[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 206 (Monday, December 18, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H10169-H10175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bergman). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be on the floor tonight with
my colleagues on the Republican and Democrat side as we pay tribute and
honor to the great State of Illinois on the anniversary of our
bicentennial.
General Leave
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight with my colleagues in
recognition of our home, the great State of Illinois. It has been the
highest honor of my life to serve our State as a Member of Congress,
and I am sure it is for the other speakers that we will have here
tonight.
2018 represents something special for us and for every Illinoisan. It
is our 200th anniversary of statehood. It was December 3, 1818, that
Illinois was admitted into the United States. Today I wish to recognize
and honor all that Illinois has offered our great Nation.
Illinois' path to statehood began in the 17th century, with Europeans
first settling the territory that had been home to many Native American
Indian Tribes. The territory would exchange hands several times over
the following century, eventually ending up as part of the Northwest
Territory after the Revolutionary War. Only a few short years later,
Congress would finally agree on its borders and name Illinois the 21st
State in the Union.
At that time, I am sure few expected that the largely unsettled area
of land would go on to house the third largest city in our country with
over 2.7 million residents, or produce agriculture goods that would
feed people all over the globe. That these things came to pass is a
testament to the hard work and determination of the people of Illinois.
That is why the theme for this year's bicentennial celebration is
``Born, Built, and Grown''--again, ``Born, Built, and Grown''--a chance
to highlight not just the many goods and services our State offers, but
also the many great Americans born and raised in Illinois, who have
gone on to shape the world we live in.
I am proud to represent Illinois' 18th Congressional District, a
district made up of 19 counties in central and west central Illinois,
including parts of Peoria; Bloomington-Normal; Springfield, our State
capital; Jacksonville; Quincy; Macomb; and all places in between. My
district borders Missouri and Iowa along the Mississippi River, on the
western part.
It is a district with no shortage of great accomplishments and
history. In fact, who knows where our entire Nation would be without
the leadership of one Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer from Springfield, who
represented nine of the counties in my current district. During his one
term in the United States House of Representatives, he served from 1847
to 1849. People forget that he was Congressman Abraham Lincoln before
he was President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln would spend most of his life
in Springfield, Illinois, as a lawyer; and also in Menard County,
working in the post office there. He would also take river boats down
the Sangamon River of the Illinois River, down to New Orleans.
Returning to Springfield to practice law in between his sole term in
the House and running for President in 1860, during his administration,
America would weather a bloody Civil War but come out having rooted out
the evil of slavery. While he would die in office, Lincoln's leadership
is why he continues to be named our greatest President. He earned the
nickname ``Honest Abe.'' Illinois would continue to play a role in the
abolishment of slavery when it became the first State to ratify the
13th Amendment in 1865. While he would die in office, Lincoln's
leadership is why he continues to be our greatest President today.
Over a century later, another man with ties to Illinois would be
sworn in as President: President Ronald Reagan from Illinois. He is the
only President who was born and raised in Illinois. President Reagan
would go on being the Governor of California--from the Governor of
California to the Presidency in 1981.
Born in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Reagan spent his formative years
growing up in Illinois. His father was a traveling salesman. They lived
in Monmouth, in Galesburg, in Dixon, in Chicago for a short time, and
also in Tampico. Of course, Ronald Reagan got a scholarship to play
football at Eureka College in Woodford County, in my district. He was a
student there, played football, and graduated from there.
His time as President and Governor was defined by optimism and a
faith in the American spirit and a way of life, a faith that was
instilled during his formative years at Eureka and growing up in
Illinois. Like Lincoln, his leadership during tough times remains a
point of pride for not only Illinois, but for the entire Nation.
Outside of politics, our congressional district is home to other
famous Illinoisans who all called central Illinois home, including: the
venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen of the Catholic faith, future Major
League Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome of Bartonville, two-time NBA
champion Shaun Livingston from Peoria, former Major League Baseball
manager and World Series champion Joe Girardi, and even the late
comedian Richard Pryor. Just imagine where America's sports and
entertainment industries would be without their talents.
Despite Chicago being our Nation's third largest city and serving as
a hub for many great industries, the largest sector of our economy
remains agriculture. Last year, Illinois was the sixth largest producer
of agriculture in the Nation, producing over $8 billion worth of
agriculture exports. Our district was no slouch, coming in as the
eighth largest congressional district in the country in terms of
agriculture production, proving once more that our State has some of
the most fertile farmland in the entire world. Illinois farmers
continue to grow soybeans, corn, and much more that keep America's
economy growing and plates all over the globe full.
My district also has the distinction that 96 percent of the pumpkins
produced in the world come from central Illinois, within a 100-mile
radius of Peoria, and we are proud of that. So the next time you have a
pumpkin latte or a pumpkin beer or pumpkin pie, it originated somewhere
in central Illinois.
Our State's ties to agriculture don't just end there, but they also
include several companies that are worldwide leaders in farming
equipment and Earth-moving products. Whether it is John Deere or
Caterpillar, just to name a few, they are known across the globe as
producers of the finest construction, farming, and Earth-moving
machines out there.
The Archer Daniels Midland Company, or ADM, is another Illinois
agriculture institution with strong ties to Illinois' 18th District.
