Full Text of SR0138 94th General Assembly
SR0138 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The United States of America has always been the | 3 |
| world leader in pushing for free trade, which is a hallmark of | 4 |
| our capitalistic society; and
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| WHEREAS, Free trade only thrives where there is a level | 6 |
| playing field of government regulations between trading | 7 |
| partners; and
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| WHEREAS, Free trade agreements and policies of the United | 9 |
| States with other nations have severely affected United States | 10 |
| manufacturing industries and the workers the industries | 11 |
| employ; and
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| WHEREAS, Participation by the United States in | 13 |
| international trade organizations may imperil the success of | 14 |
| United States manufacturing; and
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| WHEREAS, Between January 2000 and November 2004, Illinois | 16 |
| lost approximately 143,000 manufacturing jobs; and
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| WHEREAS, Manufacturing jobs in the United States have | 18 |
| plunged from 19.3 million in 1980 to only about 14.6 million | 19 |
| today, in large part because of these types of trade issues; | 20 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Foreign nations, such as China, have engaged in a | 22 |
| wide range of unfair trading practices, including the | 23 |
| manipulation of currency, subsidization of industries, and the | 24 |
| dumping of below-cost subsidized products into the United | 25 |
| States market; and
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| WHEREAS, United States manufacturers cannot compete with | 27 |
| foreign companies who pay a fraction of the salaries paid to | 28 |
| United States manufacturing employees, provide no health |
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| benefits to their workers, do not have to comply with safety | 2 |
| and environmental regulations, pay no pensions, and receive | 3 |
| government subsidies; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL | 5 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Congress of | 6 |
| the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade | 7 |
| agreements, to investigate and review current free trade | 8 |
| agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate | 9 |
| and review participation of the United States with | 10 |
| international trade organizations, and to ensure that the | 11 |
| agreements, policies, and participation are in the best | 12 |
| interests of the citizens of Illinois and the United States; | 13 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the | 15 |
| President of the United States, the Majority Leader of the | 16 |
| United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the | 17 |
| Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the | 18 |
| Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and to each | 19 |
| member of the Illinois congressional delegation.
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