[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2875-S2876]
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-234. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Louisiana recognizing Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as the fourth 
     annual Oil and Natural Gas Industry Day at the state capitol 
     and commending the industry for more than a century of 
     partnership with Louisiana, providing jobs and economic 
     benefits for the state while providing the energy that fuels 
     a nation; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                       Senate Resolution No. 143

       Whereas, more than two hundred sixty thousand Louisianians 
     are employed by the oil and natural gas industry, from rigs 
     to office jobs; and
       Whereas, the oil and natural gas industry continues to be 
     the foundation of the state's economy with a $72.8 billion 
     economic impact, generating over $19 billion in household 
     earnings for Louisianians, with energy jobs and earnings 
     found in all but one of the state's sixty-four parishes; and
       Whereas, the oil and natural gas industry brings jobs to 
     cities and parishes in Louisiana, injects money into the 
     local economy, and enables communities to not only survive, 
     but to thrive; and
       Whereas, the oil and natural gas industry is one of the 
     biggest contributors to Louisiana's economy paying nearly $2 
     billion in direct and indirect taxes to the state treasury 
     which helps pay for schools, healthcare, roads, and other 
     state-funded initiatives; and
       Whereas, the oil and natural gas industry in Louisiana is 
     the biggest private investor in the state's coast, funding 
     research, working with top scientists, and investing in 
     dozens of private and public projects that all work to 
     protect and improve our coastline; and
       Whereas, Louisiana is the nation's number two producer of 
     crude oil and the number four producer of natural gas among 
     the fifty states, ranks number two among the states in 
     petroleum refining capacity with its eighteen refineries, and 
     has over ninety-two thousand miles of pipelines transporting 
     crude petroleum and natural gas within the state and its 
     offshore area of the Gulf of Mexico: Therefore, be it

[[Page S2876]]

       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     does hereby recognize Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as the fourth 
     annual Oil and Natural Gas Industry Day at the state capitol 
     and does hereby commend the industry for more than a century 
     of partnership with Louisiana, providing jobs and economic 
     benefits for the state while providing the energy that fuels 
     a nation; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the secretary of the United States Senate, the clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and to each member of 
     the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-235. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     to allow for variances on certain projects regulated by the 
     Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 41

       Whereas, the federal Clean Water Act establishes a program 
     to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into 
     waters of the United States, including wetlands; and
       Whereas, the federal Rivers and Harbors Act requires 
     authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the 
     construction of any structure in or over any navigable waters 
     of the United States, the excavation and dredging or 
     deposition of material, or any obstruction or alteration to a 
     navigable water; and
       Whereas, protection of the coast and mitigation of wetland 
     loss is vital to the future of this state and the many 
     projects designed to protect and preserve the state's coast 
     invariably require dredging, obstructing, or altering of 
     waters of the United States; and
       Whereas, the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act 
     mandate that local, municipal, and state projects aimed at 
     mitigating coastal wetland losses require permits from the 
     U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and
       Whereas, like federal law, Louisiana law requires 
     compensatory mitigation at a level sufficient to replace the 
     ecological value of the wetlands lost as a result of 
     permitted projects, but allows for variances to this 
     requirement when the permittee has demonstrated that the 
     required mitigation would render the proposed project 
     impracticable if the project is a clearly overriding public 
     interest; and
       Whereas, the Clean Waters Act and the Rivers and Harbors 
     Act do not allow for such variances when a project to 
     mitigate coastal wetland loss is being considered, even when 
     that project has a clearly overriding public interest; and
       Whereas, in an effort to help the state protect its 
     valuable coast and wetlands, federal law should allow for a 
     variance for a project that has a clearly overriding public 
     interest. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes 
     the Congress of the United States to allow for variances on 
     certain projects regulated by the CI an Water Act and the 
     Rivers and Harbors Act. Be it Further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and 
     the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and 
     to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United 
     States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-236. A concurrent memorial adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Arizona urging the President of the United 
     States and the United States Congress to swiftly renegotiate 
     and ratify the North American Free Trade Agreement to 
     maintain the global competitiveness of Arizona's businesses 
     and citizens; to the Committee on Finance.

                    Senate Concurrent Memorial 1016

       Whereas, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 
     created the largest single free trade area in the world and 
     has produced significant economic benefits to the State of 
     Arizona; and
       Whereas, one in five Arizona jobs are linked to trade in 
     goods and countless others are linked to trade in services 
     and international tourism; and
       Whereas, in 2014, over 236,000 Arizona jobs relied on trade 
     and investment with our two largest trading partners, Canada 
     and Mexico; and
       Whereas, NAFTA has facilitated the growth of significant 
     new cross-border manufacturing and supply chains in 
     industries such as aerospace, agriculture, electronics and 
     automotive; and
       Whereas, NAFTA has facilitated the expansion of Arizona 
     businesses into the Mexican market; and
       Whereas, the NAFTA-member countries of Canada and Mexico 
     are Arizona's largest foreign direct-investment and trading 
     partners; and
       Whereas, in 2016, Arizona had $15.7 billion in combined 
     trade, nearly 38% of the state's total trade, with Mexico and 
     maintained a trade surplus of $830 million; and
       Whereas, in 2016, Arizona had $3.5 billion in combined 
     trade with Canada and maintained a trade surplus of $810 
     million; and
       Whereas, tourism with our NAFTA partners is a significant 
     driving force of Arizona's economic success; and
       Whereas, 3.8 million annual Mexican visitors are 
     responsible for $7.3 million per day, or 66% of all Arizona 
     visitor expenditures, and the annual economic impact to 
     Arizona from Mexican and Canadian visitors is $5 billion; and
       Whereas, NAFTA may usefully be updated to include new 
     opportunities for Arizona companies; and
       Whereas, withdrawing the United States from NAFTA would 
     negatively impact Arizona's exporting and importing 
     companies, the vast majority of which are small businesses, 
     as well as the entire Arizona tourism industry; and
       Whereas, withdrawing the United States would further 
     discourage foreign investment in this state and the resulting 
     job creation, would further suit in significant job losses 
     across all sectors, with aerospace, tech, and agribusiness 
     likely the hardest hit, and would be potentially devastating 
     to the economic vitality of this state.
       Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of 
     Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:
       1. That the President of the United States constructively 
     and swiftly negotiate modifications to NAFTA to strengthen 
     and modernize the agreement, maintain the trilateral nature 
     of the agreement as it currently exists between Canada, 
     Mexico and the United States and conclude the negotiations by 
     the date agreed.
       2. That the Congress of the United States swiftly ratify 
     and certify the new terms of NAFTA to reduce business 
     uncertainty and maintain the global competitiveness of 
     Arizona's businesses and citizens.
       3. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States, the United States Trade Representative, 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.

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