[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17038-17042]
[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-422. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to 
     enact legislation to establish a minimum sound level standard 
     for all new automobiles sold in the United States to ensure 
     the safety of the blind and other pedestrians, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 52

       Whereas, electric vehicles operate on batteries and are 
     marketed as having the advantage of operating without the 
     sound and smell of standard internal combustion engines, and 
     hybrid vehicles combine conventional gas-powered engines with 
     battery-powered electric motors and, when in the electric 
     mode, also operate without making sound; and
       Whereas, all pedestrians use the sound of traffic in 
     combination with other techniques to travel safely, as 
     evidenced by the fact that commercial trucks emit a sound 
     when backing up to alert pedestrians to their presence; and
       Whereas, blind people depend solely on the sound of traffic 
     to determine the location of a traffic light and indication 
     of whether a traffic light is red or green and whether an 
     individual automobile is idling, accelerating, decelerating, 
     or turning left or right, all of which allows a blind person 
     to gauge the time to navigate a crosswalk and to travel 
     independently and safely; and
       Whereas, action must be taken to ensure that all vehicles 
     emit a sound while turned on, and such a sound from all 
     vehicles must be loud enough to be heard over the din of 
     other ambient noise and be heard from a distance which would 
     allow pedestrians to travel safely, and such a sound must be 
     emitted both while the vehicle is in motion and while 
     motionless, the sound must also change with speed, must not 
     easily be disabled, must not be annoying but still emit a 
     unique sound distinguishable from other noises, and must be 
     uniform from model to model. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to ensure the safety of the blind and other 
     pedestrians by passing legislation requiring the United 
     States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic 
     Safety Administration, to adopt regulations establishing a 
     minimum sound level standard for all new automobiles sold in 
     the United States. Be it further
       Resolved, That the regulations adopted by the United States 
     Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety 
     Administration, need not prescribe the method automobile 
     manufacturers must use to achieve the minimum sound standard, 
     but the standard should have the following characteristics:
       (1) In all phases of operation, including times when the 
     vehicle is at a full stop, vehicles should be required to 
     emit an omnidirectional sound with similar spectral 
     characteristic of those of a modem internal combustion 
     engine.

[[Page 17039]]

       (2) The sound should vary in a way that is consistent with 
     the sound of vehicles with combustion engines to indicate 
     whether the vehicle is idling, maintaining a constant speed, 
     accelerating, or decelerating. 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-423. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to 
     enact legislation to take such actions as are necessary to 
     improve, modernize, and enhance drainage along the Jefferson 
     Parish and Orleans Parish line, and for other purposes; to 
     the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                        House Resolution No. 178

       Whereas, since Hurricane Katrina local officials and 
     drainage personnel have worked diligently with neighborhood 
     civic associations, congress, and the Corp of Engineers to 
     improve the safety of lives and property against hurricane 
     overflow and rainfall flooding; and
       Whereas, there is now a plan which is supported by local 
     officials that can achieve these goals and benefit the 
     residents and businesses that are dependent upon the 
     Seventeenth Street Canal, Pump Station Number Six, and the 
     Monticello Canal; and
       Whereas, the locally preferred plan is comprised of four 
     essential components as follows: improve the depth and 
     efficiency of the Seventeenth Street Canal between existing 
     Pump Station Number Six and Lake Pontchartrain to move 
     rainwater more quickly to Lake Pontchartrain, build a new 
     pumping station at the lake end of the Seventeenth Street 
     Canal to replace the existing Pump Station Number Six and to 
     prevent water from Lake Pontchartrain from entering the 
     canal, supplement a new pump station at Lake Pontchartrain 
     with a pipeline system and a separate pumping station that 
     will discharge directly into the Mississippi River, rather 
     than into the Seventeenth Street Canal and Lake 
     Pontchartrain, and remove existing Pump Station Number Six 
     from the system. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to 
     implement the four essential components outlined in this 
     Resolution in order to improve, modernize, and enhance 
     drainage in Jefferson and Orleans parishes. 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-424. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging Congress to 
     enact the hearing aid assistance tax credit act; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                        House Resolution No. 155

