[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.

                          ____________________