[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4581-S4585]
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-217. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     and the Louisiana congressional delegation to remove the 
     revenue sharing cap on the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 
     (GOMESA) of 2006 for Gulf producing states and to take such 
     actions as are necessary to rectify the federal revenue 
     sharing inequities between coastal and interior energy 
     producing states; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 11

       Whereas, many of the energy resources enjoyed by the entire 
     United States are dependent upon the health of Gulf Coast 
     ecosystems which provide access to those resources and 
     related infrastructure and protection for communities that 
     house its workforce; and
       Whereas, Louisiana is home to thirty percent of the 
     nation's wetlands and ninety percent of its wetlands loss, a 
     crisis that impacts communities, ecosystems, and the very 
     economic engines that contribute to the nation's energy 
     security; and
       Whereas, under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920, fifty 
     percent of the mineral revenues generated from federal lands 
     onshore are shared with the host state to offset impacts of 
     the federal mineral development; this includes royalties, 
     severance taxes, and bonuses, all under no cap: and
       Whereas, under GOMESA. Gulf producing states, including 
     Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, share only 
     thirty-seven and one half percent of the mineral revenues 
     generated by oil and gas production from active leases since 
     2006 in federal waters and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); 
     and
       Whereas, currently annual GOMESA revenues for Gulf 
     producing states are capped at three hundred seventy-five 
     million dollars per year, apportioned to the mineral activity 
     supported by each Gulf state; and
       Whereas, according to the most recent data from the United 
     States Energy Information Administration (EIA), Louisiana, 
     within its territorial boundaries, is the ninth largest 
     producer of oil in the United States, but it is the second 
     largest oil producer in the country if oil production from 
     adjacent federal waters is included; and
       Whereas, according to the most recent data from the EIA, 
     Louisiana, within its territorial boundaries, is the fourth 
     largest producer of gas in the United States, but it is the 
     second largest gas producer in the country if gas production 
     from adjacent federal waters is included; and
       Whereas, Louisiana contributes to the United States 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve with two facilities located in 
     the state consisting of twenty-nine caverns capable of 
     holding nearly three hundred million barrels of crude oil; 
     and
       Whereas, with a number of onshore liquefied natural gas 
     (LNG) facilities and others

[[Page S4582]]

     already permitted, more LNG facilities than any other state 
     in the country, and the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the 
     nation's only deepwater oil port, Louisiana plays an 
     essential role in the movement of natural gas and crude oil 
     from the United States Gulf Coast region to markets 
     throughout the country and the world; and
       Whereas, the majority of the oil and gas production from 
     the Gulf of Mexico enters the United States through coastal 
     Louisiana with all of the infrastructure necessary to receive 
     and transport such production; and
       Whereas, because Louisiana is losing more coastal wetlands 
     than any other state in the country, in 2006 the people of 
     Louisiana overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment 
     dedicating revenues received from OCS oil and gas activity 
     through GOMESA to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund 
     for the purposes of coastal protection, including 
     conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and 
     infrastructure directly impacted by coastal wetland losses; 
     and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana has developed, through a 
     science-based and stakeholder-involved process, a 
     ``Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' which 
     identifies and prioritizes the most efficient and effective 
     projects in order to meet the state's critical coastal 
     protection and restoration needs and has received many 
     accolades from the country's scientific community; and
       Whereas, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority 
     is making great progress implementing the projects contained 
     in the ``Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' 
     with all available funding, projects that are essential to 
     the protection of the infrastructure that is critical to the 
     energy needs of the United States; and
       Whereas, for the state of Louisiana and our coastal 
     parishes, the GOMESA revenue stream is a critical recurring 
     source of revenue that allows our state and coastal parishes 
     to address our coastal protection and restoration needs to 
     support our working coast. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation to remove the revenue sharing cap on 
     the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 for Gulf 
     producing states and to take such actions as are necessary to 
     rectify the federal revenue sharing inequities between 
     coastal and interior energy producing states.
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-218. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     and the Louisiana congressional delegation to take such 
     actions as are necessary to clarify and provide guidance 
     regarding the ability of freshwater fisherman or fishery-
     related businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to 
     receive assistance funding from CARES Act dollars; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 16

