[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6259-6262]
[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-22. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan memorializing the 
     United States Congress to require the U.S. Department of 
     Defense to ensure that replacement aircraft are assigned to 
     Selfridge Air National Guard Base to compensate for the 
     proposed elimination of the A-10 fleet; to the Committee on 
     Armed Services.

                        House Resolution No. 29

       Whereas, The proposed U.S. Department of Defense budget 
     would eliminate the nation's

[[Page 6260]]

     A-10 fleet, including aircraft at Michigan's Selfridge Air 
     National Guard Base. Selfridge currently is home to 18 A-10 
     Thunderbolt II aircraft, directly supporting 535 jobs related 
     to that mission; and
       Whereas, The proposed cuts would have a dramatic effect on 
     the lives and morale of the dedicated men and women who 
     choose to serve our country at Selfridge Air National Guard 
     Base and other U.S. military bases. The elimination of the A-
     10 fleet would place in jeopardy more than 400 jobs at 
     Selfridge alone; and
       Whereas, In Michigan, these proposed cuts would have 
     immeasurable impacts on Macomb County and the local 
     communities surrounding the Selfridge Air National Guard 
     Base. For nearly a century, the base has been a source of 
     community pride and local jobs, with the local economic 
     benefit worth more than $700 million to residents and 
     businesses in several surrounding cities and townships. In 
     addition, the base is a key component of disaster response 
     for the entire state and a vital base for our nation's 
     homeland security; and
       Whereas, The A-10 fleet should not be eliminated until an 
     enduring fighter aircraft mission, or suitable enduring non-
     fighter mission supplementary to the KC-135 Air Refueling 
     Tanker, can be assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base. 
     The elimination of the A-10 fleet will make Selfridge 
     vulnerable to closure in future Base Realignment and Closure 
     Commission recommendations. Assigning replacement aircraft 
     would not only maintain the viability of this important base 
     for homeland security, but would also be cost-effective: the 
     Air National Guard can operate aircraft at about half the 
     cost of an active duty unit; and
       Whereas, The brave pilots and crew who serve in the A-10 
     unit based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base have 
     performed brilliantly against the enemies of freedom on 
     battlefields across the globe providing desperately needed 
     close air support for our nation's warriors. It is vital to 
     our national security that those skilled airmen continue to 
     be utilized to defend our nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States to require the 
     U.S. Department of Defense to ensure that replacement 
     aircraft are assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base to 
     compensate for the proposed elimination of the A-10 fleet; 
     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-23. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wyoming requesting the United States Congress to 
     eliminate the freeze on longer combination vehicles and 
     consent to the creation of a voluntary compact between 
     Western States that will establish uniform size and capacity, 
     routes, configuration, and operating conditions for longer 
     combination vehicles; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation.

                   House Enrolled Joint Resolution 2

       Whereas, one of the most significant ways to improve 
     freight system performance on the highways of the western 
     United States is through the use of more efficient trucks and 
     track combinations; and
       Whereas, over the past two (2) decades, longer combination 
     vehicles (LCVs), which are tractor-trailer combinations with 
     two (2) or more trailers that have a gross weight exceeding 
     eighty thousand (80,000) pounds, have demonstrated 
     considerable benefits to the general public through increased 
     productivity, higher safety ratings, increased fuel savings, 
     emissions reductions and congestion mitigation; and
       Wereas, a Federal Highway Administration freeze on state 
     authority to expand the of LCVs has been in place since 1991, 
     and since that time there has been substantial population, 
     traffic congestion and vehicle registration growth and a 
     significant increase in vehicle miles traveled and vehicle 
     emissions; and
       Whereas, eliminating the freeze on LCVs for the affected 
     states, including Wyoming, will give these states the 
     flexibility to establish uniformity in LCV, oversight and 
     find ways to benefit from LCV operations in each of the 
     affected states and throughout the western United States; and
       Whereas, consenting to a voluntary compact or agreement 
     between the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, 
     Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South 
     Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming will allow these 
     states to establish uniform size and weight limits for LCVs, 
     which are not to exceed one hundred twenty-nine thousand 
     (129,000) pounds gross vehicle combination weight or one 
     hundred (100) foot cargo carrying length, and adopt LCV 
     routes, configurations and operating conditions: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Members of the Legislature of the State of 
     Wyoming:
       Section 1. That Congress is urged to lift the freeze on 
     longer commercial vehicles for the affected Western states, 
     including Wyoming, in order to take advantage of new 
     transportation strategies to improve highway efficiency and 
     reduce vehicle miles traveled, traffic congestion, fuel 
     consumption and air pollution emissions.
       Section 2. That Congress consent to the creation of 
     voluntary compact or agreement between the states. of 
     Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, 
     Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, 
     Washington and Wyoming that will establish uniform LCV size 
     capacity, routes, configurations and operating conditions.
       Section 3. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President of the United 
     States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives of the United States Congress and to 
     the Wyoming Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-24. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wyoming calling on the United States Congress, 
     state, and local authorities to take action to prevent 
     further damage and remediate damages caused by free-roaming 
     feral horses on rangelands in the West and to develop 
     effective fertility control methods to reduce the populations 
     of free-roaming feral horses in the West; to the Committee on 
     Energy and Natural Resources.

