[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 184 (Wednesday, November 30, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6901-S6905]
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-246. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the President of the United 
     States and the United States Congress to take action to 
     restore honor to the sailors unjustly blamed for, and the 
     sailors convicted of mutiny following, the disaster at the 
     Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Concord, California during 
     World War II and to rectify any mistreatment by the military 
     of those sailors, including the full exoneration of those who 
     were convicted at court-martial; to the Committee on Armed 
     Services.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 15

       Whereas, On the night of July 17, 1944, two transport 
     vessels loading ammunition at the Port Chicago naval base on 
     Suisun Bay, at the confluence of the Sacramento and San 
     Joaquin Rivers in California, were suddenly engulfed in a 
     gigantic explosion, which wrecked the naval base and heavily 
     damaged the Town of Port Chicago, located 1.5 miles away; and


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S6901, November 30, 2022, in the bottom of the right 
column, the following appears: POM-246. A joint resolution adopted 
by the Legislature of the State of California urging the President 
of the United States and the United States Congress to take action 
to restore honor to the sailors unjustly blamed for, and the 
sailors convicted of mutiny following, the disaster at the Port 
Chicago Naval Magazine in Concord, California during World War II 
and to rectify any mistreatment by the military of those sailors, 
including the full exoneration of those who were convicted at 
court-martial; to the Committee on Armed Services. Whereas, On the 
night of July 17, 1944, two transport vessels loading ammunition 
at the Port Chicago naval base on Suisun Bay, at the confluence of 
the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in California, were suddenly 
engulfed in a gigantic explosion, which wrecked the naval base and 
heavily damaged the Town of Port Chicago, located 1.5 miles away;
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: POM-246. A joint 
resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of California 
urging the President of the United States and the United States 
Congress to take action to restore honor to the sailors unjustly 
blamed for, and the sailors convicted of mutiny following, the 
disaster at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Concord, California 
during World War II and to rectify any mistreatment by the 
military of those sailors, including the full exoneration of those 
who were convicted at court-martial; to the Committee on Armed 
Services. Senate Joint Resolution No. 15 Whereas, On the night of 
July 17, 1944, two transport vessels loading ammunition at the 
Port Chicago naval base on Suisun Bay, at the confluence of the 
Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in California, were suddenly 
engulfed in a gigantic explosion, which wrecked the naval base and 
heavily damaged the Town of Port Chicago, located 1.5 miles away;


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


       Whereas, Everyone on the pier and aboard the two ships was 
     killed instantly, some 320 American naval personnel, two-
     thirds of whom were African American enlisted men.

[[Page S6902]]