       Whereas, three hundred million dollars in fisheries 
     assistance funding has been provided by Section 12005 of the 
     federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
     (CARES) Act: and
       Whereas, the United States Secretary of Commerce, through 
     the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
     Fisheries, has allocated fourteen million seven hundred 
     eighty-five thousand two hundred forty-four dollars with the 
     specific purpose of assisting Louisiana commercial fishermen, 
     charter businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, 
     subsistence users, processors, and other fishery-related 
     businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through direct 
     aid payments; and
       Whereas, the United States Department of Commerce's 
     determination has limited qualified applicants to those who 
     participate in various sectors of coastal and marine 
     fisheries, thereby precluding eligibility for freshwater 
     fisheries; and
       Whereas, Louisiana has thousands of commercially licensed 
     freshwater fishermen; and
       Whereas, in 2019 the freshwater fisheries harvest, 
     including wild caught crawfish, accounted for a dockside 
     value of nearly twenty million dollars, illustrating how 
     vital freshwater fisheries are to the people and the economy 
     of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the full scale of the economic impact of the 
     COVID-19 pandemic on freshwater fisheries has not yet been 
     determined; however, these fisheries have been directly 
     impacted; and
       Whereas, the impacts to freshwater fisheries and other 
     Louisiana fisheries participants result in individuals who 
     would benefit greatly from a direct payment program; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 
     is charged with developing programs to expend these funds; 
     and
       Whereas, the Legislature of Louisiana supports the 
     development of direct payment programs to industry 
     participants: Therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation to take such actions as are 
     necessary to clarify and provide guidance regarding the 
     ability of freshwater fishermen or fishery-related businesses 
     affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to receive assistance 
     funding from CARES Act dollars; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-219. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     to extend certifications for an 8(a) business by one 
     additional year if the business was certified by January 1, 
     2020; to the Committee on Small Business and 
     Entrepreneurship.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 22

       Whereas, the 8(a) Business Development Program (program) is 
     a business assistance program that exists to level the 
     playing field for small businesses owned by socially and 
     economically disadvantaged people or entities; and
       Whereas, the program offers a broad scope of assistance to 
     businesses that are at least fifty-one percent owned and 
     controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged 
     individuals whose personal net worth is two hundred fifty 
     thousand dollars or less, and who own four million dollars or 
     less in assets; and
       Whereas, the 8(a) program is an essential instrument for 
     helping socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs 
     gain access to the economic mainstream or American society 
     and helps thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs to gain a 
     foothold in government contracting; and
       Whereas, beginning as early as March 11, 2020, many states 
     declared a public health emergency as a result of the 
     imminent threat posed by the outbreak of a respiratory 
     disease caused by a novel coronavirus known commonly as 
     COVID-19; and
       Whereas, the Centers for Disease Control suggested 
     aggressive measures for limiting the possible interaction of 
     the public with individuals who are exposed to or test 
     positive for the virus; and
       Whereas, the response by many states to the contagion of 
     COVID-19 required a large scale disruption of the state 
     economies as many businesses were closed in order to protect 
     the public health and to prevent a spike in demand for health 
     care services that would have overwhelmed the capacity of the 
     health care system to provide services; and
       Whereas, a participant in the certified 8(a) Business 
     Development Program receives a program term of nine years 
     from the date of the Small Business Administration's approval 
     letter certifying admission to the program, including four 
     years in the developmental stage and five years in the 
     transitional stage; and
       Whereas, efforts to slow or disrupt the spread of COVID-19 
     has resulted in the temporary closure of many 8(a) certified 
     businesses; and
       Whereas, temporary closures of 8(a) certified businesses 
     may have prevented these businesses from reaching the program 
     goal of maintaining a balance between their commercial and 
     government business, and this may result in poor performance 
     reviews, incomplete business planning, and unfair evaluations 
     due to the unforeseen and unavoidable consequences of COVID-
     19: Therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes 
     the Congress of the United States to extend certifications 
     for 8(a) businesses for one additional year beyond the 
     requisite nine-year term, thereby allowing those 8(a) 
     certified businesses that are in the first four years of 
     certification to remain in the developmental stage an 
     additional year if the business was certified before January 
     1, 2020, and similarly, the 8(a) certified businesses 
     currently in the five-year transitional stage would be 
     extended by one additional year; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution 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-220. A joint resolution adopted by the legislature of 
     the State of Colorado urging the Department of Defense to 
     permanently base the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) 
     in Colorado; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                   Senate Joint Resolution No. 20-018

