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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is appropriate and right to honor those great
3American figures who have served our nation in public office;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, President Barack Hussein Obama is the pride of
6Chicago and Illinois; he began his professional life in Chicago
7as a community organizer; he attended Harvard Law School, where
8he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law
9Review; he taught constitutional law at the University of
10Chicago Law School for 12 years; and
 
11    WHEREAS, President Obama represented the 13th Senate
12District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004; he garnered
13respect and passed multiple progressive bipartisan
14legislation; and
 
15    WHEREAS, President Obama was elected United States Senator
16from Illinois with a strong mandate of 70% of the vote; his bid
17for the presidency was a similar success, creating an
18impressive coalition and making history as the first African
19American president; and
 
20    WHEREAS, As President, Barack Obama was given command of
21the federal government during the most troubling months of the

 

 

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1worst economic recession since the Great Depression and brought
2the country back from the brink of financial free-fall; he
3signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
4which saved the nation from the worst of the recession's
5effects; he also signed into law the Dodd-Frank financial
6institution regulations in order to help the nation avoid
7another economic catastrophe; and
 
8    WHEREAS, President Obama reduced the number of U.S. troops
9committed internationally; he signed the Paris Agreement and
10negotiated a successful Iran nuclear deal; he oversaw the
11opening of relations between the U.S. and Cuba; he served the
12United States with integrity and distinction and improved the
13image of the U.S. abroad; and
 
14    WHEREAS, President Obama fought for and signed the
15Affordable Care Act, providing healthcare to millions and
16protecting millions more from being denied for pre-existing
17conditions; he also urged the Supreme Court to strike down
18same-sex marriage bans and he repealed the "don't ask don't
19tell" policy; and
 
20    WHEREAS, President Obama served with distinction and
21dignity and the Illinois General Assembly would like to
22preserve his honor for generations to come; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE
3CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the entirety of Interstate
4294 of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and
5Defense Highways as the "President Barack Obama Tollway" in
6recognition of President Barack Obama's dedication to public
7service as an Illinois State Senator, U.S. Senator from
8Illinois, and President of the United States of America; and be
9it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
11is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with
12State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
13giving notice of the name "President Barack Obama Tollway"; and
14be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution will be
16distributed to the Director of the Illinois State Toll Highway
17Authority and President Barack Obama.