[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15219-15220]
[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:

       P0M-47. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of 
     the State of Louisiana urging Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to maintain the current incentives for the 
     exploration and production of domestic oil and natural gas; 
     to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 15

       Whereas, Louisiana is a key energy state where over three 
     hundred twenty thousand Louisianians are employed in the 
     energy sector, and these jobs support over twelve billion 
     dollars a year in household income; and
       Whereas, these jobs are from numerous small businesses and 
     include welders, pipe fitters, barge workers, and engineers, 
     and an estimated fifty thousand indirect workers support the 
     energy sector; and
       Whereas, the current federal budget proposal includes eight 
     separate tax hikes on the energy economy totaling over thirty 
     billion dollars, new fees on energy leases in the Gulf of 
     Mexico, excise taxes on Gulf production, and also repeals 
     several important tax incentives for Louisiana energy 
     producers; and
       Whereas, ninety percent of domestic oil and natural gas 
     wells are developed by small, independent businesses that 
     would encounter a devastating impact from any change in 
     policy to reduce incentives; and
       Whereas, these tax increases also reduce our nation's 
     energy security by discouraging new investment in domestic 
     oil and natural gas production and refining capacity and 
     pushing those investments abroad; and
       Whereas, a reduction in incentives would reduce the amount 
     of domestically produced natural gas and deprive the American 
     people of a clean energy source. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes 
     the Congress of the United

[[Page 15220]]

     States to take such actions as are necessary to maintain the 
     current incentives for the exploration and production of 
     domestic oil and natural gas. 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-48. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of 
     the State of Louisiana urging Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to appropriate funds specifically for the 
     storm-proofing of interior pump stations in the parishes of 
     St. Bernard and Plaquemines; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 51

       Whereas, in 2006, the United States Congress, under the 
     Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act, appropriated two 
     hundred fifty million dollars for storm-proofing interior 
     pump stations in the Greater New Orleans area in order to 
     ensure the operability of the stations during hurricanes, 
     storms, and high water events; and
       Whereas, four years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, only 
     pump stations in the parishes of Jefferson and Orleans have 
     been storm-proofed pursuant to this appropriation; and
       Whereas, it is the belief of the public that the pump 
     stations in the parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines have 
     not been storm-proofed because the Corps of Engineers 
     underestimated the cost of the storm-proofing and, therefore, 
     interpreted the ``Greater New Orleans area'' to include only 
     the parishes of Jefferson and Orleans; and
       Whereas, storm-proofing interior pump stations in the 
     parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines is desperately needed 
     in order to ensure the operability of the stations as well as 
     to provide safe housing for personnel required to remain on 
     duty to operate the pump stations during hurricanes, storms, 
     and high water events. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to appropriate funds specifically for the 
     storm-proofing of interior pump stations in the parishes of 
     St. Bernard and Plaquemines. 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.

                          ____________________