       Whereas, Our nation and the world have significantly 
     benefitted from technological and scientific advances 
     resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities, 
     and Colorado is paving the way for new discoveries in the 
     frontiers of space by having a rich history in aerospace 
     development and being at the forefront of space travel, 
     exploration, and aerospace research; and
       Whereas, Colorado is ranked number one in the country for 
     aerospace employment with a strategically located aerospace 
     center of excellence with over 30,000 Coloradans directly 
     employed in aerospace and a payroll exceeding $3.9 billion; 
     an aerospace cluster that supports more than 190,000 jobs; 
     and 7.5 percent of Colorado's labor income derived from 
     Department of Defense (DoD) employment, and 6.5 percent of 
     the state's gross state product that is DoD-related; and
       Whereas, Colorado is a leader for business growth, with the 
     number one economy in the

[[Page S4583]]

     country in 2019 according to the U.S. News & World Report and 
     ranked fourth in high-tech employment and fourth on the State 
     Technology and Science Index, supporting Colorado's position 
     as a top aerospace state economy and workforce; and
       Whereas, Colorado's aerospace industry is home to a broad 
     range of companies that create products and systems for 
     commercial, military, and civil space applications, such as 
     spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellites, command and control 
     software, sensors, and navigation operations. These companies 
     include Ball Aerospace, Boeing, DigitalGlobe, Harris 
     Corporation, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Northrop Grumman, 
     Raytheon, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne Brown 
     Engineering, and United Launch Alliance, which make up the 
     aerospace sector; and
       Whereas, Colorado is uniting global partners around the 
     world to ensure space access for developing nations via the 
     first planned United Nations space mission. Sierra Nevada 
     Corporation, located in Louisville, Colorado, together with 
     the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, will use 
     its Dream Chaser spacecraft to allow developing countries the 
     opportunity to develop and fly microgravity payloads for an 
     extended duration in orbit; and
       Whereas, Colorado has an existing educated workforce, 
     ranked second in the nation with residents with a bachelor's 
     degree or higher, and a pipeline of higher institutions to 
     sustain future growth. We are home to the United States Air 
     Force Academy and many colleges and universities, including 
     the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of 
     Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado 
     State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 
     University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort 
     Lewis College. Altogether, they provide access to world-class 
     aerospace-related degrees and offer aerospace companies one 
     of the country's most educated workforces; and
       Whereas, Colorado is home to some of the most prestigious 
     research institutions, such as the Laboratory for Atmospheric 
     and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado 
     Boulder. It began in 1948, a decade before NASA, and is the 
     world's only research institute to have sent instruments to 
     all eight planets and to Pluto, combining all aspects of 
     space exploration through science, engineering, mission 
     operations, and scientific data analysis; and
       Whereas, Colorado is also home to the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction 
     Center, a world-leading center of predictions of the solar 
     and near-Earth space environment and the nation's official 
     source of watches, warnings, and alerts of incoming solar 
     storms, using satellite observations to protect and save 
     lives and property; and
       Whereas, Colorado is strategically located at the center of 
     our national and space defense. We are the home to five key 
     strategic military commands: North American Aerospace Defense 
     Command (NORAD), United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), 
     United States Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component 
     Command for Space (JFCC Space) Missile Warning Center, the 
     United States Air Force Space Command, and the United States 
     Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic 
     Command; and five military installations, including United 
     States Air Force bases Buckley, Cheyenne Mountain, Peterson, 
     and Schriever and Fort Carson Army base; and
       Whereas, The 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base 
     provides operational command and control of three 
     constellations of space-based infrared missile warning 
     systems, has been defending America continuously since 1970, 
     and is a critical part of global defense and national 
     security; and
       Whereas, Colorado is already the center for United States 
     military space operations and strategy. According to the 
     Colorado Space Coalition (CSC), the state's military commands 
     are the primary customers for space-based research, 
     development, acquisitions, and operations, representing 
     nearly 90 percent of space-related expenditure by the 
     military. Moving the United States Space Command to any other 
     location than Colorado will be incredibly disruptive to the 
     National Defense Strategy. In addition, it will cause a major 
     upheaval in existing infrastructure and jobs in the state, 