     Another 390 military and civilian personnel were injured, 
     including 226 African American enlisted men; and
       Whereas, The two ships and the large loading pier were 
     totally annihilated, and an estimated $12,000,000 in property 
     damage was caused by the huge blast; and
       Whereas, This single, stunning disaster accounted for 
     nearly 15 percent of all African American naval casualties 
     during the whole of World War II and was the worst homefront 
     disaster of the war; and
       Whereas, The specific cause of the explosion was never 
     officially established by a court of inquiry, in effect 
     clearing the officers-in-charge of any responsibility for the 
     disaster, and insofar as any human cause was invoked, laid 
     the burden of blame on the shoulders of the African American 
     enlisted men who died in the explosion; and
       Whereas, Following the incident, many of the surviving 
     African American sailors were transferred to nearby Camp 
     Shoemaker, where they remained until July 31, when two of the 
     divisions were transferred to naval barracks in the City of 
     Vallejo near Mare Island. Another division, which was also at 
     Camp Shoemaker until July 31, returned to the Town of Port 
     Chicago to help with cleaning up and rebuilding the base; and
       Whereas, Many of these men were in a state of shock, 
     troubled by the vivid memory of the horrible explosion; 
     however, they were provided no psychiatric counseling or 
     medical screening, except for those who were obviously 
     physically injured. None of the men, even those who had been 
     hospitalized with injuries, were granted survivor leave to 
     visit their families before being reassigned to regular 
     duties, and none of these survivors were called to testify at 
     the court of inquiry; and
       Whereas, Captain Merrill T. Kinne, Officer-in-Charge of 
     Port Chicago, issued a statement praising the African 
     American enlisted men, stating that ``the men displayed 
     creditable coolness and bravery under those emergency 
     conditions''; and
       Whereas, After the disaster, White sailors were given 30 
     days' leave to visit their families, according to survivors. 
     This was the standard for soldiers involved in a disaster, 
     while only African American sailors were ordered back to work 
     the next day to clean and remove human remains; and
       Whereas, After the disaster, the preparation of Mare Island 
     for the arrival of African American sailors included moving 
     the barracks of White sailors away from the loading area in 
     order to be clear of the ships being loaded in case of 
     another explosion; and
       Whereas, The survivors and new personnel who later were 
     ordered to return to loading ammunition expressed their 
     opposition, citing the possibility of another explosion. The 
     first confrontation occurred on August 9. when 328 men from 3 
     divisions were ordered out to the loading pier. The great 
     majority of the men balked, and eventually 258 were arrested 
     and confined for 3 days on a large barge tethered to the 
     pier; and
       Whereas, Fifty of these men were selected as the 
     ringleaders and charged with mutiny, and on October 24, 1944, 
     after only 80 minutes of deliberation by a military court, 
     all 50 men were found guilty of mutiny. Ten men were 
     sentenced to 15 years in prison, 24 were sentenced to 12 
     years, 11 were sentenced to 10 years, and 5 were sentenced to 
     8 years, and 11 were to be dishonorably discharged from the 
     Navy. This was the largest mass mutiny trial in the United 
     States to this day; and
       Whereas, Thurgood Marshall, working as special counsel for 
     the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, watched some of 
     the court-martial proceedings and subsequently began a 
     publicity campaign to gather public support for the release 
     of the men. Marshall additionally obtained permission from 
     each of the 50 men to appeal their case to the Judge Advocate 
     General of the Navy; and
       Whereas, After a massive outcry the next year, in January 
     1946, 47 of the Port Chicago men were released from prison 
     and ``exiled'' for one year overseas before returning to 
     their families; and
       Whereas, In a 1994 investigation, the United States Navy 
     stated, ``there is no doubt that racial prejudice was 
     responsible for the posting of only African American enlisted 
     personnel to loading divisions at Port Chicago''; and
       Whereas, In the 1994 investigation, the United States Navy, 
     prompted by Members of Congress, admitted that the routine 
     assignment of only African American enlisted personnel to 
     manual labor was clearly motivated by race; and
       Whereas, The United States Congress reduced the death 
     benefit to those killed in the Port Chicago disaster from 
     $5,000, the normal amount given, to $3,000, simply because 
     the sailors were African American; and
       Whereas, In many cases, families of sailors killed in the 
     disaster were never told they were entitled to consideration 
     for the death of their relative; and
       Whereas, In 2010, the Port Chicago memorial site was 
     designated as part of the National Park Service; and
       Whereas, In 2019, the United States Navy transferred a park 
     to the East Bay Regional Park District after a ``decades-long 
     effort'' to turn the area into a park: and
       Whereas, In 2021, the East Bay Regional Park District's 
     board of directors unanimously renamed the park the Thurgood 
     Marshall Regional Park--Home of the Port Chicago 50, the 
     first regional park in the County of Contra Costa to be named 
     after a Black person; and
       Whereas, The City of Concord endorsed the renaming of the 
     park at its May 25, 2021, city council meeting; and
       Whereas, The newly named park is planned to include a joint 
     visitor center with the National Park Service that will 
     contain historic information about the Port Chicago 50 and 
     will commemorate the role that Thurgood Marshall played in 
     defending the Port Chicago 50, in addition to his efforts in 
     the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces; and
       Whereas, United States Representative Mark DeSaulnier has 
     requested $10,000,000 in federal funds for this visitor 
     center; and
       Whereas, The entire site totals to be 5,046 acres and the 
     park itself will take up roughly 2,540 of those acres. The 
     remaining redevelopment will additionally include commercial 
     space and housing units; and
       Whereas, Despite the gross injustice faced by these 
     sailors, only one of the men charged with mutiny was given a 
     pardon by President William J. Clinton in 1999; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully urges the President of the United 
     States and the Congress of the United States to take action 
     to restore honor to the sailors unjustly blamed for, and the 
     sailors convicted of mutiny following, the Port Chicago 
     disaster, and to rectify any mistreatment by the military of 
     those sailors; and be it further
       Resolved, That the California State Legislature 
     respectfully urges the President of the United States and the 
     Congress of the United States to take the necessary actions 
     to ensure those sailors' treatment is rectified by the full 
     exoneration of all who were court-martialed, whether alive or 
     deceased, and having the military records of these men 
     cleared of any court judgment or less-than-honorable 
     discharge; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
     the Majority Leader of the Senate, and each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.
                                  ____

