[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4255-H4257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOR BEING CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THE 
      UNITED STATES TO HOST THE 2016 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 118) congratulating the City of 
Chicago for being chosen to represent the United States in the 
international competition to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic 
games, and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select 
Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 118

       Whereas the City of Chicago has been selected by the United 
     States Olympic Committee to represent the United States in 
     its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games;
       Whereas, by 2016, 20 years will have passed since the 
     Summer Olympics were held in a city in the United States;
       Whereas Chicago is a world-class city with remarkable 
     diversity, culture, history, and people;
       Whereas the citizens of Chicago take great pride in all 
     aspects of their city and have a deep love for sports;
       Whereas Chicago already holds a place in the international 
     community as a city of immigrants from around the world, who 
     are eager to be ambassadors to visiting Olympic athletes;
       Whereas the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be played in 
     the heart of Chicago so that athletes and visitors can 
     appreciate the beauty of the downtown parks and lakefront;
       Whereas Chicago is one of the transportation hubs of the 
     world and can provide accessible transportation to 
     international visitors through extensive rail, transit, and 
     motorways infrastructure, combined with the world-class 
     O'Hare and Midway International Airports;
       Whereas the motto of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games 
     in Chicago would be ``Stir the Soul,'' and the games would 
     inspire citizens around the world, both young and old;
       Whereas a Midwestern city has not hosted the Olympic Games 
     since the 1904 games in St. Louis, Missouri, and the 
     opportunity to host the Olympics would be an achievement not 
     only for Chicago and for the State of Illinois, but also for 
     the entire Midwest;
       Whereas hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would 
     provide substantial local, regional, and national economic 
     benefits and growth;
       Whereas Mayor Richard M. Daley, Patrick Ryan, and members 
     of the Chicago 2016 Committee have campaigned tirelessly to 
     secure Chicago's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic 
     Games;
       Whereas, through the campaign to be selected by the United 
     States Olympic Committee, Chicago's citizens, officials, 
     workers, community groups, and businesses have demonstrated 
     their ability to come together to exemplify the true spirit 
     of the Olympic Games and the City of Chicago; and
       Whereas the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent the best 
     of the human spirit and there is no better fit for hosting 
     this event than one of the world's truly great cities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress--
       (1) congratulates the City of Chicago on securing the bid 
     to represent United States in the international competition 
     to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and
       (2) encourages the International Olympic Committee to 
     select Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic 
     Games.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend our colleague from 
Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, for introducing this important resolution. His 
efforts to win our Nation the 2016 Olympic games are greatly 
appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, the 2004 summer Olympic games in Athens unfolded before 
the eyes of hundreds of millions of people around the world, with some 
watching in person, but many more on television every night. It is fair 
to say that the Athens games were a success, despite fears of terrorism 
or that key Olympic venues would not be ready. Athens was prepared to 
receive thousands of athletes and officials from around the world. The 
Olympic spirit thrived as athletes lived out their dreams.
  This resolution before the House seeks to bring the summer Olympic 
spirit we witnessed in Athens here to America for the first time since 
1996 in the Atlanta Olympic games. This measure urges the International 
Olympic Committee to choose the United States entry of Chicago to host 
the 2016 summer Olympics.
  Mr. Speaker, the Olympics bring together people from all over the 
world. And when they arrive in Chicago, they will find a culturally 
diverse city ready and willing to host athletes and spectators from 
every nation.
  Chicago already has developed a public transportation infrastructure 
to ensure that visitors from the United States and abroad can easily 
get to the Olympic games. Once in Chicago, athletes and spectators 
alike will be able to move seamlessly through all Olympic venues and 
practice facilities.
  The Olympic games will be held in the heart of Chicago so that 
everyone can enjoy Chicago's beautiful waterfront and park system. 
Hosting the Olympic games will also bring important economic benefits 
to Chicago and position it to hold important sporting events in the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, Chicago is a beautiful, thriving American city eager to 
carry on the Olympic tradition. When the International Olympic 
Committee meets to choose the site of the 2016 summer games, I urge 
committee members to choose Chicago.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, with this week being Olympic Week in America in our 
Nation's elementary schools, there is no better time for us to extend 
our congratulations to the City of Chicago for being selected to 
represent the United States in the competition to host the 2016 Olympic 
and Paralympic games.
  Chicago is a world-class city, known for its culture, history, people 
and love of sports, and pizza, and the Bears and the Bulls.
  In addition, it boasts renowned architecture and a significant 
transportation infrastructure and numerous venue options for major 
events such as the Olympic games.
  This is the first step in the international process whereby the final 
selection for the site of the games will be made in October 2009. 
Chicago's likely rivals in the 2016 competitions include Rio de 
Janeiro, Rome, Tokyo, Madrid and Prague. Other than Miami, of course, I 
can think of no better city to represent the United States of America 
in its bid for the Olympics games than Chicago.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the member of the Ways 
and Means Committee from the Fifth District of Illinois, Rahm Emanuel.
  Mr. EMANUEL. I thank my colleague from Miami. I can think of no other 
city if Chicago didn't have it than Miami. And also my colleague from 
New Jersey.
  You know, both of you have mentioned something about Chicago's

