[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3054-S3057]
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-63. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Georgia urging the United States Congress to pass funding 
     legislation that will secure the southern border of the 
     United States; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                       Senate Resolution No. 114

       Whereas, it is imperative that the United States Congress 
     pass the laws needed to provide the necessary funding for 
     securing the southern border of this great nation; and
       Whereas, the growing crisis of illegal immigration 
     threatens the security of United States citizens; and
       Whereas, in 2017 and 2018 alone, approximately 235,000 
     illegal immigrants were arrested; more than half of those 
     arrests were for violent crimes against Americans, 4,000 of 
     whom were murdered; and
       Whereas, each week, 300 Americans die of using heroin that 
     comes to this country through drug smuggling at our southern 
     border; and
       Whereas, a high steel barrier along 234 miles of this 
     nation's southern border would effectively prevent illegal 
     immigrants and contraband from reaching the United States; 
     and
       Whereas, the Trump administration has requested $5.7 
     billion for the construction of a steel barrier along the 
     southern border, $4.2 billion for detention center materials 
     and personnel, $563 million for additional immigration judges 
     and support staff to reduce the backlog of immigration cases, 
     $211 million for additional border patrol agents, $571 
     million for additional ICE personnel, and $675 million to 
     prevent illegal drugs and weapons from crossing our borders; 
     and
       Whereas, Congress has not yet responded to the Trump 
     administration's request to secure the nation's southern 
     border; and
       Whereas, if Congress imposed a tariff on all moneys wired 
     by individuals with no proof of citizenship or who are not in 
     the country legally, it would provide the funding for the 
     necessary infrastructure to secure the southern border: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this body urge 
     Congress to pass funding legislation that will make the 
     security of the southern border of the United States a 
     reality; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate is authorized 
     and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution 
     available for distribution to the President of the Senate, to 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     and to each member of the congressional delegation from this 
     state.
                                  ____

       POM-64. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Georgia urging the United States Congress to award the 
     Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II Merrill's 
     Marauders; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
     Affairs.

                       Senate Resolution No. 466

       Whereas, in August, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed 
     creation of a top-secret, ``expendable'' American ground unit 
     to engage in a ``long-range penetration mission'' behind 
     enemy lines in Japanese occupied Burma to cut off 
     communications and supply lines and capture northern Burma's 
     only strategic, all-weather Myitkyina airfield; and
       Whereas, President Roosevelt issued a 1943 call for 
     volunteers for ``a dangerous and hazardous mission,'' 
     answered by approximately 3,000 American Infantrymen from 
     stateside, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific, representing 
     15 ethnic groups from every state and including a Bataan 
     Death March survivor, Nisei interpreters, a Native American 
     code talker, and Pearl Harbor survivors; and
       Whereas, the top-secret unit, expecting no survivors, was 
     officially designated in January, 1944, as the 5307th 
     Composite Unit Provisional (CUP), code-named ``Galahad,'' 
     which later became known as ``Merrill's Marauders,'' after 
     their leader, Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill; and
       Whereas, in February, 1944, the Marauders began their 
     approximately 1,000 mile march through dense Burmese jungle 
     and up the Himalayan Mountains with no artillery support, 
     carrying only what they could pack on their backs or mules, 
     and would become the first Americans to engage the Japanese 
     on the ground in Asia and the first Americans to fight there 
     since the 1900 Boxer Rebellion; and
       Whereas, the Marauders fought valiantly during their five-
     month march to the Myitkyina airfield, defeating the much 
     larger and better equipped elite Japanese 18th Division in 
     five major and 30 minor engagements, and no other WWII U.S. 
     combat force, except the First Marine Division which took and 
     held Guadalcanal for four months, experienced as much 
     uninterrupted jungle fighting; and
       Whereas, the Marauders endured starvation, disease, 
     monsoons, and isolation, which were exacerbated by inadequate 
     aerial resupply drops, and malaria, typhus, dysentery, and 
     other jungle maladies inflicted more casualties on the 
     Marauders than the Japanese; and
       Whereas, only several hundred Marauders remained fit 
     enough, after climbing the Himalaya's disease infested, 6,100 
     foot Naura Hkyat Pass, to seize their objective of the 
     Myitkyina airfield, which enabled supplies to be flown into 
     Burma to connect the Ledo and Burma roads so a crucial Allied 
     pathway could be forged into China; and
       Whereas, on August 10, 1944, when the 5307th CUP was 
     deactivated, without even a formation, only about 100 
     skeletal-looking Merrill's Marauders were left in Burma with 
     the remainder evacuated due to jungle diseases, exhaustion, 
     and malnutrition; and
       Whereas, for their bravery, sacrifice, and success, 
     Merrill's Marauders were awarded numerous medals and 
     decorations, including the Presidential Unit Citation, and 
     each member of the 5307th CUP has the ``rare distinction'' of 
     being awarded a Bronze Star; and

