[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 123 (Monday, July 29, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5548-S5551]
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-156. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Illinois urging the federal government to 
     publish and certify without delay the Equal Rights Amendment 
     as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States and urging the United States Congress to pass a 
     joint resolution, affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the 
     Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
     States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     House Joint Resolution No. 20

       Whereas, in 1972, the Ninety-second Congress of the United 
     States of America, at its Second Session in both houses, by a 
     constitutional majority of two-thirds, adopted the following 
     proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States of 
     America:
       Joint Resolution Resolved by the House of Representatives 
     and Senate of the United States of America in Congress 
     Assembled (Two-Thirds of Each House Concurring Therein), That 
     the following article is proposed as an amendment to the 
     Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to 
     all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution when 
     ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 
     States within seven years from the date of its submission by 
     the Congress:
       ``Article----
       Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be 
     denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on 
     account of sex.
       Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by 
     appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
       Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after 
     the date of ratification.''; and
       Whereas, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 
     sets forth a two-step amending procedure; and
       Whereas, The first step of the Article V amending procedure 
     is proposal of an amendment either by two-thirds vote of both 
     houses of Congress or by a convention called by application 
     of two-thirds of the States; and
       Whereas, The second and final step of the Article V 
     amending procedure is ratification of an amendment by three-
     fourths of the States; and
       Whereas, The Constitution of the United States does not 
     limit the time for States to ratify an amendment; and
       Whereas, The time limit within the internal resolution used 
     by Congress in 1972 to propose the Equal Rights Amendment is, 
     thus, without force or effect, and
       Whereas, The so-called Madison Amendment, relating to 
     Compensation of Members of Congress, is the Twenty-Seventh 
     Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
       Whereas, In 1789, by two-thirds vote of each house of the 
     First Congress, the Madison Amendment completed the proposal 
     step of Article V; and
       Whereas, Approximately 203 years later, the Madison 
     Amendment completed the ratification step of Article V 
     through ratification by three-fourths of the States; and
       Whereas, In 1992, having met the requirements of Article V, 
     the Madison Amendment was published and certified by the 
     Administration of President George H.W. Bush as the Twenty-
     Seventh Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; 
     and
       Whereas, Following publication of the Madison Amendment, 
     Congress affirmed the Madison Amendment as the Twenty-Seventh 
     Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
       Whereas, As of January 27, 2020, three-fourths of the 
     States have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment; and
       Whereas, In contrast to the Madison Amendment which took 
     203 years to ratify, the Equal Rights Amendment took a mere 
     48 years to ratify and
       Whereas, The Equal Rights Amendment now meets the 
     requirements of Article V of the Constitution of the United 
     States to be added as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment; therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the one 
     hundred third general assembly of the state of Illinois, the 
     Senate Concurring Herein, That the General Assembly urges the 
     Administration of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to publish 
     and certify without delay the Equal Rights Amendment as the 
     Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
     States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly urges the Congress of 
     the United States to pass a joint resolution affirming the 
     Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the 
     Constitution of the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly calls on other States 
     to join in this action by passing the same or similar 
     resolutions; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
     transmitted to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, to Members of the United States Congress, and to the 
     Archivist of the United States.
       POM-157. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Maryland urging the federal government to 
     publish, without delay, the federal Equal Rights Amendment as 
     the Twenty-eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the 
     United States Congress to pass a joint resolution affirming 
     the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-eighth Amendment; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 1

       Whereas, in 1972, the 92nd Congress of the United States, 
     at its second session, in both houses, by a constitutional 
     majority of two-thirds, adopted the following proposition to 
     amend the U.S. Constitution:
       ``Joint resolution resolved by the House of Representatives 
     and Senate of the United States of America in Congress 
     assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That 
     the following article is proposed as an amendment to the 
     Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to 
     all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution when 
     ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 
     States within seven years from the date of its submission by 
     the Congress:


