[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7507-S7509]
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-313. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska urging the

[[Page S7508]]

     United States Congress to adopt spill prevention measures 
     into international agreements; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 19

       Whereas the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee has been 
     formed by marine mammal hunting groups, Arctic 
     municipalities, and Arctic marine ship operators to identify 
     and promote safe and environmentally responsible shipping 
     operations in the Arctic; and
       Whereas, because of the lack of spill response capacity in 
     the Arctic, the United States Coast Guard has authorized 
     vessels to adopt spill prevention measures in lieu of meeting 
     the response standard; and
       Whereas, even under the best circumstances, only 20 percent 
     of spilled oil is recovered, indicating the importance of 
     spill prevention measures; and
       Whereas prevention measures include active vessel tracking 
     and monitoring, prescribed routing measures, immediate 
     notification of a loss of vessel power or steering, 
     identification of vessels nearby with an opportunity to 
     respond, identification of ports of refuge, prepositioning 
     towing packages and ship arrestors, and dynamic protection of 
     local marine mammal resources; and
       Whereas prevention measures apply only to vessels calling 
     on a port in the United States; and
       Whereas vessels not calling on a port in the United States 
     are considered in innocent passage and not subject to 
     prevention measures; and
       Whereas the United States has not ratified the Law of the 
     Sea treaty and accordingly may not use Article 234, which 
     authorizes coastal states with ``ice-covered areas'' to 
     require special protection measures; and
       Whereas universal adherence to marine protection measures 
     in the Arctic may also occur through international bilateral 
     agreements or by the adoption of measures in the Polar Code 
     of the International Maritime Organization: be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature commends the 
     formation of the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee and 
     appreciates its leadership in establishing safe shipping 
     practices in state water; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature supports the 
     adoption of prevention measures into international agreements 
     to ensure clear, universal, and enforceable marine safety 
     measures in the Arctic; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the 
     governor and the state's Congressional delegation to promote 
     the adoption of spill prevention measures into international 
     agreements with member organizations, including the Northern 
     Forum; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the 
     President of the United States and the United States 
     Department of State to initiate negotiations with Alaska's 
     coastal neighbors to enter into international agreements to 
     ensure safe and environmentally responsible marine operations 
     in the Arctic.
       Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Donald J. Trump, President of the United States; the 
     Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the United 
     States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Paul 
     D. Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the 
     Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority 
     Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Charles E. Schumer, 
     Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Lisa 
     Murkowski, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and. 
     Natural Resources; the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator, 
     and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of 
     the Alaska delegation in Congress; and all other members of 
     the 115th United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-314. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska urging the United States Congress to 
     adopt spill prevention measures into international 
     agreements; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 19

       Whereas the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee has been 
     formed by marine mammal hunting groups, Arctic 
     municipalities, and Arctic marine ship operators to identify 
     and promote safe and environmentally responsible shipping 
     operations in the Arctic; and
       Whereas, because of the lack of spill response capacity in 
     the Arctic, the United States Coast Guard has authorized 
     vessels to adopt spill prevention measures in lieu of meeting 
     the response standard; and
       Whereas, even under the best circumstances, only 20 percent 
     of spilled oil is recovered, indicating the importance of 
     spill prevention measures; and
       Whereas prevention measures include active vessel tracking 
     and monitoring, prescribed routing measures, immediate 
     notification of a loss of vessel power or steering, 
     identification of vessels nearby with an opportunity to 
     respond, identification of ports of refuge, prepositioning 
     towing packages and ship arrestors, and dynamic protection of 
     local marine mammal resources; and
       Whereas prevention measures apply only to vessels calling 
     on a port in the United States; and
       Whereas vessels not calling on a port in the United States 
     are considered in innocent passage and not subject to 
     prevention measures; and
       Whereas the United States has not ratified the Law of the 
     Sea treaty and accordingly may not use Article 234, which 
     authorizes coastal states with ``ice-covered areas'' to 
     require special protection measures; and
       Whereas universal adherence to marine protection measures 
     in the Arctic may also occur through international bilateral 
     agreements or by the adoption of measures in the Polar Code 
     of the International Maritime Organization: be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature commends the 
     formation of the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee and 
     appreciates its leadership in establishing safe shipping 
     practices in state water; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature supports the 
     adoption of prevention measures into international agreements 
     to ensure clear, universal, and enforceable marine safety 
     measures in the Arctic; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the 
     governor and the state's Congressional delegation to promote 
     the adoption of spill prevention measures into international 
     agreements with member organizations, including the Northern 
     Forum; and be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the 
     President of the United States and the United States 
     Department of State to initiate negotiations with Alaska's 
     coastal neighbors to enter into international agreements to 
     ensure safe and environmentally responsible marine operations 
     in the Arctic.
       Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Donald J. Trump, President of the United States; the 
     Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the United 
     States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Paul 
     D. Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the 
     Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority 
     Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Charles E. Schumer, 
     Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Lisa 
     Murkowski, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources; the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator, 
     and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of 
     the Alaska delegation in Congress; and all other members of 
     the 115th United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-315. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska urging the United States Congress to 
     enact legislation that requires prominently labeling 
     genetically engineered salmon and salmon products with the 
     words ``Genetically Modified'' on the product's packaging; to 
     the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, on November 19, 2015, the United States Food and 
     Drug Administration approved AquaBounty AquAdvantage 
     genetically engineered salmon as safe for human consumption; 
     and
       Whereas the approval is the first time in history that the 
     United States Food and Drug Administration has approved a 
     genetically engineered animal for human consumption; and
       Whereas a large majority of state residents oppose the 
     approval of genetically engineered salmon by the United 
     States Food and Drug Administration; and
       Whereas more than 2,000,000 Americans opposed the United 
     States Food and Drug Administration's approval of genetically 
     engineered salmon in the largest number of comments the 
     United States Food and Drug Administration has ever received 
     on an action; and
       Whereas more than 65 retailers, including Costco, Safeway, 
     and Target, have announced that they have no plans to sell 
     genetically modified salmon; and
       Whereas more than 40 members of the United States Congress 
     have expressed opposition to the approval of AquaBounty 
     AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon; and
       Whereas the state has bountiful fisheries that provide 
     wild, natural, and sustainable seafood; and
       Whereas the accidental release of transgenic fish into the 
     wild could devastate native fish populations and ecosystems; 
     and
       Whereas a May 2013 McGill University research report 
     detailed findings demonstrating interbreeding between 
     genetically modified salmon and brown trout could occur, 
     suggesting that the potential for similar hybridization 
     between other closely related species could pose risks for 
     wild populations, including wild salmon; and
       Whereas the research demonstrated that transgenic hybrid 
     salmon can outcompete with both wild salmon and genetically 
     modified salmon, making hybridization relevant to risk 
     assessments; and
       Whereas, each year, thousands of salmon escape from open 
     water net pens into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, 
     demonstrating that escapement is a serious threat to wild 
     fish populations; and
       Whereas the AquaBounty facility on Prince Edward Island is 
     producing genetically engineered fish eggs and sits adjacent 
     to a water body that is directly connected to the Saint 
     Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean; and
       Whereas the proximity of the AquaBounty facility to the 
     Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean puts wild 
     Atlantic salmon, which are listed under the Endangered 
     Species Act, at risk; and

