[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4439-S4440]
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-41. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging and requesting the United 
     States Congress to not support legislation, or other efforts, 
     relating to the adoption of a central bank digital currency 
     in the United States; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
     and Urban Affairs.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 71

       Whereas, on March 9, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden issued 
     Executive Order 14067 (executive order), ``Ensuring 
     Responsible Development of Digital Assets'', to establish a 
     broad interagency effort to study and develop a United States 
     central bank digital currency (CBDC); and
       Whereas, the executive order established an interagency 
     effort to develop ``Policy and Actions Related to United 
     States Central Bank Digital Currencies''; and
       Whereas, the executive order states, ``within 180 days of 
     the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney 
     General, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security, the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads 
     of other relevant agencies, shall submit to the President a 
     report on the future of money and payment systems''; and
       Whereas, the executive order states the term ``central bank 
     digital currency'' or CBDC refers to a form of digital money 
     or monetary value, denomination in the national unit of 
     account, that is a direct liability of the central bank; and
       Whereas, the executive order requires the United States 
     attorney general, together with the secretary of the Treasury 
     and the chairman of the Federal Reserve, to provide the 
     president a legislative proposal for a CBDC within two 
     hundred ten days of the executive order; and
       Whereas, The Federal Reserve bank of New York and ten 
     financial institutions completed testing of certain features 
     related to a CBDC in 2022; and
       Whereas, the CBDC under development and testing pursuant to 
     the executive order will include programmable design features 
     that will control the ability of a person to freely utilize 
     the CBDC; and
       Whereas, a United States CBDC raises significant concerns 
     over privacy for individuals and businesses in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the adoption of a CBDC by the federal government 
     would be an unacceptable expansion of federal authority; and
       Whereas, the adoption of a CBDC by the federal government 
     would hand over to the Federal Reserve unprecedented control 
     of the lives, freedoms, choices, and sovereignty of the 
     people of Louisiana. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge the United States Congress not to support legislation, 
     or other efforts, relating to the adoption of a central bank 
     digital currency in the United States. Be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the president of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United 
     States Congress, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the 
     secretary of the Treasury, and each member of the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-42. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     to take such actions as are necessary to establish Fort 
     Jackson in Plaquemines Parish as a national park; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 42

       Whereas, on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson 
     signed the ``Organic Act'' creating the National Park 
     Service, a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior 
     responsible for maintaining national parks and monuments; and
       Whereas, today, the National Park Service manages four 
     hundred individual units which cover more than eighty-five 
     million acres in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, 
     and US territories; and
       Whereas, the National Park System also includes more than 
     one hundred fifty related areas and numerous programs that 
     assist in conserving the nation's natural and cultural 
     heritage; and
       Whereas, Fort Jackson is situated thirty-two nautical miles 
     from the Gulf of Mexico and sixty-five miles in a 
     southeasterly direction from New Orleans on the west bank of 
     the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish and possesses 
     nationally significant natural and cultural resources; and
       Whereas, construction of Fort Jackson was begun in 1822 
     upon the recommendation of its namesake General Andrew 
     Jackson who recognized the need for additional fortifications 
     to protect the mouth of the Mississippi River from attack; 
     and
       Whereas, the construction of star-shaped Fort Jackson was 
     completed in 1832, and the fort was readied for service 
     during the Mexican War in 1846; and
       Whereas, in April of 1862, Fort Jackson was the site of an 
     important battle of the Civil War, sustaining days of 
     shelling as Confederate troops fought, to prevent Union 
     forces from reaching New Orleans; and
       Whereas, Fort Jackson was donated to Plaquemines Parish in 
     1960 and since that time the parish and its people have 
     invested in the conservation and renovation of the fort, 
     which efforts have made it one of the principal historical 
     attractions in the region. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to establish Fort Jackson in Plaquemines 
     Parish as a national park; 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-43. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana

[[Page S4440]]

     urging the United States Congress to take such actions as are 
     necessary to codify the terminology of ``solar compound'' and 
     ``wind installation'' in lieu of ``solar farm'' and ``wind 
     farm''; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 131

       Whereas, the state of Louisiana is a proud agricultural 
     state that values the importance of farming and the 
     production of crops; and
       Whereas, the development of renewable energy sources such 
     as solar and wind power has become increasingly important in 
     reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and protecting our 
     environment; and
       Whereas, the terminology used to describe these renewable 
     energy sources is important in accurately conveying their 
     purpose and function; and
       Whereas, the terms ``solar farm'' and ``wind farm'' are 
     misleading and inaccurate because they do not produce food or 
     other crops; and
       Whereas, the use of these terms can cause confusion and 
     misrepresentation of the purpose of these installations; and
       Whereas, Congress has always supported farming and the 
     agricultural industry. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, that the Louisiana Legislature does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to codify the terminology of ``solar 
     compound'' and ``wind installation'' in lieu of ``solar 
     farm'' and ``wind farm'' to accurately reflect the purpose 
     and function of these renewable energy sources. 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, the president of the United States, the governor of 
     Louisiana, and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.

                          ____________________