                                ARTICLE

       Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be 
     denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on 
     account of sex.
       Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by 
     appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
       Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after 
     the date of ratification.''; and
       Whereas, Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides a two-
     step procedure for the adoption of an amendment; and
       Whereas, The first requirement for the adoption of an 
     amendment under Article V is the proposal of an amendment 
     either by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress, or by 
     a convention called by application of two-thirds of the 
     states; and
       Whereas, The second requirement for the adoption of an 
     amendment under Article V is ratification of an amendment by 
     three-fourths of the states; and
       Whereas, The U.S. Constitution does not limit the time for 
     states to ratify an amendment and does not grant Congress the 
     authority to unilaterally limit the time by which an 
     amendment may be ratified; and
       Whereas, A time limitation for the ratification of 
     amendments by the states would be a substantive change to the 
     U.S. Constitution; and
       Whereas, To have full force and effect, a substantive 
     change to the U.S. Constitution must be within the text of an 
     amendment so that it may be ratified by the states as part of 
     the requirements of Article V; and
       Whereas, The time limitation on state ratifications was in 
     the preamble section of the resolution by Congress and not 
     within the text of the amendment presented to states for 
     state approval; and
       Whereas, Because of the placement of the time limitation, 
     the states ratified the text of the Equal Rights Amendment 
     but did not ratify the time limit by Congress; and
       Whereas, A time limit was approved in the Equal Rights 
     Amendment by Congress in 1972, but has not been subsequently 
     approved by the states and thus is without force or effect; 
     and
       Whereas, in comparison, in 1978, Congress passed the 
     District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, which included 
     a time limitation within the text of the Amendment offered to 
     the states for ratification; and
       Whereas, The time limitation for the District of Columbia 
     Voting Rights Amendment ended before ratification of the 
     amendment by three-fourths of the states; and
       Whereas, Because the time limit was within the text of the 
     District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, the time limit 
     had full force and effect and the amendment expired in 1985; 
     and
       Whereas, In comparison, the Twenty-first Amendment and the 
     Twenty-second Amendment include time limitations within the 
     text of each amendment, and the timelines were ratified by 
     three-fourths of the states in accordance with the text of 
     the amendments; and
       Whereas, In 1789, the First Congress proposed, in 
     accordance with Article V, the Madison Amendment relating to 
     compensation of members of Congress; and
       Whereas, Over 202 years later, the Madison Amendment was 
     ratified by three-fourths of the states; and
       Whereas, in 1992, having finally met the requirements of 
     Article V, the Madison Amendment was published as the 27th 
     Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the Archivist of the 
     United States during the Administration of President George 
     H.W. Bush; and
       Whereas, Following publication of the Madison Amendment by 
     the Archivist of the United States, Congress affirmed the 
     Madison Amendment as the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the U.S. 
     Constitution; and
       Whereas, As of January 27, 2020, three-fourths of the 
     states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment; and
       Whereas, Unlike the District of Columbia Voting Rights 
     Amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment does not contain a time 
     limit in its text where it would be of full force and effect; 
     and
       Whereas, In contrast to the Madison Amendment, which took 
     203 years to ratify, the Equal Rights Amendment took only 48 
     years to ratify; and
       Whereas, The text of Article V of the U.S. Constitution 
     grants the states the power of ratification, not rescission; 
     and
       Whereas, Samuel Johnson's dictionary of 1755 defines 
     ``ratify'' as ``to confirm; to settle''; and

[[Page S5549]]

