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78R12831 RVH-D
By: Noriega H.C.R. No. 156
Substitute the following for H.C.R. No. 156:
By: Noriega C.S.H.C.R. No. 156
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Defense
there are more than 37,000 legal, permanent residents serving on
active duty in our armed forces; tragically, the military
hostilities in Iraq have already claimed the lives of six of these
noncitizen soldiers; and
WHEREAS, It is a remarkable display of loyalty to the ideals
of a democracy and freedom that these brave young men and women
defend our country against aggression overseas despite not being
recognized as U.S. citizens and not being able to share in the full
rights and privileges enjoyed by our fellow Americans; and
WHEREAS, The United States Congress has the opportunity to
help these brave residents and the surviving spouses and children
of those killed in action to gain U.S. citizenship and benefits by
enacting House Bill H.R. 1685 and House Bill H.R. 1275, the
Citizenship For America's Troops Act; and
WHEREAS, House Bill H.R. 1685 makes the surviving spouse and
children of a person who has been granted posthumous citizenship
through death while on active-duty service during times of military
hostility eligible for immigration status and benefits; and
WHEREAS, The Citizenship For America's Troops Act reduces
from three years to two years the amount of military service
required for legal, permanent residents to qualify for U.S.
citizenship, and exempts them from paying all of the fees required
by the naturalization application process; and
WHEREAS, The Citizenship For America's Troops Act also allows
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to conduct
citizenship interviews and oath ceremonies for military personnel
at embassies, consulates, and overseas military installations
rather than requiring such interviews and ceremonies to take place
within the United States; and
WHEREAS, On July 3, 2002, President Bush signed an executive
order to provide expedited naturalization for aliens and noncitizen
nationals serving honorably on active-duty status in the Armed
Forces of the United States during the war on terrorism; and
WHEREAS, The executive order designated September 11, 2001,
as the first day of a period of time in which exceptions from the
usual requirements for naturalization were initiated; and
WHEREAS, Given that this period of time has not been closed or
terminated by a related executive order, the congress should take
this window of opportunity to honor the desires of the legal,
permanent noncitizens who, in fighting global terrorism on our
behalf, have demonstrated a willingness to die for a country they
cannot yet fully claim as their own; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to
enact House Bill H.R. 1685, relating to providing immigration
status and benefits for surviving spouses and children, and House
Bill H.R. 1275, the Citizenship For America's Troops Act; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the
senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the
Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.