     which will result in higher costs and less efficient outcomes 
     for the United States military; and
       Whereas, Colorado leads the charge in bringing current and 
     future global positioning system (GPS) assets to life, a 
     service provided free to the world by Air Force Space Command 
     in Colorado Springs. From the operation of GPS satellites by 
     Schriever Air Force Base to GPS III, the most powerful GPS 
     satellite to date being designed and built by Lockheed Martin 
     and launched by United Launch Alliance with Raytheon 
     developing the command and control capabilities, and with 
     companies such as Boeing, Harris Corporation, Braxton 
     Technologies, and Infinity Systems Engineering also 
     supporting GPS development and operations from locations in 
     Colorado, our GPS technologies enable an integral part of our 
     global economy to have an incalculable impact that has 
     improved the everyday lives of billions of people around the 
     world; and
       Whereas, Various organizations are key to Colorado's 
     prominence in aerospace, such as the Colorado Space 
     Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders working to make 
     Colorado a center of excellence for aerospace; the Colorado 
     Space Business Roundtable, working to bring together 
     aerospace stakeholders from the industry, government, and 
     academia for roundtable discussions and business development 
     and to encourage grassroots citizen participation in 
     aerospace issues; the Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space 
     Exploration, whose mission is to promote better understanding 
     of aerospace and its importance in our economy and daily 
     lives, as well as to promote the importance of human space 
     exploration; Manufacturer's Edge, a statewide manufacturing 
     assistance center that encourages the strength and 
     competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers by providing on-
     site technical assistance through coaching, training, and 
     consulting, by providing collaboration-focused industry 
     programs, and by leveraging government, university, and 
     economic development partnerships; and the Space Foundation, 
     founded in 1983, with its world headquarters in Colorado 
     Springs, Colorado, which holds an annual Space Symposium, 
     bringing together civil, commercial, and national security 
     space leaders from around the world to discuss, address, and 
     plan for the future of space: Now, therefore,
       Be it resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-second General 
     Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of 
     Representatives concurring herein:
       That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:
       (1) Recognizing Colorado's unique blend of military 
     installations and major commands, private aerospace 
     companies, academic and research institutions, and government 
     entities, and the valuable synergies this ecosystem produces, 
     strongly urge the Department of Defense to keep the existing 
     United States Space Combatant Command in Colorado;
       (2) Furthermore, we strongly urge the Department of Defense 
     to permanently base the United States Space Command 
     (USSPACECOM) in Colorado, recognizing that Colorado provides 
     the existing command structure, base infrastructure, and 
     communications platforms necessary to successfully host 
     additional national security initiatives and ensure 
     coordination of efforts without committing restrictive 
     additional funds;
       (3) Proudly express that Colorado has deep ties with the 
     Department of Defense and immense patriotic commitment to 
     providing for the nation's security and bolstering our 
     defense;
       (4) Express our most sincere and deepest appreciation to 
     our service members and civilian employees working in and 
     supporting military and civilian aerospace companies, 
     military installations, and civil organizations in Colorado; 
     and
       (5) Hereby declare Colorado to be the prime location for 
     USSPACECOM; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to 
     President Donald J. Trump; Vice President Michael R. Pence; 
     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; House Minority Leader Kevin 
     McCarthy; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Senate 
     Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer; Senator Michael Bennet; 
     Senator Cory Gardner; Congresswoman Diana DeGette; 
     Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Scott Tipton; Congressman 
     Ken Buck; Congressman Doug Lamborn; Congressman Jason Crow; 
     Congressman Ed Perlmutter; Jim Bridenstine, NASA 
     Administrator; James W. Morhard, NASA Deputy Administrator; 
     Steve Dickson, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator; 
     Governor Jared Polis; Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera; 
     Major General Michael A. Loh, The Adjutant General, Colorado 
     National Guard; Wayne R. Monteith, Associate Administrator 
     for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation 
     Administration; General John W. ``Jay'' Raymond, Air Force 
     Space Commander; Colonel Jacob Middleton, USAF, Commander 
     Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado; Betty Sapp, Director, 
     National Reconnaissance Office; Ross Garelick Bell, Executive 
     Director, Aerospace States Association; Thomas E. Zelibor, 
     Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald Sega, 
     Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Michael Gass, Co-chair, 
     Colorado Space Coalition; and Stacey DeFore, Chair, Colorado 
     Citizens Space Exploration.
                                  ____

