[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20916-20920]
[From the U.S. 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-200. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Rhode Island relative to maintaining 
     the public institutions status of D.C. General Hospital; to 
     the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

                           Senate Resolution

       Whereas, D.C. General Hospital, a 108-year-old health care 
     facility located in our nation's capital, will stop operating 
     as a full-service public hospital as a result of the Mayor of 
     Washington, D.C.'s plan to privatize the hospital, 
     eliminating a safety net for thousands of disadvantaged 
     people who otherwise would not have access to basic health 
     care services; and

[[Page 20917]]

       Whereas, D.C. General Hospital is a major trauma center and 
     plays an indispensable role in providing quality and 
     affordable health care to the 100,000 under and uninsured 
     residents of the city. Additionally, the hospital is only one 
     of two health care facilities in the Washington, D.C. area 
     with a Level III neo-natal unit, treating 1,000 premature and 
     critically ill infants a year; and
       Whereas, Concerns over the possible closing of the hospital 
     and the move to change its public institution status have 
     generated opposition from numerous observers throughout the 
     country, including health care officials, representatives of 
     medical organizations, community activists and policymakers 
     who feel that D.C. General Hospital represents this country's 
     commitment to providing health care services to the residents 
     of its inner cities; and
       Whereas, D.C. General Hospital should continue to operate 
     as a fully-funded public hospital in order to provie 
     lifesaving health care services to Washington, D.C.'s poor 
     and uninsured: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and 
     Providence Plantations hereby urges the Congress of the 
     United States to maintain the public institution status of 
     D.C. General Hospital so it can continue to operate as a 
     fully funded public hospital, provide lifesaving health care 
     services to Washington, D.C.'s poor and uninsured and 
     represent this country's commitment to providing health care 
     services to the residents of its inner cities; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the United States Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services, the presiding officers of the United States 
     Senate and House of Representatives and the entire Rhode 
     Island congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-201. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Rhode Island relative to imposing a 
     moratorium on major airline industry mergers; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, Economic development and prosperity are dependent 
     upon a competitive airline industry providing reasonable 
     rates, access, and efficient services for the transportation 
     of people and goods; and
       Whereas, Competition in the airline industry will be 
     drastically reduced if pending mergers are allowed to proceed 
     without comment from consumer, business, and labor 
     organizations; and
       Whereas, Airline industry competition is essential to 
     keeping prices reasonable and service satisfactory for 
     consumers and business travelers, and lack of competition 
     will cause longer delays in air travel and decreased customer 
     service; and
       Whereas, These merger proposals will inevitably lead to 
     further consolidation in the airline industry. This 
     consolidation will decrease service and access in certain 
     markets and localities, and hinder or prevent new low-cost 
     airline carrier's entrance into the market; and
       Whereas, The United States Congress and Departments of 
     Justice and Transportation are examining the proposed airline 
     mergers: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations express concern over the 
     prospect of decreased competition in the airline industry and 
     the adverse economic and other impacts on this State, the 
     surrounding region, and the nation as a whole; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the President, 
     the Congress, and the Departments of Justice and 
     Transportation of the United States to impose a moratorium on 
     major airline industry mergers in order to fully and 
     carefully consider all consequences; and be it further
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the Attorney 
     General of this State to separately communicate these and 
     related concerns to the Attorney General and the Secretary of 
     Transportation of the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States; the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States; 
     the President of the Senate of the United States; the 
     Attorney General of the United States; the Secretary of 
     Transportation of the United States; and the Attorney General 
     of the State of Rhode Island.
                                  ____