       Whereas, hearing is clearly one of our most essential 
     senses. It is often taken for granted, unfortunately, until 
     the time one begins to experience hearing loss. At this point 
     it is too late to reverse the damage. Hearing aids are the 
     ready solution to the problems associated with hearing loss, 
     but the costs associated with good quality equipment is 
     expensive, is not always covered by one's insurance or 
     Medicaid, and is too often foregone for more immediate needs. 
     A federal tax credit would provide immediate and necessary 
     relief for tens of thousands; and
       Whereas, indeed, it has been estimated that hearing aids 
     would help ninety-five percent of those suffering from 
     hearing loss. Only twenty-two percent of the population, 
     however, currently uses a hearing device, because the average 
     out-of-pocket costs associated with hearing aids is over 
     $2,800. Thousands upon thousands of individuals and family 
     members are impacted by these soaring costs. It is estimated 
     that close to 2 million people are affected by untreated 
     hearing loss; and
       Whereas, in Michigan, legislation was enacted in 1978 to 
     exempt hearing aids from the state sales tax. This initiative 
     was a clear recognition of the important of cost savings to 
     those in need of hearing aids. The Congress should follow 
     this stellar example and enact similar tax incentives in the 
     U.S. Tax Code; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the House of Representatives, That we hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the 
     Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act; 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-425. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Florida, urging Congress to increase federal funding 
     for Alzheimer's disease research; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        Senate Memorial No. 2662

       Whereas, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative 
     disorder that destroys cells in the brain and is the leading 
     cause of dementia, a condition that involves memory loss, 
     decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, 
     disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language 
     skills, impairment of judgment, and personality changes, and
       Whereas, as Alzheimer's disease progresses, individuals 
     with the disease become unable to care for themselves, and
       Whereas, as many as 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's 
     disease, including approximately 500,000 Floridians, and, by 
     2050, the number of individuals in the United States with the 
     disease could range from 13 million to 16 million unless a 
     way to prevent or cure the disease is discovered, and
       Whereas, Alzheimer's disease strikes approximately 1 in 10 
     people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those who are 
     age 85 or older, and
       Whereas, the average lifetime cost of care for an 
     individual with Alzheimer's disease is $170,000, and
       Whereas, half of all nursing home residents have 
     Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, with the average 
     annual cost of nursing home care for individuals with the 
     disease exceeding $70,000 per resident, and
       Whereas, Medicaid pays half of the total nursing home bills 
     for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and helps 2 out of 3 
     residents pay for their care, and
       Whereas, Medicaid expenditures for nursing home care for 
     individuals with Alzheimer's disease are estimated to 
     increase from $21 billion in 2005 to $24 billion in 2010, and
       Whereas, 1 in 8 caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's 
     disease becomes ill or injured as a direct result of 
     caregiving, and 1 in 3 uses medication for problems related 
     to caregiving, with older caregivers being 3 times more 
     likely to become clinically depressed than others in their 
     age group, and
       Whereas, a 4-year study conducted by researchers from the 
     University of Pittsburgh showed that elderly spouses strained 
     by caregiving were 63 percent more likely to die during that 
     4-year period than their noncaregiving counterparts, and
       Whereas, if our nation achieves its research goals of 
     preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease in those at risk 
     and treating and delaying progression of the disease in those 
     already ill, annual Medicare savings would be $51 billion by 
     2015 and $88 billion by 2020, annual Medicaid savings would 
     be $10 billion in 2015 and $17 billion by 2020, and the 
     projected number of cases of the disease would be reduced by 
     40 percent by the middle of the century, and
       Whereas, a cure for Alzheimer's disease may be achieved 
     sooner by increasing funding of Alzheimer's disease research 
     at established and reputable research institutes, and
       Whereas, the Congress of the United States appropriated 
     $642 million for Alzheimer's disease research during fiscal 
     year 2007-2008. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: That 
     the Congress of the United States is urged to increase 
     federal funding for Alzheimer's disease research by $360 
     million during fiscal year 2008-2009. Be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this memorial be dispatched to the 
     President of the United States, to the President of the 
     United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to each member of the Florida 
     delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-426. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Florida, urging Congress to support national 
     standards for educator ethics and a national clearinghouse to 
     strengthen state efforts in the reporting, screening, and 
     sharing of critical information relative to educator 
     misconduct; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.

