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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Throughout history brave Americans have shed
3 their blood during wars and conflicts to preserve, protect, and
4 defend the foundation of the principles of democracy and
5 freedom; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In every military conflict and national time of
7 need since 1818, the brave men and women of the State of
8 Illinois have risen to the cause of defending democracy; and
 
9     WHEREAS, These brave Illinois men and women leave behind
10 family and friends to proudly serve their country; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The federal government has an obligation to
12 provide the benefits it has promised to Illinois veterans; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The General Assembly was dismayed to discover in
14 December 2004 that the State of Illinois' veterans were ranked
15 last in the United States in the amount of benefits they
16 receive through the federal government; and
 
17     WHEREAS, New reports in February 2006 place Illinois
18 Veterans last in the nation for being hired through federal
19 veterans job-placement programs, indicating that the federal
20 government is not living up to its obligations to Illinois
21 veterans; and
 
22     WHEREAS, The report states that only 34 percent of Illinois
23 veterans and 28 percent of disabled Illinois veterans who
24 sought help from the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans
25 Employment and Training Service were hired last year-compared
26 to the national average of 62 percent and 57 percent
27 respectively; and
 
28     WHEREAS, The Government Accountability Office estimates

 

 

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1 700,000 veterans are unemployed and anticipates more each year
2 as 200,000 service members return to civilian life annually;
3 and
 
4     WHEREAS, It is unacceptable that Illinois veterans who seek
5 employment should be left behind by their government;
6 therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
9 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we encourage the United States
10 Department of Labor and the United States Department of
11 Veterans Affairs to ensure that benefits due to Illinois
12 veterans are indeed given to Illinois veterans, including job
13 placement services afforded to veterans of other states; and be
14 it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Congressional
16 delegation to pursue legislative or administrative remedies
17 needed to ensure that all benefits are available and are in
18 fact actually received by Illinois veterans in equal proportion
19 to benefits received by veterans in other states; and be it
20 further
 
21     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be
22 delivered to the Secretary of the United States Department of
23 Labor, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and
24 the Illinois Congressional delegation.