        
       POM-202. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Rhode Island relative to imposing a 
     moratorium on major airline industry mergers; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, Economic development and prosperity are dependent 
     upon a competitive airline industry providing reasonable 
     rates, access, and efficient services for the transportation 
     of people and goods; and
       Whereas, Competition in the airline industry will be 
     drastically reduced if pending mergers are allowed to proceed 
     without comment from consumer, business, and labor 
     organizations; and
       Whereas, Airline industry competition is essential to 
     keeping prices reasonable and service satisfactory for 
     consumers and business travelers, and lack of competition 
     will cause longer delays in air travel and decreased customer 
     service; and
       Whereas, These merger proposals will inevitably lead to 
     further consolidation in the airline industry. This 
     consolidation will decrease service and access in certain 
     markets and localities, and hinder or prevent new low-cost 
     airline carrier's entrance into the market; and
       Whereas, The United States Congress and Departments of 
     Justice and Transportation are examining the proposed airline 
     mergers: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations expresses concern over the 
     prospect of decreased competition in the airline industry and 
     the adverse economic and other impacts on this State, the 
     surrounding region, and the nation as a whole; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the President, 
     the Congress, and the Departments of Justice and 
     Transportation of the United States to impose a moratorium on 
     major airline industry mergers in order to fully and 
     carefully consider all consequences; and be it future
       Resolved, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode 
     Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the Attorney 
     General of this State to separately communicate these and 
     related concerns to the Attorney General and the Secretary of 
     Transportation of the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States; the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States; 
     the President of the Senate of the United States; the 
     Attorney General of the United States; the Secretary of 
     Transportation of the United States; and the Attorney General 
     of the State of Rhode Island.
                                  ____

       POM-203. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan relative to amending the 
     internal revenue code to accommodate certain tax issues 
     related to the phase-out of Oldsmobile; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 108

       Whereas, The phase-out of the Oldsmobile line of General 
     Motors is bringing to a close an historic chapter in American 
     automotive history. The end of this component of one of the 
     world's largest corporations also has significant 
     administrative and tax considerations that need to be 
     addressed quickly to provide for a fair and smooth transition 
     for those livelihoods are jeopardized; and
       Whereas, As compensation for the loss of years of goodwill 
     and the erosion of the value of large financial investments, 
     Oldsmobile dealerships will be paid a one-time settlement. As 
     federal tax laws now stand, this payment would be subject to 
     personal and business federal taxes as income. In reality, 
     however, the settlement money clearly should be categorized 
     as involuntary converted property. Under this determination, 
     the manufacturer's settlement would be treated like other 
     property that can be converted to similar purposes over a 
     specific period of time; and
       Whereas, Every effort should be made to encourage the 
     reinvestment of settlement resources to mitigate job loss, 
     lessen the economic stress to local communities, and protect 
     families from more serious financial difficulties. In 
     addition, it would be poor public policy for the federal 
     government to reap a tax revenue windfall as a result of this 
     rare and unique situation; and
       Whereas, As the home of the Olds automotive legacy and 20 
     of the top 50 Oldsmobile dealerships, Michigan has a major 
     stake in the fair treatment of these businesses and 
     individuals. It would be wrong for the tax code to act as a 
     disincentive to the reinvestment of the settlement dollars in 
     job-creating enterprises: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to enact H.R. 2374 to amend the Internal 
     Revenue Code to consider certain transitional dealer 
     assistance related to the phase-our of Oldsmobile as an 
     involuntary conversion; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-204. A legislative resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of West Virginia relative to 
     September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                         House Resolution No. 1

       Whereas, The United States of America stands as a Nation 
     most respected throughout the world for its freedom and its 
     defense of freedom; and

[[Page 20918]]

       Whereas, Tens of thousands of men and women have fought and 
     died to secure, maintain and guarantee this freedom, and have 
     utilized this freedom to build the most powerful and most 
     successful nation on earth; and
       Whereas, On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, enemies of the 
     United States encroached upon the sacred soils of our Nation 
     and conducted a series of the most inhumane, murderous, 
     attacks in the history of the world, hijacking and destroying 
     four civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into the World 
     Trade Center Towers in New York City, a third into the 
     Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth failing to 
     reach its target and crashing in Pennsylvania, which 
     monstrous attacks killed and injured thousands of innocent 
     people and completely demolished the World Trade Center 
     Towers and a portion of the Pentagon, symbols of American 
     strength and success; and
       Whereas, The freedom fought for, secured and maintained 
     over the past two hundred twenty-five years is threatened by 
     the attackers, by targeting symbols of America, clearly 
     intended to intimidate our Nation and weaken our resolve; 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Delegates:
       That the members of the West Virginia House of Delegates 
     hereby express their deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the 
     families and friends of those killed and injured in the 
     terrorist attacks of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, and the 
     recovery efforts following the attacks;
       That the members of the House of Delegates hereby offer 
     collective condolences and unreserved expressions of support 
     to the State and to the City of New York, to the State of 
     Virginia, and to the State of Pennsylvania;
       That the House of Delegates of West Virginia hereby 
     condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorists who 
     contrived and carried out those attacks, as well as their 
     sponsors or any person or nation which harbors terrorists;
       That the House hereby commends the heroic actions of the 
     myriad of rescue workers, volunteers and officials who 
     responded to these tragic events with courage, determination 
     and skill;
       That we hereby publicly proclaim that we will not forget 
     those who have fought and died to help secure and maintain 
     our freedom, and we further publicly decry and condemn those 
     who plot, plan and execute attacks on our freedom, our 
     citizenry and our way of life;
       That our thoughts and prayers go out to all those directly 
     affected by the attacks and to those participating in the 
     recovery from the attacks;
       That the President of the United States and the Congress be 
     hereby urged to deal swiftly and judiciously with the 
     situation, that freedom might live; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates 
     forthwith prepare and cause to be delivered certified copies 
     of this resolution to President George W. Bush, to the 
     Honorable Bob Wise, Governor of the State of West Virginia, 
     to U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd and John D. Rockfeller IV, 
     and to member of the United States House of Representatives 
     Alan B. Mollohan, Shelley M. Capito and Nick Joe Rahall, to 
     the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and 
     the Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Governor of 
     New York and the Mayor of New York City, to the Governor of 
     Virginia and the Governor of Pennsylvania, and to the 
     Presiding Officers of the Legislatures of all the States in 
     this Nation.
                                  ____

