[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10011-10013]
[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-339. A concurrent memorial adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Arizona 
     relative to urging the United States Congress to enact an 
     agricultural commuter worker permit program; to the Committee 
     on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

                     House Concurrent Memorial 2018

       Whereas, agriculture along the southern United States 
     border is often seasonal and concentrated within tight time 
     frames in which highly perishable crops must be produced and 
     harvested in a timely manner or the entire crop could be 
     lost; and
       Whereas, farmers along the southern border face calamities 
     of weather, pests and market conditions along with stringent 
     requirements to provide a safe and wholesome supply of food 
     for the citizens of the United States and the world; and
       Whereas, agriculture requires a stable and reliable source 
     of labor in order to produce enough food to meet the needs of 
     our citizens so the United States does not become dependent 
     on foreign nations for our food supply; and
       Whereas, the total economic impact of Arizona agriculture 
     for 2004 was approximately $9.2 billion, providing an 
     integral economic contribution throughout our state; and
       Whereas, agriculture requires access to a stable and 
     reliable pool of foreign workers due to an aging and 
     increasingly educated native born workforce and employees 
     leaving agricultural work for other industries; and
       Whereas, current agricultural work visa programs fail to 
     provide timely access to necessary labor; and
       Whereas, an agricultural commuter worker permit program can 
     complement both border security and workplace enforcement 
     while allowing a natural flow of labor: and
       Whereas, an agricultural commuter worker permit program 
     will help abate many of the social and human costs in terms 
     of crime and deaths in the desert; and
       Whereas, an agricultural commuter worker permit program 
     will allow willing agricultural workers to commute from their 
     country of origin to work in the United States while 
     maintaining their country of origin residency. Wherefore your 
     memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
       1. That the United States Congress include an agricultural 
     commuter worker permit program as part of immigration reform 
     legislation that allows foreign workers to commute across the 
     border daily to work in the United States if they have passed 
     criminal and security background checks and a medical 
     examination and if they possess tamper-resistant biometric 
     authorization cards.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the 
     United States Senate. ``the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the 
     State of Arizona.
                                  ____

       POM-340. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the General 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relative to 
     opposing any increase in the cost of enrollment in health 
     care programs for members of the United States military; to 
     the Committee on Armed Services.

                       Senate Resolution No. 272

       Whereas, a recent proposal by the Department of Defense, 
     endorsed by the Joint Chiefs, called for increasing the 
     enrollment cost in United States military health care 
     programs for service members known as TRICARE; and
       Whereas, all branches of the armed forces have valiantly 
     sacrificed for our nation domestically and overseas, 
     including in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
       Whereas, the Federal Government has encountered difficulty 
     in recruiting and retaining personnel for military duty on 
     account of compensation and service commitment concerns; and
       Whereas, the Department of Defense must limit the financial 
     burden on members of the military community; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania memorialize the President and Congress of the 
     United States and the Department of Defense to oppose any 
     increases in the cost of enrollment in health care programs 
     for members of the United States military; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmittted to 
     the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, 
     the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each 
     member of Congress from Pennsylsvania.
                                  ____

       POM-341. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan relative to opposing the SMART Act and other 
     preemptive federal insurance regulatory measures; to the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                        Senate Resolution No. 94

       Whereas, regulation, oversight, and consumer protection 
     have traditionally and historically been powers reserved to 
     state governments under the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945; 
     and

[[Page 10012]]