[[Page S3055]]

       Whereas, although Merrill's Marauders were a short-lived 
     commando unit, the legacy of their bravery is honored by the 
     Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, which traces its lineage to the 
     5307th CUP, wears the Merrill's Marauders patch as their 
     crest, and named their military intelligence building 
     ``Melillo Hall'' in honor of Georgia's last original 
     Merrill's Marauder, Vincent Melillo; and
       Whereas, Georgia is honored to commemorate 2019 as the 75th 
     anniversary of the Merrill's Marauders mission in the China 
     Burma India Theater, known today as the Forgotten Theater of 
     WWII, and salutes the state's large Ranger presence: the 75th 
     Ranger Regiment, 3rd Ranger Battalion, and Airborne Ranger 
     Training Brigade, all at Ft. Benning; Camp Merrill in 
     Dahlonega; and 1st Ranger Battalion, Hunter Army Airfield in 
     Savannah; and
       Whereas, U.S. Representative Peter T. King (R-NY) 
     introduced H.R. 906 with Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-GA) as 
     a major cosponsor, and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 
     introduced S. 743 in the 116th Congress, the ``Merrill's 
     Marauders Congressional Gold Medal Act,'' and this third 
     attempt might be the last since only 13 out of the original 
     3,000 Merrill's Marauders are still living:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this body 
     commend the 75th anniversary of the WWII Merrill's Marauders 
     mission and urge the Congress of the United States to act 
     favorably on legislation to award the Congressional Gold 
     Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow, to Merrill's 
     Marauders; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate is authorized 
     and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution 
     available for distribution to President Donald J. Trump, Vice 
     President Michael Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, 
     Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and each senator and 
     representative from Georgia in the Congress of the United 
     States.
                                  ____

       POM-65. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Tennessee memorializing its support for the 
     enactment of legislation that requires all board committee 
     meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors 
     to be open to the public; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                    Senate Joint Resolution No. 192

       Whereas, established in 1933, the Tennessee Valley 
     Authority (TVA) is a corporate agency of the United States 
     that provides electricity for business customers and local 
     power companies, serving ten million people in parts of seven 
     southeastern states; and
       Whereas, TVA also provides flood control, navigation, and 
     land management for the Tennessee River system and assists 
     local power companies and state and local governments with 
     economic development and job creation; and
       Whereas, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett has introduced 
     the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2019, 
     legislation to require that committee meetings and 
     subcommittee meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board 
     of Directors be transparent and open to the public; and
       Whereas, the bill would amend the Tennessee Valley 
     Authority Act of 1933 Section 2(g)(2) to include a provision 
     on transparency that would require meetings of the TV A Board 
     to be held in public, properly noticed, and with minutes and 
     summaries of each meeting made available; and
       Whereas, it is vitally important to the citizens of 
     Tennessee that TVA, as an entity created and protected by 
     Congress, should conduct their business in the open and be as 
     transparent as possible; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the One Hundred Eleventh General 
     Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the House of 
     Representatives concurring, That we strongly support the 
     passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 
     2019; and be it further
       Resolved, That an appropriate copy of this resolution be 
     prepared and transmitted to the Speaker and the Clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the President and the 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, and each member of 
     Tennessee's delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-66. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Tennessee memorializing its support for the 
     enactment of legislation that requires all board committee 
     meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors 
     to be open to the public; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                    Senate Joint Resolution No. 192

