[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11540-11542]
[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-111. A resolution adopted by the Board of Director of 
     the Colorado River Water Users Association relative to the 
     nomination for the position of Assistant Secretary of Fish, 
     Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-112. A petition presented by the Council on 
     Administrative Rights entitled ``Full Circle''; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-113. A petition presented by the State of Maryland 
     General Assembly relative to Senate Bill 85; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.
       POM-114. A petition presented by a Member of the General 
     Assembly of the State of Missouri relative to energy; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-115. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine relative to Medicare supplement insurance 
     policies; to the Committee on Finance.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, prescription drugs provide essential treatment to 
     all our citizens in this country; and
       Whereas, retail expenditures on prescription drugs in most 
     states have approximately doubled over the past 6 years; and
       Whereas, citizens in the United States often pay the 
     highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, and due 
     to these excessive prescription drug prices, access to such 
     prescription drugs is often unobtainable to certain people 
     confronting serious illnesses; and
       Whereas, federal rules currently regulate uniform Medicare 
     supplement insurance policies that are available for sale to 
     people eligible for Medicare coverage; and
       Whereas, coverage for prescription drugs through the 
     federally regulated Medicare supplement insurance uniform A-J 
     policies is very limited; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That, We, your Memorialists, request that the 
     United States Congress make a change to federal rules and 
     regulations to allow the development of Medicare supplement 
     insurance policies offering greater prescription drug 
     coverage than is currently available; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, 
     to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker 
     of the House of Representatives of the United States and to 
     each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-116. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania relative to domestic 
     violence; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                           Senate Resolution

       Whereas, Between 2 and 4 million women each year are 
     victims of domestic violence nationally; and
       Whereas, At least 800,000 Pennsylvanians are victims of 
     domestic violence each year; and
       Whereas, Domestic violence is a health care problem of 
     epidemic proportions; and
       Whereas, Medical professionals have a unique opportunity to 
     intervene in domestic violence as they are often the first 
     resource a battered victim seeks for help; and
       Whereas, Health care providers can be a critical link to 
     safety by offering support, information, education, resources 
     and follow-up services to patients who are identified as 
     victims of domestic violence; and
       Whereas, Approximately only 10% of primary care physicians 
     across the nation routinely screen for partner abuse when a 
     patient is not currently injured; and
       Whereas, The General Assembly recognized the importance of 
     screening patients for symptoms of domestic violence in 
     enacting Act 115 of 1998, which established the Domestic 
     Health Care Response Program; and
       Whereas, Act 115 of 1998 made Pennsylvania the first state 
     in the nation to establish patient screening and advocacy 
     programs in hospitals and health care systems; and
       Whereas, The Family Violence Prevention Fund recognized 
     Pennsylvania as the only state to receive an ``A'' grade for 
     laws regarding health care response to domestic violence; and
       Whereas, A team from Pennyslvania has joined teams from 14 
     other states and tribes and the Family Violence Prevention 
     Fund to create innovative and sustainable health care 
     responses to domestic violence on a national level through 
     the National Health Care Standards Campaign; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania recognize June 12, 2001, as ``National Domestic 
     Violence Health Care Standards Campaign Kick-Off Day'' in 
     Pennsylvania; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate encourage Pennsylvanians and 
     health care professionals in this Commonwealth to learn more 
     about the causes, signs, prevention and treatment for 
     domestic violence; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate urge the Congress of the United 
     States to recognize the ``National Domestic Violence Health 
     Care Standards Campaign and to promote the screening of 
     patients for domestic violence by health care professionals 
     across the nation; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each 
     member of Congress from Pennsylvania.

[[Page 11541]]

     
                                  ____
       POM-117. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania relative to water 
     pollution; to the Committee on Appropriations.

