[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1253-S1255]
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-12. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of Guam 
     requesting the Secretary of the Interior to honor the 
     Department of the Interior's responsibilities to Guam by 
     directing the Offices of Insular Affairs and Environmental 
     Policy and Compliance to review and assess the potential 
     environmental impacts of the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz 
     Live-Fire Training Range Complex at Northwest Field, and the 
     Hand Grenade Range at Andersen South, on the Northern Guam 
     Lens Aquifer, and provide guidance to the Department of the 
     Navy prior to range operations that ensures the protection of 
     Guam's water resources; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                         Resolution No. 464-36

       Whereas, in August 2015, the U.S. Department of the Navy 
     issued its Record of Decision based on the Guam and CNMI 
     Military Relocation Final Supplemental Environmental Impact 
     Study (2012 Roadmap Adjustments) (SEIS), pursuant to which 
     the U.S. Department of Defense proposed to relocate 
     approximately eight thousand six hundred (8,600) U.S. Marines 
     from Okinawa to Guam; and as part of that action, to 
     construct and operate a series of live-fire training ranges 
     on Guam and CNMI. The massive Live-Fire Training Range 
     Complex (LFTRC) and Hand Grenade Range are currently under 
     construction and sit on top of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer 
     (NGLA)--a critical resource that provides Guam residents with 
     eighty-five percent (85%) of the island's fresh drinking 
     water; and
       Whereas, the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz LFTRC is 
     located at Northwest Field on Andersen Air Force Base, and 
     consists of five (5) separate firing ranges, including a 
     Known Distance (KD) rifle range, a KD pistol range, a 
     Modified Record of Fire Range (MRFR), a nonstandard small 
     arms range, a Multipurpose Machine Gun (MPMG) range, and a 
     stand-alone Hand Grenade Range that is located at Andersen 
     South. Approximately one hundred eighty-seven (187) acres of 
     pristine limestone forest have been cleared in support of the 
     LFTRC; construction of the KD rifle range project is 
     anticipated to be complete in 2022 and operational sometime 
     between 2023-2024; and construction of the Multi-Purpose 
     Machine Gun range is ongoing with expected completion in 
     2024; and
       Whereas, according to the SEIS, up to 6.7 million lead 
     bullets will be fired and four hundred twenty-one (421) hand 
     grenades will be thrown over the aquifer each year, 
     potentially threatening the community's primary water source, 
     as well as the surrounding ocean areas; and
       Whereas, the SEIS provides that range operations have the 
     potential to leach munitions constituents into groundwater, 
     such as lead, antimony, copper, and zinc. Munitions 
     constituents are ``any materials originating from unexploded 
     ordnance, discarded military munitions, or other military 
     munitions, including explosive and nonexplosive materials, 
     and emission, degradation, or breakdown elements of such 
     ordnance or munitions.'' 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2710(e)(3). The SEIS 
     further discloses that munitions constituents specific to the 
     explosives used at the Hand Grenade Range include 
     trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine 
     (High Melting Explosive, HMX), hexahydrotrinitrotriazine 
     (Royal Demolition Explosive, RDX), and perchlorate; and
       Whereas, in addition to harmful munitions constituents, the 
     SEIS states that the firing ranges would potentially increase 
     the amount of petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POLs), 
     hazardous waste, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers 
     being stored, transported, and utilized at the proposed 
     facilities; and
       Whereas, I Liheslaturan Guahan (the Guam Legislature) finds 
     it concerning that the SEIS lacks a thorough discussion of 
     range munitions constituents and omits available data 
     regarding the potential for these chemical agents to remain 
     in soils and leach into the groundwater. In January 2012, the 
     United States Environmental Protection Agency