       POM-205. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of West Virginia relative to 
     September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                       Senate Resolution No. 503

       Whereas, In the morning hours of September 11, 2001, 
     terrorists hijacked four commercial jetliners, including the 
     passengers and crew members, with intentions of using them as 
     weapons of mass destruction against the United States; and
       Whereas, Two of the jetliners were flown directly into the 
     twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a 
     third into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. and the fourth 
     crashed in Pennsylvania without reaching a possible target in 
     Washington, D.C.; and
       Whereas, Thousands of innocent Americans and hundreds of 
     foreign visitors were killed or injured as a result of these 
     attacks, including the passengers and crew of the four 
     jetliners, workers and visitors in the World Trade Center and 
     military and civilian personnel in the Pentagon; and
       Whereas, Sadly, in the aftermath of the attack in New York 
     City both towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing 
     and injuring hundreds more, including rescue workers trying 
     to locate possible survivors; and
       Whereas, It was the terrorists' intention, through these 
     hate-filled attacks against the United States, to intimidate, 
     embarrass and expose the vulnerability of the United States 
     as a world power; and
       Whereas, If history is to repeat itself, we only need to 
     recall the words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, after 
     the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, who said, ``We have 
     awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a 
     terrible resolve''; and
       Whereas, We stand united as a nation to begin the process 
     of healing and rebuilding, not only of symbols and structures 
     of economic and military strength, but of our patriotism; and
       Whereas, Our most sincere condolences are extended to the 
     families of our innocent citizens and those foreign visitors 
     who have died. Our greatest tribute to them should be that we 
     stand united in our pursuit to bring their killers to justice 
     and to commit ourselves to the war against terrorism around 
     the globe; therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate:
       That the Senate hereby condemns the action of terrorists 
     and their attack on the United States on September 11, 2001; 
     and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate extends its sincere and heartfelt 
     condolences to the families of our innocent citizens and 
     those foreign visitors who have died as a result of these 
     senseless acts of violence; and, be it further
       Resolved, That we commit ourselves to stand united in our 
     pursuit to bring those responsible to justice and to continue 
     our task to rid the world of terrorism; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a 
     copy of this resolution to the President of the United 
     States, the Secretary of the United States Senate and the 
     Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
                                  ____