[[Page H4256]]

physical beauty. The reason we are so proud, those of us from Chicago, 
of hosting the Olympics is not only our physical beauty, but I think 
you will see the character of our people in this greater part of 
Chicago, not just the city, but the suburbs, the entire metropolitan 
community, come together and host this Olympics and be the 
representation for the United States as we go forward in 2009 and try 
to win for Chicago and the greater Chicago area the ability to host 
these Olympics.
  We do have a physically beautiful city. Its architecture is world 
renowned; its lakefront is known to everybody. In fact, Chicago is 
known as the third coast between both the Pacific on the west side and 
the Atlantic on the east side. It is known as the third coast in 
America, sitting on Lake Michigan and part of the Great Lakes. It has a 
great physical beauty, but its strength comes from the character of the 
people. And I cannot think of anything better for city that hosts, any 
time you go to one of its public schools we have across the city 50 
some odd languages being spoken, Chinese being spoken in the school, 
Arabic being taught in the school.
  Different languages from all over the world. People come to Chicago. 
It is the quintessential American city. There is no better place for us 
to have as our standard bearer for the United States than Chicago for 
2016 to host the Olympics. And it is my hope, and great hope, that it 
would become the city and be the nominee in 2016 in the selection by 
the Olympic Committee.
  You know, Carl Sandburg, the great poet, once said about Chicago, 
``Stormy, husky, brawling. We are the city of big shoulders.'' That is 
Chicago.
  We have a great mayor, who is a great mayor of a great city with 
great people. And you can see it in the pride that everybody felt that 
we were selected by our colleagues from around the country to be the 
city to host the 2016 Olympics. Our sports teams, known as the Chicago 
Cubs, Bulls, Bears, the White Sox, Blackhawks, and the Sky and the 
Fire, our soccer teams. And I hope, as we go to 2009, that we do have 
and will receive from the international community the nod to represent 
the Olympics and show to the rest of the world what all of us know in 
Chicago and all of those who come to our city know, that we are a great 
city, with a great mayor, with a great people that will do right by the 
world in hosting the Olympics.
  I want to thank my colleagues for letting me offer this resolution.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he 
may consume to our Speaker, Speaker Hastert, the gentleman from 
Illinois.
  Mr. HASTERT. I thank the gentlelady from Miami.
  Mr. Speaker, this is one of the great opportunities that comes along 
once in a lifetime, the chance to host the Olympics and Paralympic 
games.
  You know, the Olympic movement is something that I have been a part 
of most of my life, as a wrestling coach, as an honorary vice president 
of the American Olympics Games, and as one who worked in the trenches 
over the years to help found USA Wrestling.
  I have always said the Olympic movement is a bright light that brings 
people together through sports. The game celebrates the spirit of 
sportsmanship, a spread of a message of unity that inspire generations 
of children all over this world.
  I had the honor and privilege of being at the Munich games and the 
Montreal games and the L.A. games. Chicago is a unique city. As the 
previous speaker said, it is the ``city of big shoulders.'' It is a 
city of the crossroads of our Nation, a city of great architecture, of 
great beauty and of great people. And it is the commitment of people 
coming together to say we can do this; the will to succeed, the will to 
be the hosts to the world and showcase what this country is all about, 
what our athletes are all about, what the American spirit is all about.
  We will see the Olympics coming up in places like China, in Beijing, 
we will see the Olympics in London, but this is our one chance to bring 
the Olympics back to this country, to be the host of the world and 
saying folks, we believe in the Olympic movement, we believe in this 
great opportunity, but we will do the best in the world to make this 
happen and to make it a success.