[[Page S7509]]

       Whereas the long-term human health effects of consuming 
     genetically engineered salmon are unknown; Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature opposes the 
     United States Food and Drug Administration's approval of 
     AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the 
     United States Congress to enact legislation that requires 
     prominently labeling genetically engineered salmon or salmon 
     products, including AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically 
     engineered salmon, with the words ``Genetically Modified'' on 
     the product's packaging, as required by state law.
       Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Donald J. Trump, President of the United States; the 
     Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the United 
     States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Sonny 
     Perdue, United States Secretary of Agriculture; the Honorable 
     Scott Gottlieb, M.D., United States Commissioner of Food and 
     Drugs; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan 
     Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. 
     Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-316. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska urging the United States Congress to pass 
     legislation providing for the exemption of legally acquired 
     walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory from laws that ban the 
     sale, use, and possession of ivory; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 4

       Whereas the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361-
     1423h) explicitly protects the right of coastal Alaska 
     Natives to harvest walrus and use the walrus byproducts in 
     handicrafts for sale in the United States; and
       Whereas the use by Alaska Natives of legally acquired 
     walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory to create tools, 
     handicrafts, jewelry, and artwork is a longstanding tradition 
     that is a vital component of current Alaska Native culture; 
     and
       Whereas non-Native individuals in the state use legally 
     acquired fossilized ivory to make handicrafts, jewelry, and 
     artwork; and
       Whereas the sale of walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory 
     tools, handicrafts, jewelry, and artwork by Alaska artists is 
     an important source of income in the cash-limited economy of 
     rural Alaska; and
       Whereas, in the effort to stop the poaching of African 
     elephants, certain states in the United States have passed 
     laws banning the sale, use, and possession of all ivory, and 
     other states are considering enacting those laws; and
       Whereas the laws banning the sale, use, and possession of 
     ivory in certain states of the United States do not 
     distinguish between African elephant ivory and the legally 
     acquired walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory used by Alaska 
     artists; and
       Whereas the laws banning the sale, use, and possession of 
     ivory may subject residents of certain states to criminal 
     charges for buying, owning, or bringing home legally acquired 
     walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory items from Alaska; and
       Whereas the laws banning the sale, use, and possession of 
     ivory in certain states adversely affect those Alaska artists 
     who depend on the sale of ivory handicrafts to obtain the 
     cash necessary to live in cash-limited local economies; Be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature opposes the 
     inclusion of legally acquired walrus, mammoth, and mastodon 
     ivory in current and future laws that ban the sale, use, and 
     possession of ivory; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature requests that 
     the United States Congress pass legislation providing for the 
     exemption of legally acquired walrus, mammoth, and mastodon 
     ivory from current and future laws that ban the sale, use, 
     and possession of ivory.
       Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable 
     Donald J. Trump, President of the United States; the 
     Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the United 
     States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Paul 
     D. Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the 
     Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority 
     Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Charles E. Schumer, 
     Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; and the Honorable Lisa 
     Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and 
     the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the 
     Alaska delegation in Congress.

                          ____________________