                           Senate Resolution

       Whereas, The biggest water pollution problem facing the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania today is polluted water draining 
     from abandoned coal mines; and
       Whereas, More than half the streams that do not meet water 
     quality standards in this Commonwealth are affected by mine 
     drainage; and
       Whereas, This Commonwealth has more than 250,000 acres of 
     abandoned mine lands, refuse banks and old mine shafts in 45 
     of the 67 counties, more than any other state in the nation; 
     and
       Whereas, The Department of Environmental Protection 
     estimates it will cost more than $15 billion to reclaim and 
     restore abandoned mine lands; and
       Whereas, The Commonwealth now receives about $20 million a 
     year from the Federal Government to do reclamation projects; 
     and
       Whereas, There is now a $1.5 billion balance in the Federal 
     Abandoned Mine Reclamation Trust Fund that is set aside by 
     law to take care of pollution and safety problems caused by 
     old coal mines; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania is the fourth largest coal-producing 
     state in the nation, and coal operators contribute 
     significantly to the fund by paying a special fee for each 
     ton of coal they mine; and
       Whereas, The Department of Environmental Protection and 39 
     county conservation districts through the Western and Eastern 
     Pennsylvania Coalitions for Abandoned Mine Reclamation have 
     worked as partners to improve the effectiveness of mine 
     reclamation programs; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania is not seeking to rely on the Federal 
     appropriation to solve the abandoned mine lands problem in 
     this Commonwealth and has enacted the Growing Greener program 
     which has provided additional money for mine reclamation 
     activities; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania has been working with the Interstate 
     Mining Compact Commission, the National Association of 
     Abandoned Mine Land Programs and other states to free more of 
     these funds to clean up abandoned mine lands; and
       Whereas, Making more funds available to states for 
     abandoned mine reclamation should preserve the interest 
     revenues now being made available for the United Mine Workers 
     Combined Benefit Fund; and
       Whereas, The Federal Office of Surface Mining, the United 
     States Environmental Protection Agency and the Congress have 
     not agreed to make more funds available to states for 
     abandoned mine reclamation; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania urge the President and Congress of the United 
     States to make the $1.5 billion of Federal moneys already 
     earmarked for abandoned mine land reclamation available to 
     states to clean up and make safe abandoned mine lands; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, to the presiding officers 
     of each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 
     Pennsylvania.
                                  ____

       POM-118. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to the 
     Estuary Restoration Act of 2000; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 167

       Whereas, the estuaries and coastal wetlands are vital to 
     the ecological, cultural, and economic well-being of the 
     state of Louisiana as well as many other states; and
       Whereas, the estuaries and wetlands have been deteriorating 
     and action must be taken to restore and protect these 
     important resources if they are to survive; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana, in cooperation with its 
     federal and local partners, has developed the Coast 2050 plan 
     which provides a blueprint for restoring its coast; and
       Whereas, the Congress of the United States has enacted the 
     Estuary Restoration Act of 2000 to provide resources and 
     assistance for coastal and estuary restoration; and
       Whereas, the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000 also empowers 
     communities, volunteers, businesses, landowners, and public 
     interest groups to become stewards of coastal and wetland 
     restoration; and
       Whereas, the Estuary Restoration Act currently authorizes 
     up to fifty million dollars in this fiscal year for coastal 
     restoration: Therefore, be it
       Resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to fully fund 
     the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000; and be it further
       Resolved that a copy of this Concurrent Resolution be 
     transmitted to the presiding officers of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate of the Congress of the United 
     States of America and to each member of the Louisiana 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-119. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to the 
     Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 129

