HR0988 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0988 LRB097 21172 GRL 68688 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois owes a debt of gratitude to the people of the United States of America, President Obama, and the United States Congress for their continued support of the domestic automobile industry; and

WHEREAS, In manufacturing, it is important to create a product that is high in quality, yet affordable to the target market, and is concurrently sustainable and profitable for the producer; and

WHEREAS, Our economy, and the domestic auto industry in particular, was faced with unprecedented challenges; these challenges, which in large part emanated from a maelstrom of rising energy costs, a massive credit crunch, and other global economic forces, combined in a way that threatened the existence of our nation's domestic automakers; and

WHEREAS, Clearly, this segment of our economy was far too important to the State of Illinois and the United States to be allowed to wither and potentially fail; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. automotive industry and the advancements associated with automotive transportation have been the lifeblood of the American economy for decades; American automakers have been responsible for many of the most important manufacturing advancements in the past century, and have been a crucial part of the "Arsenal of Democracy" that helped assure our victory in time of war; and

WHEREAS, Today, more than 3 million direct and indirect American jobs and countless numbers of retirees are dependent on the domestic automotive industry; therefore, a strong showing of support for our domestic automakers was critical at that important juncture in our nation's history; and

WHEREAS, Illinois auto workers produce the Ford Explorer, Ford Taurus, and Lincoln MKS in Chicago, the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, and Dodge Dart in Belvidere, and the Mitsubishi Gallant and Outlander Sport in Normal; and

WHEREAS, An American-made vehicle can be identified as an automobile with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that begins with a 1, 4, or 5; and

WHEREAS, Latest reports indicate that strong profits are being earned across the board by all 3 domestic auto manufacturers; and

WHEREAS, By taking difficult but necessary action, the American people have helped the auto industry add back more than 200,000 jobs, the best period of job growth for the industry in more than a decade; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we bestow our highest gratitude to those consumers in this State and the nation at large who believed that the domestic auto industry was too important to let die; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we give our highest praise to our domestic auto industry, who, on their darkest day, found a way to continue to do business in a way that is both profitable and sustainable for generations to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable 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 Illinois Congressional delegation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge all Illinois legislators and citizens to support their neighbors, their community, and their country by considering an American-made car for their next automobile purchase.