[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5068-S5070]
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-37. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging the United 
     States Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 
     2021; to the Committee on Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 215

       Whereas, the National Institutes of Health has reported 
     that the obesity epidemic is now the second-leading cause of 
     death in the United States, with an estimated three hundred 
     thousand deaths per year nationally attributed to the 
     epidemic; and
       Whereas, obesity increases the risk for chronic diseases 
     and conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, 
     certain cancers, arthritis, mental illness, lipid disorders, 
     sleep apnea, and type two diabetes; and
       Whereas, over thirty-four percent of rural Americans live 
     with obesity while just under twenty-nine percent of 
     Americans who reside in metropolitan areas live with the 
     condition; and
       Whereas, racial and ethnic minority groups have been 
     disproportionately impacted by this epidemic with the highest 
     prevalence of obesity occurring among non-Hispanic blacks 
     (forty-nine and six-tenths percent) followed by Hispanics 
     (forty-four and eight-tenths percent), non-Hispanic whites 
     (forty-two and two-tenths percent), and non-Hispanic Asian 
     adults (seventeen and four-tenths percent); and
       Whereas, currently, over one trillion four hundred billion 
     dollars are expended annually on direct and indirect costs 
     for treating health conditions related to obesity; and
       Whereas, on average, measured in 2019 dollars, the annual 
     cost of health care for a Medicare beneficiary with obesity 
     is two thousand eighteen dollars more than the annual cost of 
     health care for a beneficiary of healthy weight; and
       Whereas, the overall improvement in public health resulting 
     from coverage for obesity treatments would lead to lower 
     expenditures in emergency room care, ambulatory care, 
     inpatient stays, and prescriptions and is estimated to 
     achieve net savings in healthcare costs of approximately 
     seven thousand dollars per person over ten years; and
       Whereas, utilization of obesity treatments are predicted to 
     generate Medicare budget savings of between eighteen billion 
     dollars and twenty-three billion dollars over ten years; and
       Whereas, less than one percent of Medicare beneficiaries 
     with obesity are able to access obesity care; and
       Whereas, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021 (TROA) 
     has been introduced as H.R. 1577 and S. 596 in the One 
     Hundred Seventeenth United States Congress; and
       Whereas, this legislation is a real opportunity to help 
     adults living with obesity by making targeted therapies and 
     medications more widely available through Medicare; and
       Whereas, the Medicare coverage changes proposed by TROA 
     would decrease federal government spending by approximately 
     twenty-five million dollars over the fiscal year 2020 through 
     2029 budget period; and
       Whereas, with cosponsors representing both the Democratic 
     and Republican Parties, TROA enjoys bipartisan support in 
     both the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 
     and Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Garret Graves of 
     Louisiana are among the cosponsors of this legislation; and
       Whereas, organizations that have endorsed TROA include the 
     Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of PAs, 
     American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American 
     Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of 
     Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Council on 
     Excellence, American Gastroenterological Association, 
     American Medical Group Association, American Psychological 
     Association, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric 
     Surgery, Black Woman's Health Imperative, Eisai, Endocrine 
     Society, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership 
     Council, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National 
     Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, Novo Nordisk, 
     Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, 
     Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance, The 
     Obesity Society, Trust for America's Health, WW 
     International, and YMCA of the USA: Therefore, be it 
     Resolved, that the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 
     2021; 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-38. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing its opposition to 
     disproportionately increasing the tax burden on natural gas, 
     oil and fuel industries; to the Committee on Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 98

