[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 122 (Thursday, July 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5105-S5107]
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-268. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     New Jersey memorializing its opposition to and disapproval of 
     the Department of Housing and Urban Development's proposed 
     plan to increase the amount of rent paid by persons who 
     receive federal rental assistance; to the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                        Senate Resolution No. 90

       Whereas, The United States Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development (``HUD'') has proposed a plan that would increase 
     the amount of rent paid by persons who receive federal rental 
     assistance through HUD; and
       Whereas, According to estimates by the Center on Budget and 
     Policy Priorities, approximately 150,000 low-income 
     households in New Jersey rely on federal rental assistance 
     through HUD and about 99 percent of these households would 
     see their rents increased under HUD's rent increase plan; and
       Whereas, According to the same estimates, New Jersey 
     households receiving federal rental assistance pay an average 
     of $4,620 annually in rent, which would increase by $830 a 
     year, or 18 percent, under HUD's rent increase plan; and
       Whereas, New Jersey is experiencing an affordable housing 
     crisis involving high and ever rising prices and a dwindling 
     supply of affordable units, which is particularly severe in 
     the State's urban areas, and which only would be exacerbated 
     by HUD's rent increase plan; and
       Whereas, It is altogether fitting, proper, and in the 
     public interest, for this House to express opposition to 
     HUD's rent increase plan, which would be detrimental to the 
     many thousands of low-income New Jerseyans who rely on 
     federal rental assistance and would see their rents sharply 
     increase under the plan; now, therefore,
       Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
       1. This House expresses its opposition to and disapproval 
     of the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development's proposed plan to increase the amount of rent 
     paid by persons who receive federal rental assistance.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate 
     to the President and Vice President of the United States, the 
     United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and 
     each member of Congress elected thereto from this State.
                                  ____

       POM-269. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the United States Congress to continue the 
     Meals on Wheels program; to the Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                        Senate Resolution No. 30

       Whereas, Meals on Wheels provide vital daily nutritional 
     support to homebound low income seniors. Over 3 million 
     seniors nationwide and 300,000 in Michigan were served by 
     Meals on Wheels last year; and
       Whereas, The federal budget proposal by President Trump 
     would cut funding for the Meals on Wheels program. It would 
     eliminate the Community Development Block Grant program which 
     provides a portion of funding for local and state programs. 
     While the elimination of the Community Development Block 
     Grant could hurt many state Meals on Wheels programs, the 
     most dramatic impact to the Meals on Wheels program may occur 
     as a result of proposed cuts to the federal Department of 
     Health and Human Services budget. Within that department, 
     nutrition programs of the Older Americans Act provide support 
     to Meals on Wheels chapters nationwide by covering 
     approximately 30 percent of its costs; and
       Whereas, The benefit of this food delivery program extends 
     beyond providing low income seniors with essential daily 
     nutrition. Studies have shown that homebound seniors who 
     receive Meals on Wheels feel less loneliness and isolation. 
     The daily deliveries by a Meals on Wheels volunteer also 
     enable seniors to receive a well-being check and assistance 
     in the event of an emergency; and
       Whereas, Meals on Wheels is a cost-effective program that 
     contributes to enabling seniors to stay in their homes, 
     resulting in fewer nursing home admissions. Continuing this 
     program benefits the lives of millions of senior and provides 
     peace of mind to their families; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the Congress of the 
     United States to continue the Meals on Wheels program; 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 Adopted by the Senate, 
     June 12, 2018.
                                  ____

       POM-270. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey urging the United States Congress and 
     the President of the United States to fund the Federal 
     Aviation Administration's Drone Test Site Program; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                       Assembly Resolution No. 29

       Whereas, The economic future of any society depends on its 
     ability to develop new technologies and pioneer emerging 
     economic sectors; and
       Whereas, The civil and commercial use of unmanned aircraft 
     systems, commonly referred to as drones, is one such emerging 
     sector that is likely to shape future economies; and
       Whereas, Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
     published Part 107 of

[[Page S5106]]

