[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4586-S4589]
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-55. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wyoming reaffirming its commitment to the strong 
     and deepening relationship between Taiwan and the State of 
     Wyoming; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 7

       Whereas, Taiwan and the United States are bonded by their 
     shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law 
     and a free market economy; and
       Whereas, on March 5, 1984, the State of Wyoming adopted 
     Taiwan as Wyoming's sister state; and
       Whereas, Taiwan ranks as the United States' eighth largest 
     trading partner, Taiwan ranks as the United States' sixth 
     largest agricultural goods export destination and bilateral 
     trade between the United States and Taiwan reached an 
     estimated one hundred fourteen billion dollars 
     ($114,000,000,000.00) in 2021; and
       Whereas, the United States and Taiwan have welcomed the 
     resumption of high-level trade engagement and have expressed 
     a desire to work closely together; and
       Whereas, Taiwan ranks as the State of Wyoming's eighth 
     largest trading partner in Asia and both the State of Wyoming 
     and Taiwan are committed to strengthening bilateral economic 
     bonds; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress passed the landmark 
     Taiwan Relation Act in 1979 to sustain a close, bilateral 
     relationship and to advance mutual security and commercial 
     interests between the United States and Taiwan; and
       Whereas, based on the principles of the United States' and 
     Taiwan's Education Initiative in 2020, Taiwan's Ministry of 
     Education and the State of Wyoming's Department of Education 
     signed a memorandum of understanding on educational 
     cooperation in 2022 to further promote teacher and student 
     exchanges and cultural awareness; and
       Whereas, the United States has previously assisted Taiwan 
     in its participation with the World Health Organization, the 
     International Civil Aviation Organization and the 
     International Criminal Police Organization and the United 
     States will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful 
     participation in these and other international organizations; 
     and
       Whereas, Taiwan, as a willing and contributing member of 
     the world community, has made countless contributions of 
     technical and financial assistance in the wake of natural 
     disasters worldwide: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the Members of the Legislature of the State of 
     Wyoming:
       Section 1. That, Wyoming reaffirms its commitment to the 
     strong and deepening relationship between Taiwan and the 
     State of Wyoming.
       Section 2. That Wyoming supports Taiwan's participation in 
     internal organizations that impact the global trade, health, 
     safety and well-being of twenty-three million (23,000,000) 
     people in Taiwan.
       Section 3. That Wyoming reiterates its support for a closer 
     economic and trade partnership between the United States and 
     Taiwan including signing the United States-Taiwan Bilateral 
     Trade Agreement.
       Section 4. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President of the United 
     States, to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to 
     Wyoming's Congressional Delegation, to Taiwan President Tsai 
     Ing-wen and to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, 
     Seattle, Washington.
                                  ____

       POM-56. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States government and Michiganders to strengthen ties with 
     Taiwan; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 59

       Whereas, the United States and Taiwan have strong ties 
     based on shared ideals and robust bilateral trade. Taiwan 
     shares the values of freedom, democracy, human rights, rule 
     of law, peace, and prosperity with the United States and the 
     state of Michigan. In 2021, the United States ranked as 
     Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, while Taiwan was the 
     eighth-largest trading partner of the United States, counting 
     the European Union as a single trading partner. The countries 
     shared 113.9 billion dollars in two-way goods trade and 19.8 
     billion dollars in two-way services trade in that year; and
       Whereas, Taiwan is a particularly important trade partner 
     for our nation's agricultural industry. Taiwan imported 3.9 
     billion dollars' worth of agricultural products from the 
     United States in 2021, making it the sixth-largest market for 
     United States food and agricultural products overall. 
     Examining individual agricultural products, Taiwan was the 
     seventh-largest market for United States soybeans and corn in 
     2021. Due to our high-quality produce, the United States 
     remains one of Taiwan's largest sources of agricultural 
     products, supplying more than one-fifth of the country's 
     total agricultural imports in 2020; and
       Whereas, the state of Michigan and Taiwan have enjoyed a 
     mutually beneficial relationship, with strong bilateral trade 
     and a long history of educational and cultural exchanges. 
     Taiwan was Michigan's tenth-largest export market in Asia in 
     2022, with over 313 million dollars' worth of Michigan goods 
     exported to Taiwan that year. Since 2006, the Michigan 
     Department of Education and the Taiwanese Ministry of 
     Education have had an English and Chinese language teacher 
     exchange program, helping our citizens to grow closer and 
     learn about each other's cultures. The Taiwan Friendship 
     Caucus in the Michigan Legislature exists to strengthen ties 
     between our governments, our economies, and our people. To 
     ensure this relationship remains strong, Michigan businesses 
     should increase their economic engagement with Taiwan; and
       Whereas, the United States could take additional steps to 
     strengthen bilateral trade with Taiwan, which would also 
     enhance Taiwan's trade with the state of Michigan. Trade 
     between our nations could be improved if the United States 
     entered into a bilateral trade agreement and an avoidance of 
     double taxation agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan could also be 
     included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for 
     Prosperity (IPEF), a partnership between many Indo-Pacific 
     nations and the United States that was created to strengthen 
     economic cooperation. The United States invited other Indo-
     Pacific partners to join the IPEF in May 2022, and Taiwan 
     should be invited to and included in this partnership; and
       Whereas, Taiwan has adopted a policy of ``steadfast 
     diplomacy'' in its foreign relations. This policy ``aims at 
     mutual benefit and peace, creating sustainable partnerships 
     with diplomatic allies, and strengthening