       Whereas, Bouvier's Law Dictionary of 1856, considered to be 
     the first American legal dictionary, states that a 
     ratification once done, ``cannot be revoked or recalled''; 
     and
       Whereas, James Madison wrote in a July 20, 1788, letter to 
     Alexander Hamilton that ratification is ``in toto and for 
     ever''; and
       Whereas, Various attempts to rescind ratifications of 
     provisions of the U.S. Constitution or its amendments, 
     including the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth 
     Amendments, have never been honored; and
       Whereas, The General Assembly of Maryland set a precedent 
     for this resolution in 1961 by passing House Joint Resolution 
     14 urging Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment; and
       Whereas, Maryland was one of the early states to ratify the 
     Equal Rights Amendment in May 1972, two months after Congress 
     proposed it for ratification; and
       Whereas, Maryland adopted the Maryland Equal Rights 
     Amendment to the Maryland Constitution in 1972; and
       Whereas, The Maryland Equal Rights Amendment is only 
     effective to the degree that it does not confLict with 
     federal law; and
       Whereas, The Maryland Attorney General filed an amicus 
     brief in 2022 in support of a lawsuit brought by three 
     ratifying states to require the Archivist of the United 
     States to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment as 
     an amendment to the U.S. Constitution; and
       Whereas, Over several decades, the General Assembly of 
     Maryland has passed laws and created protections attempting 
     to guarantee equal rights under the law for all Marylanders, 
     regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, 
     disability, creed, religion, or sex--which includes legal 
     equality and protection from discrimination on the basis of 
     sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, 
     pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and decisions regarding 
     reproductive healthcare or other aspects of an individual's 
     bodily autonomy; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That it is 
     the opinion of the General Assembly of Maryland that the 
     Equal Rights Amendment meets the requirements of Article V of 
     the U.S. Constitution and should be recognized as the 28th 
     Amendment; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges the 
     Administration of President Joseph R. Biden to publish, 
     without delay, the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th 
     Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges the 
     Congress of the United States to pass a joint resolution 
     affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to 
     the U.S. Constitution; and be it further
       Resolved, That the General Assembly of Maryland calls on 
     other states to join in this action by passing similar 
     resolutions; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by 
     the Department of Legislative Services to the Honorable 
     Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States of America, 
     1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20500; the 
     Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, 
     President of the United States Senate, Senate Office 
     Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Colleen Joy 
     Shogan, Archivist of the United States, National Archives and 
     Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 
     Washington, D.C. 20408; the Maryland Congressional 
     Delegation; and the presiding officer of each House of the 
     legislature of each state of the United States, with the 
     request that it be circulated among leadership of the 
     legislative branch of the state governments.
                                  ____

       POM-158. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Colorado requesting that the Federal Trade 
     Commission facilitate the use of repairability scores that 
     indicate to consumers the repairability of electronic 
     devices; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                   House Joint Resolution No. 24-1005

       Whereas, According to the e-waste monitors of the United 
     Nations Institute for Training and Research, more than fifty-
     nine million tons of used electronic devices, equal to the 
     weight of one hundred sixty-one Empire State Buildings, are 
     disposed of each year worldwide; and
       Whereas, The federal Environmental Protection Agency 
     reports that electronic waste is now the fastest-growing part 
     of the municipal waste stream in the United States; and
       Whereas, Colorado consumers do not have easy access to 
     trusted information concerning the repairability and 
     longevity of electronic devices and are unable to consult 
     such information before purchasing or seeking repair of 
     electronic devices; and
       Whereas, The commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission 
     voted unanimously in July 2021 to ``closely coordinate with 
     state law enforcement and policymakers to update existing law 
     and regulation to advance the goal of open repair markets''; 
     and
       Whereas, A study cited in the Commission's May 2021 
     ``Nixing the Fix'' report states that ``[t]he lack of 
     information concerning durable and repairable products causes 
     an asymmetry in the market balance and leaves consumers 
     unable to make the best buying decisions regarding to their 
     own needs''; and
       Whereas, Open repair markets allow manufacturers to 
     voluntarily assign repair scores for electronic devices such 
     as laptops, phones, and appliances for the purpose of 
     advising consumers regarding the repairability of such 
     devices; and
       Whereas, Repair scores function similarly to EnergyGuide 
     labels by providing consumers a one-to-ten score that 
     reflects the availability of spare parts, ease of 
     disassembly, and longevity of support that is associated with 
     an electronic device, thereby informing consumers who seek to 
     repair rather than replace such products; and
       Whereas, Repairability scores are a critical tool for 
     consumers whose budgets are squeezed by rising prices. 
     According to the Public Interest Research Group, an average 
     American family spends about one thousand seven hundred 
     dollars on new electronics per year, and an open repair 
     market for electronic devices could save American families a 
     combined forty-nine billion dollars annually by empowering 
     them to repair rather than replace such devices; and
       Whereas, Samsung's research on existing repair scores in 
     France showed that eighty-six percent of surveyed French 
     consumers said that repair scores affect their purchasing 
     behavior, and eighty percent indicated they would give up 
     their favorite electronic device for a more repairable 
     electronic device; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-
     fourth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate 
     concurring herein:
       (1) That, in order to promote consumer choice, the General 
     Assembly requests:
       (a) That the Federal Trade Commission establish criteria 
     that manufacturers of electronic devices may use to 
     voluntarily assign repairability scores to such devices, 
     which scores range from one to ten and may be displayed to 
     consumers at point of sale;
       (b) That the Commission periodically update such criteria; 
     and
       (c) That the Commission, in establishing and updating the 
     criteria, include consideration of:
       (I) The free and public availability of technical documents 
     regarding an electronic device;
       (II) The ease of disassembly of an electronic device;
       (III) The availability of spare parts for an electronic 
     device;
       (IV) The price of spare parts for an electronic device;
       (V) The length of time that a manufacturer offers software 
     support for an electronic device; and
       (VI) Other criteria specific to certain categories of 
     electronic devices; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to 
     President Joe Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives Mike Johnson; Senate Majority 
     Leader Chuck Schumer; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; 
     House of Representatives Majority Leader Steve Scalise; House 
     of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; 
     Commissioner Lina Khan, Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, and 
     Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya of the Federal Trade Commission; 
     Governor Jared Polis; and Attorney General Phil Weiser.
                                  ____

