[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 207 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8863-S8864]
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-94. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the United States Congress to oppose 
     unnecessary and harmful changes to Internal Revenue Service 
     reporting requirements for Michigan's financial institutions; 
     to the Committee on Finance.

                        Senate Resolution No. 85

       Whereas, The U.S. Department of Treasury has proposed 
     requiring financial institutions to report financial account 
     information for accounts with a gross flow threshold or fair 
     market value of $600 or more. The proposal calls for 
     financial institutions to report gross inflows and outflows 
     with a breakdown for physical cash, transactions with foreign 
     accounts, and transfers to and from another account with the 
     same owner. It would apply to business and personal accounts, 
     including bank, loan, and investment accounts at those 
     financial institutions subject to the proposed requirement; 
     and
       Whereas, there are very real concerns over data privacy and 
     security if this proposed Internal Revenue Service reporting 
     requirement, or a similar requirement, is put in place. 
     Keeping member and customer account information private and 
     secure is among the primary goals of all financial 
     institutions in Michigan and this proposal could jeopardize 
     the security of accounts and personal information. As we have 
     seen, numerous government data breaches have occurred in 
     recent years. Moreover, the proposal constitutes an invasion 
     of consumer privacy; and
       Whereas, Financial institutions throughout our state and 
     country are already subject to many burdensome regulations 
     that increase costs, damage customer relations, and otherwise 
     hurt these businesses. The adoption of this extensive and 
     intrusive financial reporting proposal would deepen that 
     burden for Michigan's community-based and other financial 
     institutions; now, there, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the United States 
     Congress to oppose unnecessary and harmful changes to 
     Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements for 
     Michigan's financial institutions; 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 members of the 
     Michigan congressional delegation, and the chairs of the 
     United States

[[Page S8864]]

     Committee on Finance and United States House Committee on 
     Ways and Means.
                                  ____

       POM-95. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to oppose unnecessary and harmful changes to 
     Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements for 
     Michigan's financial institutions; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 174

       Whereas, The U.S. Department of Treasury has proposed 
     requiring financial institutions to report financial account 
     information for accounts with a gross flow threshold or fair 
     market value of $600 or more. The proposal calls for 
     financial institutions to report gross inflows and outflows 
     with a breakdown for physical cash, transactions with foreign 
     accounts, and transfers to and from another account with the 
     same owner. It would apply to business and personal accounts, 
     including bank, loan, and investment accounts at those 
     financial institutions subject to the proposed requirement; 
     and
       Whereas, There are very real concerns over data privacy and 
     security if this proposed Internal Revenue Service reporting 
     requirement, or a similar requirement, is put in place. 
     Keeping member and customer account information private and 
     secure is among the primary goals of all financial 
     institutions in Michigan and this proposal could jeopardize 
     the security of accounts and personal information. As we have 
     seen, numerous government data breaches have occurred in 
     recent years. Moreover, the proposal constitutes an invasion 
     of consumer privacy; and
       Whereas, Financial institutions throughout our state and 
     country are already subject to many burdensome regulations 
     that increase costs, damage customer relations, and otherwise 
     hurt these businesses. The adoption of this extensive and 
     intrusive financial reporting proposal would deepen that 
     burden for Michigan's community-based and other financial 
     institutions; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     United States Congress to oppose unnecessary and harmful 
     changes to Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements 
     for Michigan's financial institutions; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the Speaker of the United State House of Representatives, the 
     President of the United State Senate, the members of the 
     Michigan congressional delegation, and the chairs of the 
     United States Senate Committee on Finance and United States 
     House Committee on Ways and Means.
                                  ____

       POM-96. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan demanding the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     provide no support to the Taliban, either direct or indirect, 
     including but not limited to aid; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 177

       Whereas, Over the past 20 years, the United States has 
     provided billions of dollars in foreign aid to Afghanistan. 
     The foreign aid had been used to help Afghan leaders 
     establish a stable government and support the human rights of 
     Afghan citizens; and
       Whereas, Despite the billions of dollars that the United 
     States provided Afghanistan in foreign aid, Taliban fighters 
     overran several provincial capitals less than two weeks after 
     the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. This 
     led to the departure of Afghanistan's president and the total 
     collapse of the established government; and
       Whereas, Attempting to use money as leverage to persuade 
     the Taliban will prove to be futile and dangerous. The 
     Taliban, unlike the previous Afghan leaders, have no reason 
     to prioritize the stability and safety of the Afghan people. 
     Providing financial support to Afghanistan would only 
     strengthen the Taliban's efforts to terrorize its citizens 
     and smother revolutions in their crib; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives, That we demand 
     that President Biden and the United States Congress provide 
     no support to the Taliban, either direct or indirect, 
     including but not limited to aid; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House 
     of Representatives, the President of the United States 
     Senate, and the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____