[[Page S4587]]

     substantive ties in multiple fields with friendly and like-
     minded countries.'' Taiwan is clearly willing to collaborate 
     with the world to deal with global challenges and seek a 
     brighter future together; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     United States government and Michiganders to strengthen ties 
     with Taiwan; 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-57. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging and requesting the United 
     States Congress and the National Security Council to conduct 
     a formal review of the Status of Forces Agreement between the 
     United States and Japan; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 52

       Whereas, in 1960, the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and 
     Security between the United States and Japan was signed and 
     established mutuality between the two nations; and
       Whereas, the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security has 
     had the effect of establishing a military alliance between 
     the United States and Japan; and
       Whereas, under Article VI of the Treaty of Mutual 
     Cooperation and Security, the government of Japan agrees to 
     take necessary action to ensure the adequate security and 
     protection of the United States Armed Forces while stationed 
     in Japan; and
       Whereas, there are over one hundred thousand American 
     service members and dependents stationed in Japan, which is 
     more than any other place in the world other than the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, active-duty American service members are, and will 
     continue to be, stationed abroad in Japan while serving in 
     the United States Armed Forces; and
       Whereas, status of forces agreements are designed to ensure 
     adequate and fair legal treatment of American service members 
     stationed abroad; and
       Whereas, the Status of Forces Agreement between the United 
     States and Japan does not appear to provide adequate legal 
     protection for American service members due to reports that 
     Japan regularly violates the Status of Forces Agreement by 
     detaining American service members without adequate cause or 
     necessity prior to charges; and
       Whereas, there are reports that Japanese authorities 
     consistently deny legal counsel to service members during 
     police interrogations and fail to provide adequate 
     translation assistance during interrogations and trials, 
     which would violate the Department of Defense policy 
     regarding the legal rights of service members overseas; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress through the United 
     States House and Senate Committees on Armed Services are 
     responsible for conducting oversight of the United States 
     military and ensuring that international agreements are in 
     the best interest of the American people and abided by the 
     parties entering such agreements. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge and request the United States Congress and the National 
     Security Council to conduct a formal review of the Status of 
     Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan to 
     ensure that the agreement is in the best interest of the 
     United States and adequately protects American service 
     members in accordance with constitutional rights and the 
     United States Department of Defense policy. 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-58. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Representatives of the State of Arkansas recognizing the 
     importance of pregnancy help organizations in Arkansas; to 
     the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                       House Resolution No. 1010