       POM-159. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging and 
     requesting the United States Congress to enact reforms to 
     federal permitting policies to accelerate deployment of new 
     energy infrastructure; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                         House Resolution No. 2

       Whereas, Louisiana recognizes that abundant, resilient, and 
     diversified domestic energy production in the United States 
     enhances American national security, economic 
     competitiveness, and energy independence; and
       Whereas, environmental stewardship that keeps our air and 
     water clean, protects public health, ensures biodiversity and 
     species protection, and conserves public lands is a worthy 
     goal that is important to achieve; and
       Whereas, the excessively complex federal permitting and 
     environmental review processes that have built up around 
     America's environmental laws--including the National 
     Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act 
     (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Clean 
     Water Act (CWA), and dozens of other federal requirements--
     have grown to be so cumbersome that they often unnecessarily 
     slow or prevent the construction of essential new energy 
     infrastructure and therefore discourage domestic energy 
     production without advancing the goals of these laws; and
       Whereas, energy is produced in the United States at a much 
     higher environmental standard than is typically the case in 
     the countries from which energy is imported, so prevention of 
     domestic energy production undermines environmental 
     stewardship; and
       Whereas, delays caused by permitting inefficiencies inhibit 
     the building of all of the essential components of a low-
     cost, reliable, and modern energy infrastructure that is 
     needed to support economic competitiveness and domestic 
     manufacturing, to enhance reliability and prevent blackouts, 
     to lower costs for consumers and businesses, and to achieve 
     the goals of America's environmental laws; and
       Whereas, after nearly two decades of flat electricity 
     demand, demand for electricity in

[[Page S5550]]

