[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12563-12564]
[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-312. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging the Congress of the United 
     States to support legislation reauthorizing the Export-Import 
     Bank of the United States; to the Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 37

       Whereas, The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-
     Im) is the official export credit agency of the United States 
     and exists for the purposes of financing and insuring foreign 
     purchases of United States goods for customers unable or 
     unwilling to accept the credit risk; and
       Whereas, The mission of the Ex-Im is to create and sustain 
     United States jobs by financing sales of United States 
     exports to international buyers; and
       Whereas, The Ex-Im is the principal government agency 
     responsible for aiding the export of American goods and 
     services, and thereby creating and sustaining United States 
     jobs, through a variety of loan, guarantee, and insurance 
     programs for small and large businesses; and
       Whereas, The Ex-Im has supported more than $400 billion in 
     United States exports in the past 70 years and helps to cover 
     critical trade finance gaps by providing loan guarantees, 
     export credit insurance, and direct loans for United States 
     exports in developing markets where commercial bank financing 
     is unavailable or insufficient. In Fiscal Year 2012, Ex-Im 
     financing of United States exports exceeded $35 billion, 
     assisting more than 3,400 United States companies and 
     supporting approximately 255,000 export-related American 
     jobs; and
       Whereas, The Ex-Im is a self-sustaining agency, which 
     operates at no cost to the taxpayer and, between the 2008-09 
     to 2011-12 fiscal years, inclusive, the Ex-Im has generated 
     $1.6 billion in excess revenue for United States taxpayers; 
     and
       Whereas, The Ex-Im enables United States companies large 
     and small to turn export opportunities into sales that help 
     to maintain and create in the United States jobs and 
     contribute to a stronger national economy. On average, more 
     than 85 percent of the Ex-Im's transactions support United 
     States small businesses; and
       Whereas, Exports are particularly important to the 
     California economy as California is currently ranked second 
     in exports among all states. If California's manufacturing 
     base is to grow, we must continue to expand our ability to 
     export goods from California facilities. Given the key role 
     the Ex-Im plays in facilitating export sales, failure to 
     reauthorize it would be devastating to existing industry and 
     to those that we hope to create in the future; and
       Whereas, Over the past five years, the Ex-Im has assisted 
     more than 900 California companies to export their products. 
     Nearly 200 of those companies are women or minority owned and 
     668 are small businesses. These companies export their 
     products and services around the globe totaling more than $19 
     billion in sales. Fifty-two of the 53 congressional districts 
     in California had companies benefit from the Ex-Im loans; and
       Whereas, A reauthorization of the Ex-Im is critical to the 
     ability of many United States exporters to compete on a level 
     playing field in a commercial market where current and future 
     competitors continue to enjoy aggressive support from their 
     countries' export credit agencies; and
       Whereas, A failure to reauthorize the Ex-Im would amount to 
     unilateral disarmament in the face of other nations' 
     aggressive trade finance programs that favor their domestic 
     companies over American companies; and
       Whereas, Economic growth depends on increasing exports from 
     both small and large manufacturers and service providers in 
     California and reauthorization means support for California 
     exports and California jobs: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges Congress to 
     support legislation reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of 
     the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-313. A resolution adopted by the California State Lands 
     Commission opposing S. 2094, the Vessel Incidental Discharge 
     Act; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.
                                  ____

       POM-314. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Rhode Island urging the United States Congress to support a 
     peaceful unification of Ireland using all possible diplomatic 
     means; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                         Senate Resolution 3124

       Whereas, Ireland and the Irish people are an ancient nation 
     that have contributed much to western culture, particularly 
     within the spheres of literature, art, music, dance, theater, 
     theology and philosophy: and
       Whereas, Ireland is an island nation that eventually 
     evolved into 32 counties. Tragically, in 1922 it was divided 
     against the wishes of a majority of the Irish people who 
     desired a united nation, into the Irish Republic, consisting 
     of 26 counties, and Northern Ireland, composed of the 
     remaining six counties, and
       Whereas, A peacefully united and independent Ireland would 
     be the most effective way to grow the economy and would lead 
     to a wealthier nation, with more influence in regional and 
     world affairs. It would also be the best way to ensure that 
     all citizens of Ireland have a just and equal chance at 
     happiness and prosperity; and
       Whereas, A united and independent Ireland, with a unified 
     and independent police force and justice system, is more 
     likely to dispense justice in an impartial and fair way, and 
     it would be far more likely to have the trust and respect of 
     its citizenry, including citizens from all socio-economic 
     spheres of life: and
       Whereas, The Good Friday Agreement of 1998, negotiated with 
     strong American support, ratified by the British and Irish 
     governments and approved by a vote with the overwhelming 
     support of the entire island of Ireland, provides a framework 
     by which a united Ireland might he achieved through peaceful 
     and democratic means. It also provided for the development 
     and strengthening of North/South institutions and for there 
     to be cross border cooperation amongst the two entities; and
       Whereas, The United States and the State of Rhode Island 
     have benefited enormously from the rich contributions Irish 
     immigrants have made to our nation and state; Now, therefore 
     be it
       Resolved, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and 
     Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests that the 
     United States Congress strongly supports a peaceful 
     unification of Ireland using all possible diplomatic means; 
     and be it further,
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, 
     the President and Vice President of the United States, the 
     United States Secretary of State, and the Taoiseach (Prime 
     Minister) of Ireland, Enda Kenny.
                                  ____

       POM-315. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Rhode Island requesting that the United States Congress and 
     the United Nations work together towards finding a peaceful 
     solution to the problems in Cyprus; to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.