     the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 C.F.R. s.107 et seq. 
     (2016)) in August 2016, which established the first rules and 
     regulations for commercial drone use in the United States, 
     the technology's commercial viability is still limited by the 
     inability to fully integrate drones into the national 
     airspace system; and
       Whereas, Integration into the national airspace system, 
     which would allow drones to reliably and safely share 
     airspace with conventional manned aircraft, requires the FAA 
     to develop a variety of industry-specific airworthiness 
     credentials, air traffic control communication procedures, 
     and operational regulations, especially for drones that fly 
     beyond the line-of-sight of the operator; and
       Whereas, Industry reports estimate that there will be 
     roughly $82 billion in economic impact, including over 
     100,000 advanced manufacturing jobs and $482 million in tax 
     revenue, created nationally within 11 years of the 
     integration of drones into the national airspace system; and
       Whereas, To support this emerging sector, Congress passed 
     the ``FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012'' (49 U.S.C. 
     s.40101) which established several research and development 
     programs to support civil and commercial drone technological 
     advancement and lay the groundwork for airspace integration; 
     and
       Whereas, Most importantly, the act established a Drone Test 
     Site Program in which six geographically diverse test sites 
     were created to provide the research findings and operational 
     experiences needed to ensure the safe and efficient 
     integration of drones into national airspace; and
       Whereas, Through the ``Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership,'' 
     New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland were selected to host a 
     joint test site, with the Cape May Airport in Rio Grande, New 
     Jersey serving as a primary research facility; and
       Whereas, At this test site, leading researchers from 
     Rutgers University, Virginia Tech University, and the 
     University of Maryland focus on developing airworthiness 
     certification standards, beyond visual line-of-sight flight 
     operations, and long-distance drone communication technology, 
     all of which are necessary for the safe and efficient 
     operation of drones; and
       Whereas, In addition to helping the United States become a 
     global leader of civil and commercial drone technology, the 
     Drone Test Site Program transforms New Jersey into a regional 
     hub for this emerging economic sector; and
       Whereas, Limited federal support for the program, however, 
     now jeopardizes this bright economic future; and
       Whereas, Because test sites do not receive direct federal 
     funding, most are forced to rent their facilities for 
     industry drone flights in order to finance research 
     operations; and
       Whereas, As a result, budgetary constraints make it 
     difficult for test sites to conduct the extensive research 
     that is needed to safely and efficiently integrate drones 
     into the national airspace system; and
       Whereas, Funding limitations, in turn, undercut the ability 
     of test sites to accomplish their original objective of 
     supporting airspace integration and delay the development of 
     civil and commercial drone technology in the United States; 
     and
       Whereas, Congressional funding for the FAA Drone Test Site 
     Program could rectify this problem and ensure that the United 
     States becomes a pioneer of civil and commercial drone 
     technology. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House respectfully urges Congress and the President 
     of the United States to fund the Federal Aviation 
     Administration's Drone Test Site Program so that test sites 
     are able to more effectively support drone integration into 
     the national airspace system and ensure that the United 
     States becomes a world leader in civil and commercial drone 
     technology.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President of the United States, the Majority 
     and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker 
     and Minority Leader of the United States House of 
     Representatives, and each member of Congress elected from 
     this State.
                                  ____

       POM-271. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey urging the United States Congress to 
     maintain the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve to ensure 
     gasoline supply and distribution stability in the northeast 
     region of the United States in the event of an emergency; to 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                       Assembly Resolution No. 76

       Whereas, In 2012, Superstorm Sandy made landfall in the 
     northeastern United States and caused heavy damage to two oil 
     refineries and left more than 40 petroleum terminals in New 
     York Harbor closed due to water damage and power loss; and
       Whereas, As a result of this storm damage and its impact on 
     the gasoline supply and distribution chain, some gasoline 
     stations were left without fuel for as long as 30 days; and
       Whereas, In response to Superstorm Sandy's disruption of 
     the northeast's gasoline supply and distribution chain, the 
     United States Department of Energy created the first federal 
     regional refined petroleum product reserve containing 
     gasoline called the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR); 
     and
       Whereas, The NGSR holds one million barrels of gasoline in 
     strategic locations in the New York Harbor area, the Boston, 
     Massachusetts area, and in South Portland, Maine; and
       Whereas, The NGSR creates a gasoline supply buffer large 
     enough to allow the region to compensate for the initial 
     impact of an event that disrupts the gasoline supply and 
     distribution infrastructure until that infrastructure can 
     return to full operation; and
       Whereas, The federal budget proposed by the President of 
     the United States recommends selling off the entire NGSR in 
     the coming federal fiscal year; and
       Whereas, The sale of the NGSR would leave the northeast 
     region of the United States at risk of another gasoline 
     shortage in the event of an emergency that causes a 
     disruption to gasoline supply and distribution 
     infrastructure, affecting the mobility of people, businesses, 
     and emergency responders in the wake of a disaster; and
       Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper, and in the 
     public interest, for this House to urge the President of the 
     United States and Congress to maintain the NGSR for the 
     safety and welfare of the residents and businesses located in 
     the northeastern region of this country in the event of an 
     emergency that disrupts the supply and distribution of 
     gasoline; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House respectfully urges the President of the 
     United States and Congress to maintain the Northeast Gasoline 
     Supply Reserve to ensure gasoline supply and distribution 
     stability in the northeast region of the United States in the 
     event of an emergency.
       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 the Vice President of the 
     United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker and Majority and Minority 
     Leaders of the United States House of Representatives, and 
     every member of the United States Congress elected from this 
     State.
                                  ____

       POM-272. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the United States 
     Congress to adopt the National Park Service's recommendation 
     to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to 
     include the additional sites along the Lewis and Clark 
     Expedition's Eastern Legacy; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                       Senate Resolution No. 326

