[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6692-S6694]
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-238. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of Louisiana urging the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to invest in 
     hurricane storm damage reduction, flood protection, and 
     drainage infrastructure projects in the Amite River Basin; to 
     the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                        House Resolution No. 156

       Whereas, rainfall from hurricanes, tropical storm events, 
     and local storms still pose a significant risk to the 
     communities, ecosystems, and industries in the Amite River 
     Basin; and
       Whereas, in August 2016, catastrophic flooding occurred in 
     the Amite River Basin, as well as other areas of the state, 
     due to heavy rains from a slow-moving low-pressure weather 
     system; and
       Whereas. rainfall exceeded twenty inches over a forty-eight 
     hour period across a swath of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, 
     and St. Helen Parishes and exceeded the five hundred year 
     storm level causing impacts to the nation's critical 
     infrastructure by shutting both the I-10 and I-12 interstate 
     systems for several days; and
       Whereas, while flooding in the Amite River Basin has 
     undoubtedly always been an issue, studies beginning in the 
     20th century have documented significant basin flood events 
     in 1921, 1928, 1942, 1947, 1953, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1967, 
     1973, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, 200 I, 2008, 
     and of course the 2016 floods; and
       Whereas, the 1979 flood was the flood of record in the 
     Amite River Basin until the April 1983 flood, which was in 
     turn eclipsed by the August 2016 flood; and
       Whereas, the Amite River Basin hydraulically connects parts 
     of eight parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East 
     Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, St. Helena, and St. James 
     Parishes, and a small portion of St. John the Baptist Parish; 
     and
       Whereas, the parishes in the Amite River Basin continue to 
     suffer from riverine flooding and the people who call the 
     Amite River Basin area home deserve protection for their 
     homes and business. 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 
     invest in hurricane storm damage reduction, flood protection, 
     and drainage infrastructure projects in the Amite River 
     Basin; 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--239. A concurrent resolution adopted by the 
     Legislature of the State of Louisiana urging and requesting 
     the legislatures of each state of the United States to pass 
     similar concurrent resolutions calling upon the United States 
     Congress to support legislation and to take such actions as 
     are necessary to review and eliminate all provisions of 
     federal law that 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. 11

       Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has 
     enacted both the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reducing 
     the spouse 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 unfairly reduces the spouse 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 
     event though their spouse 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 unfairly 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 
     earned 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

[[Page S6693]]

       Whereas, in certain circumstances, both the WEP and 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, 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 everyday 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; and
       Whereas, the Legislature of Louisiana adopted House 
     Concurrent Resolution No. 7 of the 2021 Regular Session 
     memorializing congress to support H.R. 82 of the 117th 
     Congress and any other federal legislation that would review 
     and reduce or eliminate the GPO and the WEP; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge and request every state legislature in the nation to 
     call upon their congressional Representatives and Senators 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; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge and request the attorney general of Louisiana to explore 
     civil and other legal actions to restore public employees' 
     social security benefits that they have paid for and earned, 
     and to join with other affected states to recover rights and 
     benefits of public employees; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the attorney general of Louisiana and the presiding officers 
     of each state legislature and to the presiding officers of 
     the United States Senate and House of Representatives and to 
     each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation and the 
     president of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM--240. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of Louisiana expressing concern with respect 
     to any potential agreement with the World Health Organization 
     relating to global pandemic response for the United States; 
     to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 116

       Whereas, the World Health Organization, referred to 
     hereafter in this Resolution as the ``WHO'', was founded in 
     1948 and is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a 
     broad mandate to act as a coordinating authority on 
     international health issues; and
       Whereas, the WHO is currently helping to coordinate a 
     worldwide response to COVID-19, a respiratory disease that 
     the WHO declared to be Public Health Emergency of 
     International Concern on January 30, 2020, and a global 
     pandemic on March 11, 2020; and
       Whereas, the United States has recently been the largest 
     funding source for the WHO, providing from four hundred 
     million to five hundred million dollars to the organization 
     each year along with the Gates Foundation, the United 
     Kingdom. Germany, and the European Commission; and
       Whereas, the United States' efforts to reform WHO 
     procedures for preparing for and responding to future 
     pandemics; and
       Whereas, the United States has proposed amendments to the 
     International Health Regulations (IHR) which will be voted on 
     by the World Health Assembly scheduled for May 22 through 28, 
     2022; and
       Whereas, the IHR are legally binding and supersede the 
     United States Constitution and will cede additional 
     sovereignty, control, and legal authority over to the WHO; 
     and
       Whereas, these amendments will not require a two-thirds 
     vote of the United States Senate; rather, they will require a 
     simple majority of the World Health Assembly's one hundred 
     ninety four member countries; and
       Whereas, these amendments would come into force as 
     international law in November of 2022, just six months after 
     their approval; and
       Whereas, these amendments give the director general of the 
     WHO the power to unilaterally declare a Public Health 
     Emergency of International Concern even over the objection of 
     a country dealing with an outbreak of disease. Therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express its belief that 
     any agreement with the World Health Organization relating to 
     global pandemic response for the United States should require 
     approval by the Legislature of Louisiana or by a majority 
     vote of the citizens of this state; and be it further
       Resolved, That any such agreement should prohibit any 
     threat to the constitutional sovereignty of this state and 
     the inalienable rights of this state's citizens; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That any such agreement should prohibit 
     interference with an individual's right to make all medical 
     and health-related decisions for themself, their minor child, 
     or any individual for whom they hold legal medical power of 
     attorney; and be it further
       Resolved, That any such agreement should prohibit bio-
     surveillance and the collection of medical or health-related 
     data without full disclosure and consent of the individual; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That any such agreement should prohibit the 
     enforcement of treatment protocols, recommendations, and 
     guidelines, allowing healthcare providers the freedom to 
     treat their patients without reprisal; 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, to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation, and to each member of the Louisiana Senate.
                                  ____

