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Utah House approves amended resolution urging diplomacy on Iraq, inserts president’s full name
Summary
The Utah House amended and advanced HCR 15 — a resolution about U.S. action in Iraq — adopting a substitute that included the president’s full name and instructions urging diplomacy; sponsors debated civilian casualties and the international implications before the floor vote.
Salt Lake City — The Utah House debated and advanced House Concurrent Resolution 15 regarding U.S. policy toward Iraq, including a floor substitute and a brief amendment to include the president's full name.
Representative Benyon presented HCR 15 and read selected lines urging support for the president's use of force "as he determines authorized by the United States Congress," while other members raised concerns about civilian casualties and urged diplomatic alternatives. Representative Daniels offered a substitute deletion-and-replacement that included language urging diplomacy and warning that military action "could create a hostile and destabilizing response among the international community."
Representative Bennion moved a small substitute amendment to insert the president's full name, and the House carried that amendment on a voice vote. Debate included repeated references to the human cost of conflict; one member summarized the substitute's thrust by urging diplomacy rather than immediate military action.
The amended HCR 15 was put on the floor for an open vote following the previous-question motion to end debate. The House proceeded with the vote and the matter moved forward under the House's procedural rules.
Why it matters: Though resolutions do not change state law, they signal the Legislature's stance to federal officials and the public. HCR 15 drew floor-level attention because members balanced expressions of support for the commander-in-chief with concerns about civilian harm and diplomatic alternatives.