       POM-206. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio relative to September 11, 2001; 
     to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the United States 
     of America suffered on its own soil the most extensive, 
     devastating, and heinous acts of terrorism that have ever 
     been perpetrated on innocent civilian victims. On that date, 
     four separate groups of terrorist highjackers took forcible 
     possession of four different commercial jets and, with 
     incomprehensibly evil intent, used them as missiles to 
     destroy some of the nation's most symbolic landmarks and to 
     murder innocent people located within and around them; and
       Whereas, The terrorists crashed one of the jets, American 
     Airlines Flight 11, into the One World Trade Center building 
     in the Manhattan borough of New York City, crashed another, 
     United Airlines Flight 175, into the neighboring Two World 
     Trade Center building, and crashed a third, American Airlines 
     Flight 77, into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth 
     plane, United Airlines Flight 93, which apparently was on its 
     way toward Washington, D.C., crashed approximately eighty 
     miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, the 
     Two World Trade Center building collapsed as a result of the 
     damage it sustained, followed quickly by the collapse of the 
     One World Trade Center building and, later in the day, by the 
     collapse of the neighboring Seven World Trade Center 
     building; and
       Whereas, It is estimated that thousands of innocent 
     victims, including police officers, firefighters, and other 
     rescue workers, lost their lives and that thousands more were 
     injured as a result of these devastatingly evil acts of 
     terrorism, causing human suffering of an incomprehensible 
     magnitude; and
       Whereas, The President of the United States and the United 
     States Congress rightly have interpreted these terrorist acts 
     as a declaration of war against the United States of America 
     and all that it stands for. It is imperative at this dark 
     time to unite as a nation in order to combat the evil of 
     terrorism: Now therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the State of Ohio fully 
     supports the President of the United States and the United 
     States Congress in the actions they must take in order to 
     seek justice for the devastation that our nation has suffered 
     from terrorism and to protect our nation from further 
     terrorist acts of aggression; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 
     authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of 
     the United States, to the Speaker and Clerk of the United 
     States House of Representatives, to the President Pro Tempore 
     and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the members of 
     the Ohio Congressional delegation, and to the news media of 
     Ohio.
                                  ____

       POM-207. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska relative to anti-gun-ownership policies; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas the founding fathers considered popular ownership 
     of firearms by private citizens to be a natural right and one 
     of the surest safeguards against tyranny and governmental 
     excesses; and
       Whereas the Second Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution recognizes and protects the inalienable right of 
     American citizens to keep and bear arms; and
       Whereas, in 1994, art. I, sec. 19, Constitution of the 
     State of Alaska, was amended by an overwhelming majority to 
     specifically protect an Alaskan's individual right to keep 
     and bear arms; and
       Whereas the Clinton Administration's stance on gun 
     ownership moved dangerously

[[Page 20919]]

     in the direction of abridging or eliminating individual 
     Second Amendment freedoms; and
       Whereas, under the Clinton Administration, the United 
     States Department of Justice interpreted the Second Amendment 
     to not protect the right of individual citizens to keep and 
     bear arms but to apply only to governmentally recognized 
     military organizations; and
       Whereas the Clinton Administration's stance on gun 
     ownership intentionally ignored the original intent of the 
     Constitution's framers and sought to dramatically limit the 
     Constitutionally affirmed Second Amendment freedoms of 
     individual law-abiding Americans; be it
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges President 
     Bush to renounce the Clinton Administration's anti-gun 
     ownership policies; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature requests 
     President Bush to use his executive powers and influence to 
     reorient the United States Department of Justice towards a 
     policy that fully recognizes the right of individual 
     Americans to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second 
     Amendment to the United States Constitution.
                                  ____

       POM-208. A resolution adopted by the House of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Ohio relative to September 11, 2001; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, Our nation and the entire civilized world was 
     shocked and appalled by the vicious and horrific attacks 
     perpetrated by terrorists upon the World Trade Center in the 
     City of New York and the Pentagon Building in Washington, 
     D.C. on September 11, 2001; and
       Whereas, President George W. Bush and the Congress of the 
     United States, Governor George Pataki of the State of New 
     York, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of the City of New York, and law 
     enforcement, firefighters, and other emergency workers of the 
     City of New York, Washington, D.C., and other parts of our 
     nation immediately took bold action to protect the citizens 
     of our nation and to provide leadership and relief for the 
     victims of these attacks; and
       Whereas, Thousands of people are dead or missing in the 
     City of New York and in Washington, D.C., including hundreds 
     of firefighters, and thus the people of the City of New York, 
     the State of New York, Washington, D.C., and the United 
     States in general are suffering greatly: Now therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Ohio expresses its admiration and support for President 
     George W. Bush and the Congress of the United States, for 
     Governor George Pataki of the State of New York, for Mayor 
     Rudolph Giuliani of the City of New York, and for the law 
     enforcement, firefighters, and other emergency workers of the 
     City of New York, Washington, D.C., and other parts of our 
     nation, all of whom decisively responded to the terrorist 
     attacks in the City of New York and Washington, D.C.; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Ohio expresses its sympathy and support for the family and 
     friends of all persons who died because of these terrorist 
     attacks or the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in 
     Pennsylvania, whether their death occurred in the airplane or 
     a building, on the ground, or in an attempt to rescue or 
     serve others, and for all of the people of the City of New 
     York, the State of New York, and Washington, D.C.; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
     transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 
     President of the United States, to the Speaker and Clerk of 
     the United States House of Representatives, to the President 
     Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, to 
     members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, to Governor 
     George Pataki of the State of New York, to Mayor Rudolph 
     Giuliani of the City of New York, and to the news media of 
     Ohio.
                                  ____