Formerly headquartered in Decatur, the global agricultural giant is now
headquartered in Chicago, operating more than 270 plants and 420 crop
procurement facilities worldwide. This is where cereal grains and
oilseeds are produced.
So not only is Illinois leading the way in growing crops, but also in
turning them into products that show up in grocery stores across our
country and across the globe.
Finally, we cannot conclude without noting the presence of Forbes'
33rd ranked business in the country: State Farm Insurance in
Bloomington-Normal. The insurance giant has been providing insurance
coverage and financial services for 95 years and is headquartered in my
district in Bloomington, Illinois. Our ``local good neighbor,'' State
Farm, brings not only peace of mind to millions of Americans as they
buy or rent a home or an automobile, but they also assist in planning
for the future.
I couldn't be prouder to be here tonight with my colleagues. Those
are
[[Page H10170]]
some of the ways that Illinois' 18th District has contributed to the
State's story and how it will keep Illinois at the forefront of our
Nation and global economy.
Now I would like to recognize a number of my colleagues that are here
tonight. I yield to the gentleman from southern Illinois (Mr. Bost),
my colleague.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Peoria, Illinois,
for hosting this Special Order on the State's bicentennial year.
You know, Illinois is a State of threes. You know, we had three State
capitals: Kaskaskia, Vandalia, and Springfield. We have three State
seals. A lot of people don't know that.
If you know Illinois well, you know that there is three distinct
parts of Illinois involved. Whether you are in politics or business, it
is always referred to as Cook County, the Collar counties, and southern
Illinois. In southern Illinois, we like to capitalize the ``S'' on
``southern.''
There is one other thing that is in threes. If you listen to the
Illinois song, three people are mentioned: Lincoln, Grant, and Logan.
Now, the reason why I bring those up is because, tied with southern
Illinois and Illinois' 12th Congressional District--the district that
is the most southern and most western of the State of Illinois, which I
am proud to represent--actually was and had the first State capital.
Also, it has John A. Logan in that mentioning of those three names.
John A. Logan, if you heard that name before, if you are in D.C.,
there are many things that are named after Logan, including ``Logan
Circle.'' Logan was actually the gentleman who was laid in state--the
eighth person laid in state here in this Capitol, and that was because
he had established himself from deep southern Illinois. As a matter of
fact, his hometown was--my hometown was his farm, which was subdivided
to make that hometown.
{time} 1945
As a matter of fact, the deed in abstract of the home that I was born
and raised in and the house that I later bought from my parents and
raised my children for the first 10 years of my marriage in that home,
my great-grandmother actually bought that property from his father.
John Logan established himself, which is really wild, and he actually
was such a large part of Illinois history. He first ran as a Democrat;
he was a district attorney. He then became a State representative, then
a State senator, then went on to be a Member of the U.S. Congress and
later a U.S. Senator.
It was during the time of the Civil War, when the Civil War broke
out, that there were questions on what would happen, because deep
southern Illinois was split during the war, though stayed united as a
State.
John Logan came back and led troops for the North. What is really
wild is after becoming a field grade general and a decorated war
general, he came back to southern Illinois, then went back into
politics as a Republican, and stayed a U.S. Senator but as a Republican
and was part of the reconstructionists.
The amazing thing about John Logan is that he actually ran for vice
president. They lost, he and Blaine. He then was running for president
and gave a long speech, actually, in the gentleman's hometown who is
hosting this tonight, for about 8 hours in the rain, got on a train,
came back to the capital here, and passed away with pneumonia.
Another great thing that happened in deep southern Illinois in the
Illinois 12th is the Lincoln-Douglas debates. I am blessed to have the
only district in the State of Illinois that has two Lincoln-Douglas
debate sites.
I am being questioned here that maybe there is one other.
Jonesboro, September 15, 1858; Alton, October 15, 1858. Very proud of
that. And, you know, these two went on after Douglas wins as Senator,
but then Lincoln ends up winning the Presidency.
There are several other things, but one other thing about deep
southern Illinois, look, many people don't realize that deep southern
Illinois has the smallest national forest in the Nation. The Shawnee
National Forest is located in John Shimkus' and my district. We share
it. It is truly a beautiful part of Illinois, wonderful rolling hills,
deep forests, much good there.
Also the Illinois 12th has Murphysboro, my hometown, which is the
barbecue capital of Illinois. We have teams that have won as many as
four grand championships and went on to create businesses all over this
Nation in that business and in the barbecue business, and we are very
proud of that. I would argue that maybe it is the barbecue capital of
the world. There may be others that would argue different with that.
How many of you, as children, remember the cartoon ``Popeye'', who
came from Chester, Illinois, in the Illinois 12th?
I am sure many of the other people who speak here tonight, Mr.
Speaker, are also proud of their home districts in the State of
Illinois, and should be, because I am going to tell you, whether it is
from Cairo, to Galena, to Chicago, to Mulkeytown, from Danville, to
East St. Louis, the State of Illinois is a great State. We love it.
We have good things and bad things that happen, but it has been a
great State that has helped this Nation, provided great leaders,
provided great people involved in all kinds of fields throughout this
Nation and this world.
