[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5964-S5965]
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-141. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to allow jail and prison inmates to be 
     eligible for Medicaid Coverage or to allow states to seek a 
     waiver from the law; to the Committee on Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 93

       Whereas, The Federal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy 
     (MIEP) prohibits the payment of federal Medicaid matching 
     dollars for medical services provided to prison inmates. 
     Medicaid will only cover the care an inmate receives in an 
     inpatient hospital or medical institution; and
       Whereas, Incarcerated individuals have been ineligible for 
     Medicaid since the inception of the program in 1965. National 
     prison populations have risen exponentially over the past 
     several decades from approximately 200,000 when Medicaid 
     began to over a million in county jails and state prisons 
     currently; and
       Whereas, The MIEP places a tremendous financial burden on 
     states, counties, and local communities as hundreds of 
     millions of dollars are spent annually for health care 
     services provided in jails and prisons. Inmate health issues 
     run the gamut from mental illness to chronic diseases, 
     including diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, and cancer. 
     Furthermore, the health complexities of aging inmates 
     increase health care costs, and
       Whereas, The repeal of or a federal waiver from the 
     exclusionary provision of MIEP would enable states and 
     counties to seek federal matching funds for Medicaid-covered 
     services. Furthermore, states that have expanded Medicaid 
     under the Affordable Care Act would be reimbursed for at 
     least 90 percent of their spending on prison health care; 
     Now, therefore, be it
       RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That we urge the 
     Congress of the United Stales to repeal the Medicaid Inmate 
     Exclusion Policy to allow prison inmates to be eligible for 
     Medicaid coverage or allow states to seek a waiver from the 
     law; 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-142. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the United States Congress to 
     enact robust bipartisan federal infrastructure legislation 
     and address the shortfall in the federal Highway Trust Fund 
     by restoring the lost purchasing power of the federal fuel 
     tax; to the Committee on Finance.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, California's transportation infrastructure is 
     aging and in serious need of repair, with more than 44 
     percent of major roads and highways considered in poor 
     condition and another 25 percent rated mediocre; and
       Whereas, This problem is even more acute in urban areas, 
     where more than 53 percent of major roads and highways are in 
     poor condition and 25 percent are rated mediocre; and
       Whereas, California motorists spend in excess of $22 
     billion annually in additional operating costs, more than 
     $843 per driver, as a result of driving on poorly maintained 
     roads; and
       Whereas, Increasing levels of traffic congestion are 
     clogging urban freeways, impacting commutes and commerce, and 
     costing Californians an estimated $29 billion annually in 
     wasted time and fuel; and
       Whereas, With California's population expected to grow to 
     48 million by 2040, substantial new investment in public 
     transportation will be needed to improve mobility. reduce 
     gridlock, and meet critical greenhouse gas reduction targets, 
     yet the state's transit agencies collectively face billions 
     of dollars annually in capital and operating shortfalls; and
       Whereas, These transit agencies face particularly acute 
     regulatory challenges and funding shortfalls in providing 
     vital paratransit services to the elderly, persons with 
     disabilities, and others with special needs; and
       Whereas, Freight transportation is critical to the economic 
     vitality of the United States and robust investment in safe 
     and efficient transportation facilities and infrastructure is 
     essential to promoting strong economic growth in California 
     and throughout the nation; and
       Whereas, California serves as the nation's gateway to 
     international trade as the entry point for nearly one-fifth 
     of the country's imports, by far the largest share of any 
     state, with the state's vast network of land and seaports, 
     truck routes, and rail lines transporting more than $2.8 
     trillion in goods annually; and
       Whereas, California's freight system is responsible for the 
     creation of 800,000 freight jobs and stimulates creation of 
     millions of other jobs throughout the economy; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature, having risen to meet 
     this crisis by enacting the Road Repair and Accountability 
     Act of 2017 (Chapter 5 of the Statutes of 2017) to add more 
     than $5 billion annually in new transportation investment, 
     depends on the federal government to provide its share of the 
     resources needed to restore and enhance California's highway, 
     transit, and active transportation infrastructure for the 
     generations to come; and
       Whereas, For the past 25 years, the Congress of the United 
     States has failed to take action to preserve or restore the 
     purchasing power of the federal fuel tax or provide any 
     alternate solution adequate to ensure sustained federal 
     investment in the nation's transportation system; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the Congress 
     and the President of the United States to work together to 
     enact the robust bipartisan federal infrastructure 
     legislation necessary to restore California's and other 
     states' crumbling road and freight infrastructure, respond to 
     growing traffic congestion, and increase investment in public 
     transportation, most particularly, by expanding paratransit 
     services for the elderly and those with special needs; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges the Congress and the 
     President of the United States to address the shortfall in 
     the federal Highway Trust Fund by restoring the lost 
     purchasing power of the federal fuel tax in order to provide 
     the long-term funding stability necessary for California and 
     other states to rebuild infrastructure, invest in people 
     through good, well-paying jobs, and strengthen the state's 
     and the nation's economy; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the

[[Page S5965]]

     President and Vice President of the United States, to the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority 
     Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-143. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     New Jersey condemning comments made by the President of the 
     United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       Senate Resolution No. 155

       Whereas, The Founders conceived America as a refuge for 
     people fleeing from religious and political persecution, and 
     emphasized that the nation gained as it attracted new people 
     in search of freedom and livelihood for their families; and
       Whereas, The immigration of people from all over the world 
     has defined every stage of American history and propelled our 
     social, economic, political, scientific, cultural, artistic, 
     and technological progress as a people; and
       Whereas, American patriotism is defined not by race or 
     ethnicity but by devotion to the Constitutional ideals of 
     equality, liberty, inclusion, and democracy; and
       Whereas, President John F. Kennedy, whose family came to 
     the United States from Ireland, stated in his 1958 book ``A 
     Nation of Immigrants'' that, ``The contribution of immigrants 
     can be seen in every aspect of our national life. We see it 
     in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in 
     education, even in athletics and entertainment. There is no 
     part of our nation that has not been touched by our immigrant 
     background. Immigrants have enriched and strengthened every 
     fabric of American life.''; and
       Whereas, The United States is unique among nations because 
     it draws its people and its strength from every country and 
     every corner of the world, and by doing so, the United States 
     is a continuously renewed and enriched nation; and
       Whereas, President Donald Trump's racist comments have 
     legitimized fear and hatred of new Americans and people of 
     color; and
       Whereas, This House believes that immigrants and their 
     descendants have made America stronger, and that those who 
     take the oath of citizenship are as American as those whose 
     families have lived in the United States for many 
     generations; now, therefore,
       Be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
       1. This House strongly condemns President Donald Trump's 
     racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and 
     hatred of new Americans and people of color by saying that 
     our fellow Americans who are immigrants, and those who may 
     look to the President like immigrants, should ``go back'' to 
     their countries, by referring to immigrants and asylum 
     seekers as ``invaders,'' and by saying that members of 
     Congress who are immigrants, or those assumed to be 
     immigrants, do not belong in Congress or in the United States 
     of America.
       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 
     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-144. A resolution adopted by the City Commission of 
     Traverse City, Michigan urging the United States Congress to 
     enact the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019; 
     to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-145. A resolution adopted by the Selectmen of the Town 
     of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire urging the United States 
     Congress to pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend 
     Act of 2019; to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-146. A resolution adopted by the City Commission of 
     Sweetwater, Florida urging reevaluation of an application for 
     permanent resident status by the United States Citizenship 
     and Immigration Services (USCIS); to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
       POM-147. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to appropriations to states and Immigration and 
     Customs Enforcement; to the Committee on Appropriations.

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