     the United States is projected to dramatically increase in 
     the coming decades, requiring major increases in domestic 
     energy production and a more than doubling of domestic 
     electricity transmission grid capacity; and
       Whereas, regulatory barriers today mean that more than two 
     thousand gigawatts of energy production and storage, which 
     accounts for more than the entire current American 
     electricity capacity combined, are stuck in electricity 
     interconnection queues and the average amount of time to 
     interconnect new energy resources has nearly doubled from 
     about two years to nearly four years; and
       Whereas, the average time it takes to process an 
     environmental impact statement under the National 
     Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for major infrastructure 
     projects has risen to an excessive length of four-and-a-half 
     years; and
       Whereas, the United States is highly reliant on China and 
     other countries that do not share our interests to mine and 
     process critical minerals, with demand for some of these 
     minerals potentially growing by more than forty times by 
     2040; and
       Whereas, other developed nations that share our goals to 
     protect the environment while producing abundant energy 
     resources, such as Canada and Australia, have shown that they 
     can permit new mines within two to three years instead of 
     nearly ten years, as is often the case in the United States; 
     and
       Whereas, both linear infrastructure; such as pipelines and 
     transmission lines; as well as energy generation 
     infrastructure each face extraordinary and indefensible 
     delays due to excessive litigation, inappropriate blocking of 
     nationally important projects by unrepresentative and often 
     radical groups that hold those projects hostage, and 
     excessive use of our court system to hamstring worthy 
     projects; and
       Whereas, major delays in projects caused by inefficient 
     permitting or over litigation can dramatically increase costs 
     and make projects less viable, costing consumers, businesses, 
     and taxpayers money and making our energy system less 
     reliable; and
       Whereas, unnecessary permitting and regulatory delays also 
     increase American dependence on energy produced by foreign 
     dictators and authoritarian regimes; and
       Whereas, unnecessary permitting delays limit investments 
     made in modernizing our nation's infrastructure that would 
     result in a more efficient energy system with reduced 
     emissions and environmental impact; and
       Whereas, overlapping federal permitting requirements lack 
     the flexibility to allow for efforts that reflect the spirit 
     and intent of traditional environmental laws by protecting 
     human health and the environment instead of procedural 
     compliance with outdated regulations; and
       Whereas, failure to reform federal permitting laws is 
     already resulting in fewer jobs, reduced security, and higher 
     prices for Americans without providing additional benefits 
     for the environment; and
       Whereas, failing to reform these laws in the coming months 
     will result in even greater limitations on our energy 
     infrastructure, costing even more American jobs while raising 
     costs for consumers and businesses and leaving America 
     vulnerable to unreliability, blackouts, and resulting in 
     severe harm to the American people. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request federal 
     legislators to work in good faith to enact legislation that 
     reforms federal permitting and environmental review processes 
     to promote economic and environmental stewardship by 
     expediting the deployment of modern energy infrastructure. Be 
     it further
       Resolved, That these reforms should enable faster and 
     lower-cost construction of energy infrastructure of all 
     kinds, without prejudice, including by considering steps to 
     do the following:
       (1) Limit excessive use of judicial processes to slow 
     projects inappropriately.
       (2) Prevent inappropriate usage of the Clean Water Act and 
     other laws to hamstring the lawful building of linear energy 
     infrastructure, such as pipelines and transmission lines.
       (3) Enact reforms to plan, permit, and pay for the 
     necessary build-out of electricity transmission 
     infrastructure to support a more reliable energy grid that 
     lowers costs for consumers and businesses.
       (4) Enable the domestic build-out of the full array of 
     modern energy technologies, including nuclear, emissions 
     management, hydrogen, critical mineral mining and processing, 
     and all other needs for a modern energy system. Be it further
       Resolved, That these legislative reforms should also strive 
     to ensure accountability for federal agencies conducting 
     permitting and environmental review processes, including 
     better data, more aggressive time lines, and permitting shot 
     clocks. Additionally these legislative reforms must be 
     accompanied by a redoubling of efforts to streamline federal 
     regulations to support the efficient building of new energy 
     infrastructure. Be it further
       Resolved, That failure to act to update our federal 
     permitting system to support building new energy 
     infrastructure will further harm consumers, workers, and 
     businesses, while making the United States less competitive 
     and more vulnerable to both foreign adversaries and domestic 
     outages. Be it further
       Resolved, That Congress must act with urgency in the coming 
     months to fix our broken permitting system. 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-160. 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 impose a quota or 
     tariff on imported shrimp , crab meat, and crawfish and to 
     enact a buy plan for domestic shrimp, crab meat, and crawfish 
     directly from domestic commercial fisherman; to the Committee 
     on Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 9