                         Senate Resolution 3118

       Whereas, This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the 
     illegal Turkish invasion and continued occupation of Cyprus: 
     and
       Whereas, The Republic of Cyprus has been divided and 
     occupied by foreign forces since 1974, in violation of 
     numerous United Nations' Resolutions; and
       Whereas, The Republic of Cyprus is the only internationally 
     recognized and legal entity on the Island of Cyprus and is a 
     member of the United Nations and the European Union. United 
     States Vice President Joseph Biden re-affirmed these facts 
     and the United States' support for the Republic of Cyprus on 
     his recent visit to the Island of Cyprus; and
       Whereas, The international community, with the support of 
     the United States, has repeatedly supported the Republic of 
     Cyprus in this dispute. It has called for the removal of the 
     43,000 Turkish troops from the Island,

[[Page 12564]]

     the return of all illegal settlers, and has continuously 
     urged the government of Turkey to engage in good faith 
     negotiations to achieve these ends; and
       Whereas, A peaceful, just and lasting solution to the 
     Cyprus problem would greatly benefit the security and the 
     political, economic and social well-being of all Cypriots, as 
     well as contribute to improved relations between Greece, 
     Turkey and the European Union: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and 
     Providence Plantations hereby marks the fortieth anniversary 
     of the unlawful Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus. We 
     furthermore respectfully request that the President of the 
     United States and the United States Congress fully support 
     all United Nations efforts to create a peaceful and 
     democratic solution that will be based on European law and 
     will guarantee all Cypriot citizens equal human rights; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to President Barack Obama, Vice President 
     Joseph Biden, Jr., Secretary of State John Kerry, the Rhode 
     Island Delegation to the United States Congress, Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives John Boehner, House Minority 
     Leader Nancy Pelosi, United States Senate Majority Leader 
     Harry Reid, United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch 
     McConnell, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
                                  ____

       POM-316. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California calling upon the United States 
     Congress to enact legislation that would establish reasonable 
     deadlines for the prohibition of the testing and marketing of 
     cosmetic products that have been tested on animals, and 
     urging the federal government to mandate alternative methods 
     to animal testing of cosmetic products; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                       Senate Joint Resolution 22

       Whereas, For more than 50 years, animals have been used in 
     painful tests to assess the safety of certain chemicals used 
     in cosmetic products; and
       Whereas, Modern alternatives to harmful animal testing are 
     increasingly less expensive, faster, and more accurate at 
     predicting human reactions; and
       Whereas, Mandating and promoting the use of accepted 
     alternative methods to animal testing has, and will continue 
     to have, a huge positive impact on animal welfare; and
       Whereas, Careful evaluation of alternative methods to 
     animal tests ensures that their proper use supports the equal 
     or better protection of people, animals, and the environment; 
     and
       Whereas, In 2000, California became the first state in the 
     nation to pass a law restricting the use of animals in 
     product testing by making it unlawful to use animals for 
     testing when an appropriate, validated, alternative method is 
     available; and
       Whereas, Our nation's largest trading partner, the European 
     Union, which accounts for nearly half of the global cosmetics 
     market worth an estimated $90 billion a year, prohibits the 
     importation and sale of cosmetics that have been tested on 
     animals as of March 2013; and
       Whereas, Norway, India, Israel, and the state of Sao Paulo, 
     Brazil have also banned all animal testing for cosmetics; and
       Whereas, Harmonizing international laws that encourage 
     modern science and respond to consumer expectations benefits 
     businesses and consumers in today's global marketplace; and
       Whereas, Polls show that the American public overwhelmingly 
     supports alternatives to testing cosmetics on animals. A 
     recent poll conducted by ORC International, a leading global 
     market research firm, found that 72 percent of American 
     adults surveyed believe that testing cosmetics on animals is 
     unethical: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the United 
     States Congress to enact legislation that would establish 
     reasonable deadlines for the prohibition of the testing and 
     marketing of cosmetic products that have been tested on 
     animals; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges the federal government 
     to mandate alternative methods to animal testing of cosmetic 
     products, whenever those scientifically satisfactory methods 
     are available, and to prioritize the validation and 
     acceptance of additional nonanimal tests; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States, to the Governor of California, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.

                          ____________________