I have no reservations in saying, and I am sure others would say this
about theirs, but I am so blessed, because I live in the most beautiful
part of Illinois, the most beautiful part of Illinois where it starts
out as the flatlands, what is commonly known as the prairies of
Illinois up around St. Louis and Alton, and it comes south. When you
get down to my area, it turns into rolling hills, rolling hills that
produce peaches and apples and grapes, the beautiful wineries, areas of
tourism, the land between the lakes, the land known as Little Egypt,
and I am so privileged to be able to represent that part of the State
of Illinois.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I know we are going to have a lot of other speakers
tonight, but I do want to tell you that Illinois, as I said, has had
good times and bad times, but there are a whole lot more good times to
come. It is a great place to live, it is a great place to raise your
children, and I thank God that I had the opportunity to be born and
raised there.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Bost for his comments here
tonight. I appreciate it very much.
Mr. Speaker, next I want to yield to and recognize the Congresswoman
from Matteson, Illinois, Robin Kelly, who we are so glad found her way
from New York to Bradley University as a student in Peoria, Illinois,
and has served our State well in the State legislature and throughout
government there. We are happy to have her here tonight.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman LaHood for
yielding and for organizing tonight's Special Order about our great
State, Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I am Illinois proud, and I rise
today to celebrate our State's upcoming 200th birthday.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent Illinois'
Second Congressional District--in my opinion, the best district in the
entire country. This community starts at 53rd and Cornell around the
Museum of Science and Industry, it then reaches south to include many
suburbs in Cook and Will Counties. It stretches all the way to the
border of Indiana and the border between Kankakee and Iroquois
Counties, to include some of our Nation's most productive family farms.
While I am humbled and honored to represent the remarkable people and
families of Illinois' Second District, as you have heard, I first moved
to Peoria to attend Bradley University.
While at Bradley, I joined the Zeta Phi chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho
and completed my BA in psychology and my MA in counseling. I am proud
to have been a Bradley University trustee, since 2003, and to continue
to be a part of this amazing institution that is preparing the next
generation of leaders.
I lived in Peoria until 1992, when I moved to Matteson, Illinois, my
current home in the great Second Congressional District, to become the
village's director of community affairs.
In 2002, I was elected to the Illinois General Assembly, where I
first met many of my current colleagues in the
[[Page H10171]]
Illinois delegation while serving together in Springfield. At the time,
I also served with the State senator who would eventually go on to
become President of the United States, Barack Obama.
As someone who has been privileged to live throughout Illinois and
travel it extensively while working as a chief of staff to the State
treasurer, I couldn't be more proud to represent this great State and
the great people who will call it home, especially those who call the
Second District home.
The Second District is truly a microcosm of Illinois and the entire
U.S. It is urban, suburban, and rural. It includes parts of the city of
Chicago and more than 1,200 farms.
In the Second District, Nucor makes American steel and our Ford
facility makes American cars. We grow corn, soybeans, and raise
American pork. We have local breweries and giants like Amazon,
alongside world-class bike trails, scenic vistas, and the historic
Pullman neighborhood, and we will soon be home to the new Obama
Presidential Library and Museum.
Mr. Speaker, the Second District is home to many universities and
Blue 1647, a tech incubator, that are training the next generation of
businesses, tech, and innovation leaders.
Our small, medium-sized, and family businesses like Pullman Cafe, K&S
Tire, SA Piggush Financial Consultants, South Creek Animal Hospital,
Two Whisks Bakery, Homewood Bat, and Affordable Flooring By Rodrigo
drive forward our regional economy and create local jobs for Illinois
families.
Our farms, like Van Drunen Farms and FutureCeuticals, feed people in
more than 70 countries around the world, and our manufacturers,
including Crown Cork and Seal, Best Diamond Plastics, and Chicago
Heights Steel continue the proud tradition of Make It In America.
While we are proud to build and grow products used around the State,
country, and globe, you might be surprised to learn that many of the
things you buy every day cross through the Second District. For
generations, Chicago has been the crossroads of America, a hub for
transcontinental and global commerce, and the Second District is the
beating heart of that transportation infrastructure that creates good-
paying American jobs.
The Second District is also home to a vibrant faith community that is
committed to serving their community by putting their faith into
action. Leaders in these movements have their houses of worship in the
Second or they serve many people in the Second: Reverend Dr. James Hunt
of New Hope Christian Community Church; Rami Nashashibi, executive
director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network and a recent MacArthur
Foundation Fellow; Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus, B'nai Yehuda Beth Sholom;
Father Mike Pfleger, a tireless champion to end gun violence; Pastor
Andrew Singleton from Victory Apostolic; Apostle Ron from Full Gospel
Christian Assembly.
Our local nonprofits are helping to create a better, fairer, and more
just world, organizations like Chicago Family Health Center; Aunt
Martha's; Polished Pebbles; Alliance of the Southeast; the Dovetail
Project; Centro de Trabajadores Unidos; and Kids Off The Block, which
provides at-risk young people with positive alternatives.
In the Second District, our young people are active and engaged. They
are dedicated to being a force for positive change in their
communities, in our country, and in their world. In the face of any
darkness, they stand proud and allow their personal life to shine
through circumstance.