       POM-247. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the President of the United 
     States and the United States Congress to amend specified 
     provisions of the federal Social Security Act to allow 
     recipients of disabled adult child benefits under the act to 
     continue to receive those benefits upon marriage; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 8

       Whereas, An individual with a physical or mental condition 
     that arose before 22 years of age, and that very seriously 
     limits the person's ability to engage in substantial 
     employment activity, may qualify for the childhood disability 
     benefit through the social security earnings record of a 
     retired, disabled, or deceased parent; and
       Whereas, This benefit provides funds and insurance coverage 
     that provide critical support for many disabled children; and
       Whereas, Children with disabilities receiving the childhood 
     disability benefit may continue to be covered into adulthood 
     as adult disabled children if they still qualify as disabled 
     under the social security disability standards after reaching 
     adulthood; and
       Whereas, The childhood disability benefit for adult 
     disabled children is also known as the disabled adult child 
     (DAC) benefit, and an adult whose disability arose before 22 
     years of age may receive the DAC childhood disability benefit 
     through their retired, disabled, or deceased parents' social 
     security earnings record; and
       Whereas, The DAC benefit provides funds to cover basic 
     living expenses and health insurance coverage that is 
     critical for disabled adult children, as it covers necessary, 
     and often costly, medical care needed to live with a 
     disability; and
       Whereas, For adults who have been disabled from a young age 
     and receive the DAC benefit, access to health insurance 
     coverage through the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs 
     continues to be vital, because other types of insurance do 
     not cover the necessary medical services, personal attendant 
     care, durable medical equipment, therapies, and other 
     services that are often required for individuals with 
     significant disabilities;and
       Whereas, Under the federal Social Security Act and policy, 
     recipients of the DAC benefit have their benefits terminated 
     upon marriage, unless an exception applies; and
       Whereas, Because recipients of the DAC benefit who many may 
     only continue to receive their benefits if they marry an 
     individual who is also receiving the DAC benefit, Social 
     Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or certain other 
     categories of social security benefits, this policy creates a 
     substantial barrier to marriage for younger interabled 
     couples; and
       Whereas, The federal Social Security Act and policy 
     currently provide that individuals who receive DAC may lose 
     their access to Medicaid, operated as Medi-Cal in California, 
     if they are deemed to have certain assets or income; and
       Whereas, Loss of DAC benefits, including Medicare and 
     access to Medi-Cal, is simply not an option for most disabled 
     adults, as they depend on their insurance coverage to 
     survive; and
       Whereas, Many DAC benefit recipients do not marry their 
     life partners because they

[[Page S6903]]

     cannot survive without their benefits, and are therefore 
     unable to enjoy the fundamental right to marry and are unable 
     to exercise their religious beliefs with regard to marriage; 
     and
       Whereas, Individuals who are disabled later in life after 
     participating in the workforce, potentially for as few as one 
     and one-half years of work, may be eligible to receive SSDI; 
     and
       Whereas, SSDI recipients who receive benefits on their own 
     work record do not face termination of coverage upon 
     marriage, yet DAC benefit recipients do face termination of 
     coverage upon marriage; and
       Whereas, Many DAC benefit recipients participate or have 
     participated in the workforce and pay or have paid social 
     security and Medicare payroll taxes, but there is a lack of 
     clear public guidance from the federal Social Security 
     Administration regarding whether and how DAC benefit 
     recipients can leave the DAC program and begin receiving SSDI 
     benefits on their own work records so that they do not face 
     termination of coverage upon marriage;and
       Whereas, The discrepancy in the treatment of marriage on 
     benefits between adults who are disabled as children versus 
     those who become disabled as adults and who have had the 
     opportunity to participate in the workforce for at least one 
     and one-half years prior to developing a disability is 
     plainly unequal treatment; and
       Whereas, Articles 3, 5, and 7 of the United Nations 
     Conventi6n on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 
     recognizes that all persons are equal under the law and that 
     individuals with disabilities should be guaranteed equal 
     protections of the laws without discrimination; and
       Whereas, Article 23 of the United Nations Convention on the 
     Rights of Persons with Disabilities speaks clearly to the 
     fact that the freedom of people with disabilities to marry 
     and form families is an issue of fundamental human rights; 
     and
       Whereas, Adults who were disabled as children should have 
     the right to marry whomever they wish without having their 
     DAC benefits terminated: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature denounces the 
     inequality and discriminatory treatment of adults receiving 
     DAC benefits in reference to their termination of benefits 
     upon marriage; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges the President and 
     Congress of the United States to amend Section 402(d)(1) of 
     Title 42 of the United State Codes and any other necessary 
     statutes to allow recipients of DAC benefits to continue to 
     receive those benefits upon marriage; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.
                                  ____