       Whereas, the domestic fishing industry has faced severe 
     hardships, such as Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, 
     repeated openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, unfair trade 
     practices, illegal chemicals, rising inflation, gas prices, 
     and supply chain issues; and
       Whereas, in October of 2022, United States Congressman 
     Garret Graves announced that the United States Department of 
     Agriculture (USDA) purchased up to twenty-five million 
     dollars of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild caught 
     shrimp; and
       Whereas, Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 
     authorizes the USDA to purchase domestic shrimp; and
       Whereas, purchases such as this will help provide relief to 
     Louisiana's shrimp industry; and
       Whereas, Louisiana's seafood industry is the largest 
     supplier in the country and the main economic driver in 
     coastal areas; and
       Whereas, more relief is necessary for the Louisiana seafood 
     industry to compete with foreign importers; and
       Whereas, strategies to ensure that domestic commercial 
     fishermen are able to sell their products are necessary for 
     the continued success of the Louisiana seafood industry; and
       Whereas, plans to buy shrimp directly from domestic 
     commercial shrimp fishermen are of vital importance to ensure 
     the success of coastal communities that rely heavily on this 
     industry. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to impose a quota or tariff on imported 
     shrimp, crab meat, and crawfish and to enact a buy plan for 
     domestic shrimp, crab meat, and crawfish directly from 
     domestic commercial fishermen; 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-161. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands recognizing and calling for an immediate de-
     escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine; 
     to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                       House Resolution No. 23-15

       Whereas, all life is precious and the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands calls on elected officials and 
     residents alike to protect life and stand united against 
     violence; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     advocates for the safety, dignity, freedom, and equality of 
     all people, regardless of religion, race, or nationality; and
       Whereas, thousands of people from Israel and Palestine have 
     been killed in a matter of weeks, of whom a significant 
     amount of them are children; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     recognizes that the current crisis takes place within a long 
     history and affirms that, for a pathway to lasting peace and 
     justice to be developed, the root causes of the crisis need 
     to be addressed; and
       Whereas, Gaza is in a dire humanitarian crisis that is 
     getting worse with each passing day, with the only remaining 
     hospitals running out of fuel and medical supplies, and over 
     1.5 million Palestinians facing displacement, homelessness, 
     and starvation; and
       Whereas, international organizations like Amnesty 
     International, the United Nations, the World Health 
     Organization, the US Agency for International Development 
     (USAID), the International Rescue Committee, and many others 
     have made a call for a ceasefire in order to prevent the 
     further loss of life of civilians and to be in accordance 
     with international humanitarian law; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     support U.S. Congress Resolution H.R. 786 and joins other 
     cities in calling on our Congress Members to demand; an 
     immediate ceasefire; release of all hostages, the 
     unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the 
     restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies 
     to Gaza; and the respect for international law; and calls for 
     a resolution that protects the security of all innocent 
     civilians; and Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the House of Representatives of the Twenty-
     Third Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature that the 
     House recognizes and calls for an immediate de-escalation and 
     cease-fire inIsrael and occupied Palestine; and be it further

[[Page S5551]]

       Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     shall certify, and the House Clerk shall attest to the 
     adoption of this resolution and thereafter the House Clerk 
     shall transmit a certified copy to the Honorable Joe Biden, 
     President, United States of America; the Honorable Kamala 
     Harris, Vice President, United States of America; 
     Representatives and Senators of the 118th United States 
     Congress; the Honorable Arnold I. Palacios, Governor, 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Honorable 
     Gregorio ``Kilili'' C. Sablan, U.S. Delegate to the United 
     States Congress, 118th United States Congress; and the 
     Honorable Edith E. Deleon Guerrero, Senate President, the 
     23rd Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature.
                                  ____

       POM-162. A resolution adopted by the Council of the County 
     of Maui, Hawaii, opposing construction of the proposed Air 
     Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site Small Telescope 
     Advanced Research Facility atop Haleakala; to the Committee 
     on Armed Services.
       POM-163. A resolution adopted by the Board of County 
     Commissioners of Sante Fe County, New Mexico, calling for a 
     permanent ceasefire, release of all hostages, delivery of 
     humanitarian aid, and affirmation of opposition to anti-
     Semitism and Islamophobia in the Gaza Strip; to the Committee 
     on Foreign Relations.

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