[[Page S1254]]

     published the ``EPA Federal Facilities Forum Issue Paper: 
     Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents'' (EPA 2012 
     Paper), which compiles studies of military installations in 
     the U.S and Canada and identifies a wide range of chemical 
     agents left on surface soils surrounding firing ranges. The 
     EPA 2012 Paper cites data showing that chemical components of 
     explosives and propellants tend to be mobilized by heavy 
     rainfall and may threaten groundwater supplies. This is of 
     particular concern on Guam, as the karst limestone topography 
     of the NGLA is especially porous, rendering the aquifer 
     vulnerable to contamination; and
       Whereas, I Liheslaturan Guahan also finds that the 
     significance of the NGLA as Guam's sole source aquifer, the 
     increased annual withdrawal of groundwater amounting to 1.7 
     million gallons each day as a result of the Guam and CNMI 
     Military Relocation, and threats induced by climate change 
     are critical factors that must be considered to determine the 
     true and long-term impacts of the training ranges on Guam's 
     water resources; and
       Whereas, I Liheslaturan Guahan recognizes Guam's obligation 
     to protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of 
     the CHamoru people, and that the island and its resources are 
     an inheritance from Guam's ancestors for the island's present 
     and future generations, and must be safeguarded; and
       Whereas, island nations all across the Pacific region are 
     rising to fulfill that obligation and ensure community 
     resilience and survival through climate change; and the Guam 
     community joins the voices within the Pacific region and with 
     those who have dedicated their lives to protecting this 
     inheritance--Guam's lands and waters; and
       Whereas, there is insufficient scientific data available to 
     Guam residents to fully assess potentially irreversible 
     impacts of the construction and operation of the firing 
     ranges on the NGLA, and it is critical that the community is 
     given reasonable time to review relevant and sound 
     information before the ranges become operational: Now 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That I Mina'trentai Sais Na Liheslaturan Guahan 
     (the 36th Guam Legislature) does hereby, on behalf of the 
     people of Guam, call on U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb 
     Haaland to honor the U.S. Department of the Interior's 
     responsibilities to Guam and its residents by directing the 
     Offices of Insular Affairs and Environmental Policy and 
     Compliance to review and assess the potential environmental 
     impacts of the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Live-Fire 
     Training Range Complex at Northwest Field, and the Hand 
     Grenade Range at Andersen South, on the Northern Guam Lens 
     Aquifer, and provide guidance to the U.S. Department of the 
     Navy prior to range operations that ensures the protection of 
     Guam's water resources; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Speaker certify, and the Legislative 
     Secretary attest to, the adoption hereof, and that copies of 
     the same be thereafter transmitted to the Honorable Joseph R. 
     Biden, Jr., President of the United States of America; to the 
     Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States 
     of America; to the Honorable Deb Haaland, Secretary of the 
     U.S. Department of the Interior; to the Honorable Keone 
     Nakoa, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, U.S. 
     Department of Interior; to Stephen G. Tryon, Director, Office 
     of Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of 
     the Interior; to the Honorable Jack Reed, Chairperson, 
     Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate; to the Honorable 
     Adam Smith, Chairperson, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. 
     House of Representatives; and to the Honorable Lourdes A. 
     Leon Guerrero, I Maga 'hagan Guahan.
                                  ____

       POM-13. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Illinois rescinding its 1863 ratification of the 
     following proposition, known as the Corwin Amendment to the 
     United States Constitution: ``Article XIII. No amendment 
     shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or 
     give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within 
     any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including 
     that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said 
     State.''; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 22

       Whereas, On February 27, 1861, in an attempt to avert the 
     secession of Southern states, United States Representative 
     Thomas Corwin of Ohio proposed an amendment to the United 
     States Constitution that would prohibit the United States 
     Constitution from being amended in a manner that authorizes 
     Congress to abolish or interfere with the states' domestic 
     institutions, including slavery; and
       Whereas, On March 2, 1861, the Corwin Amendment was 
     approved by a joint resolution of the Thirty-Sixth United 
     States Congress (12 Stat. 251) and was submitted to the 
     states under Article V of the United States Constitution for 
     ratification with no deadline given for completion of its 
     ratification; and
       Whereas, The Twenty-Third General Assembly of the State of 
     Illinois ratified the Corwin Amendment in ``An Act ratifying 
     a certain amendment to the Constitution of the United 
     States'', in force June 2, 1863 (Public Laws 1863, p. 41); 
     and
       Whereas, The Corwin Amendment has not yet been ratified by 
     three-fourths of the states and, therefore, is not part of 
     the United States Constitution at this time; and
       Whereas, It is still possible that a sufficient number of 
     states could belatedly ratify the Corwin Amendment thereby 
     adding it to the United States Constitution, as occurred with 
     the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which 
     was first proposed in 1789 and was not ratified by a 
     sufficient number of states until 1992; and
       Whereas, With the end of the Civil War and the ratification 
     of the actual 13th Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution in 1865, the purposes of the Corwin Amendment 
     have become moot: Now, 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 the State of Illinois 
     rescinds its 1863 ratification of the following proposition, 
     known as the Corwin Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution:
       ``ARTICLE XIII. No amendment shall be made to the 
     Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the 
     power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the 
     domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held 
     to labor or service by the laws of said State.''; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this resolution be 
     forwarded to the Archivist of the United States, the 
     President of the United States, the President and Secretary 
     of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and each member 
     congressional delegation with the request verbatim in the 
     Congressional Record.
                                  ____