       Whereas, the natural gas, oil, and fuel industries 
     contribute significantly to jobs in Louisiana communities and 
     to the development of state of the art emissions reduction 
     technologies; and
       Whereas, these industries support nearly eleven million 
     jobs across the country, power the nation's economy, and 
     generate billions in revenue for federal and state 
     governments in rents, royalties, and corporate and income tax 
     payments, including fourteen billion dollars for state 
     treasuries through severance taxes in 2019 alone; and
       Whereas, these industries support more than 249,800 jobs in 
     Louisiana and account for more than fourteen and a half 
     billion dollars in wages in the state; and
       Whereas, these industries contribute seventy-three billion 
     dollars in gross domestic product for the state; and
       Whereas, these industries contributed four and a half 
     billion dollars in direct revenues for Louisiana in 2019, and 
     Louisiana relies on those revenues to fund schools, 
     infrastructure, and other critical social services; and
       Whereas, direct industry jobs pay seven times the federal 
     minimum wage and seventy percent higher than the national 
     average wage; and
       Whereas, every direct job in natural gas, oil, and fuel 
     industries support an additional 2.7 jobs in affiliated 
     industries, from lodging to restaurants in proximity to these 
     industries' operations; and
       Whereas, these industries' investments in this country have 
     led to a fifteen percent decrease in household energy costs 
     over the last decade, while costs for food, education, and 
     healthcare have skyrocketed; and
       Whereas, those cheaper energy costs are crucial to working 
     families in our communities and across the country; and
       Whereas, the natural gas, oil, and fuel industries should 
     not be prevented from recovering costs that other industries 
     are eligible for simply because they operate in a different 
     economic sector; and
       Whereas, the United States tax code allows industries 
     across the manufacturing sector to recover costs related to 
     job creation and other operational investments; and
       Whereas, these common tax mechanisms allow natural gas, 
     oil, and fuel industries to create jobs and offset the 
     intangible costs of drilling; invest in our communities; fund 
     critical education, infrastructure, and social service 
     programs; and deliver the energy that working families rely 
     on every day; and therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     express its opposition to singling out these natural gas, 
     oil, and fuels industries by disproportionately increasing 
     the tax burden on them and the constituents of this state; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the president of the United States, each member of the 
     president's cabinet, each member of the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation, and to the members of the capitol 
     press corps.
                                  ____


       POM-39. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of West Virginia urging the United States 
     Congress to extend federal tax incentives to participants in 
     Jumpstart Savings programs that are similar to those that are 
     currently provided to participants in College Savings plans; 
     to the Committee on Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 24

       Whereas, The economy of the United States is experiencing 
     increased demands for highly trained, skilled tradespeople to 
     fill jobs in the construction, welding, and other vocational 
     sectors; and
       Whereas, In the United States, there are nearly half a 
     million more jobs available in the skilled trades than 
     workers with the skills to fill them; and
       Whereas, The number of available jobs in the skilled trades 
     is anticipated to rise to two million over the next decade; 
     and

[[Page S5069]]

       Whereas, A traditional college education is one path to 
     success, but not the only path, especially in light of the 
     increasing costs of a traditional four-year college degree 
     and the growing demand for skilled labor; and
       Whereas, Encouraging students and their families to invest 
     in alternative forms of postsecondary skills could help 
     reshape our nation's future workforce; and
       Whereas, Providing the next generation the ability to save 
     money for the future costs of tools, equipment, and business 
     expenses will make it easier to enter a vocation, trade, or 
     start a small business in the skilled trades industry; and
       Whereas, The West Virginia Legislature has adopted 
     legislation authorizing the West Virginia Jumpstart Savings 
     Program, which creates several tax incentives to help program 
     participants save money, by allowing an income tax deduction 
     for contributions to a Jumpstart Savings account, by 
     providing businesses with a non-refundable state tax credit 
     for matching an employee's own contribution to his or her 
     account each year; and
       Whereas, The Jumpstart Savings Program will allow 
     individuals to roll 529 College Savings plan funds over to a 
     Jumpstart Savings account without facing state income tax 
     penalties; and
       Whereas, West Virginia's Jumpstart Savings Program could be 
     a model for other states to invest in the future 
     entrepreneurship and small business trade industries in our 
     nation, and Congress should extend federal tax benefits to 
     such programs; Therefore be it Resolved by the Legislature of 
     West Virginia:
       That Congress is urged to provide tax benefits to 
     participants in Jumpstart Savings programs that are similar 
     to those currently provided to participants in College 
     Savings plans pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 529; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is 
     hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution, along 
     with a copy of the Jumpstart Savings Act, to the President 
     and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and 
     Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to 
     members of West Virginia's congressional delegation.
                                  ____


       POM-40. A resolution adopted by the Senate of Louisiana 
     urging the United States Congress to enact the Treat and 
     Reduce Obesity Act (TROA); to the Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 245

