Assembly Co-Authors: Patty Berg, Noreen Evans, Leland Yee, Mark Leno, Sally Lieber, John Laird, Lloyd Levine, Fran Pavley, Paul Koretz, Jackie Goldberg, Karen Bass, Judy Chu, Jerome Horton, Mervyn Dymally, Jenny Oropeza, Mark Ridley-Thomas Assembly Yeses: Wilma Chan, Johan Klehs, Dave Jones, Ira Ruskin, Alberto Torrico
Resolution calling upon the Governor of California to take immediate steps to withdraw our California National Guard troops from Iraq now.
WHEREAS, The California State Legislature strongly supports the women and men serving in the United States Armed Forces in Iraq and recognizes the sacrifices that each of them is making,
WHEREAS, in October 2002 the United States Congress adopted a Joint Resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq, relying on statements that were untrue, when in fact the United States was not threatened with attack by Iraq, Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein played no role in the 9/11 attacks,
WHEREAS, the majority of Americans would like to see a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq but there is, to date, no exit strategy,
WHEREAS, the costs of the call-up of California National Guard members for deployment in Iraq have been significant, as determined in lost lives, combat injuries, psychic trauma, disruption of family life, financial hardship for individuals, families, and businesses, interruption of careers, and damage to the fabric of civic life in many California communities and,
WHEREAS, these are costs which would be suffered willingly were there a threat to our nation, but which are not tolerable where there is none and, WHEREAS, Californians have joined the Guard thinking that they would be serving their neighbors by helping with California-based emergencies, unless there was a danger to the United States requiring transfer to active duty and, WHEREAS, stop-loss orders violate the mutual understanding between Californians in the Guard and the state and nation they agreed to serve and, WHEREAS, there is reason to believe that the federalization and deployment of National Guard members has rendered the remaining Guard force unable to carry out its state activities effectively and,
WHEREAS, Pentagon officials are already considering a significant reduction in US troop levels in Iraq, the bulk of the cuts coming from the National Guard; RESOLVED, that the California State Legislature calls upon the Governor of California to insure that the President and Congress take immediate steps to withdraw California National Guard troops from Iraq now and,
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California State Legislature sends a copy of this Resolution to Governor Schwarzenegger, President Bush, each member of the California Congressional Delegation, and the President Pro Tempore of the California Senate.