       POM-248. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the United States Congress to 
     amend the Social Security Administration's index of earnings 
     to ensure that a decline in aggregate wages due to COVID-19 
     does not result in decreased benefits; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, Sixty-three million people collect Social Security 
     benefits; and
       Whereas, Sixty-three million people amounts to one in every 
     six United States residents; and
       Whereas, Social Security benefits lift more than 15,000,000 
     elderly individuals out of poverty; and
       Whereas, Social Security is especially beneficial for 
     minority demographics such as African Americans, Latinos, and 
     women who all face higher rates of poverty and earn less than 
     their White, male, working counterparts; and
       Whereas, Social Security is also especially beneficial to 
     African American and Latino men, as they are also more likely 
     to become disabled while working; and
       Whereas, The global COVID-19 pandemic has unearthed a 
     technical glitch in the United States Social Security system; 
     and
       Whereas, If left unaddressed, this glitch may result in 
     more than 8,000,000 workers, those who turn 60 years of age 
     in 2020 or 2021, receiving substantially lower Social 
     Security benefits than workers with identical earnings who 
     turned 60 years of age in the years immediately prior to the 
     COVID-19 pandemic; and
       Whereas, Social Security's earned benefits are based on 
     each worker's earning history adjusted to reflect the growth 
     in aggregate economywide wages; and
       Whereas, Social Security benefits are calculated 
     individually and adjusted through the average wage index, 
     which amounts to the total wages paid in the United States in 
     a year, divided by the number of W-2 tax forms issued in that 
     same year; and
       Whereas, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of millions of 
     Americans have filed for unemployment during the COVID-19 
     pandemic; and
       Whereas, Due to high levels of unemployment, aggregate wage 
     levels are expected to continue to decline substantially this 
     year, which may result in lower adjusted benefits by as much 
     as roughly 9 percent, or $2,511 annually, for those workers 
     who turn 60 years of age in 2020 or 2021; and
       Whereas, A median income worker who turns 60 years of age 
     in 2020 or 2021, retires at the normal retirement age of 67 
     years of age, and collects Social Security benefits for 18 
     years may lose $45,859 over the course of their retirement; 
     and
       Whereas, A decline in overall wages due to a pandemic 
     should not produce lower benefits for a select group of 
     retirees; and
       Whereas, Retirees use Social Security benefits to 
     supplement their income and pay for things like rent, food, 
     clothing, medication, health care, and transportation; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That we urge the United States Congress 
     to amend the United States Social Security Administration's 
     index of earnings to ensure that a decline in aggregate wages 
     due to COVID-19 does not result in decreased benefits; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, the Commissioner of the Social Security 
     Agency, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
     Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority 
     Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of 
     the United States Senate, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.
                                  ____


       POM-249. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan condemning the federal government's expansion of the 
     Internal Revenue Service through the Inflation Reduction Act 
     of 2022; to the Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 171