       Whereas, established in 1933, the Tennessee Valley 
     Authority (TVA) is a corporate agency of the United States 
     that provides electricity for business customers and local 
     power companies, serving ten million people in parts of seven 
     southeastern states; and
       Whereas, TVA also provides flood control, navigation, and 
     land management for the Tennessee River system and assists 
     local power companies and state and local governments with 
     economic development and job creation; and
       Whereas, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett has introduced 
     the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2019, 
     legislation to require that committee meetings and 
     subcommittee meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board 
     of Directors be transparent and open to the public; and
       Whereas, the bill would amend the Tennessee Valley 
     Authority Act of 1933 Section 2(g)(2) to include a provision 
     on transparency that would require meetings of the TVA Board 
     to be held in public, properly noticed, and with minutes and 
     summaries of each meeting made available; and
       Whereas, it is vitally important to the citizens of 
     Tennessee that TVA, as an entity created and protected by 
     Congress, should conduct their business in the open and be as 
     transparent as possible; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the One Hundred Eleventh General 
     Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the House of 
     Representatives concurring, that we strongly support the 
     passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 
     2019; and be it further
       Resolved, That an appropriate copy of this resolution be 
     prepared and transmitted to the Speaker and the Clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the President and the 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, and each member of 
     Tennessee's delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-67. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Georgia urging the United States Congress to eliminate the 
     five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits 
     for individuals living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 
     (ALS); to the Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 276

       Whereas, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is commonly 
     known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and
       Whereas, ALS is a progressive and fatal neuromuscular 
     disease; and
       Whereas, the average time to diagnosis is more than 12 
     months; and
       Whereas, the majority of ALS patients die within two to 
     five years of receiving a diagnosis; and
       Whereas, approximately 6,000 people in the United States 
     are diagnosed with ALS each year; and
       Whereas, the incidence of ALS is two per 100,000 people, 
     and it is estimated that more than 20,000 Americans may be 
     living with ALS at any given time; and
       Whereas, ALS occurs through the world with no racial, 
     ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries and can affect anyone; 
     and
       Whereas, military veterans are approximately twice as 
     likely to develop ALS; and
       Whereas, the onset of ALS often involves muscle weakness or 
     stiffness as early symptoms. Progression of weakness, 
     wasting, and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk, 
     as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, 
     swallowing, and later breathing, generally follows; and
       Whereas, there can be significant costs for medical care, 
     equipment, and home health caregiving later in the disease; 
     and
       Whereas, under current law, individuals must wait five 
     months after becoming disabled before their Social Security 
     Disability Insurance benefit payments can begin; and
       Whereas, last year, Congress considered legislation that 
     would eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability 
     insurance benefits for individuals with ALS, but it 
     unfortunately did not become law; and
       Whereas, this body recognizes that persons living with ALS 
     cannot wait for benefits. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate that this body urges Congress to 
     eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability 
     insurance benefits for individuals living with amyotrophic 
     lateral sclerosis (ALS). Be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate is authorized 
     and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution 
     available for distribution to the President of the United 
     States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, and to each member of the Congressional 
     delegation from this state.
                                  ____

       POM-68. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     to take such actions as are necessary to pass the Disability 
     Integration Act of 2019; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8

       Whereas, the Disability Integration Act of 2019 has been 
     introduced as S. 117 and H.R. 555 in the One Hundred 
     Sixteenth United States Congress; and
       Whereas, in enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
     1990 (herein referred to as the ``ADA''). Congress recognized 
     that ``historically, society has tended to isolate and 
     segregate individuals with disabilities, and, despite some 
     improvements, such forms of discrimination against 
     individuals with disabilities continue to be a serious and 
     pervasive social problem'' and intended that the ADA assure 
     ``full participation'' and ``independent living'' for 
     individuals with disabilities by addressing ``discrimination 
     against individuals with disabilities [that] persists in 
     critical areas'', including institutionalization; and
       Whereas, while Congress expected that the ADA's integration 
     mandate would be interpreted in a manner that ensures that 
     individuals who are eligible for institutional placement are 
     able to exercise a right to community-based long-term 
     services and supports, that expectation has not been 
     fulfilled; and
       Whereas, the holdings of the Supreme Court in Olmstead v. 
     LC, 527 U.S. 581 (1999). and companion cases, have clearly 
     articulated that individuals with disabilities, have a civil 
     right under the ADA to participate in

