[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3213-S3215]
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-75. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designating May 2019 as 
     ``Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month'' in 
     Pennsylvania; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
     and Pensions.

                       Senate Resolution No. 122

       Whereas, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is better 
     known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and
       Whereas, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease 
     characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the upper and 
     lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horn 
     of the spinal cord; and
       Whereas, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the 
     skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and
       Whereas, As ALS progresses, the patient experiences 
     difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and
       Whereas, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the 
     patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and
       Whereas, Patients with ALS typically remain alert and are 
     aware of their loss of motor functions and the inevitable 
     outcome of continued deterioration and death; and
       Whereas, ALS affects military veterans at twice the rate of 
     the general population; and
       Whereas, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40 
     and 70 years of age, peaking at approximately 55 years of 
     age, and affects both men and women without bias; and
       Whereas, More than 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed 
     throughout the nation each year; and
       Whereas, In Pennsylvania there are currently more than 
     1,000 individuals who have been formally diagnosed with ALS; 
     and
       Whereas, The $750,000 in State funding appropriated by the 
     General Assembly for ALS support services for 2018-2019 
     provided services to nearly 1,000 constituents and a 
     substantial savings to the State budget and taxpayers; and
       Whereas, The ALS Association reports that on average, 
     patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years 
     from the time of diagnosis; and
       Whereas, ALS has no known cause, prevention or cure; and
       Whereas, ``Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month'' 
     increases the public's awareness of ALS patients' 
     circumstances and acknowledges the negative impact this 
     disease has on ALS patients and their families and recognizes 
     the research being done to eradicate ALS; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania designate the month of May 2019 as ``Amyotrophic 
     Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month'' in Pennsylvania; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-76. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Tennessee urging the President of the United 
     States to designate a state funeral for the last surviving 
     Medal of Honor recipient from World War II when such 
     recipient passes away; to the Committee on Homeland Security 
     and Governmental Affairs.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 96

       Whereas, World War II, the most widespread war in history, 
     lasted from 1939 until 1945; and
       Whereas, the United States entered the war in 1941, 
     following an attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese fighter 
     planes; and
       Whereas, over sixteen million Americans served their 
     country and the Allied powers over the course of the war; and
       Whereas, the men and women who served our country in World 
     War II have been collectively called the ``greatest 
     generation'' for their selfless sacrifice; and
       Whereas, the Medal of Honor is the highest military 
     decoration that is awarded by the United States government; 
     and
       Whereas, the Medal of Honor is presented by the President 
     of the United States, in the name of Congress; and
       Whereas, the Medal of Honor is only conferred upon members 
     of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished 
     themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at 
     the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while 
     engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, 
     while engaged in military operations involving conflict with 
     an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly 
     forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed 
     force in which the United States was not a belligerent party; 
     and
       Whereas, more than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded 
     to our nation's bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, 
     and coast guardsmen since the creation of the award in 1861; 
     and
       Whereas, the Medal of Honor was awarded to 353 Americans 
     during World War II; and
       Whereas, only four of those 353 Americans are still alive 
     today; and
       Whereas, each of these courageous servicemen, Charles H. 
     Coolidge of Tennessee, Francis S. Currey of New York, Robert 
     D. Maxwell of Oregon, and Hershel Woodrow Williams of West 
     Virginia, risked his life while serving his country with 
     conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity and therefore deserves 
     the gratitude of the American people; and
       Whereas, the President of the United States has the sole 
     authority to designate a state funeral; and
       Whereas, historically, the President of the United States 
     has designated state funerals for former presidents, 
     generals, and other extraordinary Americans; and
       Whereas, our nation is currently divided and yearns for a 
     unifying national event; and
       Whereas, designating a state funeral when the last 
     surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient dies would be 
     a wonderful way for the American people to unite and honor 
     all sixteen million soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and 
     coast guardsmen who served in our Armed Forces from 1941 to 
     1945: 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 this General Assembly urges 
     the President of the United States to designate a state 
     funeral for the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from 
     World War II when such recipient passes away; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Senate is instructed 
     to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the 
     President of the United States, the Vice President of the 
     United States, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United 
     States Senate, and all members of the Tennessee congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-77. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislative 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requesting the 
     United States Congress to take action to appropriate funds 
     and resources as necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, 
     Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were 
     adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the wake of 
     hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico; to the Committee on 
     Energy and Natural Resources.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60