       POM-209. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania relative to September 
     11, 2001; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, On September 11, 2001, the people of the United 
     States were deliberately attacked without warning or 
     provocation, thus evoking another day that will ``live in 
     infamy''; and
       Whereas, Let us never forget the nature and character of 
     this cowardly and brutal attack in which individuals without 
     conscience turned the early minutes of a normal workday into 
     a vision of horror, with more American blood spilled on 
     American soil than anytime since the Civil War; and
       Whereas, These senseless, inhuman acts have turned our 
     beloved, tranquil homeland into a scene of untold suffering 
     and destruction; and
       Whereas, The World Trade Center became a tomb for American 
     Airlines Flight 11, carrying 81 passengers and 11 crew 
     members, and United Airlines Flight 175, carrying 56 
     passengers and 9 crew members; and
       Whereas, United Airlines Flight 93, carrying 38 passengers 
     and 7 crew members, crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania; 
     and
       Whereas, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the 
     Pentagon, killing 58 passengers and 6 crew members; and
       Whereas, The unthinkable has occurred with the shedding of 
     American blood on American soil by commercial aircraft under 
     the control of suicide hijackers; and
       Whereas, The bombing of Pearl Harbor nearly 60 years ago 
     resulted in the loss of 2,388 American lives; and
       Whereas, America gave 3,393 of her sons on D-Day to 
     liberate Europe; and
       Whereas, The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are a 
     tragedy of epic proportions, with preliminary reports of 252 
     confirmed dead, 6,291 injured and updated reports of 6,453 
     missing in the destruction of the World Trade Center and 189 
     presumed dead in the attack on the Pentagon; and
       Whereas, The President of the United States has called 
     these attacks of wanton aggression acts of war that will 
     solidify our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism; and
       Whereas, This is the latest in a long series of murderous 
     rampages committed against the United States and the world, 
     including: the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in 
     Beirut, the December 1988 bombing of the Pan Am Flight over 
     Lockerbie, Scotland, the February 1993 truck bomb which 
     crippled the World Trade Center, the August 1998 bomb attacks 
     on the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 
     suicide attack on the USS Cole in October 2000; and
       Whereas, The attacks on the people of the United States are 
     attacks on the people of the entire civilized world as at 
     least 62 countries lost citizens in the carnage at the World 
     Trade Center; and
       Whereas, The world is outraged and shocked by such death 
     and senseless mayhem and there appears to be no limit to the 
     malice of those who must find some inconceivable satisfaction 
     from the slaughter of innocents; and
       Whereas, Our national resolve has come together as never 
     before, for we, as one people, have a spirit that is solid 
     and impenetrable; and
       Whereas, Over $200 million has been donated to date for 
     financial assistance and aid to the victims of the attacks; 
     and
       Whereas, Those who cause us harm will be brought to justice 
     in a world made smaller by the unity of all peoples of good 
     will; and
       Whereas, We encourage all Pennsylvania and Americans to 
     pray for peace, the end of conflict and comfort for the 
     victims, their brokenhearted families and our bruised nation, 
     as we share in the grievous losses of their loved ones; and
       Whereas, In the days that have followed the tragedy we have 
     heard of people, most previously unknown to us, whose lives 
     were taken through these despicable acts. Let us celebrate 
     their lives and accomplishments as their loss will impoverish 
     our country in ways as of yet unknown; and
       Whereas, We encourage support for our President, George W. 
     Bush, as he weighs the options before him and seeks wise 
     counsel for the difficult decisions that must be faced by our 
     country in the months ahead; and
       Whereas, We witness the prayer services, candlelight vigils 
     and spontaneous supportive actions of a grieving nation that 
     are a balm to wounded hearts across our stricken land; and
       Whereas, Our duty is not to shrink, fearful of the future, 
     but to go boldly to claim our place as a leader among nations 
     and a people committed to freedom and justice; and
       Whereas, We go forth affirming our cherished liberty and 
     freedoms and now to rebuild an even better America and world; 
     and
       Whereas, We go forth fulfilling the promise of the future 
     that was taken from so many as their sacrifice demands; and
       Whereas, The intent of these horrific acts was to divide us 
     into irreconcilable parts, let us confound such terrorism and 
     come together as a nation and as a people as never before in 
     a spirit of tolerance and true compassion for the beliefs 
     that unite us are far more plentiful than the items that 
     divide us; and
       Whereas, Even as our nation weeps for our murdered fathers, 
     mothers, sons and daughters, we will undertake the necessary 
     task of rebuilding and safeguarding our future; therefore be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania urge the President and the Congress of the 
     United States and this Commonwealth to commemorate every 
     September 11 as a day of mourning and remembrance; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Senate extend its deepest sympathies and 
     condolences to the families and friends of the victims of 
     this terrible tragedy; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate unanimously and unequivocally 
     condemn those individuals and countries who played any part 
     in the shedding of innocent American blood; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-210. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania relative to the nations 
     response to September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Armed 
     Services.

