[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF ILLINOIS' BICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM KINZINGER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 19, 2017

  Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my fellow 
Illinoisans in celebrating 200 years of being the Land of Lincoln, the 
Prairie State, the heart of the Midwest, and the true microcosm of 
America.
  With our varied landscape and diverse population, our location in the 
dead center of the country, and our historical significance, Illinois 
is home to the hard-working and the kind-hearted. On December 3, 1818, 
Illinois became the 21st state admitted to the Union.
  Today, Illinois is the fifth most populated state in the country and 
the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. Our 
proud state leads the nation in agriculture, manufacturing, specialized 
license plates, and is home to superheroes. Yes, we boast about having 
the highest number of personalized license plates produced in the 
country, and the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois. 
We are home to the beloved 2016 World Series Champions, the Chicago 
Cubs, and the recently beleaguered but still beloved, Chicago Bears.
  U.S. Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, and Obama all lived in 
Illinois. In fact, Ronald Reagan's boyhood home of Dixon is located in 
the district I represent. Illinois' 16th Congressional District is also 
home to the First Lincoln-Douglas Debate, which took place on August 
21, 1858 in downtown Ottawa's Washington Square.
  We're proud to celebrate this rich history, fortunate to call 
Illinois home, and honored to serve our communities here in Congress. 
As we kick off this bicentennial celebration of our Great Pumpkin 
State, we have a lot to be proud of and a lot of history to look back 
on.
  Mr. Speaker, today I stand here to wish Illinois a very happy 
birthday and a wonderful bicentennial celebration all year long. Here's 
to our state sovereignty and national union.

                          ____________________