       It is a known fact that Puerto Rico has no natural lakes. 
     Hence, in the early 20th century, it was necessary to build 
     the first reservoir or artificial lake, so as to address 
     fundamental needs such as water storage for residential or 
     industrial consumption, hydropower generation, irrigation of 
     agricultural lands, and flooding control and mitigation, 
     among other important uses. Today, we have thirty-six (36) 
     main reservoirs formed by the dams built in the rivers 
     located in the mountain region in the center of the Island, 
     and two (2) outside of the main riverbeds in the eastern 
     region.
       It is true that reservoirs are Puerto Rico's most important 
     source of water, however, issues such as sedimentation, the 
     lack of reforestation plans, and the accelerated erosion 
     caused by urban development, among other aspects, have 
     seriously affected the storage capacity of these bodies of 
     water.
       In addition to the foregoing, after hurricanes Irma and 
     Maria made landfall on September 2017, many of our lakes were 
     severely affected by a sudden accumulation of sediment. The 
     path followed by hurricane Irma--a category-5 hurricane--
     brought it really close to the island, and two weeks later, 
     hurricane Maria made landfall on the island. Hurricane Maria 
     has been classified as one of the most powerful natural 
     disasters to ever affect Puerto Rico in recent history. The 
     latter left a lot of devastation, flooding, torrential rain, 
     and severe damage across the island.
       The catastrophic effects of these weather events had a 
     significant impact on four (4) of our most important 
     reservoirs. Out of the lakes that supply our drinking water, 
     Loiza (Carraizo) is one of the most affected by 
     sedimentation. Said sedimentation has reduced the depth of 
     the lake thus impairing its capacity to collect water, 
     despite being fed primarily by the Rio Grande de Loiza, which 
     is the largest river on the island. The storage capacity of 
     the Loiza reservoir (Carraizo) has been nearly halved as a 
     result of sedimentation.
       Sedimentation is also the main problem affecting the Dos 
     Bocas, Lucchetti, and Loco Lakes, all of which are at 
     critical levels, threatening their storage capacity and water 
     quality, because water turbidity increases as reservoir 
     levels decrease. The rapid sediment accumulation has reduced 
     the useful life of the most important reservoirs by sixty 
     (60) percent. Therefore, the United States Congress failure 
     to take immediate action and appropriate the funds needed to 
     dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti 
     reservoirs would hinder the hydropower generation and 
     drinking water supply for the thousands U.S. citizens who 
     reside on the Island. The critical levels of these four (4) 
     reservoirs calls for the urgent dredging and restoration of 
     these bodies of water, so that they may serve the purposes 
     for which they were built, as well as to mitigate and

[[Page S3214]]

     control future flooding in the communities surrounding these 
     bodies of water.
       For all of the foregoing, this Legislative Assembly deems 
     it necessary and convenient to request the Congress of the 
     United States of America, on behalf of the U.S. citizens born 
     in this U.S. Territory, to appropriate funds and resources as 
     are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza 
     (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely 
     affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
       Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico:
       Section 1.--The Congress of the United States of America is 
     hereby requested to take action to appropriate funds and 
     resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, 
     Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were 
     adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the 
     catastrophic wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto 
     Rico.
       Section 2.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct 
     copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated 
     into English, be delivered to the President of the U.S. 
     Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives as 
     well as the Leadership of the Congress of the United States 
     of America.
       Section 3.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct 
     copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated 
     into English, be delivered to the President of the United 
     States of America.
       Section 4.--Provided, further, that a certified copy of 
     this Concurrent Resolution be delivered to the Puerto Rico 
     Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and the Office of the 
     Resident Commissioner in Washington, D.C., the Honorable 
     Jenniffer A. Gonzalez-Colon, to join the efforts of the 
     members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico to promote 
     and to achieve that funds be appropriated to Puerto Rico for 
     the dredging of these important bodies of water.
       Section 5.--This Concurrent Resolution shall take effect 
     upon its approval.
                                  ____