  I ask also, ladies and gentlemen, that it is understood that this is 
the work of a lot of people. I want to congratulate our Mayor Daley and 
all of the others, Pat Ryan and others, who led up that committee to 
make sure that they can tell the story to the U.S. Olympic Committee so 
they would get this.
  I urge the adoption of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, this is one of those opportunities that comes along once 
during a lifetime--the chance to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  The Olympic movement is something I have been a part of most of my 
life--as a wrestling coach, as Honorary Vice President of the American 
Olympic Movement, and as one who worked in the trenches to help fund 
USA Wrestling.
  I have always said that the Olympic movement is a bright light that 
brings people together through sports. The Games celebrate the spirit 
of sportsmanship, spread a message of unity, and inspire generations of 
children all over the world.
  For the athletes, it is the ultimate level of competition--the 
opportunity to test themselves against the best the world has to offer 
in their respective sports.
  A Midwestern city has not hosted the games since St. Louis in 1904, 
so it's a great honor for Chicago to be selected to represent the 
United States in the competition for the 2016 games.
  And in a bit of irony, Chicago was actually chosen as the host city 
in 1904, but it was later moved to St. Louis to coincide with the 
World's Fair.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot think of a more welcoming, diverse and 
inspirational place than Chicago and the State of Illinois to serve as 
host for the 2016 games.
  Over 30 million foreign and domestic visitors come to Chicago every 
year. It's a city with a rich immigrant history, and we all know what a 
great sports town it can be. In fact, The Sporting News named Chicago 
as the best sports city in the United States for 2006.
  I want to congratulate Mayor Daley on all his hard work and I look 
forward to working with him and my colleagues in the Illinois 
delegation and the Congress to make this bid a reality.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I would like to yield as much time as she might 
consume to Mrs. Biggert from Illinois.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 118.
  Last month, the United States Olympic Committee selected Chicago as 
the official U.S. candidate for hosting the 2016 Olympic games. It's 
been over 100 years since the Midwest hosted these games, and I am 
pleased to report that the Nation's heartland is ready, willing and 
able to do so again.
  I have lived in the Chicago area my whole life and I can't imagine a 
better location for the summer Olympics. The people are welcoming and 
they are sporting spirit is high. A national hub of water, railroad and 
air, the ``Windy City'' has a diversity of culture and community that 
reflects the very best of America. And as host of the 2016 games, 
Chicago will serve as the Nation's emissary to the world, just as it 
did once during the World's Fair of 1893.
  Director of Works for that historic fair, Daniel Burnham, once 
famously said, ``Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's 
blood, and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans, 
aim high in hope and work.''
  From reversing a river to building the world's tallest tower, 
Chicagoans have a heritage of big dreams. And in keeping with its motto 
for the 2016 games, ``Stir the Soul,'' Chicago's visions for the 
Olympics will be a dream the whole country can share in.
  To Mayor Daley, Patrick Ryan, the chairman of the Chicago Olympic 
Committee and all its members, I would like to extend my personal 
congratulations. Without their hard work and dedication, securing this 
nomination would not have been possible.
  I thank the gentleman from Chicago (Mr. Emanuel) for sponsoring this 
resolution and the gentleman from Illinois, our former Speaker Hastert, 
for his hard work in gaining such attention.
  I would also like to thank the efforts of all of our friends on the 
Illinois delegation, every one of whom helped in this cause 
tremendously by letters of support and by cosponsoring the resolution 
before us today.