                          Senate Memorial 1742

       Whereas, teachers are entrusted with the care and 
     supervision of minor children away from the direct 
     observation of parents, and
       Whereas, the student-teacher relationship is necessarily 
     built on a child's trust and respect for an adult in 
     authority, and
       Whereas, parents and the community rely upon school 
     district officials and individual educators to protect the 
     integrity of that relationship, and
       Whereas, educators rely upon the state and school districts 
     to promote respect for the teaching profession through the 
     timely investigation and disposition of allegations of 
     misconduct, assurance of due process, and elimination from 
     the teaching ranks of those who bring discredit to the 
     profession. Now, Therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: That 
     the Congress of the United States is urged to support the 
     passage of laws establishing ethical standards for 
     professional educators and to support a national 
     clearinghouse to provide for the reporting of data concerning 
     educator misconduct. A national database is necessary to 
     promote the timely sharing of critical information among 
     states and to provide for the safety and welfare of students. 
     Be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this memorial be dispatched to the 
     President of the United States, to the President of the 
     United States

[[Page 17040]]

     Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, and to each member of the Florida delegation 
     to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-427. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Florida, urging Congress to make forms for the 
     United States Decennial Census of 2010 available in the 
     Creole language for the Haitian population of Florida; to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                          Senate Memorial 1454

       Whereas, results from the United States Decennial Census of 
     2000 show that there were 419,317 foreign-born persons from 
     Haiti in the United States when the census was taken, and
       Whereas, the state with the largest population of foreign-
     born persons from Haiti in 2000 was Florida with 182,224, 
     which represented 6.8 percent of Florida's total foreign-born 
     population of 2.7 million, and
       Whereas, in conducting the federal decennial statewide 
     census in 2000, the United States Census Bureau used a 
     variety of methods to communicate with people who could not 
     speak English, and
       Whereas, households that received the census form in the 
     mail had the option of requesting the form in Spanish, 
     Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, and
       Whereas, individuals who believed that they were not 
     included on a form or did not receive a form could use the 
     ``Be Counted'' questionnaires that were available in public 
     areas and printed in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, 
     and Korean, and
       Whereas, the Census Bureau also published a short-form and 
     a long-form language assistance guide in 49 different 
     languages, one of which was Creole, to assist respondents, 
     and
       Whereas, however, given the considerable size of Florida's 
     Haitian population, in the interest of equity and obtaining 
     the most accurate information possible from the next federal 
     decennial statewide census, the United States Census Bureau 
     should make forms for the United States Decennial Census of 
     2010 more accessible to the Haitian population of Florida by 
     making the census forms available in the Creole language, and
       Whereas, in addition, the census forms for the United 
     States Decennial Census of 2010 should be prepared in a 
     manner that will allow a respondent to indicate whether he or 
     she is a Haitian national or of Haitian descent. Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: That 
     the Congress of the United States is urged to require the 
     United States Census Bureau to make census forms for the 
     United States Decennial Census of 2010 available in the 
     Creole language to provide for optimal accessibility by the 
     Haitian population of Florida and to prepare the census forms 
     in a manner that will allow a respondent to indicate whether 
     he or she is a Haitian national or of Haitian descent. Be it 
     further
       Resolved, That copies of this memorial be dispatched to the 
     President of the United States, to the President of the 
     United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to each member of the Florida 
     delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-428. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to 
     take such actions as are necessary to direct the Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency to review its recovery policies 
     and programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 178

