[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 74 (Wednesday, May 4, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2335-S2337]
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-133. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia expressing its support for 
     the Jones Act; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 47

       Whereas, Virginia's rich history of shipbuilding and 
     maritime trade makes the Commonwealth a critical hub in the 
     nation's transportation system and essential in the growth of 
     offshore renewable energy development; and
       Whereas, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the 
     critical importance of maintaining resilient domestic 
     industries and transportation services for Virginia's 
     citizens and workforce; and
       Whereas, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the 
     Jones Act and codified in Title 46 of the United States Code, 
     requires that vessels carrying cargo between locations in the 
     United States be owned by American companies, crewed by 
     American mariners, and built in American shipyards; and
       Whereas, America's ability to project and deploy forces 
     globally and to supply and maintain military installations 
     domestically depends on the civilian fleet of Jones Act 
     vessels and mariners; and
       Whereas, mariners aboard Jones Act vessels strengthen 
     America's homeland security as additional eyes and ears to 
     monitor the nation's 95,000 miles of shoreline and 25,000 
     miles of navigable inland waterways; and
       Whereas, Virginia is home to over 19,280 maritime jobs 
     supported by the Jones Act that generate $1.3 billion in 
     labor income; and
       Whereas, maritime industry jobs create ladders of 
     opportunity through high-paying, family-wage careers that 
     offer significant career advancement without generally 
     necessitating advanced formal education and extensive student 
     loans; and
       Whereas, the Jones Act fleet, more than 40,000 vessels 
     strong, supports nearly 650,000 family-wage jobs and over 
     $154 billion in economic output nationally, including more 
     than $4 billion in the Virginia economy; Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, 
     That the General Assembly hereby express its support for the 
     Jones Act. In affirming its resolute support for the Jones 
     Act, the General Assembly also celebrates the centennial of 
     the Jones Act as it continues to foster a strong domestic 
     maritime industry that is critical to Virginia's and the 
     nation's economic prosperity and national security; and, be 
     it
       Resolved, further, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the President of the United States 
     Senate, and the members of the Virginia Congressional 
     Delegation so that they may be apprised of the sense of the 
     General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.
                                  ____


       POM-134. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Missouri recommending to the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     to reaffirm our country's unwavering support for Ukraine's 
     freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its 
     internationally recognized borders, extending to its 
     territorial waters; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                       House Resolution No. 3658

       Whereas, Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation 
     located in Eastern Europe and an ally, under a bilateral 
     investment treaty, of the United States; and
       Whereas, Russia, a transcontinental country spanning 
     Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, has launched an all-out 
     invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea; and
       Whereas, Russian forces have dramatically escalated their 
     offenses by deploying a forty-mile long convoy of tanks and 
     other military equipment advancing south to attack the people 
     of Ukraine, including the City of Kyiv; and
       Whereas, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the largest 
     invasion of a sovereign nation in Europe since World War II; 
     and
       Whereas, the combat is directly responsible for massive 
     civilian casualties, including a Russian mortar attack on a 
     children's hospital that inflicted devastating loss of life; 
     and
       Whereas, Russia's attack on Ukraine was unprovoked and 
     unjustified; and
       Whereas, as the attack intensifies, the humanitarian crises 
     could reach unprecedented levels, with the United Nations 
     estimating

[[Page S2336]]

     that between one million and five million people will be in 
     need of urgent health care, safety, and security; and
       Whereas, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared 
     that Russia had ``embarked on a path of evil, but [Ukraine] 
     is defending itself and won't give up its freedom . . .'':
       Resolved that we, the members of the House of 
     Representatives of the One Hundred First General Assembly, 
     Second Regular Session hereby:
       (1) Proudly stand alongside Ukraine, its people, and its 
     leaders during this horrific and unnecessary war and vow to 
     support Ukraine and hold Russia fully accountable for its 
     catastrophic decision to invade;
       (2) Condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Vladimir 
     Putin's violent attack on the people of Ukraine and strongly 
     endorse the swift and severe economic sanctions and stringent 
     export controls that President Biden's administration has 
     imposed on Russia;
       (3) Urge Russia to immediately cease its violent, illegal, 
     and immoral assault upon Ukraine, end the needless bloodshed, 
     and return to diplomacy and the rules-based international 
     order that has ensured peace and prosperity for so many; and
       (4) Recommend to the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress to reaffirm our country's unwavering 
     support for Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty, and territorial 
     integrity within its internationally recognized borders, 
     extending to its territorial waters; and
       Resolved that the United States should take prudent and 
     responsible measures to ensure that the required force 
     posture is present in Europe to deter and, if necessary, 
     defeat Russian aggression against any NATO member; and
       Resolved that the United States should immediately 
     strengthen additional sanctions on Russia by restricting the 
     Russian banking and financial sectors, cybersecurity, and 
     other key industrial sectors; and
       Resolved that the United States should immediately bolster 
     energy connectivity in Eastern Europe; and
       Resolved that the United States should expand the target 
     list of Russian officials under the Magnitsky Act, which 
     would implement a greater range of targeted sanctions aimed 
     directly at Russian officials responsible for violating 
     Ukrainian freedom and sovereignty, including the freezing of 
     financial assets and the imposition of visa bans; and
       Resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of 
     Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed 
     copy of this resolution for the President and Secretary of 
     the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United 
     States House of Representatives, and each member of the 
     Missouri Congressional delegation.
                                  ____