Now, we have had a few famous people coming through the Second also:
Quinn Buckner, the basketball player; Shonda Rhimes, famous from
``Scandal,'' ``Grey's Anatomy,'' and ``How to Get Away With Murder;''
Eddy Curry, basketball; Tom Dreesen; Mary Matalin, who worked for Dick
Cheney; and Mike Tomczak, who was a player for the Bears.
So, yes, Mr. Speaker, I am Illinois proud. As we, the congressional
delegation of families throughout the State, celebrate our 200th
birthday over the next year, we are focusing on what makes Illinois
great, things that I have discussed and you will hear tonight.
Illinois greatness is born, it is built, it is grown, and we are
proud of it. Happy birthday, Illinois. Here is to 200 more years of
growth, innovation, and leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman LaHood for yielding.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Kelly very much for
those inspiring words about Illinois. I appreciate it very much.
Mr. Speaker, next I yield to Congressman Randy Hultgren from Plano.
Congressman Hultgren served in our Illinois State senate. He is a proud
Illinoisan, he serves our Nation very well. I yield to him now for a
few comments.
Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am
grateful to Congressman LaHood for hosting this, pulling this together,
and it really is a great beginning of an anticipation of celebration
for the next year's bicentennial of the statehood of my home, Illinois.
Tonight, we are mentioning just a few things that make Illinois such
a great State, and I look forward to continuing to highlight many more
important facts, figures, stories, and pieces of history about the
Prairie State and, more specifically, about the 14th Congressional
District throughout 2018, all the way up until our 200th birthday on
December 3, 2018.
Illinois is the breadbasket that feeds the Nation and the world. Our
State enjoys a global city with world class transportation hubs and
small towns filled with the hardworking Americans who make this country
what it is. The suburbs of Chicago, where I grew up, are opportunity-
filled and family friendly.
I was born in Illinois, grew up in Illinois, and am proud to be
raising my family in Illinois. By the way, for the record, just to set
it clear, it is Illinois, not Illi-noise--phonetic--so we just make
sure that is out there.
I am so proud to represent the 14th Congressional District, the Fox
River Valley, the Chain O'Lakes, and so many dozens and dozens of
wonderful small- and medium-sized towns that, again, are the heartbeat
of Illinois and the heartbeat of this Nation.
Tonight, I also would like to take a moment, as has already been
done, to highlight a special giant that hovers over our State, Honest
Abe himself.
As a history buff, especially Illinois history, I cannot emphasize
enough the impact that Abraham Lincoln has had on our State and also on
our Nation and our world.
While he wasn't born in Illinois, his formative years were spent
there, and no doubt our State helped shape his vision for what America
was meant to be. His moral leadership, his persistent fight against the
evils of slavery, his ability to bring diverse coalitions of people to
unify the country, all this and more is why we have proudly called
Illinois the land of Lincoln.
So, again, it is a great honor and privilege for me to be able to be
with my great colleagues, bipartisan, celebrating our State that we are
so proud of, and we are looking forward to these next 12 months of
ongoing celebration of the great State of Illinois.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Hultgren for those
important words and comments about our great State.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to and recognize Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who
represents the 17th District of Illinois. We share Peoria, Illinois,
together in our district. Mrs. Bustos was born and raised in
Springfield, currently lives in the Quad Cities in East Moline. I yield
to the gentlewoman tonight for some comments.
{time} 2000
Mrs. BUSTOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman LaHood for putting this
together as we celebrate the 200th birthday of our great State of
Illinois.
The congressional district I serve stretches from Rockford to the
north; the western border is the Mississippi River; and then we go into
central Illinois, as Congressman LaHood said, to the city of Peoria. I
am very proud to be able to share that city with Congressman LaHood.
My congressional district also represents the Quad Cities, which is
where I call home. So in between all of these towns is 7,000 square
miles of scenic farmland and vibrant towns like Monmouth and Canton and
Thomson. We are a proud region with a proud history of manufacturing,
agriculture, and service to our Nation.
[[Page H10172]]
Let me tell you a little bit about the congressional district I
serve. We are the home to John Deere in Moline, the birthplace of
Caterpillar in Peoria, and home of the iconic Sock Monkey, which was
created in Rockford, Illinois. I kid you not.
In Rockford, we hosted the Nation's very first National Football
League game at Douglas Park, where the Rock Island Independents
defeated the St. Paul Ideals 48-0, a real romping.
More than 40 years before the world also fell in love with them
through a movie called ``A League of Their Own,'' the Rockford Peaches
were the four-time champions of the All-American Girls Professional
Baseball League--also, I kid you not. This is amazing history.
I want to mention a few athletes as well. Jim Thome, Congressman
LaHood knows him. He was the five-time all-star who played for eight
different major league teams. He also came from the city of Peoria, and
my brother was very close with him. My brother, my late brother, was a
baseball coach at Eastern Illinois University and Southern Illinois
University, and he was good friends with Jim Thome.
We have also had several other brilliant performers come out of our
region. Comedian Richard Pryor was born and grew up in Peoria. The town
of Aledo in Mercer County is the hometown of two country megastars:
Suzy Bogguss and Margo Price. And we even have a member of Destiny's
Child, Michelle Williams, who came from Rockford. So we are a proud
people.