[[Page S3056]]

     society as equal citizens; however, many states still do not 
     provide sufficient community-based long-term services and 
     supports to individuals with disabilities to end segregation 
     in institutions; and
       Whereas, the right to live in the community is necessary 
     for the exercise of the civil rights that the ADA was 
     intended to secure for all individuals with disabilities and 
     the lack of adequate community-based services and supports 
     has imperiled the civil rights of all individuals with 
     disabilities, and has undermined the very promise of the ADA; 
     therefore, it is necessary to recognize in statute a robust 
     and fully articulated right to community living; and
       Whereas, states, with a few exceptions, continue to 
     approach decisions regarding long-term services and supports 
     from social welfare and budgetary perspectives, but for the 
     promise of the ADA to be fully realized, states must approach 
     these decisions from a civil rights perspective; and
       Whereas, states have not consistently planned to ensure 
     sufficient services and supports tor individuals with 
     disabilities, including those with the most significant 
     disabilities, to enable individuals with disabilities to live 
     in the most integrated setting and, as a result, many 
     individuals with disabilities who reside in institutions are 
     prevented from residing in the community and individuals with 
     disabilities who are not in institutions find themselves at 
     risk of institutional placement; and
       Whereas, the continuing existence of unfair and unnecessary 
     institutionalization denies individuals with disabilities the 
     opportunity to live and participate on an equal basis in the 
     community and costs the United States billions of dollars in 
     unnecessary spending related to perpetuating dependency and 
     unnecessary confinement: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes 
     the Congress of the United States to take such actions as are 
     necessary to pass the Disability Integration Act of 2019; and 
     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-69. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of 
     the State of Louisiana commending finalists of the annual 
     international environmental poetry and art contest sponsored 
     by the River of Words; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 89

       Whereas, River of Words is a non-profit arts and 
     environmental education program, founded in 1995 by then 
     United States Poet Laureate, Robert Hass and writer Pamela 
     Michael, which annually, in affiliation with the Library of 
     Congress Center for the Book, conducts an international 
     poetry and art contest; and
       Whereas, the River of Words contest is considered by 
     educators as one of the most prestigious contests in the 
     country, and
       Whereas, poems written by the five outstanding students 
     from the Greater Baton Rouge area, the only Louisiana 
     finalists, were selected from tens of thousands of entries 
     received from the United States and many other countries; and
       Whereas, the natural world as seen through the eyes of its 
     children is heartening, humbling, fresh, and life-affirming; 
     and
       Whereas, the watershed art and poetry submitted to River of 
     Words is exhibited around the globe and is seen by millions 
     of people each year; and
       Whereas, every poem contributes to an informed appreciation 
     of the natural world and the interconnectedness of all 
     beings; and
       Whereas, the five student finalists in this prestigious 
     contest have demonstrated with their effort and their words 
     an extraordinary level of skill and talent as writers and a 
     finely discerning eye for the wonder of the natural word; and
       Whereas, Connie McDonald, teacher at Louisiana State 
     University Laboratory School and Wes Dannreuther, teacher at 
     Broadmoor Middle Magnet School have nurtured a new generation 
     and in turn have produced imaginative, informed, and heartful 
     earth stewards, prepared to address the significant 
     environmental and social challenges of the Twenty-First 
     Century.
       Therefore, Be it Resolved, That the Legislature of 
     Louisiana hereby commends Haley Binder for her winning poem 
     entitled ``Starting Sundays,'' Billy Creed for his winning 
     poem entitled ``Berwick,'' Rafael Espinoza for her winning 
     poem entitled ``Nature Sleeps,'' Daniel Koepp for his winning 
     poem entitled ``Beyond My Window,'' and Christina Welsch for 
     her winning poem entitled ``Wet Nurse''; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana hereby commends 
     Connie McDonald and Wes Dannreuther for not only sharing 
     their talents with these students, but for teaching them 
     respect for and an understanding of the natural world, as 
     well; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     Haley Binder, Billy Creed, Rafael Espinoza, Daniel Koepp, 
     Christina Welsch, Connie McDonald, and Wes Dannreuther.
                                  ____

       POM-70. A resolution adopted by the House of Delegates of 
     the State of West Virginia memorializing its support of 
     ongoing and continued development of West Virginia's energy 
     resources, pipeline, and energy infrastructure; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                         House Resolution No. 6

