[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 76 (Thursday, May 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2621-S2622]
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-223. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     enact H.R. 2603, or similar legislation, to amend the 
     Endangered Species Act of 1973; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                    Senate Concurrent Memorial 1008

       Whereas, H.R. 2603, the Saving America's Endangered Species 
     Act, or the SAVES Act, has been introduced in the United 
     States House of Representatives; and
       Whereas, this important legislation would amend the 
     Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that nonnative 
     species in the United States not be treated as endangered or 
     threatened species for the purposes of that act.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of 
     Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress enact H.R. 2603, or 
     similar legislation, to amend the Endangered Species Act of 
     1973.
       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-224. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     act to address the border sanitation problems that have 
     resulted from the inadequate maintenance of the Naco, Sonora 
     wastewater treatment facility; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                    Senate Concurrent Memorial 1012

       Whereas, Naco, Arizona and Naco, Sonora are sister cities 
     on either side of the United States-Mexico border; and
       Whereas, the Naco, Sonora wastewater treatment facility is 
     located adjacent to the international border and was last 
     upgraded two decades ago; and
       Whereas, the Naco, Sonora wastewater treatment facility has 
     not been adequately maintained and, as a result, regularly 
     exceeds capacity during periods of equipment maintenance, 
     rain or other events that interrupt normal operations; and
       Whereas, exceedances of capacity have resulted in 
     intermittent flows of untreated wastewater for years from the 
     surface discharge point in Naco, Sonora across the 
     international boundary onto public and private property in 
     and adjacent to Naco, Arizona; and
       Whereas, as stated in Minute No. 273 titled Recommendations 
     for the Solution of the Border Sanitation Problem at Naco, 
     Arizona-Naco, Sonora, which was executed by the United States 
     and Mexico sections of the International Boundary and Water 
     Commission, the ``Commissioners observed that the border 
     sanitation problem in the Naco, Arizona-Naco, Sonora area 
     results from the Naco, Sonora wastewater collection, 
     treatment and disposal system into the natural drainage 
     courses that flow northward across the international 
     boundary''; and
       Whereas, also according to Minute No. 273, the 
     ``Commissioners further observed that because of the 
     topography, the natural drainage traverses a wellfield area 
     which provides the municipal water supply for the City of 
     Bisbee, Arizona''; and
       Whereas, Minute No. 273 also references Article 3 of the 
     1944 Treaty on the Utilization of the Water of the Colorado 
     and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, which stipulates 
     that the two Governments ``agree to give preferential 
     attention to the solution of all border sanitation 
     problems''; and
       Whereas, the International Outfall Interceptor is the 
     binational sewage pipe that conveys wastewater from Sonora 
     and Arizona to the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment 
     Plant; and
       Whereas, the United States International Boundary and Water 
     Commission and the City of Nogales are co-owners of the 
     Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which 
     provides treatment of sewage for both Nogales, Arizona and 
     Nogales, Sonora; and
       Whereas, legislation has been introduced in the United 
     States Senate and United States House of Representatives to 
     direct the United States section of the International 
     Boundary and Water Commission to charge Nogales, Arizona an 
     equitable proportion of the costs for operating and 
     maintaining the Nogales sanitation project based on the 
     average daily volume of wastewater originating from Nogales; 
     and
       Whereas, the proposed legislation declares that Nogales is 
     not obligated to contribute any capital costs of repairing or 
     upgrading the project; and
       Whereas, Arizonans who reside near the Arizona-Mexico 
     border are concerned about the quality of drinking water 
     because of previous international sewage disasters.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of 
     Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress act to address the 
     border sanitation problems that have resulted from the 
     inadequate maintenance of the Naco, Sonora wastewater 
     treatment facility.
       2. That the United States Congress enact the Nogales 
     Wastewater Fairness Act as a necessary first step in reaching 
     a comprehensive solution to ongoing border sewage 
     complications of the Arizona border.
       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-225. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the United States Congress to 
     act expeditiously to increase and maintain staffing for 
     qualified and properly vetted Customs Field Office personnel 
     at the ports of entry in Nogales, Douglas and San Luis, 
     Arizona in order to prudently speed the flow of goods and 
     commerce; to the Committee on Finance.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2002