       Whereas, during the seventeenth century, about one hundred 
     French families settled in a portion of Nova Scotia 
     controlled by the British, then known as Acadia, where they 
     developed friendly relations with the Indians and learned 
     their hunting and fishing techniques; and
       Whereas, when the French and Indian War began in 1754, the 
     British government, doubting the neutrality of the Acadians, 
     demanded that they take an oath of allegiance to the British 
     monarch, and since the oath required renouncing a key article 
     of their Roman Catholic faith, most refused and as a result 
     many were imprisoned; and
       Whereas, in what is own as the Great Expulsion (Grand 
     Derangement), about thirteen thousand Acadians, three-fourths 
     of the Acadian population in Nova Scotia, were expelled from 
     the colony between 1755 and 1764, their homes were destroyed, 
     and they were exiled among the American colonies and other 
     remote lands; and
       Whereas, in the chaos of this expulsion, families and 
     friends were separated and placed on different ships, as a 
     result of a deliberate effort on the part of the British to 
     ``exterminate'' the Acadian culture through forced 
     assimilation; and
       Whereas, many Acadians found themselves unwelcome among the 
     thirteen colonies, some were deported to France and the 
     French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon near Newfoundland, 
     and other Acadians became slaves in the British colonies, the 
     Carribean, and in Europe; and
       Whereas, large numbers of these Acadians eventually made 
     their way to Louisiana just after France ceded its colony of 
     Louisiana to Spain in 1762 and were referred to as Cajuns by 
     the English-speaking colonists; and
       Whereas, the Spanish allowed the Acadians to continue to 
     speak their language, practice Roman Catholicism, which was 
     also the official religion of Spain, and otherwise pursue 
     their livelihoods with minimal interference; and
       Whereas, the majority of the Acadians settled in southern 
     Louisiana in the area west of what is now New Orleans, mainly 
     along the Mississippi River, and they were later moved by the 
     colonial government to the swamps, cheniers, and prairies 
     further west and southwest of New Orleans, to lands deemed 
     uninhabitable due to the harsh living conditions, where they 
     lived among the Attakapa and Chitimacha Native American 
     tribes; and
       Whereas, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was so moved by the 
     plight of the Acadians that he wrote a poem titled 
     ``Evangeline'' and described in moving detail the story of 
     two young lovers separated by the Grand Derangement and their 
     travels to the land of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, for more than two hundred years, the Acadians have 
     lived in the coastal regions of Louisiana, a land Longfellow 
     described as the region ``where reigns perpetual summer, 
     where through the Golden Coast, and groves of orange and 
     citron, sweeps with majestic curve the river away to the 
     eastward ... a maze of sluggish and devious waters ... like a 
     network of steel, extend(ing) in every direction; A land 
     where over their heads the towering and tenebrous boughs of 
     the cypress met in a dusky arch, and trailing mosses in mid-
     air waved like banners that hang on the walls of ancient 
     cathedrals ... A land where Deathlike the silence seemed, and 
     unbroken, save by the herons home to their roosts in the 
     cedar-trees returning at sunset, Or by the owl, as he greeted 
     the moon with demoniac laughter''; and
       Whereas, the children and grandchildren of these Acadians 
     remained somewhat secluded in this region until the early 
     1900s in the areas of coastal Louisiana and regrettably 
     during the first half of the twentieth century, contempt for 
     the Acadians reemerged within their dear state of Louisiana, 
     and attempts were made to forcibly suppress Cajun culture by 
     measures such as forbidding the use of French in schools; and
       Whereas, the indomitable spirit of their French ancestry 
     could not be suppressed, and they prevailed once again and 
     worked hard to overcome the stigma associated with their 
     ethnic heritage and instill pride in their Acadian roots, 
     forming the Council for the Development of French in 
     Louisiana; and
       Whereas, it is in the coastal wetlands and prairies of 
     South Louisiana that the Cajuns have not merely endured, not 
     merely survived, but have lived and laughed and cried and 
     built a culture uniquely American with a spiritual richness 
     and time-honored traditions complete with Mardi Gras and king 
     cakes, family togetherness, hard work, plenty of fun, music 
     played with lively fiddles, accordions, spoons, and 
     washboards, and a unique local cuisine of the indigenous 
     species of seafood and animal life with dishes such as 
     etouffee, gumbo, and jambalaya; and
       Whereas, these Cajuns have distinguished themselves as 
     hunters, trappers, fishermen, shrimpers, doctors, lawyers, 
     engineers, roustabouts, farmers, priests and preachers, nuns, 
     and missionaries, and in numerous other honorable professions 
     and maintained their religious faith traditions as 
     Protestants and Catholics; and
       Whereas, it is here in their homeland of coastal Louisiana 
     that they have endured disasters both natural and man-made; 
     and
       Whereas, the eastern and western Cajun regions of Louisiana 
     were among the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 
     2005, and Hurricane Rita on September 26, 2005; and
       Whereas, in the aftermath of these two natural disasters, 
     again the trumpets sound, and the ill winds blow, for many of 
     the sons and daughters of the Acadians are about to be exiled 
     again, not at the hands of a government demanding allegiance 
     but by the same government to which they have already pledged 
     allegiance and the same government that many of their sons 
     and daughters have fought and even died for; and
       Whereas, this exile will be produced as the result of what 
     some who live outside the coastal region of Louisiana suggest 
     is a well-intentioned, reasonable application of the rules 
     and regulations of the National Flood Insurance Program, 
     which if not challenged and changed, will force those who 
     live in many of the areas hardest hit by Hurricanes Katrina 
     and Rita, especially in the southern portion of the parishes 
     of Cameron, Vermilion, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, 
     Plaquemines, and St. Bernard, to leave the land of their 
     ancestry, the land of memories, to where they know not, to be 
     finally and forever assimilated into a culture familiar yet 
     strangely foreign to their traditions and way of life; and
       Whereas, the effect of these rules and regulations will be 
     to force them to build homes they cannot afford to build, and 
     as a result the land that no one wanted and which was settled 
     by the people no one wanted will now be available only to the 
     wealthiest, if available at all; and
       Whereas, a policy with an impact of this magnitude has 
     never been implemented on