       Whereas, West Virginia's natural gas and energy reserves 
     and production have increased significantly in recent years 
     due to the exploration occurring in the Utica and Marcellus 
     Shale formations; and
       Whereas, West Virginia is now the ninth-largest natural gas 
     producing state in the nation, providing five percent of our 
     country's total energy; and
       Whereas, The natural gas and oil industry supported over 
     70,000 jobs both directly and indirectly and added $8 billion 
     to the West Virginian economy; and
       Whereas, Pipelines and transmission lines serve a critical 
     role in delivering natural gas, petroleum, and electricity in 
     order to meet our growing energy needs; and
       Whereas, Denying the expansion and construction of existing 
     and new pipeline projects would stop the significant 
     revitalization of communities and manufacturing industries in 
     West Virginia; and
       Whereas, The U.S. Department of Energy has identified the 
     benefits that West Virginia can accrue with the establishment 
     of an ethane storage and distribution hub to promote 
     diversity of supply and geography, alleviating the strategic 
     risk our country faces as a result of a lack of redundancy 
     and flexibility; and
       Whereas, West Virginia is business friendly and welcomes 
     investments in the state and local economy; and
       Whereas, West Virginia's neighbors, including Ohio and 
     Pennsylvania, have benefitted from using natural gas to 
     attract industry; and
       Whereas, The natural gas intensive industry sector in Ohio 
     has an output of $160 billion and Pennsylvania has an output 
     of $156 billion in comparison to West Virginia's output of 
     $18 billion; and
       Whereas, Ohio and Pennsylvania have over 300,000 jobs in 
     natural gas intensive industry sector while West Virginia has 
     over 30,000 jobs in the natural gas intensive industry 
     sector; therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates:
       That we, the members of the House of Delegates of the 84th 
     Legislature of the State of West Virginia, support the 
     ongoing and continued development of West Virginia's energy 
     resources, pipeline, and energy infrastructure in the State 
     of West Virginia; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the House of Delegates of 
     the 84th Legislature of the State of West Virginia, support 
     ongoing economic development efforts to attract end-users of 
     electricity and natural gas to expand our state's economy and 
     create family sustaining jobs; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk transmit duly authenticated copies 
     of this resolution to the President of the United States, the 
     President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States 
     Senate, the members of the West Virginia Congressional 
     delegation, and the news media of West Virginia.
                                  ____

       POM-71. A resolution adopted by the House of Delegates of 
     the State of West Virginia memorializing its support of the 
     Atlantic Coast Pipeline; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                        House Resolution No. 11

       Whereas, The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and others are 
     critical to the economic and energy future of the State of 
     West Virginia, providing our state's natural gas production 
     with unprecedented access to new markets; and
       Whereas, Studies indicate construction and operation of the 
     Atlantic Coast Pipeline alone will generate massive economic 
     benefits for West Virginia, including almost $478 million in 
     additional economic activity during the construction period 
     and more than $15 million in additional economic activity 
     each year after the facility begins operating; and
       Whereas, The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and others will create 
     thousands of new job opportunities for the working men and 
     women of West Virginia and significant new tax revenues for 
     many West Virginia counties; and
       Whereas, The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and others will help 
     promote our nation's energy independence, helping make the 
     burgeoning natural gas production in West Virginia and 
     adjacent states more available to millions of consumers and 
     reducing the need for energy imports; and
       Whereas, The Atlantic Coast Pipeline's environmental impact 
     has been repeatedly and thoroughly analyzed by state and 
     federal agencies, including the West Virginia Department of 
     Environmental Protection, the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission, and the U.S. Forest Service, among others, with 
     all of the agencies finding that the project can be built and 
     operated in a manner that protects the natural resources of 
     West Virginia and the other states in its path; and
       Whereas, Despite the enormous energy and economic benefits, 
     as well as the positive findings from a broad range of 
     environmental regulatory agencies, some groups have launched 
     an all-out assault on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, 
     with the ultimate aim of forcing its cancelation; and
       Whereas, These attacks are not based on the facts regarding 
     the Atlantic Coast Pipeline but are part of what the U.S. 
     Chamber of Commerce describes as a nationwide ``keep it in 
     the ground'' strategy by some groups to

