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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-5. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Alaska supporting oil and gas leasing and development within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
House Joint Resolution No. 34
Whereas, in 1923, President Warren G. Harding issued an Executive Order establishing Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 on the North Slope region to provide a potential supply of oil for the United States Navy; and
Whereas 42 U.S.C. 6501 (Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976) redesignated Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 as the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and transferred responsibility for its administration to the Secretary of the Interior; and
Whereas the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska encompasses 23,500,000 acres, with boundaries extending south from Icy Cape to the drainage divide of the Brooks Range, then following the divide eastward to 156 degrees west longitude, then north to the Colville River, and following the Colville River downstream to its mouth; and
Whereas the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska falls entirely within the boundary of the North Slope Borough and includes the communities of Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Utqiagvik, and Wainwright; and
Whereas, in 2017, the United States Geological Survey estimated there to be 8,700,000,000 barrels of recoverable oil and 25,000,000,000,000 cubic feet of recoverable gas reserves in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; and
Whereas the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan and Environmental Impact Statement estimates potential annual government revenue, including local, state, and federal taxes and royalties, of
$730,000,000 to $4,750,000,000 from oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; and
Whereas the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan and Environmental Impact Statement estimates that the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the reserve could generate 3,600 direct jobs and 2,750 indirect jobs annually over a period of 30 years; and
Whereas state royalties from oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska are allocated to the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Impact Mitigation Fund, which is used to provide the local communities of Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Wainwright, Utqiagvik, and the North Slope Borough with grants to mitigate impacts related to oil and gas development; and
Whereas, in January of 2022, the Department of the Interior took action that would effectively revert management of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to the 2013 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan, removing 7,000,000 acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska from potential oil and gas development; and
Whereas the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan was developed in partnership with the North Slope Borough and in consultation with North Slope tribes and Alaska Native corporations and it included provisions that would have ensured future economic development opportunities for the North Slope region, allowed for community infrastructure needs to be considered in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and required that areas identified by local and Alaska Native entities be excluded from future leasing; and
Whereas the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, and the North Slope Borough are all united in opposition to the Department of the Interior's reversion from the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan to the 2013 National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan and have expressed concern that this reversion diminishes Alaska Native self-determination by ignoring the needs, concerns, and input of the local people who live, work, and subsist in and around the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; and
Whereas oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska has the potential to extend the life of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System and increase throughput, which has declined from a peak of 2,033,000 average barrels of oil a day in 1988 to 477,800 average barrels of oil a day in 2021; and
Whereas the failure of the Department of the Interior to consult with the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation before taking sweeping action violates Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments; and
Whereas oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska would strengthen national security and provide long-lasting benefits to the national economy by creating thousands of jobs nationwide, generating billions of dollars in government revenue, providing affordable energy to American consumers, and decreasing dependence on foreign energy; and
Whereas safe and responsible oil and gas exploration, development, and production has been demonstrated by over 50 years of activity on the North Slope region without adverse effects on the environment or wildlife populations; be it
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, to maximize the area available for oil and gas leasing and development within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska while conserving and protecting valued fish, wildlife, subsistence, and cultural resources; and be it further
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, when considering management activities related to the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, to take into account the long history of safe and responsible oil and gas development on the North Slope region and the enormous benefits that development of oil and gas resources in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska would bring to local communities, tribal governments, the state, and the nation.
Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Deb Haaland, United States Secretary of the Interior; the Honorable Tracy Stone-Manning, Director, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior; Thomas Heinlein, Acting Alaska State Director, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the U.S. Representative for Alaska, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
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POM-6. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Alaska urging the United States Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the Social Security Act; to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 12
Whereas public employees, while employed by the State of Alaska or a political subdivision of the state that participates in the Public Employees' Retirement System of Alaska, are ineligible by law to earn Social Security credits; and
Whereas teachers, while employed by a school district that participates in the Teachers' Retirement System of Alaska, are ineligible by law to earn Social Security credits; and
Whereas provisions of the Social Security Act known as the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset reduce the amount of social security benefits public employees and teachers might otherwise receive if they qualify for Social Security benefits; and
Whereas the Windfall Elimination Provision substantially reduces Social Security benefits earned by public employees and teachers; and
Whereas, in 2021, a Social Security benefit reduction by the Windfall Elimination Provision may be as much as $498 a month for each recipient; and
Whereas the Government Pension Offset reduces Social Security spousal and survivor benefits for recipients of Social Security spousal or survivor benefits who also receive a benefit from a public employees' or teachers' retirement system; and
Whereas the Government Pension Offset may reduce the Social Security monthly benefit payment, for a current or former public employee or teacher who is eligible to receive a benefit, by an amount equal to two-thirds of the amount the public employee or teacher receives from a public employees' or teachers' retirement system each month; and
Whereas nothing in the relationship between the Public Employees' Retirement System of Alaska, the Teachers' Retirement System of Alaska, or similar public employees' or teachers' retirement systems and Social Security legally or financially justifies a policy of reducing the amount of Social Security benefits earned by public employees or teachers for military service, including civilian military service, or time worked in the private sector; and
Whereas the lowest-earning public employees and teachers are disproportionately and negatively affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset; and
Whereas public employees and teachers who reside in the state are disproportionately and more negatively affected, per capita, by the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, than public employees and teachers who reside in any other state or territory in the United States; and
Whereas persons who are eligible to earn Social Security credits for work in the private sector or in active or civilian military service are deterred from becoming public employees or teachers by the negative effects of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset; and
Whereas the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset impair the ability of state and local governments to recruit and retain public school teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public employees; and
Whereas bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the 117th United States Congress to address the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset;
Be it Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Congress to pass legislation eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.
Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Xavier Becerra, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; the Honorable Miguel Cardona, United States Secretary of Education; the Honorable Andrew Saul, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the U.S. Representative for Alaska, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
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POM-7. A memorial adopted by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona supporting the enactment by the United States Congress of the Securing America's Land from Foreign Interference Act or similar legislation; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
House Resolution No. 2002
Whereas, the United States Department of Agriculture reports that at the end of 2020, foreign investors held an interest in more than 37 million acres of United States agricultural land, with China's investment increasing from 13,720 acres in 2010 to more than 350,000 in 2020; and
Whereas, from 2009 to 2016, China's agricultural investments in countries around the world grew substantially; and
Whereas, Chinese investments in American property could provide the Chinese Communist Party with undue leverage over our nation's supply chains as well as access to sensitive national security information; and
Whereas, approximately 14 states have restrictions in place regarding the amount of private agricultural land that foreign interests may own, but the federal government has yet to enact any restrictions on foreign ownership of United States real estate; and
Whereas, as American farmers age and the amount of U.S. farmland changing hands increases in coming years, foreign land grabbing will become an even greater threat; and
Whereas, foreign investments in American farmland, particularly by the Chinese Communist Party, not only provide opportunities for espionage against our military bases and infrastructure but may also undermine our nation's food security; and
Whereas, in the last congressional session, several members of Congress introduced legislation known as the ``Securing America's Land from Foreign Interference Act.'' These bills, S. 4703 and H.R. 3847, would require the United States President to take action to prohibit members of the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing public or private real estate located in the United States; and
Whereas, it is imperative that Congress take action to prohibit our nation's top adversaries from purchasing land in the United States in order to protect our nation's food supply and national security. Therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona:
1. That the Members of the House of Representatives support the enactment of the Securing America's Land from Foreign Interference Act, or similar legislation, to prohibit the sale of United States land to foreign investors.
2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Resolution to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.
