Full Text of HR0551 096th General Assembly
HR0551 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, At this time, the United States is continuing to | 3 |
| experience one of the worst economic downturns in its history; | 4 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, The Department of Labor recently reported that the | 6 |
| unemployment rate in June rose to a level of 9.5%; and
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| WHEREAS, Approximately 3.5 million jobs have been lost in | 8 |
| the United States since the beginning of the year; and
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| WHEREAS, State governments furnish assistance to the | 10 |
| unemployed and also provide direct and indirect services to the | 11 |
| neediest people in our communities, including the elderly, the | 12 |
| disabled, and the very young; and
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| WHEREAS, Although the American Recovery and Reinvestment | 14 |
| Act of 2009 is providing funds to state governments as part of | 15 |
| the economic stimulus package designed to spur our nation's | 16 |
| economic recovery, the budget deficits of many states have | 17 |
| grown significantly, even with the original infusion of federal | 18 |
| funds, as shown by the current budget gaps of $26.3 billion in | 19 |
| California and approximately $9.2 billion in Illinois; and | 20 |
| WHEREAS, Each state with a revenue shortfall faces |
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| difficult decisions involving raising taxes and fees on its | 2 |
| citizens and businesses that are already adversely affected by | 3 |
| the recession and unemployment; reducing financial assistance | 4 |
| and grants to educational institutions, local governments, and | 5 |
| social service agencies; and laying off significant numbers of | 6 |
| employees from the state workforce; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, The effect of a state, like Illinois, taking one | 8 |
| or more of those difficult alternatives may be to worsen the | 9 |
| effects of the recession in that state because of higher | 10 |
| unemployment, increased state costs of health care for the | 11 |
| uninsured, increased numbers of foreclosures, increased state | 12 |
| expenditures for unemployment insurance, and lower state tax | 13 |
| revenues due to reduced economic activity; and
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| WHEREAS, The federal government has the resources and the | 15 |
| ability to assist states with budget deficits during this | 16 |
| difficult time so that the rate of unemployment can be reduced, | 17 |
| or at least not increased, and so that educational and social | 18 |
| service programs can be continued at current levels; and | 19 |
| WHEREAS, The state budget deficits could be eliminated if | 20 |
| Congress passed new legislation, with reasonable repayment | 21 |
| requirements, to provide financial assistance to the states | 22 |
| with budget deficits; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 2 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 3 |
| urge Congress to pass legislation that would provide financial | 4 |
| assistance to those states with budget deficits in order that | 5 |
| the length and depth of the recession will not be worsened due | 6 |
| to the limited resources and difficult alternatives presently | 7 |
| confronting many states; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 9 |
| presented to President Barack Obama, the Speaker of the United | 10 |
| States House of Representatives, the President pro tempore of | 11 |
| the United States Senate, and each member of the Illinois | 12 |
| congressional delegation.
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