       POM-78. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislative 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requesting the 
     United States Congress to take action to appropriate funds 
     and resources as necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, 
     Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were 
     adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the wake of 
     hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico; to the Committee on 
     Energy and Natural Resources.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60

       It is a known fact that Puerto Rico has no natural lakes. 
     Hence, in the early 20th century, it was necessary to build 
     the first reservoir or artificial lake, so as to address 
     fundamental needs such as water storage for residential or 
     industrial consumption, hydropower generation, irrigation of 
     agricultural lands, and flooding control and mitigation, 
     among other important uses. Today, we have thirty-six (36) 
     main reservoirs formed by the dams built in the rivers 
     located in the mountain region in the center of the Island, 
     and two (2) outside of the main riverbeds in the eastern 
     region,
       It is true that reservoirs are Puerto Rico's most important 
     source of water, however, issues such as sedimentation, the 
     lack of reforestation plans, and the accelerated erosion 
     caused by urban development, among other aspects, have 
     seriously affected the storage capacity of these bodies of 
     water.
       In addition to the foregoing, after hurricanes Irma and 
     Maria made landfall on September 2017, many of our lakes were 
     severely affected by a sudden accumulation of sediment. The 
     path followed by hurricane Irma--a category-5 hurricane--
     brought it really close to the island, and two weeks later, 
     hurricane Maria made landfall on the island. Hurricane Maria 
     has been classified as one of the most powerful natural 
     disasters to ever affect Puerto Rico in recent history. The 
     latter left a lot of devastation, flooding, torrential rain, 
     and severe damage across the island.
       The catastrophic effects of these weather events had a 
     significant impact on four (4) of our most important 
     reservoirs. Out of the lakes that supply our drinking water, 
     Loiza (Carraizo) is one of the most affected by 
     sedimentation. Said sedimentation has reduced the depth of 
     the lake thus impairing its capacity to collect water, 
     despite being fed primarily by the Rio Grande de Loiza, which 
     is the largest river on the island. The storage capacity of 
     the Loiza reservoir (Carraizo) has been nearly halved as a 
     result of sedimentation.
       Sedimentation is also the main problem affecting the Dos 
     Bocas, Lucchetti, and Loco Lakes, all of which are at 
     critical levels, threatening their storage capacity and water 
     quality, because water turbidity increases as reservoir 
     levels decrease. The rapid sediment accumulation has reduced 
     the useful life of the most important reservoirs by sixty 
     (60) percent. Therefore, the United States Congress failure 
     to take immediate action and appropriate the funds needed to 
     dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza (Carraizo), and Lucchetti 
     reservoirs would hinder the hydropower generation and 
     drinking water supply for the thousands U.S. citizens who 
     reside on the Island. The critical levels of these four (4) 
     reservoirs calls for the urgent dredging and restoration of 
     these bodies of water, so that they may serve the purposes 
     for which they were built, as well as to mitigate and control 
     future flooding in the communities surrounding these bodies 
     of water.
       For all of the foregoing, this Legislative Assembly deems 
     it necessary and convenient to request the Congress of the 
     United States of America, on behalf of the U.S. citizens born 
     in this U.S. Territory, to appropriate funds and resources as 
     are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, Loiza 
     (Carraizo), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were adversely 
     affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
       Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico:
       Section l.--The Congress of the United States of America is 
     hereby requested to take action to appropriate funds and 
     resources as are necessary to dredge the Dos Bocas, Loco, 
     Loiza (Carraizo ), and Lucchetti reservoirs, which were 
     adversely affected by excessive sedimentation in the 
     catastrophic wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto 
     Rico.
       Section 2.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct 
     copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated 
     into English, be delivered to the President of the U.S. 
     Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives as 
     well as the Leadership of the Congress of the United States 
     of America.
       Section 3.--It is hereby directed that a true and correct 
     copy of this Concurrent Resolution, certified and translated 
     into English, be delivered to the President of the United 
     States of America.
       Section 4.--Provided, further, that a certified copy of 
     this Concurrent Resolution be delivered to the Puerto Rico 
     Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and the Office of the 
     Resident Commissioner in Washington, DC, the Honorable 
     Jenniffer A. Gonzalez-Colon, to join the efforts of the 
     members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico to promote 
     and to achieve that funds be appropriated to Puerto Rico for 
     the dredging of these important bodies of water.
       Section 5.--This Concurrent Resolution shall take effect 
     upon its approval.
                                  ____