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POM-8. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Alaska standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine; condemning the illegal invasion of Ukraine; endorsing the sanctions and export controls directed at the Russian Federation by the United States government; urging the United States Congress and the President to consider measured and appropriate sanctions and actions; demanding the Russian Federation immediately stop all hostilities against Ukraine and withdraw from Ukrainian territory; and supporting the United States in urging the Russian Federation to immediately stop its assault on Ukraine; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 25
Whereas the post-war international security order led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has relied on diplomacy, peace, and open communication over armed conflict to ensure prosperity and stability for over 1,000,000.000 people for more than 70 years; and
Whereas, on December 1, 1991, the Ukrainian people voted overwhelmingly to form a State independent from the Soviet Union, building a democracy and a thriving country grounded in the rule of law; and
Whereas the borders of Ukraine were subsequently universally recognized by the international community, including by the Russian Federation; and
Whereas, in 2014, pro-Western protests in Ukraine led to the resignation of authoritarian president Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Vladimir Putin, and ushered in democratically elected leaders who have sought closer ties to the European Union and the United States; and
Whereas, contrary to the free will of the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of security, peace, and prosperity through closer ties to the European Union and the United States, the Russian Federation annexed territory from Ukraine in 2014 and instigated, supported, and supplied a deadly separatist war in Eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of Ukraine, destabilizing the region; and
Whereas the Russian Federation violated international peace and security agreements that sought a peaceful solution in Eastern Ukraine and instead amassed hundreds of thousands of troops on Ukraine's border; and
Whereas Vladimir Putin has now launched an unjust and illegal invasion of the peaceful nation of Ukraine; and
Whereas Russian soldiers are currently sweeping through the country, inflicting violence and terror on millions of civilians and destroying homes, businesses, and economic infrastructure; and
Whereas reports of civilian casualties call for ensuring humanitarian access and respect for human rights and the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law; and
Whereas Ukraine has been a bulwark against Russian military aggression in Europe, and Vladimir Putin has said that Russia's territory should extend to the historical boundaries of Imperial Russia, with possible intentions of threatening NATO allies with military force; and
Whereas Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a violation of Article 2, paragraph 4, of the United Nations Charter, which states that all member states shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations; and
Whereas Ukraine is a nation under siege, and the brutality of this unnecessary and violent war is an affront to both international law and common decency; and
Whereas the United States has galvanized the international community and our allies to impose the strongest possible sanctions on Russia and its financial institutions as a means to inhibit Russia's ability to finance and replenish arms for its war against Ukraine; and
Whereas the patriotism, perseverance, and tenacity the Ukrainian people have shown in defending their country is an inspiration to the entire world; and
Whereas Ukraine deserves the support of every American and the entire international community as it defends itself from this unprovoked Russian invasion, which is the largest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II; be it
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature proudly stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine during this horrific and unnecessary war; and be it further
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Vladimir Putin's violent attack on the people of Ukraine; and be it further
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature strongly endorses the swift and severe economic sanctions and stringent export controls that the United States has imposed on Russia and urges the United States Congress and the President to consider measured and appropriate sanctions and actions; and be it further
Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature supports the United States in urging Russia to immediately stop its violent, illegal, and immoral assault on Ukraine, end the needless bloodshed, completely withdraw its military forces from within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders, and return to diplomacy and the rules-based international order that has ensured peace and prosperity for so many, for so long.
Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States; the Honorable Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine; Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris. Vice President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Charles Schumer, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Oksana Markarova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States; the Honorable Anatoly T. Antonov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United States; members of the United Nations Security Council; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan. U.S. Senators, and the U.S. Representative for Alaska, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
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POM-9. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of California urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to enact federal legislation that guarantees the right to reproductive freedom, including abortion and contraception; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Senate Resolution No. 9
Whereas, January 22, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) 410 U.S. 113, which affirmed the fundamental right to control reproductive decisions and decide whether to continue a pregnancy or obtain an abortion, which is an occasion deserving of acknowledgment; and
Whereas, Roe v. Wade was overturned by a 6-3 vote of the United States Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) 597 U.S. __ on June 24, 2022; and
Whereas, Roe v. Wade had been the cornerstone of one's ability to control their reproductive lives, affirming the right of anyone who could become pregnant in the United States to decide when and if to have children; and
Whereas, Abortion is a safe and common medical procedure and nearly one in four women in the United States will have an abortion by 45 years of age; and
