[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 217 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9258-S9259]
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-99. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to take action to mitigate the depletion of 
     the Social Security and Medicare trust funds; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 157

       Whereas, Social Security benefits are paid to more than 65 
     million Americans, including some who use the financial 
     resource to stay out of poverty. Approximately 21.7 million 
     Americans would have been in poverty in 2020 without Social 
     Security benefits. Vulnerable individuals, including the 
     aging population and people with disabilities, depend on 
     Social Security to supplement other forms of income. The 
     Social Security Administration reports that Social Security 
     benefits account for at least one-third of the income of the 
     elderly; and
       Whereas, Medicare helps pay medical costs for over 57 
     million individuals per year on average. Medicare allows for 
     individuals to receive medical care and prescription drugs 
     that they otherwise may not be able to afford. Many people 
     enrolled in Medicare live with health problems and almost 
     half of enrollees have incomes below 200 percent of the 
     federal poverty level. Estimates showed that 19 percent of 
     Medicare beneficiaries had no other form of supplemental 
     insurance in 2016; and
       Whereas, Projections in Social Security and Medicare 
     trustees reports estimate that Social Security will only be 
     able to pay 78 percent of scheduled benefits by 2034, and

[[Page S9259]]

     Medicare will only be able to pay 91 percent of full costs by 
     2026. Americans will suffer without essential benefits paid 
     by these programs, despite paying tax dollars towards Social 
     Security and Medicare. Lacking full Medicare benefits, many 
     Americans will not be able to afford crucial medical 
     services. The depiction of these social safety nets poses a 
     great threat to not only current beneficiaries, but all those 
     who may benefit in the future; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     United States Congress to take action to mitigate the 
     depletion of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds; 
     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-100. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Ohio urging the United States 
     Congress and the President of the United States to, with 
     haste, take action to bring home the missionaries who have 
     been taken hostage in Haiti; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 147

       Whereas, Seventeen missionaries were kidnapped by a gang in 
     Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as they were leaving an orphanage; and
       Whereas, Local authorities said the group that was 
     kidnapped included sixteen Americans and one Canadian; and
       Whereas, Haiti has been in a state of political upheaval 
     for years, and kidnappings of the rich and poor alike are 
     alarmingly common; and
       Whereas, Violence is surging across Port-au-Prince, which 
     is controlled by gangs. By some estimates, gangs now control 
     roughly half of the city; and
       Whereas, The kidnappers have released a video threatening 
     to put a bullet in the heads of the hostages, including an 
     eight-month-old baby if their demands are not met; and
       Whereas, The fate of the hostages should not be left in the 
     hands of kidnappers who have no regard for human life; and
       Whereas, An evaluation of the nation's conscience demands 
     that the federal government use any and all means available 
     to ensure that the seventeen missionaries, who without fault 
     were acting in good faith to help Haitians in need, be 
     brought to safety; now therefore be it
       Resolved, That we, the members of the Ohio House of 
     Representatives of the 134th General Assembly of the State of 
     Ohio, urge the United States Congress and the President of 
     the United States, with haste, to take action to bring home 
     the missionaries who have been taken hostage in Haiti; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
     transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 
     President of the United States, the Secretary of the United 
     States Department of Defense, the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, each member of the Ohio congressional 
     delegation, and the news media of Ohio.
                                  ____


       POM-101. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the federal government to allow persons under 
     the age of 21 to operate commercial vehicles on interstate 
     routes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                        Senate Resolution No. 89

       Whereas, In most states, including Michigan, drivers 18 
     years and older may obtain a commercial driver's license 
     (CDL) to operate commercial vehicles within state lines. 
     However, federal regulations prohibit persons under the age 
     of 21 from operating a commercial motor vehicle across state 
     lines; and
       Whereas, Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, trucking 
     companies have lost between 5% to 15% of their drivers. Age 
     restrictions on interstate trucking has made it more 
     difficult to replace outgoing drivers exasperating an already 
     tight labor market; and
       Whereas, The Developing Responsible Individuals for a 
     Vibrant Economy Act (DRIVE Safe Act) has been introduced in 
     the United States Senate to address the shortage of truck 
     drivers across the country. Introduced in March 2021, the 
     DRIVE Safe Act would direct the U.S. Department of 
     Transportation to create regulations to implement an 
     apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle 
     drivers under the age of 21; require apprentice drivers to 
     complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of 
     driving time with an experienced driver; and require all 
     commercial motor vehicles used in the apprenticeship program 
     to be equipped with safety technology. This legislation would 
     ensure that individuals between the ages of 18 and 21, many 
     of whom are already licensed and driving in their resident 
     states, are trained and available to address the truck driver 
     shortage. Further, the act will create additional career 
     opportunities for young adults at the time they are entering 
     the workforce; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the federal government 
     to allow persons under the age of 21 to operate commercial 
     trucks on interstate routes; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United 
     States House of Representatives, the President of the United 
     States Senate, and members of the Michigan congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____


       POM-102. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to amending federal laws; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
       POM-103. A resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors 
     of the City and County of San Francisco, California, urging 
     the President of the United States to extend funding 
     assistance from FEMA to maintain non-congregate shelter in 
     place hotels through the year of 2022; to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                          ____________________