                   House Enrolled Joint Resolution 3

       Whereas, Wyoming has recognized the Wild and Free-Roaming 
     Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and free-roaming horses are 
     defined as feral under W.S. 11-48-101(a) (iii); and
       Whereas, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
     estimates that almost fifty thousand (50,000) feral horses 
     roam BLM managed rangelands in the West, with nearly three 
     thousand (3,000) of those feral horses, the majority of which 
     descend from animals turned out by ranchers, roaming public 
     rangelands in Wyoming; and
       Whereas, free-roaming feral horses have virtually no 
     natural predators in Wyoming nor the West and BLM evidence 
     suggests the population of feral horses can double in size 
     about every four (4) years if left uncontrolled; and
       Whereas, BLM estimates that the current free-roaming 
     population of feral horses significantly exceeds the number 
     that can exist in healthy balance with other public rangeland 
     resources and uses, including wildlife and domestic livestock 
     grazing; and
       Whereas, free-roaming feral horses, among other things, 
     trample and destroy vegetation, hard-pack soil, over-graze 
     and decimate riparian areas causing degradation in areas that 
     provide important habitat for native species such as 
     pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep and sage grouse; and
       Whereas, the state of Wyoming has a federally approved sage 
     grouse conservation plan, the efficacy of which is being 
     compromised by continuing habitat damage resulting from free-
     roaming horses; and
       Whereas, the number of free-roaming feral horses removed 
     from public rangelands in the West by BLM in compliance with 
     the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, now far 
     exceeds the number of feral horses adopted or sold; and
       Whereas, those feral horses not adopted by the public are 
     held in long-term pastures or short-term corrals, costing BLM 
     nationally an estimated fifty-eight million dollars 
     ($58,000,000.00) per year; and
       Whereas, evidence suggests the development and use of 
     effective fertility control methods can limit the populations 
     of free-roaming feral horses, lessen the need to remove free-
     roaming feral horses from the state's rangelands, improve the 
     health of the rangelands in the West, conserve wildlife 
     habitat and save taxpayers money; and
       Whereas, the following reports provide, among other things, 
     data, statistics and recommended strategies to manage free-
     roaming feral horses in the West and protect the state's 
     rangeland resources and uses: Range-wide Interagency Sage-
     grouse Conservation Team, Near-Term Greater Sage-Grouse 
     Conservation Action Plan (September 2012); Ted Williams, 
     Horse Sense, Audubon (September/October 2006); David Ganskopp 
     and Martin Vavra, Habitat Use by Feral Horses in the Northern 
     Sagebrush Steppe, Journal of Range Management Volume 39(3) 
     (May 1986); K.W. Davies and C.S. Boyd, Effects on Feral Free-
     Roaming Horses on Semi-Arid Rangeland Ecosystems: An Example 
     from the Sagebrush Steppe, Ecosphere Volume 5(10) (October 
     2014); Linda Zeigenfuss et al., Influence of Nonnative and 
     Native Ungulate Biomass and Seasonal Precipitation on 
     Vegetation Production in a Great Basin Ecosystem, Western 
     North American Naturalist Volume 74(3) (2014); Erik Beever 
     and Peter Brussard, Examining Ecological Consequences of 
     Feral Horse Grazing Using Exclosures, Western North American 
     Naturalist Volume 60(3) (2000); Kelly Crane et al., Habitat 
     Selection Patterns of Feral Horses in Southcentral Wyoming, 
     Journal of Range Management Volume 50(4) (July 1997); Erik 
     Beever, Management Implications of the Ecology of Free-
     Roaming Horses in Semi-Arid Ecosystems of the Western United 
     States, Wildlife Society Bulletin Volume 31(3) (2003); and 
     Erik Beever and Cameron Aldridge, Influences of Free-Roaming 
     Equids on Sagebrush Ecosystems, with a Focus on Greater Sage-
     Grouse, Studies in Avian Biology Volume 38 (2011): Now, 
     therefore, be it