       POM-135. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Ohio urging the United States government to secure its 
     borders; to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs.

                       Senate Resolution No. 243

       Whereas, A strong, secure border benefits the United 
     States: and
       Whereas, The well-being and safety of the citizens of the 
     United States is being jeopardized by threats from 
     transnational criminal organizations; and
       Whereas, It is integral to the security, well-being, and 
     harmony of the people of the United States to sustain secure 
     borders; and
       Whereas, The dedicated individuals of the United States 
     Customs and Border Protection work diligently and honorably 
     to secure borders in the most efficient and humane manner; 
     and
       Whereas, The Governor of Ohio has allocated our state's 
     resources to secure our borders through the assignment of 
     over one hundred members of the Ohio National Guard to 
     support United States Customs and Border Protection and the 
     assignment of troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol to 
     travel to Texas to support local law enforcement with border 
     surveillance; and
       Whereas, Ill-motivated individuals continuously seek to 
     cause harm, danger, injury, hazard, and peril to those who 
     protect the United States' borders; and
       Whereas, Those individuals who cross the United States' 
     borders without regard for the legal immigration process 
     circumvent the individuals who show respect for the rule of 
     law; and
       Whereas, Those same individuals defy the right of the 
     United States to control its own sovereign territory and 
     regulate the happenings within its rightful borders; and
       Whereas, The smuggling of contraband, such as drugs and 
     weapons, have plagued the United States' borders; and
       Whereas, In fiscal year 2021, United States Customs and 
     Border Protection seized more than 319,000 pounds of 
     marijuana, 109,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 97,000 pounds 
     of cocaine, 11,000 pounds of fentanyl, and 5,400 pounds of 
     heroin; and
       Whereas, These illegal drugs are sold, spread, and used 
     throughout the American citizenry as drug overdoses and abuse 
     rates reach the highest levels on record in the United 
     States, including Ohio hitting a record death rate from 
     opioid overdose during the second quarter of 2020; and
       Whereas, In 2020, 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio involved 
     illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, while drug deaths 
     related to fentanyl increased 32% from 2019; and
       Whereas, Most fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances 
     abused in the United States are trafficked into the country 
     via international mail, express consignment, or across the 
     southwestern border; and
       Whereas, The act of human smuggling, which deliberately 
     evades immigration laws, is a daily occurrence at the 
     southwestern border according to U.S. Immigration and Customs 
     Enforcement; and
       Whereas, Individuals who are smuggled into the United 
     States may be involved in transnational criminal organization 
     operations or may be forced into human trafficking 
     situations; and
       Whereas, Human trafficking is a serious issue in Ohio, as 
     state sources identified over 1,300 cases between 2014 and 
     2020, ranking the state among the ten worst in the nation for 
     human trafficking; and
       Whereas, The United States Department of State has urged 
     state and local governments, as well as nonprofit 
     organizations, to address cross-border trafficking issues and 
     support strong collaboration at the borders to identify and 
     prevent human trafficking; Now therefore be it further
       Resolved, That we, the members of the Senate of the 134th 
     General Assembly of the State of Ohio, support the investment 
     of necessary resources by the United States government to 
     ensure secure, strong, and sustainable borders; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 
     authenticated copies of this resolution to the President Pro 
     Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, the members of the Ohio Congressional 
     delegation, and the news media of Ohio.
                                  ____

