HR0544 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0544 LRB100 13392 MST 28143 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, President Trump has proposed to move $54 billion from human and environmental spending at home and abroad to military spending, bringing military spending to well over 60% of federal discretionary spending; and

WHEREAS, Polling has found the U.S. public favors a $41 billion reduction in military spending, a $94 billion gap from President Trump's proposal; and

WHEREAS, President Trump himself admits that the enormous military spending of the past 16 years has been disastrous and has made us less safe, not safer; and

WHEREAS, Fractions of the proposed military budget could provide free, top-quality education from preschool through college; it could end hunger and starvation, convert the U.S. to clean energy, provide clean drinking water everywhere it's needed, build fast trains between all major U.S. cities, and double non-military U.S. foreign aid rather than cutting it; and

WHEREAS, One hundred and twenty one retired U.S. generals have written a letter opposing cutting foreign aid; and

WHEREAS, A United States responsible for providing clean drinking water, schools, medicine, and solar panels to others would be more secure and face far less hostility around the world; and

WHEREAS, Our environmental and human needs are desperate and urgent; and

WHEREAS, Economists at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have documented that military spending is an economic drain rather than a jobs program; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Congress to move our tax dollars in exactly the opposite direction proposed by the President, from militarism to human and environmental needs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.