We also are very proud of our agricultural heritage. Our region is
one of the top corn producers in the country. We have corn and soybean
farms all across Illinois that have been worked by generations of farm
families. And they even go through the rolling hills of the Driftless
Area in the Galena Territory. What the Driftless Area means is that
this is a gorgeous stretch of land where the last ice age actually
didn't flatten, and so we have wonderful farmland in that region as
well.
A little bit to the east of the Galena Territory, we have a town
called Freeport, which is also known as Pretzel City, USA, and it is
home to the Union Dairy, which recently celebrated its centennial
birthday.
Our region has played a pivotal role not just in our State's history,
but also in our Nation's history. Senator Everett Dirksen, a Senate
office building right down the road here is named after Senator
Dirksen. He came from Pekin, Illinois, which is in my congressional
district. If you don't know the history of Everett Dirksen, he was
actually one of the authors of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968.
Let's go to where I live, Rock Island County. It was the location of
the very first railroad bridge over the Mississippi River, built in
1856. And since we are all getting into this Abraham Lincoln part of
our State's history, Abraham Lincoln was the attorney for the bridge
company that I just mentioned. Then, 2 years after that bridge was
built, our region was the host--I know Congressman Bost said that his
district was the only district that had two Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Well, there is actually another congressional district that had two
debates. One was in Freeport in 1858, in August of that year, and then
another was in Galesburg in October of 1858.
So, in fact, President Lincoln's congressional district--I know
Congressman Davis is going to lay real claim to Congressman Lincoln,
but he also--let's see. Congressman Davis had part of his district;
Congressman LaHood had part of his district; and he also represented
Tazewell County, which is part of my congressional district.
Another legend of the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant, made his home in
Galena, Illinois, and his Presidential campaign headquarters was in a
place called the DeSoto House, which is a hotel today in downtown
Galena. It is a place where my husband and I like to stay when we visit
Galena.
During the Civil War, Rock Island was used as a Union prison camp
before it was converted into the Rock Island Arsenal, where, today, it
is the Army's only active foundry. The hardworking men and women of the
Rock Island Arsenal have produced munitions for every single one of our
conflicts and our wars dating back to the Civil War.
Mr. Speaker, the people of the northwestern and central and western
part of Illinois have always had a special connection to the veterans
who have served in our country. There is one particular street, the
last point I want to make talking about my congressional district that
I am lucky enough to serve, and its place in history over the last 200
years, but we are very, very proud of the street that we call Hero
Street in Silvis, Illinois. It is a 1\1/2\-block street, and there is
no street of that similar size that has had more men and women serve in
the military than Hero Street USA in Silvis, Illinois.
More than 100 people have come from that street of a block and a half
long to serve in the military, and 8 of them, all Mexican Americans,
made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II and the Korean war.
Hero Street has long been a source of pride for the congressional
district that I am lucky enough to serve, and I am proud to mention
them as part of this Special Order tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I know all of us from this great State of Illinois who
are speaking tonight are only scratching the surface about how
important our region of the State is to our State's history. I am very
proud to be part of this.
I thank Congressman LaHood for putting this together so we can talk
about the bicentennial of the State of Illinois.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Bustos for her
valuable comments and advocacy for the State of Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to a colleague from Taylorville, Illinois (Mr.
Rodney Davis), somebody who serves a district just to the south of me.
We share Springfield together. He represents some of the best
institutions of higher learning in our State, and I am proud to share
many of the Lincoln sites with my friend.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend,
Congressman LaHood, and all my good friends from the Illinois
delegation who are here today.
This is really a privilege for me to be able to be here to talk about
Illinois' 200th anniversary. It is my home State. It wasn't always my
home State. As a matter of fact, my family moved us from our hometown
of Des Moines, Iowa, to Taylorville, Illinois, when I was 7 years old,
in 1977.
Taylorville was a new experience for me, but it was a home that we
established. My parents were able to achieve their dream of owning
their own business, which gave my family the chance to achieve the
American Dream, and it was right here in Illinois. It was in our home
State that celebrates our 200th anniversary.
Taylorville is the place where my wife grew up, and it is where we
choose to raise our three children. But it is also my proud hometown,
and I love to talk about it because it is where I grew up, but it is
also where so many things have happened. Because I have taken this job
as a Member of Congress, this opportunity, I have learned a lot more
about my hometown.
A couple of highlights that I want to bring out: one, of course, was
Taylorville's basketball team from the 1940s still holds the IHSA
record. I believe they were 45-0, with big-name players like Johnny Orr
and Ron Bontemps.
Edward Mills Purcell was born in Taylorville and raised in
Taylorville. He actually was the Nobel Peace Prize winner in physics.
He actually created nuclear magnetic resonance, which is the backbone
of what we know today as an MRI. It came out of my hometown in
Taylorville, Illinois.
I am so honored that, since 2013, I have been blessed to be able to
walk this floor and serve the 13th Congressional District with these
great colleagues from our home State. The 13th Congressional District
goes way beyond my hometown of Taylorville. It stretches in 14
counties, and one area that I know that has been talked about tonight
is Springfield, the State capital, Lincoln's hometown.