       POM-221. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Colorado strongly urging and requesting the government of the 
     United States of America to take action to preserve and 
     enhance United States leadership in space, and declaring 
     March 10, 2020, ``Colorado Aerospace Day''; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.

                      Senate Resolution No. 20-004

       Whereas, Our nation and the world have significantly 
     benefitted from technological and scientific advances 
     resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities; 
     and
       Whereas, Colorado is the number one state per capita in the 
     country for private aerospace employment; and
       Whereas, There are 30,020 Coloradans who are directly 
     employed in aerospace, with the aerospace cluster supporting 
     nearly 200,000 jobs; and
       Whereas, Colorado is home to the nation's top aerospace 
     companies, including Ball Aerospace, Boeing, L3Harris, 
     Lockheed Martin Space, Maxar Technologies, Northrop Grumman, 
     Raytheon, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne Brown 
     Engineering, and United Launch Alliance, and close to 500 
     additional companies that support the aerospace sector by 
     providing services and developing products, including 
     spacecraft, launch

[[Page S4584]]

     vehicles, satellites, command and control software, sensors, 
     and navigation operations; and
       Whereas, Colorado is a strategic location for national 
     space and cyber activity, with five key military commands--
     North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the United 
     States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the United States 
     Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for 
     Space (JFCC Space) Missile Warning Center, the United States 
     Space Command, and the United States Army Space and Missile 
     Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command--and three 
     space-related United States Air Force bases--Buckley, 
     Peterson, and Schriever; and
       Whereas, The United States Air Force Academy, along with 
     Colorado's colleges and universities, including the 
     University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado 
     Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State 
     University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 
     University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort 
     Lewis College provides access to world-class aerospace-
     related degrees and offers aerospace companies one of the 
     country's most educated workforces; and
       Whereas, Various organizations are key to Colorado's 
     prominence in aerospace, such as the Colorado Space 
     Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders working to grow 
     and promote Colorado as a center of excellence for aerospace, 
     and the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, an organization 
     that works to convene stakeholders from industry, government, 
     and academia to advance aerospace business and workforce 
     opportunities throughout the state, that together form the 
     Colorado chapter of the Aerospace States Association, a 
     nonpartisan organization of Lieutenant Governors and 
     associate members from aerospace organizations and academia 
     who represent states' interests in federal aerospace and 
     aviation policy development; the Colorado chapter of Citizens 
     for Space Exploration, in partnership with the Colorado Space 
     Business Roundtable, whose mission is to promote better 
     understanding of aerospace and its importance in our economy 
     and daily lives as well as promoting the importance of human 
     space exploration; and Manufacturer's Edge, a statewide 
     manufacturing assistance center that encourages the strength 
     and competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers by providing 
     on-site technical assistance through coaching, training, and 
     consulting and collaboration-focused industry programs and 
     leveraging government, university, and economic development 
     partnerships; and
       Whereas, The Colorado Air and Space Port seeks to serve as 