[[Page 17041]]

     such a large scale before in the modem history of this 
     nation; and
       Whereas, people in California, Washington, Nevada, and Utah 
     who live in earthquake-prone areas were allowed to develop 
     privately funded programs to secure earthquake insurance 
     which is privately provided; and
       Whereas, although flood insurance is provided through an 
     agency of the federal government and there is a cost and risk 
     associated with living in coastal regions of Louisiana, these 
     risks in terms of damages due to storm surges caused by 
     hurricanes is not unlike those risks faced by any other 
     community along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Keys to 
     Brownsfield, Texas; and
       Whereas, since these rules and regulations make no 
     distinction between risk of damages in flood plains due to 
     storm surges and that caused by flooding resulting from 
     rising waters due to rain and are based primarily on 
     elevation, other communities along the Gulf Coast who are 
     just as vulnerable to damage caused by storm surge are 
     allowed to rebuild in areas next to the beach because the 
     initial elevation of the area is higher than that found in 
     the coastal area of Louisiana. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to direct the Federal Emergency Management 
     Agency to review its recovery policies and programs and to 
     prepare an outline of the social and economic issues involved 
     in the implementation of the rules and regulations of the 
     National Flood Insurance Program as that implementation 
     affects the rebuilding efforts in all coastal Louisiana 
     communities impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Be it 
     further
       Resolved, That this report include any and all suggestions 
     or recommendations as to practical alternatives to such 
     policies to allow for the preservation of the unique culture 
     of coastal Louisiana. 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-429. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Arizona urging Congress to enact legislation to 
     support the designation of a ``National Day of the Cowboy''; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution 1046

