<div class="xtend"><a id="pl.1.1"></a><var>1.1</var>A resolution<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.2"></a><var>1.2</var>urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to reorder <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.3"></a><var>1.3</var>federal spending priorities.<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.4"></a><var>1.4</var>WHEREAS, Minnesota is faced with a $5.028 billion budget shortfall; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.5"></a><var>1.5</var>WHEREAS, past budget cuts have resulted in painful reductions in essential services <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.6"></a><var>1.6</var>and future cuts would further erode the quality of life for and, in fact, endanger the lives of <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.7"></a><var>1.7</var>many citizens; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.8"></a><var>1.8</var>WHEREAS, many cities and communities in Minnesota are laying off police, firefighters, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.9"></a><var>1.9</var>teachers, and other essential employees; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.10"></a><var>1.10</var>WHEREAS, past budgets have been balanced by cutting social services, underinvestment <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.11"></a><var>1.11</var>in essential infrastructure, and other measures that push the crisis onto local governments and the <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.12"></a><var>1.12</var>poor; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.13"></a><var>1.13</var>WHEREAS, Minnesota taxpayers even during these times of economic crisis and fiscal <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.14"></a><var>1.14</var>austerity are poised to pay the equivalent of three-quarters of the entire state biennial budget, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.15"></a><var>1.15</var>more than $26 billion over the next two years, for their share of the Defense Budget of the <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.16"></a><var>1.16</var>Federal government; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.17"></a><var>1.17</var>WHEREAS, Minnesota taxpayers alone have already spent more than $27.5 billion, and will <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.18"></a><var>1.18</var>spend $8.4 billion more over the next two years for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.19"></a><var>1.19</var>WHEREAS, 58 cents of every dollar of federal discretionary spending is devoted to <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.20"></a><var>1.20</var>military purposes; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.1"></a><var>2.1</var>WHEREAS, military spending priorities at the national level negatively impact budgets <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.2"></a><var>2.2</var>and quality of life at all levels of government and society; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.3"></a><var>2.3</var>WHEREAS, our nation desperately needs to better balance its approach to security to <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.4"></a><var>2.4</var>go beyond military defense and include the economic, social, and environmental needs of our <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.5"></a><var>2.5</var>communities, state, and nation; NOW, THEREFORE,<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.6"></a><var>2.6</var>BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges Senators <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.7"></a><var>2.7</var>Klobuchar and Franken, and Representatives Walz, Kline, Paulsen, McCollum, Ellison, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.8"></a><var>2.8</var>Bachmann, Peterson, and Cravaack as well as Congressional Leadership, other members of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.9"></a><var>2.9</var>Congress, and President Barack Obama to shift federal funding priorities from war and the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.10"></a><var>2.10</var>interests of the few, to meeting the essential needs of us all.<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.11"></a><var>2.11</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.12"></a><var>2.12</var>directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United States, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.13"></a><var>2.13</var>the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.14"></a><var>2.14</var>States House of Representatives, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.<br />
         		
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