[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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