       Whereas, The Inflation Reduction Act will allow nearly five 
     hundred billion dollars in new spending by our federal 
     government over the next decade, with almost eighty billion 
     dollars being directed to the Internal Revenue Service's 
     (IRS) budget. The budget allocations of this law spell out 
     the current Administration's big-government intentions for 
     the future of the IRS. Over forty-five billion dollars will 
     be directed to ``enforcement'' while a meager three billion 
     is expected to be used for ``taxpayer services.'' As part of 
     these budgetary expansions, the IRS would hire eighty-seven 
     thousand new employees, making this agency larger than the 
     FBI, Pentagon, State Department, and Border Patrol combined. 
     This Act is not intended to benefit Americans--it is just the 
     latest development in this Administration's police state 
     agenda; and
       Whereas, This bloating of the IRS's budget and staff also 
     comes at the same time Americans are learning of the massive 
     stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by the government 
     agency. The latest data, released in a 2020 report analyzing 
     the militarization of federal agencies in years prior, found 
     that the IRS had thousands of rifles, shotguns, pistols, and 
     submachine guns as well as an arsenal of over five million 
     rounds of ammunition. Additionally, a 2017 report by the 
     Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that 
     the IRS's Criminal Investigation Division repeatedly violated 
     the civil rights of Americans under the guise of enforcing 
     tax laws and seizing taxpayer property. Michiganders are 
     right to fear a massive budget expansion for a tax collection 
     agency that feels it necessary to arm itself to the teeth in 
     pursuit of collecting our citizens' hard-earned money with 
     little to no restraint; and
       Whereas, In 1974, then-President Gerald Ford warned 
     Congress that ``[a] government big enough to give you 
     everything you want is a government big enough to take from 
     you everything you have.'' This Administration represents 
     just the latest installment in a half-century long tradition 
     of paying no heed to past generations' commonsense 
     understanding that government should play a minimal role in 
     our lives. As the only President who was a fellow 
     Michigander, it is appropriate for our citizens to take 
     seriously President Ford's warning and strongly condemn this 
     massive expansion of a federal agency that only exists by 
     virtue of our collective tax dollars. The Inflation Reduction 
     Act would hand over tens of billions of dollars to create an 
     IRS big enough--and well-armed enough--to take whatever it 
     wants from our citizens whenever it pleases; now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we condemn the expansion of 
     the Internal Revenue Service through the Inflation Reduction 
     Act of 2022; 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 the members of the Michigan congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-250. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the United States Congress and 
     the President of the United States to enact legislation, S. 
     3213, known as the IDEA Full Funding Act, which would fully 
     fund the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; 
     to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 4

       Whereas, The federal Education for All Handicapped Children 
     Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) (1975 Act) was enacted by the 
     United States Congress and signed into law by the President 
     of the United States to address the failure of states to meet 
     the educational needs of children with disabilities.

[[Page S6904]]

