House Resolution 17

PAG LIN

  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ____
  1  2  BY  FALLON, SHOULTZ, JOCHUM, MYERS, CONNORS, THOMAS,
  1  3      D. TAYLOR, GREIMANN, BERRY, WENDT, D. OLSON,
  1  4     OSTERHAUS, BUKTA, FOEGE, MASCHER, FORD, MURPHY,
  1  5         PETERSEN, HEDDENS, LENSING, and FREVERT
  1  6 A Resolution regarding preemptive, unilateral military
  1  7    action against Iraq.
  1  8    WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for genuine,
  1  9 multilateral action to eliminate weapons of mass
  1 10 destruction worldwide; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, a preemptive, unilateral strike by the
  1 12 United States against a sovereign nation without a
  1 13 direct threat to the national security of the United
  1 14 States violates a basic principle of American foreign
  1 15 policy enunciated in George Washington's farewell
  1 16 address and historically adhered to by our nation; and
  1 17    WHEREAS, other governments in the international
  1 18 community oppose preemptive, unilateral action against
  1 19 Iraq and support the full pursuit of diplomatic
  1 20 resolutions and weapons inspections before any further
  1 21 military action is taken against Iraq; and
  1 22    WHEREAS, a preemptive, unilateral military strike
  1 23 by the United States against Iraq will undermine
  1 24 efforts to bring to justice those who helped carry out
  1 25 the attacks of September 11, 2001, and hinder efforts
  1 26 to reduce acts of international terror; and
  1 27    WHEREAS, a preemptive attack against Iraq will set
  1 28 a dangerous precedent which other countries may
  1 29 follow; and
  1 30    WHEREAS, a United States military attack on Iraq
  2  1 threatens the stability of the Middle East region; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, conflict in the area may result in the
  2  3 widespread destruction of the environment and the
  2  4 civilian infrastructure of Iraq; and
  2  5    WHEREAS, war in Iraq will likely be a humanitarian
  2  6 disaster, jeopardizing the lives of American soldiers,
  2  7 potentially exposing American soldiers to biological
  2  8 and chemical forms of warfare almost too horrible to
  2  9 imagine, and resulting in the killing of many innocent
  2 10 Iraqi civilians who have already suffered enormously
  2 11 under Saddam Hussein's rule and sanctions of the
  2 12 United Nations; and
  2 13    WHEREAS, military action will likely result in a
  2 14 long=term United States military presence in Iraq with
  2 15 no guarantee that the next regime in Iraq will achieve
  2 16 a better record on democracy, human rights, and
  2 17 disarmament issues, or in maintaining peaceful
  2 18 relations with its neighbors; and
  2 19    WHEREAS, it has been estimated that a war with Iraq
  2 20 would likely cost between $100 billion and $1 trillion
  2 21 and the American occupation of Iraq would cost another
  2 22 $15 to $20 billion per year; and
  2 23    WHEREAS, unlike the 1991 war with Iraq, a
  2 24 preemptive, unilateral strike against Iraq will result
  2 25 in the United States bearing most of the financial
  2 26 cost of the war; and
  2 27    WHEREAS, the costs of a war with Iraq will cause
  2 28 further federal budget deficits, further weakening of
  2 29 an already sluggish economy, and further undermining
  2 30 of the long=term prospects for solvency of the Social
  3  1 Security and Medicare systems, and will ensure
  3  2 reductions in federal aid to the State of Iowa; and
  3  3    WHEREAS, such reductions in state aid at the
  3  4 federal level would hinder the likelihood of
  3  5 increasing reimbursement rates for Medicare and
  3  6 Medicaid and make financial assistance to seniors for
  3  7 prescription drugs even less likely; and
  3  8    WHEREAS, the State of Iowa is already suffering
  3  9 from a financial crisis, which has severely impacted
  3 10 many of the programs that assist working people and
  3 11 families; NOW THEREFORE,
  3 12    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  3 13 That the Iowa House of Representatives supports the
  3 14 efforts of American troops to protect and defend the
  3 15 nation against those who seek to harm it, but, out of
  3 16 concern for the safety of those who would risk their
  3 17 lives, respectfully urges and requests the President
  3 18 of the United States not to initiate a preemptive,
  3 19 unilateral military strike against Iraq; and
  3 20    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa House of
  3 21 Representatives respectfully urges that if the United
  3 22 States does take military action against the sovereign
  3 23 nation of Iraq that it only be done with the official
  3 24 approval of the United Nations Security Council as
  3 25 required under international law; and
  3 26    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of
  3 27 this resolution, duly authenticated by the Chief Clerk
  3 28 of the Iowa House of Representatives, be transmitted
  3 29 to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the
  3 30 United States, to each member of the Iowa
  4  1 congressional delegation, and to the Governor of the
  4  2 State of Iowa.
  4  3 LSB 2484HH 80
  4  4 lh/pj/5.2