[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4258-4259]
[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-291. A resolution adopted by the Board of Chosen 
     Freeholders of the County of Monmouth of the State of New 
     Jersey urging Congress to reverse the decision to close the 
     United States Army Installation at Fort Monmouth; to the 
     Committee on Armed Services.
       POM-292. A collection of petitions forwarded by the Benefit 
     Security Coalition relative to establishing a more equitable 
     method of computing cost of living adjustments for Social 
     Security benefits; to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-293. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging Congress to reject legislation that would 
     preempt the authority of the Great Lake states to curb the 
     release of ballast water; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.

                        Senate Resolution No. 86

       Whereas, Ballast water discharges from ships entering the 
     Great Lakes are the leading pathway for the introduction of 
     aquatic invasive species. Since the opening of the St. 
     Lawrence Seaway in 1959, ocean-going ships have introduced 
     more than 30 new species to the Great Lakes; and
       Whereas, once introduced and established, aquatic invasive 
     species are nearly impossible to eliminate and costly to 
     control. Zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species 
     introduced from ballast water have irrevocably changed the 
     Great Lakes and directly cost cities and industries--and 
     indirectly cost Great Lakes residents--tens of millions of 
     dollars per year to control; and
       Whereas, current federal ballast water regulations designed 
     to protect the Great Lakes are ineffective. At least eleven 
     new aquatic invasive species have been introduced from 
     ballast water since current requirements for ballast water 
     exchange with open ocean water went into effect, including 
     the recent introduction of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) 
     that directly threatens the $4.5-billion Great Lakes fishery; 
     and
       Whereas, the ocean-going shipping industry has shown little 
     urgency over the last two decades to develop and install 
     ballast water treatment technology, even as it introduced 
     more and more aquatic invasive species to new regions. 
     Rather, the industry has continuously fought efforts in the 
     United States Congress, state legislatures, and the courts to 
     require expeditious treatment of their ballast water. For 
     every year treatment is not required for ballast water, an 
     additional one to two new species, with unknown but 
     potentially devastating impacts, make the Great Lakes their 
     permanent home; and
       Whereas, the state of Michigan has succeeded in identifying 
     and requiring treatment technologies that would provide 
     additional protection to the Great Lakes; and
       Whereas, Michigan and other states bear primary 
     responsibility for protecting the health and safety of their 
     citizens and the integrity of natural resources for their 
     citizens. The Congress of the United States acknowledged the 
     authority for the Great Lakes states to act unilaterally to 
     protect and preserve the waters of the Great Lakes

[[Page 4259]]

     Basin in the federal Clean Water Act and the National 
     Invasive Species Act, as affirmed this past summer by the 
     United States District Court for the Eastern District of 
     Michigan; and
       Whereas, Federal ballast water legislation, such as the 
     Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2830) and the 
     Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 (S. 1578), would preempt 
     Michigan's efforts to protect its waters from further 
     degradation. Preempting state actions before strong federal 
     treatment standards are in place would leave the Great Lakes 
     vulnerable to future invasions and would trample on 
     fundamental states' rights to protect their natural 
     resources. This shortsighted approach undermines the millions 
     of dollars and thousands of hours spent each year working to 
     restore the Great Lakes to a healthy, self-sustaining system; 
     and
       Whereas, The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007 and the 
     Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 would also set a 
     precedent for future federal actions that restrict state 
     authority to protect essential natural resources. Clearly, 
     Michigan and other states are best suited to make decisions 
     that keep waters safe, clean, and healthy for its residents 
     with regulations, when needed, above and beyond minimum 
     federal requirements; now, therefore, be it further
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to reject legislation that would preempt 
     the authority of the Great Lakes states to curb the release 
     of ballast water; 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-294. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Maine urging Congress to 
     ensure funding for veterans' health care; to the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs 
     provides medical care for all veterans of the United States 
     Armed Forces; and
       Whereas, the funding for this health care is passed each 
     year by the United States Congress as part of the 
     discretionary budget; and
       Whereas, this health care is seriously underfunded; and
       Whereas, this serious and now chronic shortfall affects the 
     veterans' access to quality medical care services; and
       Whereas, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs 
     and our Nation have a duty to serve our veterans and have 
     entered into a contract, absolute and irrevocable, to provide 
     them with proper health care: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and 
     request that full funding for health care for veterans of the 
     United States Armed Forces be passed and that all parties 
     involved do their utmost to see that those who served their 
     Nation are given the health care they deserve; 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 United States House of Representatives, to the 
     Honorable James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
     to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.

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