       POM-136. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of West Virginia applying to the United States 
     Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the 
     Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a 
     convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to 
     the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal 
     restraints on the federal government, limit the power and 
     jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms 
     of office for its officials and for members of Congress; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 31

       Whereas, Executive orders by the President of the United 
     States have become a vehicle through which the President may 
     overstep the limits of his or her constitutional authority; 
     and
       Whereas, The concentration of power at the federal level 
     has had the effect of making federal officials less 
     responsive to the will of the people and more readily 
     influenced by lobbyists, wealthy corporations and special 
     interests in Washington, D.C.; and
       Whereas, Much of federal law is now enacted by federal 
     bureaucrats who were never chosen by the people and have no 
     accountability to the people whatsoever; and
       Whereas, Policy decisions made at the state level tend to 
     be more responsive to the needs and desires of the people; 
     and
       Whereas, The federal government has created a crushing 
     national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and
       Whereas, The federal government has invaded the legitimate 
     roles of the states through the manipulative process of 
     federal mandates, many of which are unfunded to a great 
     extent; and
       Whereas, The states have the ability to restore the 
     responsiveness of government to the people and to restrain 
     abuses of federal power by proposing amendments to the 
     Constitution of the United States through a limited 
     convention of the states under Article V; therefore, be it
       Resolved by Legislature of West Virginia:
       That the Legislature hereby applies to Congress, under the 
     provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United 
     States, for the calling of a convention of the states limited 
     to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United 
     States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal 
     government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal 
     government, and limit the terms of office for its officials 
     and for members of Congress; and, be it
       Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates 
     forward a copy of this resolution, legislative call and 
     application to the President and Secretary of the United 
     States Senate and to the Speaker and Clerk of the United 
     States House of Representatives, and copies to the members of 
     the said Senate and House of Delegates from this state; also 
     to transmit copies hereof to the presiding officers of each 
     of the legislative houses in the several states, requesting 
     their cooperation; and, be it
       Further Resolved, That this application constitutes a 
     continuing application in accordance with Article V of the 
     Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of 
     at least two thirds of the several states have made 
     applications on the same subject; and, be it
       Further Resolved, The West Virginia Legislature adopts this 
     application expressly subject to the following reservations, 
     understandings, and declarations:
       (1) An application to the Congress of the United States to 
     call an amendment convention of the states pursuant to 
     Article V of the United States Constitution confers no power 
     to Congress other than the power to call such a convention. 
     The power of Congress to exercise this ministerial duty 
     consists solely of the authority to name a reasonable time 
     and place for the initial meeting of a convention;

[[Page S2337]]

       (2) Congress shall perform its ministerial duty of calling 
     an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt 
     of applications for an amendment convention for the 
     substantially same purpose as this application from two 
     thirds of the legislatures of the several states;
       (3) Congress does not have the power or authority to 
     determine any rules for the governing of an amendment 
     convention of the states called pursuant to Article V of the 
     United States Constitution. Congress does not have the power 
     to set the number of delegates to be sent by any state to 
     such a convention, nor does it have the power to name 
     delegates to such a convention. The power to name delegates 
     remains exclusively within the authority of the legislatures 
     of the several states;
       (4) By definition, an amendment convention of the states 
     means that states shall vote on the basis of one state, one 
     vote;
       (5) A convention of the states convened pursuant to this 
     application shall be limited to consideration of the topics 
     specified herein and no other. This application is made with 
     the express understanding that an amendment that in any way 
     seeks to amend, modify, or repeal any provision of the Bill 
     of Rights shall not be authorized for consideration at any 
     stage. This application shall be void ab initio if ever used 
     at any stage to consider any change to any provision of the 
     Bill of Rights;
       (6) Pursuant to Article V of the United States 
     Constitution, Congress may determine whether proposed 
     amendments shall be ratified by the legislatures of the 
     several states or by special state ratification conventions. 
     The West Virginia legislature recommends that Congress select 
     ratification by the legislatures of the several states; and
       (7) The West Virginia Legislature may provide further 
     instructions to its delegates and may recall its delegates at 
     any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the 
     instructions provided; and, be it
       Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a 
     copy of this resolution to the representatives and senators 
     elected by the citizens of West Virginia serving the citizens 
     of West Virginia in the Congress of the United States in 
     Washington, D.C.
                                  ____


       POM-137. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to enactment of federal legislation; to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                          ____________________