       POM--241. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of Louisiana urging the United States 
     Congress to support amendments to the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow private 
     or investor-owned utility customers to receive federal 
     funding for reimbursements related to charges incurred for 
     utility damages resulting from natural disasters and to 
     remove the requirement for states to seek waivers to receive 
     Community Development Block Grant funding for storm damage 
     costs incurred by private or investor-owned utilities; to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 151

       Whereas, under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
     Emergency Assistance Act, public financial assistance may be 
     available for repair, restoration, and replacement of state 
     or local government facilities damaged by a natural disaster, 
     including public utilities, but investor-owned utilities are 
     ineligible to receive financial assistance under this 
     program; and
       Whereas, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds may 
     be used by states and local communities affected by disasters 
     to undertake short-term disaster relief efforts such as 
     emergency restoration of electricity and other essential 
     services, to mitigate the effect of a disaster, or to support 
     long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts; and
       Whereas, CDBG funds cannot currently be used to mitigate 
     damage costs of private or investor-owned utilities, or their 
     customers, when a natural disaster causes such damage, unless 
     a waiver is granted by the secretary of the United States 
     Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and
       Whereas, CDBG funding must be used to principally benefit 
     low- and moderate-income persons, aid in eliminating or 
     preventing slums or blight, or meet particularly urgent 
     community development needs because existing conditions pose 
     a serious and immediate threat to the public; and
       Whereas, lack of electricity or gas is an urgent community 
     need that poses a serious and immediate threat regardless of 
     whether it is provided by an electric cooperative or a 
     private or investor-owned utility; and
       Whereas, damage to electric utility infrastructure in 
     Louisiana, no matter how short of a time period, causes a 
     serious threat to national security due to essential 
     infrastructure strategically located within the state; and
       Whereas, it is in the national interest of all citizens of 
     the United States for utilities to expeditiously rebuild 
     damaged infrastructure as soon as possible; and
       Whereas, citizens of Louisiana bear the cost of rebuilding 
     electric utility assets, which benefit the entire country; 
     and
       Whereas, several times over the past two decades, congress 
     has granted the secretary of HUD significant authority to 
     waive program requirements in disaster relief appropriations 
     legislation; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana has endured significant 
     damage to its utility infrastructure over the past several 
     decades because of major hurricanes striking the state and 
     evidence supports that the state will continue to see 
     increases in storm intensity and frequency: and
       Whereas, electric cooperatives, m addition to receiving 
     significant federal subsidies, are allowed to receive CDBG 
     and federal funding for damage incurred to their 
     infrastructure from a natural disaster; and
       Whereas, private or investor-owned utilities, absent a 
     waiver from HUD, are prohibited from receiving federal 
     funding to repair their infrastructure damaged by the same 
     natural disaster that electric cooperatives experienced, and 
     must pass those costs on to their customers; and
       Whereas, because electric cooperatives can receive federal 
     funding to repair their damaged infrastructure, those costs 
     are not passed on to their customers; and
       Whereas, customers of investor-owned utilities pay higher 
     bills than customers of electric cooperatives, even though 
     the services those customers require meet the eligibility 
     requirements to receive CDBG funding, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to support amendments to the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to 
     allow private or investor-

[[Page S6694]]

     owned utility customers to receive federal funding for 
     reimbursements related to charges incurred for utility 
     damages resulting from natural disasters and to remove the 
     requirement for states to seek waivers to receive Community 
     Development Block Grant funding for storm damage costs 
     incurred by private or investor-owned utilities; 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--242. A concurrent resolution adopted by the 
     Legislature of the State of Louisiana urging the United 
     States Congress to support the partnership between nonprofit 
     organizations and the federal government; to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 115

