Full Text of SR0065 95th General Assembly
SR0065 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Authorization for Use of Military Force | 3 |
| Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was passed by the U.S. Congress | 4 |
| on October 11, 2002, and Public Law 107-243 cited Iraq's | 5 |
| possession of weapons of mass destruction as a primary reason | 6 |
| for the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq; and
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| WHEREAS, On January 12, 2005, President Bush officially | 8 |
| declared an end to the search for weapons of mass destruction | 9 |
| in Iraq; and
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| WHEREAS, The United States initiated combat operations in | 11 |
| Iraq on March 19, 2003; and
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| WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of members of the United | 13 |
| States Armed Forces have served with honor and distinction in | 14 |
| Iraq; and
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| WHEREAS, More than 3,100 members of the United States Armed | 16 |
| Forces have been killed and more than 23,000 members of the | 17 |
| Armed Forces have been wounded in substantially accomplishing | 18 |
| the stated purpose of the United States of giving the people of | 19 |
| Iraq a reasonable opportunity to decide their own future; and
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| WHEREAS, The United States military occupation of Iraq has |
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| placed significant strains on the capacity of the United States | 2 |
| Armed Forces, both active duty and reserve and the National | 3 |
| Guard; and
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| WHEREAS, The armed forces of Iraq number more than 76,000 | 5 |
| troops as of June 8, 2005, and are growing in number and | 6 |
| capability daily; and
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| WHEREAS, The forces of the Iraqi Interior Ministry number | 8 |
| more than 92,000 personnel as of June 8, 2005, and are growing | 9 |
| in number and capability daily; and
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| WHEREAS, More than $200 billion has been appropriated by | 11 |
| Congress to fund military operations and reconstruction in | 12 |
| Iraq, and Illinois residents' share now exceeds $2.1 billion; | 13 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, The funds spent by Illinois taxpayers on the war | 15 |
| and occupation in Iraq could have provided Head Start for one | 16 |
| year for more than 238,056 children; or medical insurance for | 17 |
| one year for more than 1,076,242 children; or more than 31,147 | 18 |
| public school teachers for one year; or more than 16,183 | 19 |
| additional housing units, according to the National Priorities | 20 |
| Project; and
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| WHEREAS, The war and continued occupation have resulted in |
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| the devastation of Iraq's physical and social infrastructure | 2 |
| and led to widespread and continuous resistance to U.S. | 3 |
| occupation that threatens the lives of Iraqi civilians and the | 4 |
| men and women who compose the ranks of U.S. and other occupying | 5 |
| forces; and
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| WHEREAS, The presence of United States forces in Iraq has | 7 |
| inflamed anti-American passions in the Muslim world and | 8 |
| increased the terrorist threat to United States citizens, both | 9 |
| at home and abroad; and
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| WHEREAS, Polls show that less than half of the American | 11 |
| people support the war; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois Congresspersons Rush, Lipinski, Emanuel, | 13 |
| Davis, Schakowsky, Jackson, Gutierrez, and Costello joined | 14 |
| more than 100 other Congresspersons in voting for a House | 15 |
| resolution on an Iraq exit strategy; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 17 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that on behalf of the | 18 |
| citizens of Illinois, we urge the United States government to | 19 |
| immediately commence an orderly and rapid withdrawal of United | 20 |
| States military personnel from Iraq; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Illinois General Assembly, recognizing |
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| that the stability of Iraq is crucial to the security of the | 2 |
| citizens of Illinois and to all Americans, urges the United | 3 |
| States government to provide the people of Iraq with all | 4 |
| necessary non-military material aid as shall be necessary for | 5 |
| the security of Iraq's citizens and for the rebuilding of Iraq; | 6 |
| and be it further | 7 |
| RESOLVED, That the financial resources used to prosecute | 8 |
| the war be redirected to address the urgent needs of America | 9 |
| and the most vulnerable portions of our population, including | 10 |
| health, education, and homeland security; and be it further | 11 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution shall be | 12 |
| sent to George W. Bush, President of the United States, and the | 13 |
| members of the Illinois Congressional delegation.
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