[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12994-12995]
[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-118. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine memorializing the President of the United 
     States and Congress of the United States to adopt the 
     Veterans Remembered Flag in honor of all veterans; to the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, there are flags for all branches of the Armed 
     Forces of the United States and there is a flag for prisoners 
     of war and those missing in action, but there is no flag to 
     honor the millions of former military personnel who have 
     served our nation; and
       Whereas, a flag is a symbol of recognition for a group or 
     an ideal, and veterans compose a group, certainly represent 
     an ideal and surely deserve their own symbol; and
       Whereas, the estimated 20,400,000 veterans, affiliated and 
     unaffiliated with veterans' organizations, who have served in 
     our nation's military compose a significant portion of our 
     nation's population; and
       Whereas, there is now a flag that has been designed and 
     created to honor the veterans of the United States called the 
     Veterans Remembered Flag, and displaying and flying a 
     Veterans Remembered Flag would honor the lives of millions of 
     individuals who have served our country in times of war, 
     peace and national crisis; and
       Whereas, a Veterans Remembered Flag would memorialize and 
     honor past, present and future veterans and provide an 
     enduring symbol to support tomorrow's veterans today; and
       Whereas, displaying and flying a Veterans Remembered Flag 
     would fill the need for a flag honoring all veterans who have 
     served in our nation's armed forces; and
       Whereas, the symbolism of this unique flag's design would 
     be all-inclusive, would pay respect to all branches of the 
     military and to the history of our nation and would honor 
     those who have lived, and died, serving our nation; and
       Whereas, the design of the flag honors the founding of our 
     nation through the 13 stars that emanate from the hoist of 
     the flag and lead to the large red star that represents our 
     nation and the five branches of our nation's military, the 
     Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and the Coast 
     Guard; and
       Whereas, the white star on the flag symbolizes veterans' 
     dedication to service, the blue star on the flag honors all 
     the men and women who have served in our nation's military 
     and the central gold star on the flag memorializes those who 
     have fallen defending our nation; and
       Whereas, the blue stripe that bears the title of the flag 
     honors the loyalty of veterans to our nation, flag and 
     government, and the green field on the flag represents the 
     hallowed ground where fallen veterans rest eternally; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, request that the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     work together to support adoption of the Veterans Remembered 
     Flag to honor our nation's veterans; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable Barack H. Obama, 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 Maine Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-119. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts memorializing the federal 
     government of the

[[Page 12995]]

     United States to prioritize distribution of veterans' 
     benefits; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, the members of the Armed Forces of the United 
     States, including active duty members of the Massachusetts 
     National Guard, have honorably and with great distinction 
     served their country and have earned the right to be welcomed 
     home with all honors and benefits prescribed by law by a 
     grateful nation; and
       Whereas, the words of our first president, George 
     Washington, are a reminder of the importance of honoring 
     promises made to our veterans and their families, when he 
     said, ``the willingness with which our young people are 
     likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be 
     directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of 
     earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation''; 
     and
       Whereas, veterans' benefits must be delivered in a timely 
     fashion out of respect for the significant sacrifice and 
     valiant service of those to whom such benefits are owed, 
     especially given the fact that today's veterans urgently need 
     jobs, health care, housing, education and training in order 
     to successfully re-enter civilian life; and
       Whereas, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs 
     is reported to be unable to keep up with a torrent of 
     benefits claims, and the backlog leaves many service members 
     waiting for well over a year after first filing their forms, 
     according to a report from the Center for Investigative 
     Reporting; and
       Whereas, according to the center's report, the average wait 
     time for veterans benefits is 273 days, and that veterans 
     filing their first claim, including those who served in Iraq 
     and Afghanistan, wait nearly two months longer, between 316 
     and 327 days, and in some major population centers wait up to 
     twice as long--642 days in New York, 619 days in Los Angeles 
     and 542 days in Chicago; and
       Whereas, the ranks of veterans waiting more than a year for 
     their benefits grew from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 in 
     December 2012, an increase of more than 2,000 per cent, and 
     the Veterans Administration is predicting that the situation 
     will get worse, as the number of veterans waiting on the 
     Department to process their claims is expected to reach 1 
     million by the end of March, 2013: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts Senate hereby requests 
     that the Federal Government of the United States provide 
     sufficient funding and personnel to process veterans' claims 
     in a more timely manner so that the tangible gratitude of the 
     nation can be promptly distributed to all who have earned 
     such recognition; and be it further
       Resolved, That resolved, that a copy of these resolutions 
     be transmitted forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to the 
     President of the United States, the leaders of the Congress 
     of the United States and to each United States senator and 
     representative from Massachusetts.
                                  ____

       POM-120. A communication from citizens of the State of 
     Hawaii petitioning for verification and tabulation of State 
     applications for an Article V Convention; to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary.
       POM-121. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and City 
     Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida urging the 
     United States Food and Drug Administration to repeal their 
     longstanding prohibition on men who have sex with men from 
     donating blood; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
     and Pensions.
       POM-122. A resolution adopted by the Lawrence City Council 
     of the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts supporting 
     comprehensive immigration reform and urging action from the 
     113th Congress; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-123. A resolution adopted by the City Electors of Fort 
     Atkinson, Wisconsin seeking to reclaim democracy from the 
     expansion of corporate personhood rights and the corrupting 
     influence of unregulated political contributions and 
     spending; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-124. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of Orange 
     County, New York opposing the enactment of any legislation 
     that would infringe upon the right of people to bear arms; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-125. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Webster, Texas protecting and defending the constitutional 
     right to keep and bear arms; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
       POM-126. A resolution adopted by the Blount County Board of 
     Commissioners of the State of Tennessee protecting and 
     defending the constitutional right to keep and bear arms; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-127. A resolution adopted by the New Jersey State 
     Federation of Women's Clubs urging the President and the 
     Congress of the United States to enact legislation regarding 
     gun control; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-128. A resolution adopted by the Mayor and Council of 
     the Borough of Edgewater, New Jersey expressing its 
     condolences and support for the victims of gun violence and 
     their families in Newtown, CT, Aurora, CO, Blacksburg, VA, 
     Oak Creek, WI, Tucson, AZ, and other communities throughout 
     the United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-129. A resolution adopted by the City of River Oaks, 
     Texas supporting the Constitution of the United States and 
     defending the constitutional right to keep and bear arms; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-130. A resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of 
     the Village of Tupper Lake, New York opposing any legislation 
     infringing upon the right of the people to keep and bear 
     arms; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-131. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Naples, Florida urging Congress and the President to protect 
     the constitutional right of the people to keep and bear arms; 
     to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-132. A resolution adopted by the Catlin Town Board of 
     the State of New York calling for the repeal of the New York 
     SAFE Act of 2013; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-133. A resolution adopted by the Northwest Municipal 
     Conference supporting immigration reform that provides a 
     clear and earned path to citizenship for undocumented 
     immigrants, clears immigration backlogs, addresses the 
     current labor market needs and improves state and local 
     economic competitiveness, provides for effective employment 
     verification, promotes immigrant integration, and enhances 
     national security and safety with a sensible enforcement 
     policy; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-134. A resolution adopted by the Alabama Town Board of 
     the State of New York opposing the Early Voting Proposal; to 
     the Committee on Rules and Administration.

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