       Whereas, the nonprofit sector in the United States includes 
     nearly one million five hundred thousand organizations and 
     employs over twelve million people, making it the third 
     largest workforce in the United States; and
       Whereas, nonprofit organizations in the United States 
     contribute over one trillion dollars to the economy each 
     year; and
       Whereas, the public sector relies on nonprofit 
     organizations to provide necessary services to citizens, 
     especially during times of economic downturns; and
       Whereas, nonprofit organizations of all sizes and missions 
     helped communities across the United States face 
     unprecedented challenges despite labor shortages, disrupted 
     operations, and increased demands for assistance; and
       Whereas, partnerships between the public sector and 
     nonprofit sector allow both to leverage resources, 
     relationships, and strengths to further serve communities; 
     Therefore, be it Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana 
     does hereby recognize the importance of nonprofit 
     organizations and memorializes the United States Congress to 
     support the partnership between nonprofit organizations and 
     the federal government; 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--243. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wisconsin applying to the United States 
     Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the United 
     States Constitution, for the calling of a Convention of the 
     States limited to proposing amendments to the United States 
     Constitution 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.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 9

       Whereas, the Founders of our Constitution empowered state 
     legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses 
     of power by the federal government; 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, most of which are unfunded to a great 
     extent; and
       Whereas, the federal government has ceased to live under a 
     proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, it is the solemn duty of the States to protect the 
     liberty of our people--particularly for the generations to 
     come--by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the 
     United States through a Convention of the States under 
     Article V for the purpose of restraining these and related 
     abuses of power; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the 
     legislature of the State of Wisconsin 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 for purposes of this joint resolution, the 
     phrase ``limit the power and jurisdiction'' means to restrict 
     and constrain the power and jurisdiction of the federal 
     government, and that this joint resolution does not authorize 
     a convention for proposing any amendments that expand federal 
     power or jurisdiction, or that legitimize any current use of 
     federal power that is unauthorized by the original 
     Constitution; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the secretary of state is hereby directed to 
     transmit copies of this application to the president and 
     secretary of the United States Senate and to the Speaker and 
     clerk of the United States House of Representatives; to 
     transmit copies to the members of the said Senate and House 
     of Representatives from this state; and 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.
                                  ____

       POM--244. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Illinois that all resolutions, memorials, 
     applications, or other enactments previously passed by the 
     Illinois General Assembly, or either house thereof, 
     petitioning Congress for a convention under Article V of the 
     United States Constitution are rescinded, canceled, voided, 
     nullified, and superseded upon passage of this resolution; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 54

       Whereas, Article V of the United States Constitution 
     requires the Congress of the United States to convene a 
     constitutional convention upon the application of two-thirds 
     of the several states; and
       Whereas, The Illinois General Assembly has made 
     applications to the United States Congress to call one or 
     more conventions to propose amendments concerning specific 
     subjects to the United States Constitution, pursuant to 
     Article V of the United States Constitution; and
       Whereas, Some of the applications on file from the Illinois 
     General Assembly are from more than 100 years in the past, 
     and since that time Illinois has more than doubled in 
     population and our laws and resolutions should keep pace with 
     progress in the State; and
       Whereas, A constitutional convention convened by Congress 
     could make sweeping changes to the United States Constitution 
     and threaten the liberty of future generations of 
     Illinoisans; and
       Whereas, The Illinois General Assembly is aware that other 
     state legislatures have made applications requesting that 
     Congress convene a constitutional convention; and
       Whereas, The Illinois General Assembly does not want its 
     previous applications for a constitutional convention to be 
     included with any unrelated applications made by other state 
     legislatures for a constitutional convention; therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, By the Senate of the One Hundred Second General 
     Assembly of the State of Illinois, the House of 
     Representatives Concurring Herein, that all resolutions, 
     memorials, applications, or other enactments previously 
     passed by the Illinois General Assembly, or either house 
     thereof, petitioning Congress for a convention under Article 
     V of the United States Constitution are rescinded, canceled, 
     voided, nullified, and superseded upon passage of this 
     resolution; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent, 
     within 30 days of passage, to the Clerk of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the Secretary of the United States 
     Senate, and each member of the Illinois Congressional 
     delegation; and be it further
       Resolved, That the members of the Illinois General Assembly 
     request that this Joint Resolution be published in the 
     Congressional Record and listed in the official tally of 
     state legislative applications relating to calling for the 
     United States Congress to call a convention to propose 
     amendments to the United States Constitution.
                                  ____

       POM--245. A resolution adopted by the City Council of 
     Atlanta, Georgia urging the United States Congress to adopt 
     common sense gun reform measures; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          ____________________