in hemp production anticipated in 2018; and
       Whereas, from 2014 to 2017, the number of hemp processors 
     increased from nine to 49; and
       Whereas, in 2017, the General Assembly amended Kentucky's 
     Controlled Substances Act to exclude many hemp materials and 
     products from the Commonwealth's definition of illegal 
     marijuana; and
       Whereas, processors in Kentucky and other states have 
     proven that hemp is an economically viable agricultural 
     commodity that can be used to make a wide variety of useful 
     products, including products for human consumption; and
       Whereas, removing hemp from the federal definition of 
     marijuana would allow Kentucky's community of hemp farmers 
     and processors to take full advantage of this promising 
     agricultural crop; Now, Therefore,
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the General 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate 
     concurring therein:
       Section 1. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 
     Kentucky urges the United States Congress to take action by 
     enacting legislation that:
       (1) Encourages large-scale commercial cultivation of hemp 
     by removing it from the list of controlled substances under 
     the federal Controlled Substances Act;
       (2) Prevents the federal Drug Enforcement Administration 
     (DEA) from sending DEA agents onto farms and other sites 
     where hemp is being grown, stored, and processed;
       (3) Creates legal protections for depository institutions 
     that provide financial services to legitimate hemp 
     businesses; and
       (4) Instructs the federal Food and Drug Administration to 
     accelerate clinical trials and other research on the health 
     effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids found in 
     hemp.
       Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
     send a copy of this Resolution and notification of its 
     adoption to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United 
     States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States 
     Senate, and each member of Kentucky's delegation to the 
     United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-213. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wyoming urging the United States Congress to 
     enact legislation permitting western states to enter into a 
     voluntary compact to establish a graduated commercial driver 
     licensing program that would allow commercial drivers between 
     eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) years of age to operate a 
     commercial motor vehicle in a consenting, contiguous states; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                    Enrolled Joint Resolution No. 1

       Whereas, federal law requires drivers to be at least 
     twenty-one (21) years of age to operate a commercial motor 
     vehicle between states; and
       Whereas, drivers who are between eighteen (18) and twenty-
     one (21) years of age may operate a commercial motor vehicle 
     intrastate within the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, 
     Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, 
     South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming; and
       Whereas, the trucking industry delivers goods across state 
     lines and faces a severe shortage of drivers because of 
     increased shipping demand and a high number of retiring 
     drivers; and
       Whereas, it is difficult to recruit drivers who are twenty-
     one (21) years of age or older into the trucking industry 
     because they have already entered another career path; and
       Whereas, the unemployment rate for persons between eighteen 
     (18) and twenty-one (21) years of age is higher than that of 
     other age groups; and
       Whereas, the safety performance statistics for 
     noncommercial drivers who are between eighteen (18) and 
     twenty-one (21) years of age do not necessarily reflect the 
     safety performance of the same group who hold a commercial 
     driver's license; and

[[Page S2439]]

       Whereas, the safety benefits of graduated licensing for 
     noncommercial vehicle drivers are well documented and similar 
     safety benefits may be possible with a graduated commercial 
     licensing program that expands commercial driving privileges; 
     and
       Whereas, legislation allowing a voluntary compact between 
     Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New 
     Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming 
     could include a conditional lowering of the twenty-one (21) 
     year old commercial driver age requirement and would allow 
     these contiguous states to establish a graduated commercial 
     driver licensing program to allow drivers between eighteen 
     (18) and twenty-one (21) years of age to operate a commercial 
     motor vehicle in a consenting, contiguous state. Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Members of the Legislature of the State of 
     Wyoming:
       Section 1. That Congress enact legislation permitting 
     Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New 
     Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming 
     to enter into a voluntary compact to establish a graduated 
     commercial driver licensing program to allow drivers who are 
     between eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) years of age and 
     who hold a commercial driver's license issued by a compact 
     state to operate a commercial motor vehicle in a consenting, 
     contiguous compact state.
       Section 2. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and the Majority 
     Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives of the United States Congress, the Wyoming 
     Congressional Delegation and to the congressional delegations 
     and the legislative bodies of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, 
     Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, 
     South Dakota and Utah.
                                  ____

       POM-214. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona petitioning the United States 
     Congress to enact into law the proposed Blue Water Navy 
     Vietnam Veterans Act; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2007

       Whereas, United States service members who served in the 
     territorial seas of Vietnam during the Vietnam War were 
     exposed to more than 20 million gallons of the herbicide 
     Agent Orange, a toxic chemical linked to a variety of 
     detrimental health effects; and
       Whereas, the Agent Orange Act of 1991 allowed the United 
     States Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expeditiously deliver 
     veterans' benefits to veterans who suffer from any of the 
     diseases the federal government linked to Agent Orange, but 
     this act was limited in 2002 to only those veterans who could 
     provide proof of ``boots on the ground'' in Vietnam; and
       Whereas, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would 
     restore the presumptive coverage for blue water veterans and 
     lift from these individuals the burden of having to prove 
     their exposure to Agent Orange; and
       Whereas, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would 
     lessen the suffering of veterans who are currently enduring 
     diseases they received as a result of their honorable service 
     to this nation.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of 
     the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress enact into law the 
     proposed Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State 
     of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-215. A proclamation adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Council of Hawaiian Gardens, California, memorializing its 
     support of Falun Gong practitioners in China and condemning 
     practices of forced and non-consenting organ harvesting; to 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       POM-216. A resolution adopted by the City Commission of the 
     City of Miami, Florida, urging the President of the United 
     States and the United States Congress to reinstate Temporary 
     Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians and affected Central 
     American immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua 
     residing in the United States, to extend TPS to Venezuelans 
     fleeing the circumstances of their country, to either 
     reinstate or extend the Deferred Action for Childhood 
     Arrivals (DACA) Program, and to adopt legislation necessary 
     to permanently protect Dreamers; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          ____________________