[[Page 6261]]

       Resolved by the Members of the Legislature of the State of 
     Wyoming:
       Section 1. That the Wyoming Legislature calls on Congress 
     and federal agencies to adequately fund and support all 
     efforts to manage free-roaming feral horses on rangelands in 
     the West at the appropriate management level, utilizing all 
     management and control methods authorized by Section 3(d) of 
     the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
       Section 2. That the Wyoming Legislature calls on Congress 
     in conjunction with all appropriate state and local 
     governments to engage in cooperative efforts to remediate and 
     minimize the environmental impact of free-roaming feral 
     horses on rangelands in the West. These efforts should 
     include the development and use of effective fertility 
     control methods to reduce the free-roaming populations of 
     feral horses on rangelands in the West.
       Section 3. That the Wyoming Legislature calls on Congress 
     to prohibit the reintroduction of feral horses back onto the 
     western rangelands outside the current herd management areas, 
     nor onto existing herdo management areas at or above the 
     authorized management levels.
       Section 4. That the Wyoming Legislature calls on Congress 
     and federal agencies to prioritize these requested management 
     activities to the sage grouse core areas and priority habitat 
     strongholds in order to reduce the possibility of an 
     endangered listing for the sage grouse and to stop the 
     resource-damage now occurring.
       Section 5. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President of the United 
     States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to 
     the Wyoming Congressional Delegation, the Secretary of the 
     Interior, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Land 
     Management and the Director of the Wyoming Office of the 
     Bureau of Land Management.
                                  ____

       POM-25. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts memorializing the President of 
     the United States and the United States Congress to establish 
     a Presidential Youth Council; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                              Resolutions

       Whereas, Young people have always played an important role 
     in the nation's history and development but continue to play 
     a disproportionately small role in American government; and
       Whereas, Just over \1/3\ of the United States population is 
     comprised of Americans age 24 and under; and
       Whereas, Youth participation, involvement and engagement 
     should be universally recognized as safeguards of democracy 
     but the existing mechanisms of the Federal Government are 
     designed in ways that inhibit youth participation, leading to 
     the underrepresentation of young people in the policymaking 
     process; and
       Whereas, Policy decisions made today will have a profound 
     impact on future generations and all Americans should have a 
     voice in government, especially with regard to policies that 
     directly affect them; and
       Whereas, A Presidential Youth Council would offer young 
     persons in America with a means of sharing their perspectives 
     and voicing their opinions at the highest level of government 
     while also providing the President and Congress with a 
     bipartisan source of information on the concerns facing 
     youths across the country; and
       Whereas, Members of Congress, governors, state legislatures 
     and mayors have created youth councils that have proven to be 
     effective means of receiving input from young people and have 
     lead to more efficient policies and practices affecting young 
     people: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts General Court hereby 
     encourages the creation of a Presidential Youth Council to 
     advise the President and Congress on the perspectives of 
     young people, to assist in the design and implementation of 
     youth policies and to allow young people to provide solutions 
     on the most pressing issues facing the future of America; and 
     be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to the President of the 
     United States, to the Presiding Officer of each branch of 
     Congress and to the Members thereof from the commonwealth.
                                  ____

       POM-26. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of California urging the President of the United States 
     and the United States Congress to work together to create a 
     comprehensive and workable approach to reform the nation's 
     immigration system according to specified principles; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 2

