[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1894-H1895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Rush) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I come here to the House floor today to 
express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the grave 
financial challenges facing the Chicago State University, which is 
located in my district on the south side of Chicago.
  Mr. Speaker, due to the enormous budget crisis currently taking place 
in my home State of Illinois, the university has not received the State 
funding that is essential to maintaining its multifaceted operations. 
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, after 7 months of utilizing its financial 
reserves, Chicago State University is now in a dire position. Chicago 
State University must confront the real possibility of closing its 
doors in the immediate future.
  Mr. Speaker, the impact of this pending reality is far reaching in 
its scope, and it would adversely affect thousands of students and 
hundreds of faculty and staff, many of whom reside in my district, the 
First District of Illinois. The entire Chicagoland region would be 
severely adversely affected by the closing of the Chicago State 
University. Mr. Speaker, my district is home to 4,300 students who are 
enrolled at Chicago State. Fifty-eight percent of these students are my 
constituents.
  The great need for this institution is demonstrated by the fact that 
almost 88 percent of enrolled students receive financial aid. Of those 
students on financial aid, 44 percent are first-generation college 
students, and 54 percent of these students are low-income individuals. 
In fact, Mr. Speaker, Chicago State University is renowned for 
recruiting and graduating nontraditional minority students who, due to 
a variety of reasons, have been denied many of the economic, social, 
and educational benefits enjoyed by the greater American society.
  As U.S. News and World Report notes, Chicago State University ranks 
first in Illinois in awarding bachelor's degrees to African Americans 
in the physical sciences, health professions, and other related 
sciences. Additionally, the school also ranks fourth in Illinois in 
awarding baccalaureate degrees to Latino students in the education 
sector.
  Mr. Speaker, closing Chicago State University, even on a temporary 
basis, would have a profound impact on the lives of all these students 
who have worked so hard to beat the odds and who desperately seek to 
provide a better life for themselves and for their families.
  Additionally, as one of my district's largest employers, if the 
university were to close, it would have a devastating rippling effect 
on the economics of Chicago's greater south side and also in the lives 
of the 850 faculty and staff who are employed by Chicago State 
University. Undoubtedly, the school's closing would also stifle any 
opportunity for economic recovery in communities on Chicago's south 
side and in the nearby suburban area of the city of Chicago.
  To help address this pending dire situation, in the coming days I 
will be introducing a bill in the House to provide Federal assistance 
to the university until this budget impasse in the State of Illinois 
can be resolved.
  Mr. Speaker, Chicago State University is far too important to the 
families, to the communities that I represent, to simply leave its fate 
to chance or to the political gamesmanship and indifference of its 
governmental leaders.
  Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner should not allow this historically 
crucial, minority-serving institution of higher education that so 
faithfully serves the needs of African Americans and Latino American 
students to shut down on his watch. Legislative leaders in the State of 
Illinois must not allow this legendary institution to close its doors 
on current and future generations of upward-bound students.

                              {time}  1900

  Mr. Speaker, April 29 will be forever be known as the Day of 
Educational Infamy in my State of Illinois. It will be regarded as the 
day that Illinois lawmakers let the students of Chicago State 
University down. It will be regarded as the day that Illinois lawmakers 
let the citizens of the State of Illinois down.
  It will be regarded as the day that Illinois lawmakers stood in the 
schoolhouse door to deny access to the universally acknowledged 
benefits of higher education to predominantly minority students who 
study and matriculate at the Chicago State University.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to not afford to fund the Chicago State 
University. We must do everything in our power to address this ominous 
situation and provide help to this critical institution that has proven 
to be so vital to the needs of my constituents,

[[Page H1895]]

to the needs of the citizens of the State of Illinois, and to our 
Nation as a whole.
  We must act, and we must act now. Save Chicago State. Save Chicago 
State. Save Chicago State University.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________