       POM-97. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan supporting the religious liberty of Michigan 
     citizens; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 88

       Whereas, The Declaration of Independence affirms that 
     people are ``. . . endowed by their Creator with certain 
     unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and 
     the pursuit of Happiness . . .''; and declares that 
     governments derive ``their just powers from the consent of 
     the governed . . .''; and
       Whereas, The First Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States clearly, plainly, and unequivocally states that 
     ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or 
     abridging the freedom of speech . . .''. The constitutional 
     protection of these bedrock principles of religious liberty 
     and freedom of expression was extended to the actions of the 
     states through the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution 
     of the United States; and
       Whereas, The Michigan Constitution unambiguously affirms 
     that ``[e]very person shall be at liberty to worship God 
     according to the dictates of his own conscience''; and that 
     ``[t]he civil and political rights, privileges and capacities 
     of no person shall be diminished . . . on account of his 
     religious belief'' and that ``[e]very person may freely 
     speak, write, express and publish his views on all subjects'' 
     and ``no law shall be enacted to restrain or abridge the 
     liberty of speech . . .''; and
       Whereas, Despite the clear prohibition against government 
     actions infringing upon freedom of expression and the free 
     exercise of religion, religious people and religious 
     organizations have been frequent targets of governmental 
     actions by state and local government officials seeking to 
     limit religious expression and exercise, including by 
     executive orders that close houses of worship, mandates that 
     effectively prohibit religious student athletes from 
     participating in collegiate sports, and policies that exclude 
     religious families and organizations from foster care 
     programs; and
       Whereas, Religious expression is essential for maintaining 
     societal morality. As George Washington stated, ``Let us with 
     caution indulge the supposition that morality can be 
     maintained without religion. Reason and experience both 
     forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in 
     exclusion of religious principle''; and
       Whereas, When religious-based ideas inform the public 
     ethic, society benefits greatly. For example, the idea that 
     God created humans in His image, and that all human life has 
     dignity, significantly contributed to ending slavery and 
     advancing the rights of women and minorities. Censuring an 
     idea that is informed by ancient sacred tenets prevents 
     thousands of years of wisdom from informing the public ethic; 
     and
       Whereas, In this country, individuals, houses of worship, 
     and religious organizations compelled by their religious 
     beliefs have served the needy, the homeless, widows, and 
     orphans long before government and continue to partner with 
     government to serve our communities. Indeed, this is a vital 
     notion in our pluralistic society: The ability and freedom of 
     Americans of any faith--or no faith at all--to be free to 
     serve in ways consistent with the commitments that inspire 
     their service in the first place; and
       Whereas, A moral republic cannot function without religious 
     expression. Government suppression of a citizen's religious 
     expression or religious exercise sends a bitter chill 
     throughout the citizenry in a republic. Instead of censuring 
     or punishing religious speech or religious conscience, the 
     answer in a republic valuing freedom must always be to foster 
     and support expression; and
       Whereas, The test of a functioning moral republic is not 
     only whether government protects speech and religious 
     expression with which it agrees--it is whether government 
     will protect speech and religious expression with which it 
     disagrees. The constitutional liberty here does not protect 
     governments from religious conscience--it protects the 
     exercise of religious conscience from government 
     infringement. When government suppresses or punishes a 
     citizen's religious expression or conscience, it betrays the 
     fundamental principle of freedom on which our country was 
     founded; and
       Whereas, Good governance and civic institutional integrity 
     rest on the virtue of its citizens. Religious ideas support 
     and nurture this virtue and should, therefore, always be 
     permitted within the marketplace of ideas; and
       Whereas, it is the duty of elected officials to uphold the 
     Constitution of the United States and the Michigan 
     Constitution; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we support the religious 
     liberty of Michigan citizens; and be it further
       Resolved, That we will not infringe upon the ability of 
     citizens to act in accordance with their religious conscience 
     and beliefs; and be it further
       Resolved, That we will not tolerate persecution of 
     religious people because of their beliefs; and be it further
       Resolved, That we condemn any behavior by government 
     authorities that limits the ability of individuals to express 
     their religious conscience and beliefs; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the Governor, the Michigan Attorney General, the Michigan 
     Secretary of State, the President of the United States, 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-98. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to asylum federal laws; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          ____________________