       Whereas, the United States and Mexico are important trade 
     partners, and commerce between the two countries is a 
     critical source of jobs, income and exchange; and
       Whereas, according to the United States Department of 
     Commerce, more than $500 billion in bilateral trade and over 
     $100 billion in cross-border investment occur annually; and
       Whereas, in Arizona, $28 billion in two-way trade is 
     processed annually through Arizona's ports of entry, and
       Whereas, according to the United States Census Bureau, 
     Arizona exports to Mexico totaled $7.1 billion in 2013; and
       Whereas, the prime conduits for cross-border trade are 
     through the ports of entry in Nogales, Douglas and San Luis, 
     Arizona; and
       Whereas, the Customs Field Office personnel within the 
     United States Customs and Border Protection service of the 
     United States Department of Homeland Security serve a vital 
     function in promoting security and economic stability; and
       Whereas, the lack of capacity and staffing for customs 
     inspections at these primary entry points creates congestion 
     for incoming and outgoing goods, hampers commercial activity 
     and potentially compromises border security; and
       Whereas, these impediments ultimately translate into 
     perished agricultural produce and lost business opportunities 
     and income; and
       Whereas, the rapid delivery of goods and commerce enhances 
     business activity and strengthens economic integration; and
       Whereas, greater inspection capacity at the ports of entry 
     in Nogales, Douglas and San Luis, Arizona will enhance the 
     safety and swiftness of goods moving across the border, 
     benefiting the economies of both nations; and
       Whereas, increasing the number of Customs Field Office 
     personnel at these United States border sites will facilitate 
     commercial traffic and will result in increased economic 
     growth and stability for Arizona; and
       Whereas, a letter dated October 14, 2014 that was signed by 
     every member of the Arizona Congressional delegation and sent 
     to the United States Department of Homeland Security 
     expressed the need for greater staffing and allocation of 
     personnel to Arizona's ports of entry.
       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 
     increase and maintain staffing for qualified and properly 
     vetted Customs Field Office personnel at the ports of entry 
     in Nogales, Douglas and San Luis, Arizona in order to 
     prudently speed the flow of goods and commerce.
       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-226. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services to select former 
     Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove and the 
     former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster and Horsham, 
     Warrington and Warminster Townships for an

[[Page S2622]]

     exposure assessment and study on human health implications of 
     perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination; 
     to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        House Resolution No. 682

       Whereas, The United States military used foam containing 
     perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid 
     (PFOA), unregulated contaminants, in firefighting training at 
     two former bases, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow 
     Grove in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, and Naval Air 
     Warfare Center Warminster in Warminster Township, Bucks 
     County, Pennsylvania; and
       Whereas, The former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base 
     Willow Grove is the location of Horsham Air Guard Station, an 
     active base of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard; and
       Whereas, The chemicals have appeared in elevated levels in 
     public and private water wells; and
       Whereas, PFOS and PFOA are ``extremely persistent in the 
     environment and resistant to typical environmental 
     degradation processes,'' according to the Environmental 
     Protection Agency (EPA), which has also stated: ``The 
     toxicity, mobility and bioaccumulation potential of PFOS and 
     PFOA pose potential adverse effects for the environment and 
     human health''; and
       Whereas, A growing body of science has established 
     associations between PFOS and PFOA and a range of health 
     effects, including a variety of cancers; and
       Whereas, The chemicals were first discovered in local 
     public water supplies near the former military bases by an 
     EPA testing program, resulting in several public water wells 
     being taken offline; and
       Whereas, On May 19, 2016, the EPA issued an update to its 
     health advisory for PFOS and PFOA that significantly reduces 
     the amount considered safe in drinking water: in the worst 
     possible case, water containing the chemicals at an amount 
     previously deemed safe would now be more than eight times 
     over the recommended limits; and
       Whereas, The new recommended levels have resulted in 
     officials from the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority, 
     Warminster Municipal Authority and Warrington Township Water 
     and Sewer Department shutting down contaminated public 
     drinking water wells, including 16 municipal wells in 
     Horsham, Warrington and Warminster Townships and nearly 150 
     private wells; and
       Whereas, Section 316 of the National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91, 131 Stat. 1283 
     requires the United States Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services to conduct an exposure assessment of at least eight 
     current or former domestic military installations known to 
     have perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) 
     contamination, which includes PFOS and PFOA, in addition to 
     commencing a study on the human health implications of PFASs 
     contamination in sources of water and relevant exposure 
     pathways: Therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the United States Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services to select these two 
     installations and Horsham, Warrington and Warminster 
     Townships for the exposure assessment and the study on human 
     health implications; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, to the presiding officers 
     of each house of Congress, to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania, to the United States Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services and to the United States Secretary of Defense.
                                  ____

