<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>relating to payment of the Federal Respite Leave Benefit for members of the 1st <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.3"></a><var>1.3</var>of the 34th Brigade of the Minnesota National Guard who served in Iraq during <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.4"></a><var>1.4</var>the Troop Surge of 2007.<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.5"></a><var>1.5</var>WHEREAS, various units of the  Minnesota's National Guard have served honorably in <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.6"></a><var>1.6</var>multiple peacekeeping and military combat deployments before and since September 11, 2001; <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.7"></a><var>1.7</var>and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.8"></a><var>1.8</var>WHEREAS, the order for deployment of the 1st of the 34th Infantry Brigade of the <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.9"></a><var>1.9</var>Minnesota National Guard ordered the members of the Brigade into federal active military service <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.10"></a><var>1.10</var>under Title 10 U.S.C. for a period of 18 months; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.11"></a><var>1.11</var>WHEREAS, approximately 2,700 members of the 1st of the 34th Brigade who were <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.12"></a><var>1.12</var>deployed for the War in Iraq during 2007 had their deployment extended by the United States <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.13"></a><var>1.13</var>Department of Defense up to an additional four months in response to the troop surge in Iraq <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.14"></a><var>1.14</var>ordered by President George W. Bush; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.15"></a><var>1.15</var>WHEREAS, as a result of that Presidential order, the United States Government through its <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.16"></a><var>1.16</var>Department of Defense promised to pay a respite leave benefit to each of those soldiers valued at <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.17"></a><var>1.17</var>approximately $200 per day; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.18"></a><var>1.18</var>WHEREAS, for 2,513 of those 1st of the 34th Brigade soldiers, this benefit has yet to be <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.19"></a><var>1.19</var>paid by the United States Government; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.20"></a><var>1.20</var>WHEREAS, the cumulative benefit owed these soldiers for this benefit is approximately <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.21"></a><var>1.21</var>$10,000,000; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.1"></a><var>2.1</var>WHEREAS, the United States Congress enacted legislation on  October 28, 2009, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.2"></a><var>2.2</var>authorizing the service secretaries to implement the respite leave benefit program for those <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.3"></a><var>2.3</var>deserving service members; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.4"></a><var>2.4</var>WHEREAS, the current economic and employment situation facing all returning veterans <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.5"></a><var>2.5</var>is quite challenging; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.6"></a><var>2.6</var>WHEREAS, in order to return all the way home, the veterans of the 1st of the 34th Brigade <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.7"></a><var>2.7</var>deserve and need the benefits promised to them by the United States Government; NOW, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.8"></a><var>2.8</var>THEREFORE,<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.9"></a><var>2.9</var>BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Minnesota that it urges <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.10"></a><var>2.10</var>the Secretary of Defense and other responsible federal government officials to promptly issue <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.11"></a><var>2.11</var>implementation guidance that will allow our Minnesota service members to submit their claims to <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.12"></a><var>2.12</var>receive these benefits that they have been officially promised by the United States Government <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.13"></a><var>2.13</var>and which they so honorably earned in combat. <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.14"></a><var>2.14</var> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives is <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.15"></a><var>2.15</var>directed to prepare copies of this resolution, to be authenticated by his signature and that of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.16"></a><var>2.16</var>the Speaker, and transmit them to Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress, the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.17"></a><var>2.17</var>Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<br />
         		
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