     America's hub for commercial space transportation, research, 
     and development and this horizontal launch facility will have 
     the potential to become the foundation for a global 
     suborbital transportation network connecting Colorado 
     globally: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-second General 
     Assembly of the State of Colorado:
       That we, the members of the Colorado Senate:
       (1) Strongly urge and request the government of the United 
     States of America to take action to preserve and enhance 
     United States leadership in space, spur innovation, and 
     ensure our continued national and economic security by 
     increasing funding for space exploration and activities, 
     including regaining the ability of the United States to 
     deliver astronauts to low Earth orbit in the next few years 
     and to commit to and aggressively pursue sending the first 
     woman and United States astronauts to the Moon by 2024 under 
     the Artemis program with a goal of sending a crewed mission 
     to orbit Mars by 2033 using the Orion spacecraft and the 
     Space Launch System to get there;
       (2) Recognize and appreciate Colorado's space and aerospace 
     companies and organizations, especially the growing 
     membership and activities of the Colorado chapter of Citizens 
     for Space Exploration, in partnership with the Colorado Space 
     Business Roundtable, whose activities to promote space 
     exploration are helping to increase public understanding and 
     enthusiasm for exploration funding;
       (3) Recognize and support our Congressional Delegation in 
     urging the Department of Defense to reestablish the United 
     States Space Command in Colorado;
       (4) Recognize and appreciate the contributions of 
     Colorado's universities, colleges, and national research 
     laboratories to the space and aerospace industries, including 
     their expertise in exploration of the planets and the 
     universe and space-based Earth observation;
       (5) Express our most sincere and deepest appreciation to 
     the men and women working in our military installations in 
     Colorado; and
       (6) Hereby declare March 10, 2020, to be ``Colorado 
     Aerospace Day''; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to 
     President Donald Trump; Vice President Mike Pence; Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi; House Minority 
     Leader Kevin McCarthy; Senate Majority Leader Mitch 
     McConnell; Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer; Senator 
     Cory Gardner; Senator Michael Bennet; Congresswoman Diana 
     DeGette; Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Scott Tipton; 
     Congressman Ken Buck; Congressman Doug Lamborn; Congressman 
     Jason Crow; Congressman Ed Perlmutter; Jim Bridenstine, NASA 
     Administrator; Daniel K. Elwell, Deputy Administrator, 
     Federal Aviation Administration; Governor Jared Polis; 
     Lieutenant Governor and Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition, 
     Dianne Primavera; Major General Michael A. Loh, The Adjutant 
     General, Colorado National Guard; General John Raymond, 
     Commander, U.S. Space Command, and Commander, Air Force Space 
     Command; Colonel Devin Pepper, USAF, Commander of the 460th 
     Space Wing, Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado; Dr. Christopher 
     Scales, Director, National Reconnaissance Office; Ross B. 
     Garelick Bell, Executive Director, Aerospace States 
     Association; Thomas E. Zelibor, Chief Executive Officer, 
     Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Co-chair, Colorado 
     Space Coalition; Michael Gass, Co-chair, Colorado Space 
     Coalition; Alires Almon, Chair, Colorado Space Business 
     Roundtable; Stacey DeFore, Chair, Colorado Citizens for Space 
     Exploration; Dave Ruppel, Director, Colorado Air and Space 
     Port; and Debbie Brown, President, Colorado Space Business 
     Roundtable.
                                  ____

       POM-222. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the Congress of the United States to help the 
     state of Michigan, schools, and local governments address 
     revenue shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 124