       Whereas, pioneering men and women in Arizona, known as 
     cowboys, helped establish the American West; and
       Whereas, the cowboy embodies honesty, integrity, courage, 
     compassion, respect, a strong work ethic and patriotism; and
       Whereas, the cowboy spirit exemplifies strength of 
     character, sound family values and good common sense; and
       Whereas, the cowboy archetype transcends ethnicity, gender, 
     geographic boundaries and political affiliation; and
       Whereas, the cowboy is an excellent steward of the land and 
     its creatures; and
       Whereas, the cowboy lives off the land and works to protect 
     and enhance the environment; and
       Whereas, cowboy traditions have been part of the American 
     culture for generations; and
       Whereas, the cowboy continues to be an important part of 
     the economy, through the work of approximately seven hundred 
     twenty-seven thousand ranchers in all fifty states, and 
     contributes to the well-being of nearly every county in the 
     nation; and
       Whereas, annual attendance at professional and working 
     ranch rodeo events exceeds twenty-seven million fans, and the 
     rodeo is the seventh most watched sport in the nation; and
       Whereas, membership and participation in rodeo and other 
     organizations that promote and encompass the livelihood of 
     the cowboy spans race, gender and generations; and
       Whereas, the cowboy is a central figure in literature, film 
     and music and occupies a central place in the public 
     imagination; and
       Whereas, the cowboy is an American icon; and
       Whereas, the ongoing contributions made by cowboys and 
     cowgirls to their communities should be recognized and 
     encouraged. Therefore be it Resolved, by the Senate of the 
     State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:
       1. That the members of the Legislature express support for 
     the designation of a ``National Day of the Cowboy'' and 
     encourage the people of the United States to observe the day 
     with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
       2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona 
     transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives and each member of the Arizona 
     Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-430. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to 
     increase penalties for any person who knowingly hires, or 
     recruits or refers for a fee, for employment within this 
     state, an individual who is not authorized to work in the 
     United States, or knowingly continues to employ an 
     unauthorized alien; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 63

       Whereas, increasing public and congressional attention has 
     been focused on the unauthorized alien population in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas, the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act 
     makes all United States employers responsible for verifying 
     the identity and work authorization of all individuals; and
       Whereas, the federal government imposes civil penalties for 
     those employers who continue to hire or retain unauthorized 
     aliens; and
       Whereas, the Department of Homeland Security reports an 
     estimated eleven million unauthorized aliens living in the 
     United States and an estimated six million of that number are 
     from Mexico; and
       Whereas, a large percentage of that number of unauthorized 
     aliens represent the United States civilian labor force; and
       Whereas, unauthorized aliens account for thirteen percent 
     of the agriculture industry and twelve percent of the 
     construction industry; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana is experiencing a drastic 
     increase in the number of unauthorized aliens seeking 
     employment in our state due to the demand of the construction 
     and agriculture industries; and
       Whereas, the sovereignty of our state must be protected. 
     THEREFORE, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     urge and request the United States Congress to increase 
     penalties for any person who knowingly hires, or recruits or 
     refers for a fee, for employment within that state, an 
     individual who is not authorized to work in the United 
     States, or who knowingly continues to employ an unauthorized 
     alien. 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-431. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging Congress to 
     take such actions as are necessary to recognize the need for 
     support of the spouses of deceased veterans and the need for 
     housing for homeless veterans; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 148