       POM-227. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Michigan urging the United States Congress to 
     take action on immigration reform; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 15

       Whereas, Shortly after our Founding Fathers crafted the 
     Declaration of Independence in 1776 and we became an 
     independent, self-governing nation, immigration and 
     naturalization policies were enacted to govern the stream of 
     foreign nationals who sought out this great nation. Over the 
     course of our country's history, the Congress and President 
     of the United States have updated these policies in response 
     to domestic and world events and economic evolution; and
       Whereas, Michigan has continued to welcome more and more 
     immigrant families to our state. In 1990, foreign-born 
     residents in Michigan accounted for 38 percent of the 
     population. By 2015, that figure had increased to 66 percent. 
     According to 2014 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state 
     of Michigan ranks 15th nationally in the number of foreign-
     born residents; and
       Whereas, Immigrants are indispensable to a healthy state 
     economy, and their contributions are substantial. Immigrants 
     account for approximately 7.2 percent of Michigan's 
     workforce. One-third of Michigan's Fortune 500 companies were 
     formed by immigrants or their children. These firms generate 
     $186.4 billion annually and employ 400,000 individuals around 
     the world. Immigrants are also indispensable to Michigan's 
     farming community, accounting for 58 percent of the economic 
     impact of the state's farming sector; and
       Whereas, Everyday Americans have become increasingly 
     frustrated with the current immigration and naturalization 
     system. Organizations and leaders from across the ideological 
     spectrum--spanning from business groups to faith leaders and 
     from educators to human service organizations--agree that a 
     comprehensive approach is necessary to resolve the country's 
     long-standing immigration and naturalization problems; and
       Whereas, A 21st-century nation requires 21st-century 
     immigration and naturalization policies. For too long, 
     comprehensive immigration reform has been an unaddressed 
     priority of both political parties and in many states, 
     including the state of Michigan. The absence of such reform 
     leaves in place a patchwork of policies that creates 
     confusion, uncertainty, and fear within immigrant communities 
     and for employers, universities, and congregations of various 
     faiths. Moreover, our nation's imperfect immigration system 
     dampens tourism and burdens our state and local governments 
     with high enforcement and legal costs. Only a bipartisan 
     solution to our nation's immigration woes will ensure that 
     our nation's physical and economic well-being are secure, 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (THE SENATE 
     CONCURRING), That we memorialize the Congress of the United 
     States to take action on immigration reform; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-228. A resolution adopted by the Lauderdale Lakes City 
     Commission, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida memorializing its 
     opposition to the addition of a question regarding 
     citizenship being added to the 2020 United States Census 
     questionnaire; to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs.
       POM-229. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Solana Beach, California urging federal and state 
     representatives to enact responsible gun safety regulations; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-230. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Solana Beach, California urging federal and state 
     representatives to enact responsible gun safety regulations; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                          ____________________