       Whereas, the National Institutes of Health has reported 
     that obesity is now the second leading cause of death 
     nationally, with an estimated three hundred thousand deaths a 
     year attributed to the epidemic; and
       Whereas, obesity increases the risk for chronic diseases 
     and conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, 
     certain cancers, arthritis, mental illness, lipid disorders, 
     sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes; and
       Whereas, 34.2% of rural Americans live with obesity 
     compared to 28.7% of those who live in metropolitan areas; 
     and
       Whereas, racial and ethnic minority groups have been 
     disproportionately impacted, with the highest prevalence of 
     obesity among non-Hispanic blacks (49.6%), followed by 
     Hispanics (44.8%) and non-Hispanic whites (42.2%), and non-
     Hispanic Asian adults (17.4%); and
       Whereas, currently, $1.42 trillion is spent each year on 
     direct and indirect costs for health conditions related to 
     obesity; and
       Whereas, on average in 2019, a Medicare beneficiary with 
     obesity cost two thousand eighteen dollars more than a 
     healthy-weight beneficiary; and
       Whereas, overall improvement in health conditions from 
     covered obesity treatments would lead to lower expenditures 
     in emergency room care, ambulatory care, inpatient stays, and 
     prescriptions, resulting in net savings between six thousand 
     seven hundred dollars and seven thousand one hundred dollars 
     over ten years per person; and
       Whereas, utilization of obesity treatments will generate 
     Medicare budget savings between eighteen and twenty-three 
     billion dollars over ten years; and
       Whereas, less than one percent of Medicare beneficiaries 
     with obesity are able to access obesity care; and
       Whereas, the proposed Medicare coverage changes would 
     decrease federal government spending by approximately twenty-
     five million dollars over the fiscal years 2020-2029 budget 
     window; and
       Whereas, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) authored 
     by Louisiana United States Senator Bill Cassidy is a real 
     opportunity to help adults living with obesity by making 
     targeted therapies and medications more widely available 
     through Medicare; and Whereas, the TROA legislation enjoys 
     bi-partisan support, being co-sponsored by five Republicans 
     in the United States Senate and five Democrats in the United 
     States Senate; and
       Whereas, the following organizations have endorsed TROA: 
     Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of PAs, 
     American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American 
     Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of 
     Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Council on 
     Excellence, American Gastroenterological Association, 
     American Medical Group Association, American Psychological 
     Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric 
     Surgery, Black Woman's Health Imperative, Eisai, Endocrine 
     Society, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership 
     Council, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National 
     Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Novo Nordisk, 
     Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, SECA, 
     Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, 
     The Obesity Society, Trust for America's Health, WW 
     International, and YMCA of the USA: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     does hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to 
     enact the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA); and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to 
     each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States 
     Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-41. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of Louisiana urging the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the 
     ABLE Age Adjustment Act; to the Committee on Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 99

       Whereas, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, also 
     known as the ABLE Act, was passed by Congress and 
     subsequently signed into law in 2014; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act has created tax-advantaged savings 
     accounts known as ``ABLE accounts'' for persons with 
     disabilities and has allowed funds to be withdrawn from the 
     accounts to cover costs of health care, employment support, 
     housing, transportation, assistive technology, and lifelong 
     education for those persons; and
       Whereas, ABLE accounts are subject to the same tax 
     treatment as the popular education savings accounts commonly 
     called ``529 plans''; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act has created a powerful incentive for 
     individuals and families to save private funds for the 
     purpose of supporting persons with disabilities in 
     maintaining health, independence, and quality of life; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act, as enacted, stipulates that funds 
     held in an ABLE account do not count toward any maximum limit 
     on a person's assets upon which eligibility for a means-
     tested federal program may be contingent; and
       Whereas, savings in an ABLE account do not jeopardize a 
     person's eligibility for programs such as Medicaid and 
     Supplemental Security Income; and
       Whereas, the asset limits of such programs had previously 
     forced low-income persons into the difficult decision of 
     whether to spend their limited resources, down to two 
     thousand dollars in most cases, in order to become eligible 
     for needed assistance; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act, as enacted, includes a fiscal 
     safeguard for states by providing that if the ABLE account 
     beneficiary dies or his disability ceases and assets remain 
     in the account, the assets will first be distributed to any 
     state Medicaid plan that provided assistance to the person; 
     and
       Whereas, as evidenced by the party affiliations of its 
     seventy-eight original cosponsors being almost perfectly 
     balanced, the ABLE Act legislation enjoys broad bipartisan 
     support; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act embodies sound economic policy by 
     encouraging savings and asset building; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Act promotes important values that our 
     nation holds dear by providing that every citizen living with 
     a disability has the opportunity to attain independence and 
     an improved quality of life; and
       Whereas, prior to its passing, a limitation was added to 
     the ABLE Act, which limits the benefits to persons who had 
     the onset of disability before the age of twenty-six; and
       Whereas, this age limitation has prevented many persons and 
     families from receiving the many benefits of the ABLE Act; 
     and
       Whereas, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act has been introduced as 
     S. 331 and H.R. 1219 in the One Hundred Seventeenth United 
     States Congress; and
       Whereas, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act would make the 
     provisions of the ABLE Act available to persons who had the 
     onset of disability before the age of forty-six; and
       Whereas, if passed, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act would make 
     six million more persons with disabilities eligible for ABLE 
     accounts; and
       Whereas, if passed, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act would also 
     help states keep administrative costs for the state ABLE 
     programs low; and
       Whereas, as evidenced by the party affiliations of its 
     sixty-five cosponsors, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act has broad 
     bipartisan support: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass 
     the ABLE Age Adjustment Act; 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-42. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     to support H.R. 82 of the 117th Congress, the Social Security 
     Fairness Act of 2021, and all other