[[Page S3057]]

     end all uses of fossil fuels in power generation; and
       Whereas, These unwarranted attacks have resulted in 
     regulatory and legal proceedings that have repeatedly delayed 
     both the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the related Supply 
     Header Project; and
       Whereas, In response to court orders stemming from these 
     attacks, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Supply Header 
     Project have been forced to lay off or delay hiring thousands 
     of skilled construction workers in West Virginia and also in 
     Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina, posing 
     significant hardships for working families and depriving them 
     of paychecks and steady work; and
       Whereas, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce report estimates that 
     these delays, through August 2018, have already resulted in 
     the loss of $2.3 billion in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product 
     as well as $500 million in lost tax revenue for U.S. states 
     and localities; and
       Whereas, The Chamber's study also found that the delays 
     have already deprived U.S. consumers of $377 million in 
     energy cost savings; and
       Whereas, The General President of the Laborers' 
     International Union of North America (LIUNA) recently said 
     obstructions to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and other vital 
     energy infrastructure ``from activist groups is costing our 
     members jobs and the entire country opportunities''; and
       Whereas, The LIUNA General President also emphasized that 
     the economic damage caused by this opposition to new energy 
     projects is ``being shouldered by the hard working men and 
     women who build our nation's energy infrastructure''; and
       Whereas, These assaults and delaying tactics are also a 
     direct threat to West Virginia's energy production industry, 
     which directly employs more than 22,000 men and women and 
     pays more than $6 billion in wages annually; and
       Whereas, Although the current employment and payroll 
     figures are impressive, further growth will be severely 
     hampered unless new infrastructure such as the Atlantic Coast 
     Pipeline and other pipelines are built to transport West 
     Virginia's energy production to market; and
       Whereas, In addition to this economic damage, the attacks 
     on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and other interstate natural 
     gas projects have great potential to harm the environment, 
     since other forms of electric generation powered by fossil 
     fuels, such as natural gas, are needed to back up the 
     expansion of the intermittent generation from renewable 
     resources such as solar and wind energy; therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates: That we, the members of 
     the House of Delegates of the 84th Legislature of the State 
     of West Virginia, categorically condemn these 
     counterproductive and economically damaging assaults on the 
     Atlantic Coast Pipeline and other urgently needed energy 
     infrastructure projects; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we note that these attacks are denying 
     steady employment and income to thousands of West Virginia 
     workers and their families who would otherwise be employed in 
     the construction and operation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline 
     and the related Supply Header Project; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we find that the attacks are also damaging 
     West Virginia's energy production industry, the source of 
     more than $6 billion annually in wages to our state's working 
     men and women; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we find that the assaults on these projects 
     have great potential to damage the environment by hindering 
     the deployment of electric generation powered by solar power, 
     wind and other renewable resources, all of which must be 
     backed up with fossil fuel powered generation, such as 
     natural gas; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we strongly urge the groups spearheading 
     these assaults to stop their attacks and delaying actions and 
     in the process help pave the way for a cleaner and stronger 
     energy future for West Virginia and for the entire nation; 
     and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk transmit copies of this resolution 
     to the President of the United States, the President Pro 
     Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     members of the West Virginia Congressional delegation, and 
     the news media of West Virginia.
                                  ____

       POM-72. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of North Dakota urging the United States 
     Congress to pass Savanna's Act; to the Committee on Indian 
     Affairs.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 3041

       Whereas, homicide is the third leading cause of death among 
     American Indian and Alaska Native women between 10 and 24 
     years of age and the fifth leading cause of death for 
     American Indian and Alaska Native women between 25 and 34 
     years of age; and
       Whereas, in some tribal communities, American Indian women 
     are murdered at more than 10 times the national average; and
       Whereas, Native American and Alaska Native women are at 
     least two times more likely to experience rape or sexual 
     assault and two and one-half times more likely to experience 
     violent crimes compared to all other races, and those factors 
     often are tied to cases involving a disappearance or murder; 
     and
       Whereas, the National Crime Information Center reported 
     5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native 
     women and girls in 2016, yet the United States Department of 
     Justice's federal missing persons database only logged 116 
     cases; and
       Whereas, in 2016, North Dakota had 125 cases of Native 
     American women and girls reported missing to the National 
     Crime Information Center, with many cases likely going 
     unreported; and
       Whereas, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, for whom the federal 
     legislation is named, was a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe 
     and vanished when she was eight months pregnant; and
       Whereas, Savanna's Act will improve tribal access to 
     federal crime information databases on missing persons and 
     cooperation among tribal, federal, state, and local law 
     enforcement, and will mandate the Attorney General consult 
     with tribes and submit a report to Congress on how to resolve 
     the barriers tribes face; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of North Dakota, 
     the Senate concurring therein, That the Sixty-sixth 
     Legislative Assembly urges the Congress of the United States 
     to pass Savanna's Act; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State forward copies of 
     this resolution to the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United 
     States Senate, and each member of the North Dakota 
     Congressional Delegation.

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