       Whereas, The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Expedition) and 
     the Corps of Discovery are nationally significant for their 
     exploration of the Louisiana Territory and search for an all 
     water route to the Pacific Ocean; and
       Whereas, Under orders by President Thomas Jefferson, the 
     expedition was responsible for mapping the territory 
     explored, as well as documenting new species of plants and 
     animals and engaging with the Native American tribes they 
     encountered; and
       Whereas, Although part of the route was unmapped territory, 
     the Lewis and Clark Expedition was able to use maps provided 
     to them by Native Americans, European explorers and fur 
     traders; and
       Whereas, Ultimately, the expedition was able to link routes 
     and maps together to find passage from St. Louis to the 
     Pacific Ocean, a feat that had never before been 
     accomplished; and
       Whereas, In order to recognize the historic significance of 
     the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the National Park Service 
     previously designated a trail that runs from Wood River, 
     Illinois, to the West Coast in Oregon and Washington; and
       Whereas, Public Law 110-229, passed by the Congress of the 
     United States in 2008, authorized the Secretary of the 
     Interior to study additional sites associated with the 
     preparation and return phases of the expedition, located in 
     Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, 
     Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, 
     Missouri and Illinois; and
       Whereas, Those sites were to be considered for inclusion in 
     the ``Eastern Legacy'' of the expedition; and
       Whereas, The National Park Service evaluated 25 distinct 
     route segments used by the Corps of Discovery for the 
     expedition to determine if they met the criteria for national 
     significance established by the National Trails System Act; 
     and
       Whereas, In August 2016, the National Park Service 
     published its Draft Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail 
     Extension Study, finding that three sections met the criteria 
     established for inclusion in the Lewis and Clark National 
     Historic Trail; and
       Whereas, Those segments include the Ohio River, from 
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Louisville, Kentucky; from 
     Louisville, Kentucky, to the confluence with the Mississippi 
     River; and from the Mississippi River's confluence with the 
     Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois, to Wood River, Illinois; and
       Whereas, A portion of the proposed extension of the Lewis 
     and Clark National Historic Trail includes sites along the 
     Ohio River in this Commonwealth; and
       Whereas, The inclusion of this segment along the Lewis and 
     Clark National Historic Trail is not only historically 
     significant and appropriate, but may have a positive economic 
     impact on those sites; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania urge the Congress of

[[Page S5107]]

     the United States to adopt the National Park Service's 
     recommendation to extend the Lewis and Clark National 
     Historic Trail to include the additional sites along the 
     Lewis and Clark Expedition's Eastern Legacy; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of each chamber of Congress and to 
     each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-273. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey condemning the federal government's 
     policy of separating immigrant children from their families 
     at the United States' border; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 175

       Whereas, On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice 
     enacted a ``zero tolerance'' policy under which all 
     unauthorized crossings at the Southwestern border of the 
     United States will be treated as criminal offenses, instead 
     of civil offenses; and
       Whereas, These policies separate families crossing the 
     border without authorization, since the parents are placed in 
     criminal detention centers while the children are taken into 
     the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 
     and
       Whereas, These separations may last months, or even years, 
     since the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department 
     of Health and Human Services have few procedures in place to 
     ensure the reunification of separated families; and
       Whereas, It has been reported that the motivation for these 
     policies is not to maintain the safety of the children, but 
     merely to deter persons from committing immigration 
     violations; and
       Whereas, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American 
     College of Physicians, and the American Psychiatric 
     Association, together representing more than 250,000 doctors 
     in the United States, are requesting an immediate reversal of 
     the ``zero tolerance'' policy citing irreversible health 
     complications to the children; and
       Whereas, Experts find this policy is detrimental to the 
     health of young children causing short-term developmental 
     delays and long-term health concerns such as heart disease, 
     cancer, and morbid obesity; and
       Whereas, Parent-child separation also increases symptoms of 
     anxiety and depression in adolescents, and young children 
     whose parents were detained exhibit multiple behavioral 
     changes, including anxiety, withdrawal, numbing, anger, 
     crying, changes in eating, sleeping, toileting, and changes 
     in development and learning; and
       Whereas, This ``zero tolerance'' policy is medically 
     unsound and should be considered nothing less than 
     government-sanctioned child abuse; and
       Whereas, Separating children from their parents violates 
     one of our society's fundamental principles which is that, to 
     the extent possible, children should not be punished for the 
     sins of their parents; and
       Whereas, These policies also run counter to the interests 
     of the State of New Jersey, which depends upon immigrants for 
     its cultural and economic growth; now, therefore,
       Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House condemns the federal government's policy of 
     separating immigrant children from their families and 
     contends that the federal government's actions are sanctioned 
     child abuse.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United 
     States Senate; the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United 
     States House of Representatives; and every member of Congress 
     elected from this State.
                                  ____

       POM-274. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, condemning 
     the denial of access to government officials to immigration 
     detention facilities and shelters for children for 
     humanitarian inspections and purposes; to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
       POM-275. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, urging the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     to take immediate steps to reunite children separated from 
     their parents due to immigration detentions, and to prohibit 
     any future parent and child separations by United States 
     immigration authorities; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-276. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, urging the 
     Department of Health and Human Resources to provide and 
     maintain adequate medical care, nutrition, housing, and 
     educational standards in, and to permit access by elected 
     federal representatives to, federal immigration detention 
     centers and shelters for children; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          ____________________