093_HR0114

 
                                     LRB093 11247 HSS 12559 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, During the week of February 25 through  February
 3    28,   2003  stories  broke  in  the  media  regarding  sexual
 4    harassment and assault of several female cadets at the United
 5    States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and

 6        WHEREAS, Prior to February 2002, the  Defense  Department
 7    Advisory  Committee  on  Women  in  the  Services advised the
 8    military on sexual assault; and

 9        WHEREAS, In February of 2002, the  Pentagon  allowed  the
10    Committee's  charter  to  expire and replaced its members and
11    changed its agenda; and

12        WHEREAS,  The  United  States  of  America  requires  the
13    strongest of military forces; and

14        WHEREAS,  A  substantial  number  of  military  personnel
15    presently serving in the United States armed forces all  over
16    the world are female; and

17        WHEREAS,   A   substantial   number  of  military  cadets
18    presently enrolled at the various military  academies  around
19    the nation are female; therefore, be it

20        RESOLVED   BY   THE   HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
21    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
22    we  request  that  the  United States Congress thoroughly and
23    completely investigate allegations of sexual  harassment  and
24    sexual  assault  in  all  branches  of  the  military and all
25    military academies, especially the United  States  Air  Force
26    Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and be it further

27        RESOLVED,  That  the  we request that the charter for the
28    panel known as the Defense Department Advisory  Committee  on
29    Women  in  the  Services  be  once  again  renewed; and be it
30    further
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11247 HSS 12559 r
 1        RESOLVED, That we request that the Committee, as part  of
 2    its  mission,  be  once  again  empowered  with the right and
 3    responsibility to advise the United States military of sexual
 4    harassment and assault; and be it further

 5        RESEOLVED, That copies of this resolution be forwarded to
 6    President George W. Bush, Commander in  Chief  of  the  Armed
 7    Forces  of  the  United  States  of  America;  Vice President
 8    Richard B. Cheney, President of the Senate; Representative J.
 9    Dennis Hastert, Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives;
10    Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; and each member of the
11    Illinois congressional delegation.