Bill
History for HR 17
By Fallon, Shoultz, Jochum,
Myers, Connors, Thomas, Taylor D, Greimann,
Berry, Wendt, Olson D, Osterhaus, Bukta, Foege,
Mascher, Ford, Murphy, Petersen, Heddens,
Lensing and Frevert. A
resolution regarding preemptive, unilateral
military action against
Iraq. February
18, 2003 Resolution filed. H.J. 364.
February
18, 2003 Laid over under Rule 25. H.J. 365.
December
31, 2003 * * * * * END OF 2003 ACTIONS
* * * *
*
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