       POM-79. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the United States Congress to continue full 
     funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                        Senate Resolution No. 25

       Whereas, the Great Lakes are a critical resource for our 
     nation, supporting the economy and a way of life in Michigan 
     and the other seven states within the Great Lakes region. The 
     Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world's surface freshwater 
     and 90 percent of the United States' surface freshwater. This 
     globally significant freshwater resource provides drinking 
     water for more than 30 million people and directly supports 
     1.5 million jobs, generating $62 billion in wages; and
       Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has 
     provided crucial funding to support long overdue work to 
     protect and restore the Great Lakes. In partnership with the 
     states, local governments, and other organizations, the 
     federal government has invested more than $3 billion and 
     supported over 4,700 projects over the last decade, including 
     around $600 million for more than 1,100 projects in Michigan. 
     These projects have cleaned up toxic pollution. reduced 
     runoff from cities and forms, combatted invasive species, and 
     restored fish and wildlife habitat; and
       Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made a 
     significant difference and represents a sound investment in 
     both the environment and the economies of the Great Lakes 
     region. A 2018 study calculated that for every federal dollar 
     invested in Great Lakes restoration there is $3.35 in 
     additional economic activity, with older industrial cities 
     like Detroit seeing an even higher return on investment; and
       Whereas, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made a 
     particular difference in addressing toxic hot spots around 
     the Great Lakes. Prior to the GLRI, only one of these 31 
     ``areas of concern'' within the United States had been 
     cleaned up in more than 20 years. Since 2010, GLRI funding 
     has facilitated the cleanup of six additional areas of 
     concern, five in Michigan. Cleaning up these areas of 
     concerns makes a real difference to the environment as well 
     as local economies by improving water quality, restoring fish 
     and wildlife habitat, enhancing recreational opportunities, 
     and facilitating new development; and
       Whereas, far more work needs to be done. Whether toxic 
     algal blooms shutting down Toledo's drinking water supply, 
     invasive carp threatening billion-dollar fisheries, or 
     contaminated sediments restricting recreational 
     opportunities, substantial limitations and threats to the use 
     of the Great Lakes remain. Twenty-four areas of concern still 
     need additional cleanup work done, including eight in 
     Michigan. These problems require a collaborative effort to 
     solve; and
       Whereas, less than 40 percent of the available funds have 
     been spent in recent years cleaning up the federally 
     designated areas of concern. Greater emphasis should be 
     placed on addressing these sites, including having most of 
     the available dollars designated towards completing cleanup 
     of the remaining areas of concern. While other needs have 
     merit as well, cleaning up these sites would bring 
     significant benefits to impacted communities; and
       Whereas, the President's Fiscal Year 2020 federal budget 
     proposes to reduce funding for the Great Lakes Restoration 
     Initiative by 90

[[Page S3215]]

     percent, though later commitments pledged to continue funding 
     at past levels. This continued funding is appreciated as 
     restoration efforts will only become more expensive and more 
     difficult if they are not addressed in the coming years. The 
     federal government needs to remain an active partner with the 
     Great Lakes region; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to continue full funding of the Great Lakes 
     Restoration Initiative; and be it further
       Resolved, That we encourage that funding be prioritized 
     towards cleaning up and delisting the remaining Great Lakes 
     areas of concern and that a detailed comprehensive strategy 
     and schedule be developed to direct the use of funding for 
     the areas of concern; 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-80. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Cincinnati, Ohio, urging the Ohio congressional delegation to 
     support the proposed Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend 
     Act; to the Committee on Finance.

                          ____________________