                              {time}  1700

  The International Olympic Committee will be making its final 
selection in 2009. I invite all my colleagues

[[Page H4257]]

from across the Nation to unite behind Chicago and commit to doing our 
part to bring the 2016 Olympic games back to America.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 118, and I urge my colleagues to 
do the same.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for 
yielding. I am delighted that I managed to make it here.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and neighbor from the Fifth 
Congressional District of Illinois, Mr. Rahm Emanuel, for introducing 
this resolution.
  I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 118, congratulating the City of 
Chicago for being chosen to represent the United States in the 
international competition to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic 
Games, and encouraging the IOC to select Chicago as the site of the 
games.
  I can speak with some authority on Chicago's qualifications to host 
those games because I am privileged to represent most of the proposed 
sites: Soldier Field, the United Center, U.S. Cellular Field, Navy 
Pier, McCormick Place, Grant Park, Douglas Park, Monroe Harbor, and 
facilities at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois.
  The Olympic Village will rise on land in the Seventh District. And 
although the site of the future olympic stadium and currently home to 
the DuSable Museum of African American History, Washington Park is not 
in my district, it is right adjacent to it.
  So with all due modesty, this assemblage of sports facilities is 
certainly one of the finest in the world. Then you add to that our 
infrastructure, our world-class architecture, our cultural and 
historical treasures and our matchless lakefront, and you have yourself 
the makings of a spectacular set of games.
  Now, mix in our sports fan base. The Seventh District is home to the 
Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago White Sox, and the 
Chicago Blackhawks. Mix in the fact that for the 2006 Chicago Marathon, 
starting and ending in the district, we had 40,000 runners and 1.2 
million spectators. Mix in the fact that Chicago hosted the 2006 
International Gay Games. Mix in the fact that Chicago was the first 
host to the Special Olympics in 1968, and you will understand that our 
toddlin' town is for sure a sports town.
  Mr. Speaker, the Olympic Games are about fierce, all-out athletic 
competition. But they are also about the greater goals of the Olympic 
movement: Fairness, peace, education, and friendship. The people of 
Chicago have a long and proud history of leadership in these struggles, 
nationally and internationally.
  Mr. Speaker, Chicago is ready, willing and able to make America the 
proud host of the 2016 games. So I join with the mayor of the city, the 
Governor of the State, all of the business and community leaders in 
urging passage not only of this resolution, but in urging the Olympic 
Committee to select Chicago as the site for 2016.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Con. Res. 118, which congratulates Chicago for being chosen to 
represent the United States in the international competition to host 
the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and encourages the International 
Olympic Committee to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and 
Paralympic Games. I can not think of a better city than my hometown of 
Chicago to represent the United States in its bid to win the 2016 
Olympics Games.
  Chicago is a great American city that is rich in diversity, culture, 
tradition and history. The City is home to nearly 3 million residents 
that represent hundreds of different nationalities and ethnicities . . 
. a truly international city. Chicago's vibrant communities, sound 
infrastructure and extensive transportation network make it the perfect 
fit for the 2016 Olympics.
  The Olympic Games are a great opportunity for the world to come 
together and put aside their differences to celebrate the achievements 
of athletes. The Olympics have been able to transcend cultural, 
religious and political boundaries by making all of us realize that 
there is more that unites us than divides us, which could also be said 
for the City of Chicago. The Games have also played a significant role 
in creating social and political change in the United States and across 
the globe.
  I would also like to congratulate Mayor Daley and Governor 
Blagojevich for securing this victory on behalf of the City of Chicago 
and I wish them continued success in their efforts to win this bid in 
front of the International Olympic Committee in 2009. I am confident 
that the rest of the world will realize what we already know-that 
Chicago is the ideal city to host the 2016 Olympic Games. I urge my 
colleagues to support H. Con. Res 118.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 118.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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