       Whereas, state legislatures are more responsive to the 
     needs of their constituents and the need for insurance 
     products and regulation to meet their state's unique market 
     demands; and
       Whereas, state legislatures, NCOIL, and NAIC continue to 
     address uniformity issues between states by the adoption of 
     model laws that address market conduct, product approval, 
     agent licensing, and rate deregulation; and
       Whereas, initiatives are being contemplated by certain 
     members of the United States Congress that would destroy the 
     state system of insurance regulation and create unwieldy and 
     inaccessible federal bureaucracies--all without consumer 
     demand; and
       Whereas, many state governments derive general revenue 
     dollars from the regulation of the business of insurance, and 
     these initiatives would eventually draw premium tax revenue 
     from the states; and
       Whereas, such initiatives include optional federal charter 
     proposals that would bifurcate insurance regulation and allow 
     companies to evade important state consumer protections and 
     the State Modernization and Regulatory Transparency (SMART) 
     Act, which would create mandatory federal insurance standards 
     preempting state law; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we express our strong 
     opposition to such federal legislation that would threaten 
     the power of state legislatures, governors, insurance 
     commissioners, and attorneys general to oversee, regulate, 
     and investigate the business of insurance, and to protect 
     consumers; 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, members of the United 
     States House of Representatives Committee on Financial 
     Services, the United States Senate Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the members of the Michigan 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-342. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Iowa relative to requesting the 
     Congress of the United States to give due consideration to 
     the readiness of the Republic of China on Taiwan for 
     membership in the United Nations; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                       Senate Resolution No. 137

       Whereas, the Republic of China on Taiwan has established a 
     democratic, multiparty political system, its diplomacy aimed 
     at national unification demonstrates its progressive spirit 
     as a government and a people, and its inclusion in the United 
     Nations would only further the universality of this essential 
     global forum; and
       Whereas, already having provided many developing nations 
     with financial assistance, as well as overseas aid, training, 
     and disaster relief, Taiwan has amply illustrated its concern 
     for the welfare of the world; and
       Whereas, the government of Taiwan has accepted the 
     obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and 
     agrees to promote international peace and security; and
       Whereas, the fundamental right of the 21 million citizens 
     of Taiwan to be partners in the community of nations should 
     no longer be denied; now therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That the Senate supports the 
     membership of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the United 
     Nations and urges due consideration by the Congress of the 
     United States; and be it
       Further resolved, That upon adoption, an official copy of 
     this Resolution be prepared and presented to the President of 
     the United States Senate, the Secretary of the United States 
     Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the Clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the members of Iowa's congressional 
     delegation, and the Secretary General of the United Nations.
                                  ____

       POM-343. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of New 
     Hampshire relative to condemning the genocide in the Darfur 
     region of the Sudan and calling upon the President, the State 
     Department and Congress to unite the international community 
     to end the genocide in Darfur; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          House Resolution 13

       Whereas, on February 1, 2005, the United Nations released 
     the Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on 
     Darfur to the United Nations Secretary-General which found 
     that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been 
     perpetrated in the Darfur region of Sudan; and
       Whereas, the Report of the International Commission of 
     Inquiry established that Sudanese government forces and the 
     Janjaweed militia are responsible for systematic and 
     widespread killing, torture, rape, pillaging, and forced 
     displacement throughout Darfur and that these acts result in 
     10,000 deaths every month; and
       Whereas, President Bush, former Secretary of State Powell, 
     and the United States Congress have declared the attacks to 
     be genocide, a crime against humanity; and
       Whereas, 136 nations, including the United States, condemn, 
     and seek to prevent and punish the Crime of Genocide as 
     signatories to the Convention on the Prevention and 
     Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity; and
       Whereas, the continuing atrocities in Darfur cry out for an 
     aggressive international response to provide protection for 2 
     million internally-displaced Sudanese, to expand humanitarian 
     relief efforts without delay, and to establish political 
     negotiations to end these atrocities; now therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives:
       That the New Hampshire House of Representatives:
       I. Condemns the ongoing genocide in Darfur; and
       II. Calls upon the President, the State Department, and 
     Congress to unite the international community to end the 
     genocide in Darfur; and
       That a copy of this resolution be forwarded by the house 
     clerk to the President of the United States, the President of 
     the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and each member of the New 
     Hampshire congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-344. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of New 
     Hampshire relative to urging Congress to promote and 
     publicize the report to the Congress of the United States 
     entitled ``A Review of the Restrictions on Persons of Italian 
     Ancestry During World War II''; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          House Resolution 22