Whereas, The Turnaway Study shows that denying people abortion creates economic hardship and insecurity that lasts for years and negatively impacts those people and their children; and
Whereas, Maternal death rates are 62 percent higher and perinatal death rates are 15 percent higher in states where abortion is restricted than in states with access to abortion and abortion bans disproportionately harm youth, people with low incomes, and communities of color; and
Whereas, As a result of the Dobbs decision repealing Roe v. Wade, 13 states have total abortion bans in effect and almost one-third of women and people who can become pregnant of reproductive age in the United States live in a state where abortion is not legal or is severely restricted; and
Whereas, With Roe v. Wade overturned, it is likely that abortion will be banned or severely restricted in 24 states, affecting more than 36 million women and even more people who can become pregnant; and
Whereas, Without the protections under Roe, there are no federal protections for patients and providers of sexual and reproductive health care from being criminalized for receiving or providing essential health care services; and
Whereas, The State of California stands in strong support of every individual's fundamental right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy; and
Whereas, Four years before Roe v. Wade, our state Supreme Court held that Californians have the fundamental constitutional right to procreative choice, a right that follows our state's recognition of the right to privacy in matters relating to marriage, family, and sex, in People v. Belous (1969) 71 Cal. 2d 954; and
Whereas, Our state Supreme Court recognized that while, at the time, there was no enumerated privacy right in either our or federal Constitution, the right to privacy was indisputably a fundamental right; and
Whereas, To further lay the groundwork to protect that right, California voters, in 1972, one year before Roe v. Wade, passed a constitutional amendment to explicitly provide for the constitutional right to privacy; and
Whereas, In the immediate aftermath of the United States Supreme Court's devastating decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed a comprehensive package of legislation expanding, protecting, and strengthening access to reproductive health care, including abortions for all Californians and people seeking such care, in our state; and
Whereas, The Legislature passed Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 to put Proposition 1 on the November 2022 ballot; and
Whereas, The California voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 1, and enacted a state constitutional right to prohibit the state from interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to enact federal legislation that guarantees the right to reproductive freedom, including abortion and contraception; 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 Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.
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POM-10. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Alaska encouraging the United States Congress to pass legislation granting the Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War access to the same veteran benefits received by United States veterans; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
House Joint Resolution No. 16
Whereas, beginning in 1960, the United States Central Intelligence Agency recruited thousands of Hmong people to fight against the Communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese Army regulars in Laos; and
Whereas, in July 1961, Brigadier General Edward G. Lansdale wrote in a memo to General Maxwell D. Taylor that about 9,000 Hmong tribesmen had been equipped for guerilla operations and these operations were being conducted with considerable effectiveness in Communist-dominated territory in Laos; and
Whereas as many as 100,000 Hmong soldiers were recruited and trained as Special Guerrilla Units to engage the North Vietnamese Army; and
Whereas the United States relied heavily on the Hmong Special Guerrilla Units, although outnumbered by enemy forces, to intercept and prevent the flow of troops and war supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail; and
Whereas the Hmong soldiers conducted tactical guerrilla actions, flew thousands of deadly combat missions in support of the United States Armed Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency, and fought in conventional and guerilla combat with an extremely high number of casualties; and
Whereas the Hmong soldiers protected United States personnel, guarded United States Air Force radar installations, gathered critical intelligence about enemy operations, and undertook rescue missions to save the lives of downed United States pilots; and
Whereas approximately 40,000 Hmong soldiers lost their lives defending democracy, approximately 50,000 Hmong soldiers were seriously injured and disabled, and approximately 3,000 Hmong soldiers were missing in action; and
Whereas Hmong soldiers died at 10 times the rate of United States soldiers in the Vietnam War; and
Whereas, because the war effort of the United States in Laos was covert, the accounts of the sacrifices and service of the Hmong soldiers remain largely unknown; and
Whereas many Hmong soldiers became refugees because the United States government encouraged them to fight for the United States, and, as a result, thousands of family members of Hmong soldiers were evacuated to a United States air base in Thailand to avoid bloody vengeance by the communists in Laos and Vietnam; and
Whereas, after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, thousands of Hmong soldiers suffered acts of retribution and atrocities by the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese, causing hundreds of thousands of Hmong refugees to flee to neighboring Thailand; and
Whereas approximately 50,000 Hmong veterans reside in the United States, and 150,000 Hmong and Laotian-born children have graduated from schools in this country; and
Whereas the Hmong warriors were promised that they would be treated just like other United States veterans; and be it
Resolved and be it that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United States Congress to pass legislation granting the Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War full access to the same veteran benefits received by United States veterans.
Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Denis McDonough, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Charles Schumer, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; and all other members of the 117th United States Congress.
POM-11. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas relative to enactment of federal legislation prohibiting federal officials from removing original documents from federal premises; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 57
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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