       Whereas, This country was built by immigrants seeking a 
     better life; and
       Whereas, Estimates suggest that there are 11 million 
     undocumented immigrants living in the shadows in the United 
     States, including millions of children brought to this 
     country undocumented who have grown up here, call the United 
     States home, and are suffering from our dysfunctional 
     immigration policy; and
       Whereas, A logical and streamlined path to citizenship for 
     individuals after they gain legal status would stimulate the 
     economy by allowing these individuals to get college degrees 
     and driver's licenses, buy homes, start new companies, and 
     create legal, tax-paying jobs, affording them a chance at the 
     American Dream; and
       Whereas, The United States Congress last enacted major 
     immigration legislation more than 25 years ago; and
       Whereas, Since that time, fragmented attempts at 
     immigration reform have failed to create the rational and 
     effective systems needed to maintain international 
     competitiveness. Whether in industries like agriculture, 
     which requires large numbers of workers able to perform 
     physically demanding tasks, or in industries like technology 
     or health care, where the demand for employees with advanced 
     degrees is projected to exceed supply within the next five 
     years, immigration policy must be designed to respond to 
     emerging labor needs in all sectors of the United States 
     economy; and
       Whereas, Our national interests and security are not served 
     by our outdated, inefficient, and slow-moving immigration 
     system. Patchwork attempts to mend its deficiencies undermine 
     our potential for prosperity and leave us vulnerable and 
     unable to meet the needs of the modern world; and
       Whereas, Labor mobility is crucial to our economic 
     prosperity and our country's recovery from the economic 
     crisis. Yet our rigid, outdated immigration policies are 
     making it difficult for our companies and our nation to 
     compete. Information released in a study by the University of 
     California, Los Angeles, states that legalizing the status of 
     undocumented immigrants working and living in the United 
     States would create approximately $1.5 trillion in additional 
     gross domestic product growth over the next 10 years and 
     increase wages for all workers. Another study by the 
     University of California, Davis, indicates that the last 
     large wave of immigrants, from 1990 to 2007, inclusive, 
     raised the income of a native-born American worker by an 
     average of $5,000; and
       Whereas, California has the largest share of immigrants in 
     the country. These immigrants are a vital and productive part 
     of our state's economy and are active in a variety of 
     industries, including technology, biotech, hospitality, 
     agriculture, construction, services, transportation, and 
     textiles. They also represent a large share of our new small 
     business owners and create economic property and needed jobs 
     for everyone; and
       Whereas, Keeping these families, business owners, and hard 
     workers in the shadows of society serves no one; and
       Whereas, Our state, for economic, social, health, security, 
     and prosperity reasons, must support policies that allow 
     individuals to become legal and enfranchised participants in 
     our society and economy; and
       Whereas, Comprehensive immigration reform should include a 
     reasonable and timely path to citizenship for undocumented 
     immigrants who are already living and working in the United 
     States. Immigration reform should also include comprehensive 
     background checks, require demonstrated proficiency in 
     English and payment of all current and back taxes, and have 
     the flexibility to respond to emerging business trends; and
       Whereas, The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan 
     research group in Washington, D.C., estimates that in 2012, 
     the federal government spent $18 billion on immigration 
     enforcement, and since 2004, the number of United States 
     Border Patrol agents has doubled; and
       Whereas, Increased enforcement has given the federal 
     government the ability to prioritize the deportation of 
     lawbreakers and dangerous individuals and to ensure our 
     border's security. Nevertheless, this enforcement should not 
     be done in an inhumane way; and
       Whereas, Immigration enforcement should continue to focus 
     on criminals, not on hardworking immigrant families, and not 
     at the expense of effective trade with two of our top three 
     economic partners; and
       Whereas, The United States loses large numbers of 
     necessary, highly skilled workers due to the lengthy and 
     complicated processes currently in place to get or keep a 
     legal residency option; and
       Whereas, Reform should include an expedited process for 
     those residing abroad and applying for legal visas. 
     Additionally, reform should offer permanent residency 
     opportunities to international students in American 
     universities who are highly trained and in high demand, and 
     in so doing avoid an intellectual vacuum after their 
     graduation; and
       Whereas, Reform should recognize the societal and cultural 
     benefits of keeping the family unit intact. The system should 
     take into account special circumstances surrounding 
     candidates for probationary legal status, such as those of 
     minors who were brought to the country as children or workers 
     whose labor is essential to maintain our country's 
     competitiveness: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President 
     and the Congress of the United States to work together and

[[Page 6262]]

     create a comprehensive and workable approach to solving our 
     nation's historically broken immigration system, using the 
     principles described in this resolution; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and the 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-27. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of Rockland 
     County, New York, urging the United States Senate to 
     introduce and pass legislation similar to H.R. 343, that 
     would allow volunteer firefighters and emergency medical and 
     rescue personnel to claim services as a charitable 
     contribution to their department; to the Committee on 
     Finance.
       POM-28. A resolution adopted by the Tompkins County 
     Legislature of the State of New York asking the United States 
     Congress and the President of the United States to halt the 
     ``Fast-Track'' process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and 
     instead, to allow the Trans-Pacific Partnership a fully 
     transparent, public debate in Congress until its impact are 
     fully assessed by all stakeholders, in order to protect the 
     rights of the people of Tompkins County, the best interests 
     of local businesses and workforce, the health of the 
     environment, and the sovereignty of all levels of government; 
     to the Committee on Finance.

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