       Whereas, more than 500,000 Italian-Americans served in 
     World War II for the United States of America; and
       Whereas, since 1999 it has been known that up to 600,000 
     members of the families of those who served in World War II 
     were placed under wartime restrictions which included random 
     arrests, searches of their person, federal raids of their 
     homes, curfews, forced relocation, so-called ``prohibited 
     zones,'' and internment camps; and
       Whereas, these individuals were placed under such 
     restrictions solely based on their Italian-American heritage; 
     and
       Whereas, Italian-Americans nationwide were affected by 
     these wartime restrictions and were considered enemy aliens 
     even when they were born in the United States; and
       Whereas, the United States government has acknowledged the 
     wartime campaign against Japanese-Americans and enacted a 
     reparations law in August, 1988 that awarded over 1 billion 
     dollars in restitution to Japanese-Americans interned in 
     camps in or evacuated from the West Coast; and, but to date 
     has not widely publicized the plight of Italian-Americans 
     affected by wartime decrees; and
       Whereas Congress mandated in Public Law 106-451, the 
     Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act, 
     that the United States Department of Justice conduct an 
     inquiry for the purpose of documenting and making public the 
     mistreatment of Italian-Americans during World War II; and
       Whereas, the Department of Justice submitted the report, 
     entitled ``A Review of the Restrictions on Persons of Italian 
     Ancestry During World War II'' in November, 2001; and
       Whereas, the Judiciary Committee of the United States House 
     of Representatives released the report on November 27, 2001, 
     but did not promote and publicize the report; now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives:
       That the New Hampshire house of representatives urges 
     Congress to take steps to promote and publicize the report to 
     the Congress of the United States entitled ``A Review of the 
     Restrictions on Persons of Italian Ancestry During World Ward 
     II;'' and
       That copies of this resolution shall be sent by the house 
     clerk to the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, 
     the attorney general of the United States, the chairpersons 
     of the Judiciary Committees of the United States House of 
     Representatives and Senate, the New Hampshire congressional 
     delegation, and the New York headquarters of the Associated 
     Press.
                                  ____

       POM-345. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan relative to memorializing the United States Congress 
     to adopt and transmit to the states for ratification an 
     amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ensure that 
     apportionment is based on citizens and not non-citizens; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       Senate Resolution No. 105

       Whereas, Reapportionment based on the counting of non-
     citizens in the federal census is adversely affecting the 
     United States Congress and the American political process. 
     Since 1960, Michigan and other Midwestern states have had to 
     sacrifice congressional representation to the faster-growing 
     states of Florida, California, and Texas. The redistributions 
     of congressional seats in the 1970 and 1980 censuses were 
     almost completely due to internal migration; citizens moving 
     from the Northeastern and Midwestern states to the South and 
     West. However, since 1990, immigration has been driving 
     reapportionment. During that decade the number of non-
     citizens grew by almost 680,000 annually. By March 2005 there 
     were nearly 22 million

[[Page 10013]]

     non-citizens in this country, comprising 7.4 percent of the 
     total population; and
       Whereas, Immigration is having a significant effect on the 
     distribution of congressional seats for several reasons. 
     First, seats are apportioned based on each state's total 
     population relative to the rest of the country, including 
     legal immigrants and illegal non-citizens. Second, Congress 
     permits a significant number of legal immigrants to enter 
     this country and permits hordes of illegals to brazenly flout 
     our immigration laws by crossing our porous borders 
     unchallenged. According to the 2000 census, there were more 
     than 18 million non-citizens in the United States, equaling 
     the population of almost 29 congressional districts. Further, 
     non-citizens are not equally distributed throughout the 
     nation. In 2000, over 9 million non-citizens lived in 3 
     states and nearly 70 percent resided in 6 states; and
       Whereas, The impact of non-citizens on apportionment is 
     tremendous. In 2000, the presence of non-citizens caused 
     Michigan and 8 other states to lose congressional seats. 
     Moreover, Michigan was one of 4 states to lose seats directly 
     to the illegal immigrant havens of California, Texas, New 
     York, and Florida. It is important to realize that Michigan 
     did not lose a congressional seat because its population was 
     in decline. Instead, legal and illegal immigration caused the 
     population of other states to grow at an even faster pace; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the United 
     States Congress to adopt and transmit to the states for 
     ratification an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would 
     ensure that apportionment is based on citizens, and not non-
     citizens; 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-346. A referendum adopted by the Town of Perry, Dane 
     County, Wisconsin relative to immediate troop withdrawal from 
     Iraq; to the Committee on Armed Services,

                          ____________________