BILL REQ. #:  S-3685.1 

Read first time 01/22/2004.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     TO THE HONORABLE PATTY MURRAY, THE HONORABLE MARIA CANTWELL, THE HONORABLE JAY INSLEE, THE HONORABLE RICK LARSEN, THE HONORABLE BRIAN BAIRD, THE HONORABLE RICHARD "DOC" HASTINGS, THE HONORABLE GEORGE NETHERCUTT, THE HONORABLE NORM DICKS, THE HONORABLE JIM MCDERMOTT, THE HONORABLE JENNIFER DUNN, AND THE HONORABLE ADAM SMITH:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, In the immortal words of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him"; and
     WHEREAS, The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, showed that new deadly challenges have emerged from rogue states and terrorists; and
     WHEREAS, The proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction has fundamentally changed the nature of threats against the United States and our allies; and
     WHEREAS, A coordinated chemical, biological, or nuclear attack against the United States or our allies will cost the lives of millions of innocent Americans and other individuals, as well as cause immeasurable damage to the United States and world economy; and
     WHEREAS, The United States cannot wait patiently and allow radical regimes that support terrorism to acquire or manufacture illegal Weapons of Mass Destruction and pass them onto terrorist organizations; and
     WHEREAS, If the United States does not meet this terrorist threat in the streets of Baghdad and Kandahar, Americans will be forced to fight them in Boston and Kansas City; and
     WHEREAS, President Bush has correctly stated that the United States has the right to defend the United States or our allies if the world community refuses to enforce the rule of law to deter or remove future threats from tyrannical regimes and the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that our members of Congress support President Bush and his efforts to keep the United States and our allies safe from terrorists, dangerous authoritarian regimes, and Weapons of Mass Destruction.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to each member of Congress from the State of Washington.