[[Page 20920]]



                               Resolution

       Whereas, As our nation prepares its response to the horrors 
     visited on our people on September 11, 2001, we pause to lend 
     our support and give thanks to those who will be seeking 
     justice for our beloved dead and injured; and
       Whereas, As the President of the United States, George W. 
     Bush, said in his speech to the nation during a joint session 
     of the Congress of the United States on September 20, 2001: 
     ``Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice 
     to our enemies, justice will be done''; and
       Whereas, We wholeheartedly support the President of the 
     United States in his pledge to use every resource at 
     America's disposal to successfully conclude the conflict 
     brought to our peaceful shores, whether through diplomacy, 
     the use of intelligence capabilities, instruments of law 
     enforcement and elimination of financial resources or every 
     necessary weapon of war; and
       Whereas, We recognize that a nation cannot maintain peace 
     without a willingness to defend itself against terrorism or 
     aggression; and
       Whereas, The President of the United States has authorized 
     the call-up of 50,000 reservists; and
       Whereas, More than 35,000 reservists have been activated 
     for homeland defense in order to permit troops to engage in 
     other duties; and
       Whereas, Those soldiers, sailors and Marines now being 
     deployed have our complete support, unending thanks and 
     countless prayers; and
       Whereas, We pray that our men and women in uniform will be 
     comforted and given strength to perform the very difficult 
     tasks ahead of them; and
       Whereas, The Pennsylvania Division of the National Guard, 
     known as the 28th Infantry Division, is the oldest division 
     in the Army in continuous service; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania has the largest National Guard unit 
     in the United States; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania's National Guard has played a crucial 
     role in every major conflict since the early days of our 
     nation; and
       Whereas, The valiant citizen-soldiers of Pennsylvania's 
     National Guard, all 22,000 men and women, are properly 
     trained and stand ready to do whatever is needed in the 
     defense of our Commonwealth, our nation and our freedom; 
     therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania and the people of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania commend and support the President of the United 
     States as the Commander-in-Chief of our armed services; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate send its support, prayers and 
     gratitude to all our military service personnel as they 
     undertake the difficult tasks that may lie ahead; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the presiding officers of 
     each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-211. A resolution adopted by the Grand Lodge of Ancient 
     Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri relative to 
     National Respect; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
       POM-212. A resolution adopted by the Guam Legislature 
     relative to September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Energy 
     and Natural Resources.
       POM-213. A resolution adopted by the Commission of the City 
     of Miami, Florida relative to September 11, 2001; to the 
     Committee on Governmental Affairs.

       POM-214. A resolution adopted by the Commission of the City 
     of Miami, Florida relative to monies collected and earmarked 
     to assist the victims of September 11, 2001; to the Committee 
     on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
       POM-215. A resolution adopted by the City Council of 
     Independence, Ohio relative to immediate action to enact 
     measures to assist in restoring LTV Steel and the domestic 
     steel industry to a competitive position and declaring an 
     emergency; to the Committee on Finance.

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