[[Page S5070]]

     similar legislation and to take such actions as are necessary 
     to review and eliminate all provisions of federal law which 
     reduce Social Security benefits for those receiving pension 
     benefits from federal, state, or local government retirement 
     or pension systems, plans, or funds; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 7

       Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has 
     enacted both the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reducing 
     the spousal and survivor Social Security benefit, and the 
     Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), reducing the earned 
     Social Security benefits payable to any person who also 
     receives a public pension benefit; and
       Whereas, the GPO negatively affects a spouse or survivor 
     receiving a federal, state, or local government retirement or 
     pension benefit who would also be entitled to a Social 
     Security benefit earned by a spouse; and
       Whereas, the GPO formula reduces the spousal or survivor 
     Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefit received by the spouse or survivor, in many cases 
     completely eliminating the Social Security benefit even 
     though their spouses paid Social Security taxes for many 
     years; and
       Whereas, the GPO has a harsh effect on hundreds of 
     thousands of citizens and undermines the original purpose of 
     the Social Security dependent/survivor benefit; and
       Whereas, according to recent Social Security Administration 
     figures, more than half a million individuals nationally are 
     affected by the GPO; and
       Whereas, the WEP applies to those persons who have earned 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefits, in addition to working in employment covered under 
     Social Security and paying into the Social Security system; 
     and
       Whereas, the WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit 
     using an averaged indexed monthly earnings formula and may 
     reduce Social Security benefits for affected persons by as 
     much as one-half of the retirement benefit earned as a public 
     servant in employment not covered under Social Security; and
       Whereas, the WEP causes hardworking individuals to lose a 
     significant portion of the Social Security benefits that they 
     earn themselves; and
       Whereas, according to recent Social Security Administration 
     figures, more than one and a half million individuals 
     nationally are affected by the WEP; and
       Whereas, in certain circumstances, both the WEP and the GPO 
     can be applied to a qualifying survivor's benefit, each 
     independently reducing the available benefit and in 
     combination eliminating a large portion of the total Social 
     Security benefit available to the survivor; and
       Whereas, because of the calculation characteristics of the 
     GPO and the WEP, they have a disproportionately negative 
     effect on employees working in lower-wage government jobs, 
     like policemen, firefighters, teachers, and state employees; 
     and
       Whereas, Louisiana is making every effort to improve the 
     quality of life of its citizens and to encourage them to live 
     here lifelong, yet the current GPO and WEP provisions 
     compromise their quality of life; and
       Whereas, the number of people affected by GPO and WEP is 
     growing every day as more and more people reach retirement 
     age; and
       Whereas, individuals drastically affected by the GPO or WEP 
     may have no choice but to return to work after retirement in 
     order to make ends meet, but the earnings accumulated during 
     this return to work can further reduce the Social Security 
     benefits the individual is entitled to; and
       Whereas, the GPO and WEP are established in federal law, 
     and repeal of the GPO and the WEP can only be enacted by 
     congress: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take all such 
     actions as are necessary to review the Government Pension 
     Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision Social Security 
     benefit reductions and to eliminate or reduce them by 
     supporting H.R. 82 of the 117th Congress, the Social Security 
     Fairness Act and all similar purposed legislation; 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 and the president of the United States.

                          ____________________