       Whereas, the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Louisiana are 
     important natural resources of the state of Louisiana and the 
     nation; and
       Whereas, by House Concurrent Resolution No. 47 of the 2000 
     Regular Session, the Louisiana Legislature expressed its 
     concern about the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico, its 
     biological and economic impacts, and the risk that it poses 
     to the ecology, economy, and culture and way of life of 
     Louisiana; and
       Whereas, House Concurrent Resolution No. 47 memorialized 
     the Gulf of Mexico/Mississippi River Watershed Nutrient Task 
     Force to find timely, effective, and workable solutions to 
     the hypoxia problem; and
       Whereas, the task force, composed of representatives from 
     key federal agencies and states along the Mississippi River, 
     has reached consensus on an Action Plan for Controlling, 
     Mitigating, and Reducing Gulf Hypoxia; and
       Whereas, the Action Plan provides for incentive-based, 
     voluntary actions for non-point sources of nitrogen loading 
     into the river, and for enforcement of existing laws and 
     regulations for point sources throughout the watershed, as 
     well as expanded monitoring and research into the Gulf 
     hypoxia issue; and
       Whereas, in addition to the restoration and protection of 
     the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the states and tribal 
     lands within the Mississippi River Watershed, the Action Plan 
     seeks to improve the quality of life and economic conditions 
     for communities across the watershed; and
       Whereas, implementation of the Action Plan will not only 
     protect the health and productivity of Louisiana's Gulf 
     fisheries, but will also aid other important goals of the 
     state, including coastal restoration and farm support: 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge 
     and request the President of the United States and 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to fully 
     implement the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan in cooperation with 
     the Gulf of Mexico/Mississippi River Watershed Nutrient Task 
     Force; and be it further
       Resolved that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the White House and to the presiding officers of the Senate 
     and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the 
     United States of America and to each of the members of the 
     Louisiana congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-120. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to the 
     Southern Dairy Compact; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 93

       Whereas, a dairy compact is an entity by which state 
     delegations consisting of dairy farmers and other interested 
     parties band together to help the dairy industries in member 
     states; and
       Whereas, the purpose of a dairy compact is to provide a 
     safety net to dairy farmers by maintaining stable milk 
     prices; and
       Whereas, having stable milk prices is important because the 
     volatility in fluid milk prices in the past few years has 
     dealt a severe blow to the Louisiana dairy industry; and
       Whereas, under current conditions, Louisiana is losing one 
     to two dairies per week; and
       Whereas, a Northern Dairy Compact was started approximately 
     two years ago and has been very successful in aiding the 
     dairy industry in that region of the United States; and
       Whereas, a resolution is pending before congress to ratify 
     a Southern Dairy Compact of which Louisiana hopes to become a 
     member; and
       Whereas, dairy compacts operate at no government expense 
     and are funded by the farmers and processors of the dairy 
     compact region; Therefore, be it
       Resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to ratify the Southern 
     Dairy Compact; and be it further
       Resolved that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-121. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to the 
     United States Army Corps of Engineers; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 24

       Whereas, the United States Army Corps of Engineers is 
     proposing the construction of the Inner Harbor Navigation 
     Canal Lock Replacement Project; and
       Whereas, the project will increase the size and number of 
     vessels using this waterway; and
       Whereas, given the data supplied by the Corps of Engineers, 
     New Orleans District, the project will result in longer and 
     more frequent bridge openings at St. Claude Avenue (LA 49) 
     and Claiborne Avenue (LA 39) exacerbating existing traffic 
     flow problems and

[[Page 11542]]