       POM-14. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey respectfully urging the United States 
     Congress and the President of the United States to increase 
     funding for the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 165

       Whereas, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
     (NASA), established in 1958 to expand ``human knowledge of 
     phenomena in the atmosphere and space,'' is a federal agency 
     that invests in innovative activities that create jobs, 
     jumpstart businesses, and grow the economy; and
       Whereas, As part of its overall mission, NASA seeks to 
     improve aeronautical and space vehicles capable of carrying 
     living organisms, equipment, supplies, and instruments by 
     studying and recognizing the interconnectedness of varied 
     sciences; and
       Whereas, The onset of the Space Race underscored the 
     significance of NASA, as the agency's initial space and lunar 
     expeditions captivated the psyche of the nation and 
     catapulted the United States to the forefront of the 
     scientific-technological revolution; and
       Whereas, Another NASA innovation, known as the James Webb 
     Space Telescope, has enabled humanity to see deep into the 
     outer limits of space, reigniting the nation's hunger for 
     exploration; and
       Whereas, Today, NASA research and development projects tend 
     to result in spinoff technologies in common use, including 
     solar panels, medical imaging and dental x-ray devices, cell 
     phone cameras, cordless vacuums, memory foam, and stronger 
     tire material; and
       Whereas, It is clear that there is an increased interest 
     and demand in space craft, space flight, and satellite 
     technology from the private sector, and increased funding for 
     public-private partnerships could lead to further innovations 
     that bring economic growth to New Jersey and the country as a 
     whole; and
       Whereas, New Jersey seeks to foster the next generation's 
     expertise in science, technology, engineering, and 
     mathematics (STEM) by capitalizing on awe-inspiring NASA 
     missions to demonstrate real-life applications of what is 
     taught in the classroom; and
       Whereas, The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the urgency for 
     funding STEM education and career training as an investment 
     in future health and prosperity, both short-term and long-
     term; and
       Whereas, Climate uncertainty and extreme weather events 
     heighten the necessity for investing in endeavors that lead 
     to pioneering solutions to help humanity adapt with the 
     planet we live on; and
       Whereas, Despite the value that NASA continues to present 
     to the American people and the economy, NASA's annual funding 
     adjusted for inflation peaked in 1966 at $49 billion, in 2021 
     dollars, and has stagnated since 2000 at roughly $22 billion, 
     in 2021 dollars; and
       Whereas, President Biden's proposed federal fiscal year 
     (FY) 2023 funding for NASA will raise the agency's budget to 
     $26 billion, an eight percent increase over FY2022's $24 
     billion budget; and
       Whereas, Increasing the administration's budget will lead 
     to scientific and technological innovations that will create 
     jobs, jumpstart businesses, grow the economy, and expand 
     human understanding of our planet and universe; now, 
     therefore,
       Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House respectfully urges the Congress and the 
     President to increase funding for the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration in the federal budget.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United 
     States House of Representatives, each member of the United 
     States Congress elected from this State, and the 
     Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration.

[[Page S1255]]

       POM-15. A resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors of 
     the City and County of San Francisco, California, condemning 
     Azerbaijan's Blockade of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh 
     (Artsakh) and ongoing human rights violations; to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations.

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