I have got to give it to my colleague, Mr. LaHood. Yes, he represents
more geography that Lincoln represented in his one term here in
Congress, and Mrs. Bustos represents part of Lincoln's old district. I
understand that. But as somebody who represents Lincoln himself in
Lincoln's tomb, I think I represent Lincoln the most.
[[Page H10173]]
What this tells you, this friendly rivalry that we three have, it
goes to show you that, in one term in Congress and then his time as the
President of our great Nation, Abraham Lincoln took three Members of
Congress to follow in his footsteps in his one district. There is no
way any of us in this institution can follow in the footsteps of
Abraham Lincoln, but it is such a privilege to know that we three share
such history. And that is exactly why we are here today, to talk about
the 200th anniversary of our home State, and we would not be talking
about Illinois without Abraham Lincoln.
There is a story and a statue in my hometown that has Lincoln and a
pig. The old stories are that Lincoln came to practice when he was a
lawyer and complained about the pig squealing under the steps of our
local courthouse. So we in Taylorville honor Abe and his comments on
the pig. Come visit, see the statue, and come celebrate Abraham
Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln was a leader that, obviously, our Nation needed at
that time. We stand here in the House of Representatives and we debate
issues that may seem important today, but, compared to what our great
President Abraham Lincoln and the Members of Congress at the time
leading up to our Civil War, the issues that they had to discuss and
they had to debate, I believe history has shown us that we will never--
and, hopefully, never ever--experience what those elected officials did
in Lincoln's time.
But it took the courage of Abraham Lincoln to actually keep our
Nation together and keep the stability and the growth of the great
State of Illinois as part of this United States of America for 200
years. His leadership and ability to unite people is something I strive
to do in Congress every day.
We certainly have a diverse State, and I want to highlight some of
the things that Abraham Lincoln is probably not known for.
Abe Lincoln actually was the inspiration for landmark legislation
that he signed that created the Morrill Land-Grant Acts that gave us
land-grant universities, including the greatest land-grant university
that I joke with my colleagues about from throughout this great Nation.
The greatest land-grant is the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, which I am proud to have in my district.
As we move on to talk about important issues, I cannot leave this
floor tonight without talking about the importance of agriculture in
our home State of Illinois. This past August, U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Sonny Perdue; chairman of the House Agriculture Committee,
Mike Conaway; and so many Members, including Congressman LaHood,
Congresswoman Bustos, and others, joined me and other members of the
House Agriculture Committee for a farm bill listening session at the
largest outdoor farm event in the country, the Farm Progress Show in
Decatur, Illinois. Just the fact that this show is in Illinois every
other year truly highlights the importance of Illinois agriculture to
the rest of the world.
I am proud to be able to serve on the House Agriculture Committee and
serve as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Biotechnology,
Horticulture, and Research. And when we talk about agriculture and our
ability to feed the world, it stems right from our home State of
Illinois.
With 72,000 farms and over 2,600 food manufacturers, Illinois is a
national leader. We are the leading producer of soybeans, corn, swine,
and one of the largest producers of ethanol. As we move ahead into the
next farm bill debate, I am proud to be able to take Illinois' voice to
the House Agriculture Committee with my colleague Congressman Bost and
my other colleague Congresswoman Bustos.
I am proud to represent central Illinois and the 13th District here
in Washington, and I hope that those who follow us for the next 200
years enjoy legislating in a bipartisan way as much as we do together
in the Illinois delegation.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Davis for those
wonderful words regarding Illinois. I think we can agree there is
enough Lincoln history and heritage to go around to all of us. So I
thank the gentleman for his advocacy.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Deerfield, Illinois (Mr.
Schneider), who represents many of the northwest suburbs and part of
Cook County.
{time} 2015
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in
honoring our home, the great State of Illinois, on its bicentennial
anniversary of its statehood in 1813.
Over the next year, we are celebrating all that Illinois has
contributed to American history, culture, innovation, and more over the
past 200 years.
On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st State to join this
Union. From humble beginnings with only 34,000 people, today, Illinois
is the fifth most populous State, with almost 13 million people. Then a
frontier prairie State, Illinois now sits firmly at the center of our
national life, playing an indelible role in fueling, building, and
transporting America's rise.
We are proud of our history as the Land of Lincoln, where, arguably,
our greatest U.S. President began his career, raised his family, and
first ran for office.
As we have talked about, Abraham Lincoln was not the only President
with roots in Illinois. President Grant and President Obama all called
Illinois home, and President Reagan was the only President who was
actually born in Illinois.
Illinois is my home, too, and like those Presidents, I wasn't born in
Illinois. I moved to Illinois 35 years ago--hard to believe it has been
that long--to attend college at Northwestern University, immediately
falling in love with this great State.
At Northwestern University, I met my wife. She grew up in Glencoe, we
settled in Deerfield. We have raised two boys, made our career and our
home in Illinois, and, most importantly, made our family in Illinois.
Some of the interesting things to share about Illinois: Illinois had
the first aquarium built in Chicago in 1893. The very first skyscraper
in the entire world was built in Chicago in 1885. The tallest building
in North America, formerly the Sears Tower, now the Willis Tower, is in
Chicago. Evanston, home to Northwestern University, is also the home to
the ice cream sundae.
