093_HR0128

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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The United States supports the right to freedom,
 3    economic prosperity, and good health for all peoples  in  all
 4    corners of the globe; and

 5        WHEREAS, The United States is also willing to come to the
 6    aid  of  nations  in  need  of assistance when establishing a
 7    democratic  government   and   free   market   economy,   the
 8    cornerstones  of  any  nation  seeking to provide its people,
 9    freedom, economic prosperity, and good health; and

10        WHEREAS, The 23 million citizens of the island of  Taiwan
11    are proof that, with just a bit of encouragement from allies,
12    the  will, determination, and commitment of a proud people is
13    all that is needed to  foster  democracy,  freedom,  economic
14    prosperity, and good health; and

15        WHEREAS,  With 56 years of democratic governance pursuant
16    to constitutional rule,  the  world  is  impressed  with  the
17    strides  the people of Taiwan have made in the area of public
18    health  by  controlling   acute   infectious   diseases   and
19    eliminating malaria, improving children's and women's health,
20    establishing  a  complete health and medical network, setting
21    up an emergency medical system, and implementing  a  national
22    health insurance program; and

23        WHEREAS,  The  people  of  Taiwan  have also made equally
24    impressive strides in the area of economics by  sustaining  a
25    growing  economy which had a Gross National Product of $313.9
26    billion in 2000, by being the eighth largest market worldwide
27    for United States' exports, totaling $18.2 billion  in  2001,
28    and  with  Taiwanese  companies investing $1.1 billion in the
29    United States in 2001; and

30        WHEREAS, The people of Taiwan do  not  wish  to  rest  on
31    their  public health and economic laurels but wish to further
 
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 1    improve their own economy and health care system, in addition
 2    to striving to improve the economies and health care  systems
 3    of  the  other  nations of the world, a sign of good will and
 4    peace which is indicative of all democratic  nations  of  the
 5    world; and

 6        WHEREAS,  Taiwan can reach these goals should it have the
 7    opportunity to participate as an observer in the World Health
 8    Organization, which is dedicated to the fundamental right  of
 9    every human being to enjoy the highest attainable standard of
10    health  possible, and should it have the opportunity to enter
11    into  a  free  trade  agreement  with  the   United   States;
12    therefore, be it

13        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
14    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
15    the Illinois House of Representatives joins the United States
16    Government  and  the  governments  of the world in support of
17    granting  Taiwan  observer  status  in   the   World   Health
18    Organization  so  that it may further improve the health care
19    that is provided to its citizens and so that Taiwan may  more
20    formally  share the knowledge and improvements it has made to
21    its own health care system with the nations  and  peoples  of
22    the world; and be it further

23        RESOLVED,  That  the  Illinois  House  of Representatives
24    encourages the Taiwanese and the United States Government  to
25    establish  a  Taiwan-U.S.  Free Trade Agreement (TUFTA) which
26    will only serve to improve an  already  strong  and  mutually
27    profitable  economic relationship between both Taiwan and the
28    United  States,  which  will  benefit   Taiwan's   consumers,
29    security,  and  democracy,  and  which  will  serve America's
30    broader interests in  the  Asia-Pacific  region;  and  be  it
31    further

32        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
 
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 1    furnished  to  President  George  W.   Bush,   the   Illinois
 2    delegation  of  the  United States Congress, and to President
 3    Chen Shui-bian on  behalf  of  the  23  million  citizens  of
 4    Taiwan,  friends of the citizens of the State of Illinois and
 5    of the United States.