     This act, known as the federal Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act (IDEA) since 1990 with the enactment of Public 
     Law 101-476, remains the cornerstone of federal statutory 
     mandates governing special education; and
       Whereas, The purpose of the 1975 Act, as declared by the 
     United States Congress, was to ensure that all children with 
     disabilities have available to them within specified time 
     periods ``a free appropriate public education which 
     emphasizes special education and related services designed to 
     meet their unique needs, to assure that the rights of 
     children with disabilities and their parents or guardians are 
     protected, to assist States and localities to provide for the 
     education of all children with disabilities, and to assess 
     and assure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children 
     with disabilities''; and
       Whereas, The 1975 Act authorized a maximum state funding 
     entitlement of 40 percent for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 1982, and for each fiscal year thereafter, of 
     the average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary and 
     secondary schools in the United States; and
       Whereas, Since 1975, including in the most recent 
     amendments to IDEA, the federal Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446), the 
     United States Congress has maintained the funding 
     authorization at ``40 percent of the average per-pupil 
     expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary 
     schools in the United States''; and
       Whereas, The federal government has never paid its promised 
     40-percent share of the IDEA mandate. For many years, the 
     United States Congress paid less than 8 percent of the excess 
     cost of educating children with disabilities, which forced 
     states and local educational agencies to cover the remaining 
     costs. The California student population requiring special 
     education and related services continues to grow each year; 
     and
       Whereas, School, disability, and parent groups have been 
     trying for years to bring IDEA appropriations up to the 
     authorized 40 percent of average per-pupil expenditures, the 
     maximum any state can receive per student with disability. 
     This effort has come to be known as ``full funding,'' but the 
     effort has never succeeded; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature, since the early 1990s, 
     has approved a number of joint resolutions memorializing the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     to provide the full federal share of funding for special 
     education programs to states so that this state and other 
     states will not be required to take funding from other vital 
     state and local programs to fund this underfunded federal 
     mandate; and
       Whereas, In the 2018-19 school year, federal funding only 
     represented 8.4 percent of special education costs, well 
     short of the promised 40-percent level; and
       Whereas, Because the promised federal funding level is not 
     being met, the burden has fallen on states and local school 
     districts, which leads to cuts in programs, tax increases, or 
     both; and
       Whereas, A bill was introduced in the United States House 
     of Representatives in 2017, H.R. 2902, known as the IDEA Full 
     Funding Act, that aimed to reach the 40-percent ``full 
     funding'' level by the 2027 fiscal year through incremental 
     increases in the federal share of funding each fiscal year; 
     and
       Whereas, Another bill was introduced in the United States 
     Senate in 2019, S. 866, known as the IDEA Full Funding Act, 
     that aimed to reach the 40-percent ``full funding'' level by 
     the 2029 fiscal year through incremental increases in the 
     federal share of funding each fiscal year; and
       Whereas, No vote was taken on H.R. 2902 by the 115th United 
     States Congress even though it contained a bipartisan 
     coalition of 119 cosponsors, and S. 866 died in the 116th 
     United States Congress without a vote; and
       Whereas, A bill is pending on the floor of the United 
     States Senate, S. 3213, known as the IDEA Full Funding Act, 
     which provides permanent, mandatory funding for the grant 
     program that assists states and outlying areas in providing 
     special education and related services to children with 
     disabilities; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature respectfully 
     memorializes the 117th Congress of the United States and the 
     President of the United States to enact legislation, S. 3213, 
     known as the IDEA Full Funding Act, which would fully fund 
     the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to the 
     Chair of the Senate Committee on the Budget, to the Chair of 
     the House Committee on the Budget, to the United States 
     Senate Committee on Appropriations, to the Chair of the House 
     Committee on Appropriations, to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States, and to the United States Secretary of Education.
                                  ____


       POM-251. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Tennessee strongly supporting the completion 
     of the secure border wall across our nation's southern border 
     and strongly urging the United States Congress to immediately 
     act to fund the construction of such border wall without 
     delay; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 652

       Whereas, the security of our nation's borders and the 
     safety of our citizens are paramount to protecting the 
     American way of life; and
       Whereas, it is essential to the welfare of our nation that 
     illegal immigration cease; and
       Whereas, we should continue to safeguard our borders by 
     completing the construction of the secure border wall on the 
     southern border of the United States; and
       Whereas, illegal immigrants who cross the southern border 
     are not required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19; 
     and
       Whereas, it is known that at least eighteen percent of 
     illegal immigrants who cross the southern border of the 
     United States are infected with COVI D-19 and are 
     contributing to this country's national health crisis; and
       Whereas, the members of this General Assembly have 
     consistently taken steps to address illegal immigration 
     within the borders of our great State and now wish to urge 
     the United States Congress to address illegal immigration by 
     completing the construction of the border wall; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the One Hundred 
     Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the 
     Senate concurring, that we strongly support the completion of 
     the secure border wall across our nation's southern border 
     and strongly urge the United States Congress to immediately 
     act to fund the construction of such border wall without 
     delay; and be it further
       Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be 
     transmitted to the President of the United States, the U.S. 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, the Speaker and the Clerk of 
     the United States House of Representatives, the President and 
     the Secretary of the United States Senate, and each member of 
     the Tennessee Congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-252. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California recognizing October 12, 2021, as the 
     20-year anniversary of the enactment of the exemption from 
     nonresident tuition for qualified students during the 2001-02 
     Regular Session and calling on the United States Congress to 
     pass the American Families Plan and provide financial 
     resources for undocumented students through the budget 
     reconciliation process, and to adopt comprehensive 
     immigration reform; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 9