Illinois has a lot to be proud of, and will continue to be. Illinois
has offered me and my family a tremendous opportunity, but now the task
before us--the 18 members of the Illinois delegation who stand before
you today thank you for organizing this. Our task now is to make sure
that Illinois continues to work to create the same and better
opportunities for the next generation.
Personally, I am incredibly lucky to represent the 10th District of
Illinois, which stretches from the edges of Cook County all the way
north along Lake Michigan to the borders of Wisconsin, from the lake
all the way west to Fox Lake. It is an incredible district. It is one
of the most thoughtful, engaged constituencies in all of Congress.
My constituents reach out and talk to me about what matters, what
they care about. They freely share their opinions, and I welcome the
opportunity to hear what is important, to hear their priorities and
values, and I have the greatest privilege in my life to represent them
in this great body.
What I hear about from my constituents is hope for the future, the
belief that Illinois, Chicago, the 10th District, is going to lead this
Nation. My district is a district that focuses on education because we
know that educating every one of our children, from kindergarten all
the way through high school, to college and even grad school, to making
sure all of our kids have the skills and lessons they need to succeed,
is the way we are going to continue to lead in a global economy.
When it comes to economy, my district has the fourth largest
concentration of manufacturing jobs of any district in the entire
country. We have innovation, we have manufacturing, we have
transportation, because we know, if we are going to grow our economy,
we are going to invent things in America, make them in America, and
ship them around the world; and Illinois and the 10th District of
Illinois is leading the way.
Our district has a great focus on the environment. I have the
privilege of representing the largest part of Lake Michigan in the
Illinois delegation; Lake Michigan that provides fresh
[[Page H10174]]
water to 30 million people. But Illinoisans know that we need to
protect our environment to invest in our future, to make sure that our
children have clean air, fresh water, and a good, healthy future. That
all comes out of Illinois.
For 200 years, Illinois has been a place where people could achieve
the promise of a better future. Looking to the future, we will continue
to succeed by offering high-quality education, good, well-paying jobs,
and a secure, dignified retirement for all our citizens.
I am proud to represent this great State. I am proud to have the
privilege to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,
fighting for the priorities and values of Illinois. I am proud of the
history our State has provided; of the example we have given not just
today, but for 200 years. 2018 is going to mark the 200th anniversary
of the birth of the State of Illinois, but I know that our best days
still lie ahead of us. I know that, together, we are going to work to
make our future solid and our kids' opportunities secure.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Schneider for his very
complimentary words of his district and the State of Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I next yield to the gentleman from the Illinois
delegation, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, one of our newest members
whose hometown is Schaumburg, Illinois, but his roots go downstate to
Peoria, Illinois. We are proud to have him as a Peorian. His parents
live in my district as constituents. He has hit the ground running here
in Congress and is proud of his Illinois roots both downstate and now
representing the suburbs of Chicago.
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman LaHood for
organizing this Special Order. I am so honored to be a part of it.
As the Congressman mentioned, my name is Raja Krishnamoorthi, a
Congressman representing the great Eighth District of Illinois, which
are the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago
I am proud to join my colleagues tonight in celebrating Illinois'
bicentennial--the 200th year--of statehood. There is something special
in celebrating the anniversary of Illinois' entry into the Union, as it
was the State which produced the man who would save it.
I am proud to be from the Land of Lincoln, but for all of its
national and historic importance, my love of our home State is also
very personal. I did not have the honor of being born in Illinois, but
it is my home and always will be because our State welcomed my family
with open arms, as it has for so many others over the last 200 years.
You see, I was born in New Delhi, India, and when I was 3 months old,
my parents brought our family to the United States so my father could
continue his education and our family could embrace all the
opportunities of this great country.
It wasn't easy and there was struggle, but my family came to know
that the American Dream of building a better life was possible because
the people of Illinois made it so.
We had our challenges, but everything changed for the better when my
father was offered a position as an engineering professor in a
mysterious place called Peoria, Illinois. They did not know where
Peoria, Illinois, was at the time. They unfurled the map, found out
where Peoria was, packed the U-Haul in New York State, and started
driving and driving and driving. They made it to Peoria, but that was
when the golden years in our family started. That is where they
educated their two sons in wonderful public schools. That is where they
bought their first home. That is where they entered the middle class.
Every night, my father would say something at the dinner table along
the lines of: Think of the greatness of this country and of Illinois,
and make sure that the governments in both places are there for the
next families who need it.
My father began teaching. My brother and I went to school in Peoria,
and Peoria became our home. More than three decades have passed. My
father is still teaching at Bradley University, and he and my mother
still live in the house I grew up in.
Though I went away for college, I always knew where I would be when
it was time to start my own family. My wife, Priya, and I were married
in Illinois, and all three of our children are being raised there. It
will always be our home, for all the joys of the Cubs' wins and for all
the challenges of its winters.
As I look back on the opportunities my family had, that I have had,
and that my children will have, I will feel an overwhelming sense of
gratitude to Illinois.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Krishnamoorthi for those
heartfelt words about Illinois. I appreciate those very, very much.
Mr. Speaker, next I yield to one of the deans of our delegation from
the city of Chicago, a strong advocate for our State and the city,
Congressman Danny Davis.
