Full Text of HJR0098 94th General Assembly
HJ0098 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HJ0098 |
|
LRB094 19568 RSP 55692 r |
|
| 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 |
|
|
|
HJ0098 |
- 2 - |
LRB094 19568 RSP 55692 r |
|
| 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.
|
|