     delays for emergency medical transportation to the primary 
     trauma care center in New Orleans, Louisiana; and
       Whereas, the new Inner Harbor Navigation Canal lock 
     proposed by the Corps of Engineers will be located on the 
     north side of Claiborne Avenue; and
       Whereas, considering that this new lock will accommodate 
     fifteen large river barges or a nine hundred to twelve 
     hundred foot-long, deep-draft ocean vessel as compared to the 
     existing lock, which can hold only four barges or a deep-
     draft vessel of six hundred feet or less; and
       Whereas, the longer tows and deep-draft vessels will 
     require that both the St. Claude and Claiborne Avenue bridges 
     remain open for longer periods to permit passage and that the 
     Claiborne Avenue Bridge must be opened much more frequently 
     than at present because of the location of the new lock; and
       Whereas, the tows and larger deep-draft vessels must be 
     moved at slower speeds, as compared to vessels currently 
     using the lock, which will further extend the required bridge 
     openings; and
       Whereas, after analysis, it appears that such required 
     bridge openings will occur six times per day and each will 
     cause at least a three-mile long traffic jam which will 
     create grave hardships for the St. Bernard Parish and Orleans 
     Parish residents as well as all others who are among the 
     eighty-five thousand motorists who use these bridges each 
     day; and
       Whereas, the United States Corps of Engineers' traffic 
     study included in the project evaluation report appears to be 
     based upon data which might lead to serious incorrect 
     conclusions and that said study was used as the basis for the 
     selection of the new bridge for St. Claude Avenue and the 
     revisions now proposed for the Claiborne Avenue Bridge; and
       Whereas, the magnitude of the traffic problem and the 
     possibility that an erroneous selection of bridges may one 
     day require the state of Louisiana to completely fund 
     necessary corrections to this federal project are concerns of 
     the legislature. Therefore be it
       Resolved, that the Louisiana Legislature does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take all steps 
     necessary to replace the proposed St. Claude Avenue Bridge 
     (LA 49) and the Claiborne Avenue Bridge (LA 39), in 
     conjunction with the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock 
     Replacement Project, with tunnels or fixed, high-rise bridges 
     to benefit residents of St. Bernard, Orleans, and Plaquemines 
     parishes and the maritime industry and to withhold all future 
     funding of the lock replacement project until the matter is 
     reviewed and resolved by qualified members of the Louisiana 
     Department of Transportation and Development, the United 
     States Coast Guard, and local representatives of the barge 
     transportation industry; and be it further
       Resolved, that the Louisiana Legislature requests our 
     federal elected officials to request the United States Army 
     Corps of Engineers to consider tunnels or fixed high-rise 
     bridges, which are the canal crossing solutions preferred for 
     this project by both the shipping industry and state 
     motorists because either would eliminate the need for bridge 
     curfews and provide for the uninterrupted flow of marine and 
     vehicular traffic; and be it further
       Resolved, that the Louisiana Legislature memorializes the 
     United States Congress to make resumption of federal funding 
     for this project contingent on the completion of a traffic 
     study and that the project evaluation report be rewritten to 
     include such crossings if warranted by the traffic study 
     review; 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-122. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to 
     Maurepas Swamp diversion from the Mississippi River; to the 
     Committee on Appropriations.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 86

       Whereas, many of the swamps, marshes, and estuarine 
     ecosystems of the southeastern part of Louisiana were created 
     by the Mississippi River and were nourished by the freshwater 
     sediment and nutrients from the river; and
       Whereas, these ecosystems have been declining since the 
     river was levied for flood control and navigation which 
     deprived them of the river's nourishment; and
       Whereas, freshwater, diversion has become an important tool 
     in restoring coastal wetlands and combating erosion and 
     saltwater intrusion; and
       Whereas, a river diversion into the Maurepas Swamp and Lake 
     Maurepas has been proposed which would introduce fresh water 
     and sediment directly into the swamp, an area where the 
     forests are ailing from lack of nutrients and sediments; and
       Whereas, such a river diversion into the Maurepas Swamp 
     would also combat saltwater intrusion on the fringes of the 
     area and help sustain and restore marshes that are now dying, 
     subsiding, and breaking up; and
       Whereas, a diversion located at the Hope Canal near 
     Garyville could be designed to encourage water to fan out 
     over a very broad area allowing the swamp to assimilate the 
     river's nutrients and sediments, therefore minimizing the 
     threat of algal blooms in lake Maurepas; and
       Whereas, on occasion of heavy local rains, the diversion 
     structure could be closed and the canal would then help to 
     convey storm water runoff which is an aspect of the project 
     that is very appealing to St. John the Baptist Parish 
     officials concerned about flood control; and
       Whereas, the issues that have been encountered in the 
     operation of other diversion projects, such as dramatic 
     changes in salinity that have concerned oyster growers and 
     commercial fishermen, should not be a problem with the 
     Maurepas Swamp diversion because the area directly influenced 
     by the diversion is essentially a freshwater estuarine 
     system: Therefore, be it
       Resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to support, with 
     funding, the expeditious implementation of the proposed 
     Maurepas Swamp diversion from the Mississippi River; and be 
     it further
       Resolved that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.

                          ____________________