       Whereas, Over 2,000,000 undocumented immigrants of all 
     nationalities and backgrounds call California home, including 
     over 183,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 
     recipients; and
       Whereas, Undocumented pupils who have lived in the United 
     States for five years or more graduate from high school every 
     year; and
       Whereas, Many undocumented pupils who arrive in the United 
     States before 14 years of age desire to go on to college; and
       Whereas, California has uplifted and empowered undocumented 
     immigrants to seek a better life by providing pathways to 
     public services and extending protections through sanctuary 
     laws; and
       Whereas, Undocumented immigrants have historically faced 
     racism, poverty, and other barriers that restrict access to 
     higher education and that limit their ability to work, 
     contribute to California's economy, and provide for their 
     families; and
       Whereas, Nonresident tuition is cost prohibitive to 
     undocumented students who already experience barriers to 
     employment and lack of access to federal financial aid; and
       Whereas, The passage of Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 
     Regular Session (AB 540), authored by the late Assembly 
     Member Marco Antonio Firebaugh and signed into law by former 
     Governor Gray Davis on October 12, 2001, declared that long-
     term California residents, regardless of their citizenship 
     status, would pay in-state fees at California public colleges 
     and universities; and
       Whereas, AB 540 established the right of undocumented 
     students to seek a college degree, and the bill substantially 
     increased their educational and economic opportunities to 
     achieve their highest potential; and
       Whereas, It is estimated between 75,000 and 156,000 
     undocumented students attend campuses of the California 
     Community Colleges, 10,063 undocumented students attend 
     campuses of the California State University, and over 4,000 
     undocumented students attend campuses of the University of 
     California; and
       Whereas, Approximately 62,000 students attending campuses 
     of the California Community Colleges benefit from that 
     exemption from nonresident tuition today: and
       Whereas, That exemption from nonresident tuition expanded 
     opportunities for a college education and reduced opportunity 
     gaps for undocumented students by removing the burden of out-
     of-state tuition; and
       Whereas, Without AB 540, and other subsequent college 
     affordability measures like the California Dream Act, 
     undocumented students would pay thousands of dollars in 
     tuition and fees each year as nonresidents or international 
     students: and
       Whereas, California's higher education systems are 
     committed to serving all students, regardless of their 
     immigration status, and providing them with the supports, 
     resources, and opportunities to pursue their educational 
     goals: and

[[Page S6905]]

       Whereas, The Budget Act of 2021 expands on the successful 
     Dreamer Resource Liaison program by doubling the amount of 
     funding, ensuring that the California Community Colleges, 
     California State University, and University of California 
     have the capacity and resources to support undocumented 
     students; and
       Whereas, The federal American Families Plan proposes a 
     pathway to citizenship for undocumented students and expands 
     access to federal financial aid, which will enable more 
     undocumented students to pay for college, complete their 
     studies, and contribute to the economy; and
       Whereas, The passage of the federal American Families Plan 
     will ensure a stable and welcoming future for undocumented 
     students by allowing them to achieve their higher education 
     goals and become fully participating members of their 
     communities; and
       Whereas, California's public higher education systems 
     continue to combat persisting inequalities among this 
     underserved population, develop pathways that foster access, 
     equity, and inclusion, and advocate fiercely for the 
     necessary policies and resources; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California hereby recognizes October 12, 2021, as the 20-year 
     anniversary of the enactment of the exemption from 
     nonresident tuition during the 2001-02 Regular Session; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges all residents of the 
     state to celebrate the significance of that enactment in 
     enabling more undocumented students to pursue a college 
     education; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the United States 
     Congress to pass the American Families Plan and provide 
     financial resources for undocumented students through the 
     budget reconciliation process, and to adopt comprehensive 
     immigration reform; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of 
     the United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the United 
     States Congress, and to the author for appropriate 
     distribution.
                                  ____

       POM-253. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Marathon, California urging the Florida Legislature 
     to adopt Governor Ron Desantis's state fiscal year 2021-2022 
     Budget Recommendation to create the ``Resilient Florida'' 
     Program; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.
       POM-254. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Marathon, California supporting SB 1086/HB 639 and 
     additional amendment language addressing long-term anchoring, 
     reflecting the continuing efforts of Florida Fish and 
     Wildlife Conservation Commission to improve boater safety, 
     reduce vessel dereliction, and improve marine sanitation to 
     protect our natural marine resources, and in support of 
     additional FWC staff and financial resources to adequately 
     implement existing and new law enforcement measures; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                          ____________________