       Whereas, since the establishment of these United States, 
     the policy of this nation is and always will be the support 
     of the men and women who serve in the defense of their 
     country in peace time as well as in times of military 
     conflict; and
       Whereas, the Veterans Administration was established by the 
     Congress of these United States to recognize the 
     contributions and service of the men and women of these 
     United States and to provide for their well-being after their 
     service to their country in the military; and
       Whereas, the states of these United States in furtherance 
     of this policy established state agencies to further 
     administer to the welfare of our veterans specifically in 
     Louisiana through the Louisiana Department of Veterans 
     Affairs; and
       Whereas, to promote and encourage the citizens of our state 
     to participate in providing housing for our military veterans 
     and their dependents, the Legislature of the State of 
     Louisiana recognizes the need to support projects designed to 
     further both the federal and state efforts to provide housing 
     for veterans and their other needs; and
       Whereas, the Veterans Village, a nonprofit organization 
     located in Winnsboro, Louisiana, will provide over five 
     hundred housing units for the spouses of our deceased 
     veterans, as well as the veterans who are homeless in the 
     state of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, one out of every four homeless people is a citizen 
     who served our nation in the defense of this country and 
     needs assistance in finding adequate housing; and
       Whereas, Veterans Village seeks financial support from the 
     Congress of these United States to assist in the development 
     of the Veterans Village in its effort to provide housing for 
     deceased veterans' spouses and those who are homeless; and
       Whereas, the House of Representatives of the Legislature of 
     Louisiana desires to acknowledge its support of nonprofit 
     projects like the Veterans Village in Winnsboro, Louisiana, 
     which promotes housing for spouses of our deceased veterans 
     and veterans who are without adequate shelter in our state. 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby request the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to 
     appropriate funds to assist the development of the Veterans 
     Village project designed to improve the standard of living of 
     the spouses of our deceased veterans, as well as the homeless 
     veterans living in the state of Louisiana. Be it further
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the 
     Louisiana congressional delegation to file the appropriate 
     legislation necessary to accomplish this appropriation. Be it 
     further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the

[[Page 17042]]

     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-432. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Louisiana to take such actions as are necessary to recognize 
     the need for support of the spouses of deceased veterans and 
     the need for housing for homeless veterans; to the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs.

                       Senate Resolution No. 181

       Whereas, since the establishment of these United States, 
     the policy of this nation is and always will be the support 
     of the men and women who serve in the defense of their 
     country in peace time as well as in times of military 
     conflict; and
       Whereas, the Veterans Administration was established by the 
     Congress of these United States to recognize the 
     contributions and service of the men and women of these 
     United States and to provide for their well-being after their 
     service to their country in the military; and
       Whereas, the states of these United States in furtherance 
     of this policy have established state agencies to further 
     administer to the welfare of our veterans, which in Louisiana 
     is the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs; and
       Whereas, to promote and encourage the citizens of our state 
     to participate in providing housing for our military veterans 
     and their dependents, the Senate of the Legislature of 
     Louisiana hereby recognizes the need to support projects 
     designed to further both the federal and state efforts to 
     provide housing for veterans and their other needs; and
       Whereas, the Veterans Village, a nonprofit organization 
     located in Winnsboro, Louisiana, will provide over five 
     hundred housing units for the spouses of our deceased 
     veterans, as well as the veterans who are homeless in the 
     state of Louisiana; and
       Whereas, one out of every four homeless people is a citizen 
     who have served our nation in the defense of this country and 
     need assistance in finding adequate housing; and
       Whereas, Veterans Village seeks financial support from the 
     Congress of these United States to assist in the development 
     of the Veterans Village in its effort to provide housing for 
     deceased veterans' spouses and those who are homeless; and
       Whereas, the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana desires 
     to acknowledge its support of nonprofit projects like the 
     Veterans Village in Winnsboro, Louisiana, which promotes 
     housing for spouses of our deceased veterans and veterans who 
     are without adequate shelter in our state. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     hereby memorializes the Congress of the United States to take 
     such actions as are necessary to appropriate funds to assist 
     the development of the Veterans Village project designed to 
     improve the standard of living of the spouses of our deceased 
     veterans, as well as the homeless veterans living in the 
     state of Louisiana. Be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     does hereby urge and request the members of the United States 
     Congress from Louisiana to take the proper steps to obtain 
     such appropriation. Be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and 
     the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and 
     to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United 
     States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-433. A message from the Canadian Parliament extending 
     best wishes to the United States Congress and the people of 
     the United States of America on the anniversary of the 
     independence of the United States of America on July 4, 2008; 
     to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       POM-434. A resolution adopted by the City of Miami Beach 
     City Commission Meeting of June 25, 2008, urging Congress to 
     grant temporary protective status to Haitians in the United 
     States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                          ____________________