       Whereas, the life-affirming impact of pregnancy help 
     organizations on the women, men, children, and communities 
     they serve is considerable and growing; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations serve women in 
     Arkansas and across the United States with integrity and 
     compassion; and
       Whereas, more than two thousand seven hundred (2,700) 
     pregnancy help organizations across the United States provide 
     comprehensive care to women and men facing unplanned 
     pregnancies, including resources to meet their physical, 
     psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations offer women free, 
     confidential, and compassionate services, including pregnancy 
     tests, peer counseling, 24-hour telephone hotlines, 
     childbirth and parenting classes, referrals to community 
     health care, and other support services; and
       Whereas, many pregnancy help organizations offer 
     ultrasounds and other medical services; and
       Whereas, many pregnancy help organizations provide 
     information on adoption and adoption referrals to pregnant 
     women; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations encourage women to 
     make positive life choices by equipping them with complete 
     and accurate information regarding their pregnancy options 
     and the development of their unborn children; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations provide women with 
     compassionate and confidential peer counseling in a 
     nonjudgmental manner regardless of their pregnancy outcomes; 
     and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations provide important 
     support and resources for women who choose childbirth over 
     abortion; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations ensure that women are 
     receiving prenatal information and services that lead to the 
     birth of healthy infants; and
       Whereas, many pregnancy help organizations provide grief 
     assistance for women and men who regret the loss of their 
     children from past choices they have made; and
       Whereas, many pregnancy help organizations work to prevent 
     unplanned pregnancies by teaching effective abstinence 
     education in public schools; and
       Whereas, both federal and state governments are 
     increasingly recognizing the valuable services of pregnancy 
     help organizations through the designation of public funds 
     for such organizations; and
       Whereas, pregnancy help organizations operate primarily 
     through reliance on the voluntary donations and time of 
     individuals who are committed to caring for the needs of 
     women and promoting and protecting life, Now therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     Fourth General Assembly of the State of Arkansas:
       That the House of Representatives:
       (1) Strongly support pregnancy help organizations in their 
     unique, positive contributions to the individual lives of 
     women, men, and babies, both born and unborn;
       (2) Commend the compassionate work of tens of thousands of 
     volunteers and paid staff at pregnancy help organizations in 
     Arkansas and across the United States;
       (3) Strongly encourage the United States Congress and other 
     federal and state government agencies to grant pregnancy help 
     organizations assistance for medical equipment and abstinence 
     education in a manner that does not compromise the mission or 
     religious integrity of these organizations; and
       (4) Disapprove of the actions of any national, state, or 
     local groups attempting to prevent pregnancy help 
     organizations from effectively serving women and men facing 
     unplanned pregnancies; and be it further
       Resolved, That upon its adoption a copy of this resolution 
     be presented by the Chief Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives to each pregnancy help organization in 
     Arkansas, to the Governor, to the President of the United 
     States, and to the Vice President of the United States, and 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United 
     States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-59. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to enact legislation that would ensure 
     abortion is affordable and available for anyone who needs it 
     and to support the President of the United States' efforts to 
     protect abortion access across the country; to the Committee 
     on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        House Resolution No. 123

       Whereas, Every person should have the freedom to make 
     decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures 
     with respect and dignity, including when and how to become 
     parents, without barriers based on income or access. Abortion 
     care, along with the full range of health care, should be 
     affordable, available, and supported for everyone who needs 
     it; and
       Whereas, On June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court overturned Roe 
     v. Wade and stripped away a right that had been held for 
     nearly 50 years. Almost one third (29%) of the total U.S. 
     population of women of reproductive age are now living in 
     states where abortion is either unavailable or severely 
     restricted, and a dozen other states are certain or likely to 
     ban abortion in the future. All across the country, pregnant 
     people now face delays when trying to access abortion care or 
     are forced to travel hundreds of miles to states with less 
     restrictive requirements and take on additional emotional and 
     financial costs; and
       Whereas, A 2022 report found that more than 66 clinics in 
     15 states have been forced to stop providing abortion care as 
     a result of criminalization, impacting 22 million people of 
     reproductive age who may be in need of abortion care. In 
     these states, people are denied abortion care altogether and, 
     without the means to travel to receive the care they need, 
     are forced to carry a pregnancy against their will; and
       Whereas, A person seeking an abortion that is denied is 
     more likely to experience life-threatening maternal and 
     infant health complications, more likely to have a household 
     income below the poverty line and experience economic 
     hardship, and more likely to stay in contact with violent 
     partners, putting them and their children at greater risk 
     than if they were able to receive the abortion; and
       Whereas, Abortion is a safe and effective medical 
     procedure. Leading public health organizations such as the 
     American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the 
     American Medical Association, and the American

[[Page S4588]]

