Full Text of HR0181 100th General Assembly
HR0181 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Many members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives have risen to condemn Donald Trump's proposed
| 4 | | construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico; a | 5 | | wall will hurt the long-standing
relationship between the U.S. | 6 | | and Mexico, hurt the country and the State of Illinois | 7 | | economically, and wreak
havoc on the environment; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, A wall will be a political and economic disaster; | 9 | | Mexico is one of America's
largest trading partners; in 2015, | 10 | | the United States imported $295 billion in products from | 11 | | Mexico,
including cars and machinery; Mexico is also the second | 12 | | largest supplier of agriculture, including
fruits and | 13 | | vegetables, for the U.S.; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Commerce | 15 | | and Economic
Opportunity, in 2015, Illinois imported more than | 16 | | $13 billion from Mexico; Mexico is the third largest import | 17 | | market for the United States; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, A wall will come with an enormous cost; it is | 19 | | estimated a wall would cost between
$15-25 billion, paid for by | 20 | | a 20% tax on goods coming from Mexico; this will fall upon
the | 21 | | American consumer; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, A wall poses an ecological threat; a 2016 report | 2 | | based on U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service data explained that its | 3 | | construction could have a negative impact on
111 endangered | 4 | | species, 108 species of migratory birds, four wildlife refuges | 5 | | and fish
hatcheries, and an unknown number of protected | 6 | | wetlands; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, The climate impacts of a massive concrete wall | 8 | | running along the border of the United States and Mexico begin | 9 | | with the source of
the materials; the production of cement is a | 10 | | major
source of greenhouse gas emissions; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, According to the Center for Biological Diversity, | 12 | | billions of dollars have already been spent on existing border | 13 | | fencing, with little to no environmental oversight; this has | 14 | | led
to erosion and flooding in border communities as well as a | 15 | | roadblock for the natural movement
of wildlife across the | 16 | | border; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, The negative human impact of a wall is | 18 | | incalculable and goes against the
very values upon which this | 19 | | nation of immigrants is built; children have written letters to
| 20 | | representatives of the General Assembly about how the idea of a | 21 | | wall is a great concern for families that may be divided by a | 22 | | wall when they just want to have better lives; the
idea of a | 23 | | wall is causing a great deal of stress for many children; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The Pew Research Center shows emerging evidence | 2 | | that illegal immigration
flows have fallen to their lowest | 3 | | level in at least two decades; the nation's population of | 4 | | illegal
immigrants has decreased by about one million since | 5 | | 2007; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Walls do not work; walls such as the one between | 7 | | East and West
Germany have shown building walls to keep people | 8 | | out does not work; in the words of
President Reagan regarding | 9 | | the Berlin wall, such a wall, "...cannot withstand faith. It | 10 | | cannot
withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom."; | 11 | | therefore, be it
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 13 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 14 | | urge President Donald Trump to cease his plans to build a wall | 15 | | on the southern border between the United States and Mexico; | 16 | | and be it further | 17 | | RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to refuse any appropriation | 18 | | to fund the building of a
wall along the southern border; and | 19 | | be it further
| 20 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 21 | | delivered to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority |
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| 1 | | Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck | 2 | | Schumer, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul | 3 | | Ryan, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy | 4 | | Pelosi, and all members of the Illinois Congressional | 5 | | Delegation.
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