       Whereas, The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to an unprecedented 
     economic crisis in the United States. Governors across the 
     country, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, have 
     ordered non-essential businesses and schools to temporarily 
     close and mandated that residents do not leave their homes, 
     except for specific essential activities, in order to limit 
     the spread of COVID-19 and save lives; and
       Whereas, The cost of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and 
     protecting Michigan's citizens has been a dramatic decline in 
     state tax revenue. As businesses are shut down and residents 
     are out of work, the projected revenue from income, sales, 
     and other taxes has dropped precipitously. In Michigan, 
     projected General Fund revenue has been reduced by $2 billion 
     and projected School Aid Fund revenue has declined by $1.2 
     billion for Fiscal Year 2020. Even as businesses re-open and 
     restrictions on movement are lifted, the economic fallout 
     from fighting COVID-19 will remain. Significant budget holes 
     are projected in Fiscal Year 2021; and
       Whereas, Local governments and schools are also facing a 
     dire fiscal situation. In addition to falling revenues from 
     property, casino, and local income taxes, the fall in state 
     revenue may necessitate severe cuts to state revenue sharing 
     to local governments. Similarly, the substantial shortfall in 
     School Aid Fund revenue may lead to similar cuts in state 
     funding for local school districts; and
       Whereas, While government revenues have declined, the costs 
     of providing some critical public services has increased as a 
     result of the Pandemic. About 14,000 ``essential'' state 
     employees are eligible for extra pay on each paycheck during 
     the crisis. Several municipalities have enacted hazard pay 
     for employees who are working during the crisis. In Wayne 
     County, sheriff's deputies are receiving an additional $30 
     per day worked with additional hazard pay available for 
     overtime shifts; and
       Whereas, While Congress has already enacted some federal 
     aid for states and local governments, its limited scope and 
     restrictions will be insufficient to weather the effects of 
     the Pandemic. Michigan is currently expected to receive about 
     $3.8 billion from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
     Economic Security (CARES) Act, but the funds may only be used 
     for expenses associated with the Pandemic. In addition, since 
     the act only provides direct aid to local governments with a 
     population exceeding 500,000, only a handful of Michigan's 
     nearly 2,000 local units of government will be eligible for 
     direct payments from the federal government; and
       Whereas, Increasing the flexibility states have when using 
     CARES Act aid will help mitigate these dramatic cuts. 
     Allowing states and local governments to use CARES Act 
     funding for costs that are not directly associated with the 
     Pandemic will help to address their projected revenue 
     shortfalls. Providing flexibility will ensure aid is 
     available to local governments that were left out of the 
     CARES Act and further address state and local budget 
     shortfalls; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to help the state of Michigan, schools, and 
     local governments address revenue shortfalls during the 
     COVID-19 Pandemic; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     the President of the United States Senate, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-223. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to clarify its position on the legality of 
     marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                        House Resolution No. 151

       Whereas, Despite federal law criminalizing marijuana, many 
     states have exercised their authority to enact marijuana laws 
     that reflect the needs and interests of their citizens.

[[Page S4585]]

     Currently, the state of Michigan is among a majority of 
     states that have chosen to regulate marijuana under state 
     law; and
       Whereas, The federal government's lack of clarity and 
     inconsistency in its interpretation of the legality of 
     marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 has 
     created confusion and uncertainty for states legislating 
     marijuana operations. This, in turn, affects law enforcement, 
     banking, taxation, and zoning; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     Congress of the United States to clarify its position on the 
     legality of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act of 
     1970; 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-224. A resolution adopted by the Common Council of the 
     City of Syracuse, New York, urging the President of the 
     United States, the Senate, the United States Congress, the 
     Supreme Court Justices, and the Department of Justice (Civil 
     Rights Division) to enforce various sections of the United 
     States Constitution and direct all States to eliminate their 
     unconstitutional use of force policies through federal 
     legislation; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-225. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and the City 
     Council of the City of Hackensack, New Jersey, recognizing 
     June 5, 2020 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-226. A resolution adopted by the Ypsilanti Community 
     School District Board of Education, Washtenaw County, 
     Michigan, urging the federal government to provide revenue 
     replacement for States; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.
       POM-227. A petition from the Massachusetts Department of 
     Transportation relative to Amtrak's supplemental funding 
     request for fiscal year (FY) 2021; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
       POM-228. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to visa issuance; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                          ____________________