     Academy of Family Physicians strongly oppose efforts to 
     impede access to abortion care or interfere in the 
     relationship between a person and health care provider; and
       Whereas, Medication abortion is a FDA-approved, safe, and 
     effective option for ending an early pregnancy up to 10 weeks 
     and accounts for more than half of all abortions, yet anti-
     abortion lawmakers have enacted medically unnecessary laws to 
     restrict and stigmatize the procedure. Congressional passage 
     of the Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 would protect 
     the right to abortion and prohibit governmental restrictions 
     on abortion; and
       Whereas, Abortion care should be made available without 
     hurdles or stigma for people of color, young people, LGBTQ+ 
     and non-binary people, immigrants, and others. Systemic 
     racism, economic insecurity, and punitive policies such as 
     the Hyde amendment and insurance coverage bans have 
     especially impacted people of color and marginalized groups. 
     Congressional passage of the Equal Access to Abortion 
     Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act of 2023 would ensure 
     equal, affordable access to abortion to all individuals no 
     matter their race, how much money they make, how they are 
     insured, who they are, or where they're from; and
       Whereas, Immigrant families continue to struggle against 
     low wages, unfair working conditions, a dehumanizing 
     immigration system, and restrictions to access based on 
     documentation status. Congressional passage of the Lifting 
     Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act of 
     2021 and the Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) 
     for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2021 would allow many 
     immigrants to enroll in federal health programs like Medicaid 
     without waiting periods and ensure that all immigrants can 
     access affordable coverage for which they are otherwise 
     eligible; and
       Whereas, The Michigan House of Representatives stands 
     committed to ensuring abortion is available for everyone who 
     needs it by supporting and advancing policies that ensure 
     abortion care is available without hurdles or stigma for all 
     people in the communities in which they live, regardless of 
     their race, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic 
     status. The Michigan Legislature has already taken bold steps 
     towards abortion justice by repealing the harmful and archaic 
     1931 law that criminalized abortion providers and adding 
     protections so that no worker will have to face 
     discrimination based on their reproductive health outcomes, 
     including having an abortion; and
       Whereas, Local leaders and stakeholders in Michigan are 
     working to advance comprehensive abortion justice policies 
     that address the lived realities of abortion access. Abortion 
     providers in the state of Michigan offer quality and 
     compassionate care, making Michigan a state that will always 
     be a place for those in need of abortion care; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     United States Congress to enact legislation that would ensure 
     abortion is affordable and available for anyone who needs it 
     and to support the President of the United States' efforts to 
     protect abortion access across the country; 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-60. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging and requesting the Louisiana 
     Department of Health and the United States Food and Drug 
     Administration to expand testing of imported shrimp products 
     and increase public awareness of health risks associated with 
     imported shrimp; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
     Labor, and Pensions.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 105

       Whereas, the harvesting of shrimp has been part of the 
     cultural heritage of Louisiana since the nineteenth century; 
     and
       Whereas, according to a recent report by the University of 
     Louisiana at Lafayette, the Louisiana seafood industry 
     produces an economic impact of over $2.4 billion annually for 
     the state; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana shrimp fishery is the largest 
     commercial fishery in the state by economic value and the 
     second largest commercial fishery by volume of landings; and
       Whereas, Louisiana's shrimp landings account for more than 
     forty percent of all warmwater shrimp landed in the United 
     States in 2022; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana wild-caught shrimp fishery is losing 
     domestic market share to an inferior, pond-raised, imported 
     shrimp, which results in lower dockside prices for Louisiana 
     fishers; and
       Whereas, approximately ninety-four percent of seafood sold 
     in the United States is imported and shrimp account for the 
     highest percent of all seafood imports; and
       Whereas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration (NOAA), imported shrimp products have risen 
     from less than two hundred fifty million pounds in 1980, to 
     nearly two billion pounds in 2022; and
       Whereas, according to statistics from the United States 
     Census Bureau and the NOAA, the price per pound for imported 
     shrimp, adjusted for inflation, has decreased from nearly ten 
     dollars in 1980, to just over four dollars in 2022, while the 
     Gulf dockside value has declined from nearly five dollars in 
     1980, to approximately two dollars and fifty cents in 2022; 
     and
       Whereas, current food safety regulations and inspections 
     are failing to prevent risks to human safety and, according 
     to a report published in Environmental Science and 
     Technology, only two percent of all seafood imported into the 
     United States is tested for contamination, whereas the 
     European Union inspects fifty percent, Japan inspects 
     eighteen percent, and Canada inspects fifteen percent. 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health and the 
     United States Food and DrugAdministration to expand the 
     testing of imported shrimp products for banned drugs, 
     bacteria, and disease and to increase public awareness to the 
     possible health risks associated with imported shrimp. Be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge the United States Congress to support legislation 
     requiring the labeling of all shrimp sold at restaurants to 
     be labeled with their country of origin and to take such 
     actions as are necessary to hold foreign fisheries to the 
     same standards as domestic fisheries and reduce the volume of 
     shrimp products imported into the United States. 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 United States Congress and to each 
     member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-61. 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 compel the United 
     States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fulfill its 
     duties regarding inspection and testing of imported seafood; 
     to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 88