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank
Representative LaHood for organizing this opportunity for all of us
from Illinois to talk about the greatness of our State.
We have had on the floor individuals from very different parts of the
State, but Illinois has always had a reputation of having one of the
most congenial delegations in Congress any way you cut it. We have
always had that during the time that I have been here, and to be able
to talk about the diversity.
As Representative Krishnamoorthi was making his comments, you could
hear the emotion in his voice as he talked about how Illinois had
welcomed his family. And that is what Illinois has done. It has
welcomed individuals from all parts of the world. Individuals, large
numbers of Puerto Ricans who came from Puerto Rico; Mexican Americans;
individuals who were immigrants; African Americans, like myself, who
migrated from the rural South.
No, I didn't grow up in Illinois. I wasn't born in Illinois. As a
matter of fact, I was born in Arkansas. Of course, it is the only State
in the Bible that Noah looked over his ark and saw.
Large numbers of individuals from my State, from Mississippi, from
Louisiana, from Texas, from Tennessee, from Alabama, and from other
places migrated to Illinois, and especially to Chicago.
I have the opportunity to represent what I consider to be the most
fascinating piece of geography in North America that is compressed into
a political subdivision. My district begins at Lake Michigan. You can't
go any further east. It abuts the lake. It is downtown Chicago. It is
The Loop. It is the Magnificent Mile. It is Water Tower Place. It is
the future's industry. It is the big banks. It is home to corporate
America. Major corporations have their headquarters in downtown
Chicago.
But it also has more hospitals than any other single district in
America, which means that it is a health mecca. It also has some of the
first of the community health centers, the federally qualified health
centers, that were organized, the Mile Squares, the Near Norths, the
Martin Luther Kings, Access Healths.
It is a fascinating place, but then a part of it is home to Ernest
Hemingway. There are more Frank Lloyd Wright structures in my district
in a place called Oak Park than any other place in the world.
With the exception of a few places, it is the museum capital of the
Nation, every kind of entity. But the diversity of its people, some
very wealthy individuals, but then the areas that were devastated by
the riots after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.
But some of the greatness of people like John H. Johnson, who
started, developed, and owned Johnson Publishing Company. Parker House
Sausage. We don't do a great deal of farming, but we do a lot of other
kinds of things, businesses like Ariel Capital, Loop Capital.
{time} 2030
These businesses provide an opportunity for others to interact. Great
people, I have had the good fortune to just know a whole bunch of young
athletes: Isaiah Thomas, Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers, and Darryl
Stingley. All of these guys grew up in my district--not just in
Chicago, but in my district.
I represent the Chicago Bulls. I represent the Bears, the Black
Hawks, and a little bit of the White Sox. Unfortunately, the Cubs are a
little further
[[Page H10175]]
north where Congressman Mike Quigley is and represents, but we embrace
them also.
President Barack Obama lived right at the edge of my district.
Chicago, Illinois, is filled with inclusivity. Carol Moseley Braun
was the first African-American woman to be elected to the United States
Senate from the State of Illinois. Of course, Barack Obama was also
elected to the Senate. Roland Burris was a member of the Senate, and
Abraham Lincoln.
I grew up as a fan of Abraham Lincoln because of the role that he and
Illinois played in the abolition of slavery. My mother was a great
Abraham Lincoln fan, so as a little boy, I knew every story that you
could think of about Abraham Lincoln.
The thing that I am most proud of, though, is the inclusivity and the
diversification of our State.
Representative LaHood has represented and demonstrated what Illinois
is all about, and that is bringing all of us together to extol some of
the virtues of our great State. I thank the gentleman for his
leadership, and I thank the gentleman for his action.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Davis for those
wonderful words about the State of Illinois, its history, and the city
of Chicago and all his advocacy.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, as you can see, each of our districts has
played a role in not only shaping Illinois' history, but that of the
entire Nation and the whole world. Whether it is the business hub of
Chicago, the farmers downstate, or the many Main Street businesses in
every city, Illinois' influence can be seen every day no matter where
you are.
That is why our bicentennial theme of ``Born, Built, and Grown'' is
so appropriate. As 2018 begins and we continue to get closer to our
State's birthday on December 3, 2018, bicentennial events all across
Illinois will help us recognize the important people and products that
our State has to offer. For example, a bicentennial beer has already
been judged and selected, hailing from the Hand of Fate Brewing Company
in Petersburg, Illinois, within my congressional district.
I encourage everyone to check out the full list of events at
illinois200.com. I am sure I will be running into many of my colleagues
at several of them throughout the year as they happen across the State.
While Illinois' first 200 years have included both struggle and
success, our State should be a point of pride for all of us. I think we
heard that tonight. While we have accomplished so much, as my
colleagues and I have talked about here tonight, there remains much to
be done. Illinois remains on the path of prosperity, and the hard work
and determination that the people of Illinois are known for will surely
get us there.
Mr. Speaker, I will just close by wishing Illinois a happy early
birthday. We look forward to celebrating over the next year.
I am proud to be born and raised in the State of Illinois and that my
wife and I are raising our three boys in Illinois. We hope they stay
and prosper in Illinois, and we look forward to this next year of
celebration for 200 years of Illinois being in this great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________