       Whereas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration, in 2019 the United States imported six 
     billion pounds of edible seafood products, including one and 
     one half billion pounds of shrimp, an increase of nearly six 
     and one half million pounds more than the shrimp imported in 
     2018; and
       Whereas, the 2019 shrimp imports alone, valued at six 
     billion dollars, accounted for twenty-seven percent of the 
     total value of imported seafood that year, which reached 
     twenty-two billion dollars; and
       Whereas, it is estimated that over half of the imported 
     seafood consumed in the United States is from aquaculture, or 
     seafood farming, rather than wild-caught; and
       Whereas, the FDA is responsible for the safety of all fish 
     and fishery products entering the United States and sold in 
     Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the FDA's seafood safety program is governed by 
     its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point regulations, which 
     address food safety management through the analysis and 
     control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from 
     raw material production and procurement and handling to 
     manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of the finished 
     product; and
       Whereas, FDA regulations are supposed to measure the 
     compliance of imported seafood with inspections of foreign 
     processing facilities, sampling of seafood offered for import 
     into the United States, domestic surveillance sampling of 
     imported products, inspections of seafood importers, foreign 
     country program assessments, and the use of information from 
     foreign partners and FDA overseas offices; and
       Whereas, in 2011 the FDA was only inspecting two percent of 
     the seafood imported into the United States; and
       Whereas, unfortunately 2011 is the last year for which data 
     regarding the percentage of imports inspected is available 
     due to a lack of transparency and inadequate assessment 
     measures; and
       Whereas, in 2011 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
     noted that the FDA's assessment of foreign aquaculture 
     operations was limited by the FDA's lack of procedures, 
     criteria, and standards; and ten years later, a 2021 GAO 
     report found that the agency was failing to monitor the 
     effectiveness of its own enforcement policies and procedures; 
     and
       Whereas, in contrast, the European Union regularly conducts 
     physical checks of approximately twenty percent of all 
     imported fish products that are fresh, frozen, dry, salted, 
     or hermetically sealed, and for certain fishery products, 
     physical checks are conducted on approximately fifty percent 
     of imports; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana State University School of Renewable 
     Natural Resources published a 2020 paper titled 
     ``Determination of Sulfite and Antimicrobial Residue in 
     Imported Shrimp to the USA'', which presented findings from a 
     study of shrimp imported from India, Thailand, Indonesia, 
     Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, and Ecuador and purchased from 
     retail stores in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
       Whereas, a screening of these shrimp for sulfites and 
     residues from antimicrobial drugs found the following: (1) 
     five percent of the shrimp contained malachite green, (2) 
     seven percent contained oxytetracycline, (3) seventeen 
     percent contained

[[Page S4589]]

     fluoroquinolone, and (4) seventy percent contained 
     nitrofurantoin, all of which have been banned by the FDA in 
     domestic aquaculture operations; and
       Whereas, although the FDA requires that food products 
     exposed to sulfites must include a label with a statement 
     about the presence of sulfites, of the forty-three percent of 
     these locally purchased shrimp found to contain sulfites, not 
     one package complied with this labeling requirement; and
       Whereas, the drug and sulfite residues included in this 
     screening can be harmful to human health during both handling 
     and consumption and have been known to cause all of the 
     following: liver damage and tumors, reproductive 
     abnormalities, cardiac arrhythmia, renal failure, hemolysis, 
     asthma attacks, and allergic reactions; and
       Whereas, the results of this study confirm that existing 
     screening and enforcement measures for imported seafood are 
     insufficient; whatever the percentage of imports inspected 
     may be, seafood is currently being imported that contains 
     unsafe substances that put American consumers at risk; and
       Whereas, because imported seafood is not held to the same 
     standards as domestic seafood, domestic fishing industries 
     are put at a distinct and significant disadvantage 
     commercially; and
       Whereas, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife 
     and Fisheries, the average value of Louisiana shrimp fell 
     from three dollars and eighty cents per pound in 1980 to one 
     dollar fifty cents per pound in 2017; and
       Whereas, this unfair competition allows foreign competitors 
     to flood the United States market with seafood harvested 
     under intensive farming practices using antimicrobial drugs, 
     while devastating local industries and the coastal 
     communities built around them. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to compel the United States Food and Drug 
     Administration to fulfill its duties regarding inspection and 
     testing of imported seafood. 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-62. A resolution adopted by the City Council of Toledo, 
     Ohio, urging the federal government and our nation to embrace 
     the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear 
     Weapons and make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of our 
     national security policy; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.
       POM-63. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of Washtenaw County, Michigan urging the President of the 
     United States and the United States Congress to normalize 
     trade and diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba by 
     dissolving the current U.S. trade embargo, removing Cuba from 
     the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and other barriers; to 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       POM-64. A resolution adopted by the City Council of 
     Monterey Park, California, condemning the military junta of 
     Myanmar (Burma) for the oppression of civilians with 
     excessive violence and standing firmly with the people of 
     Burma in their pursuit for a fair, just, and sustainable 
     democratic sovereign government; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          ____________________