[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 169 (Thursday, October 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6825-S6826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 683--RECOGNIZING AND COMMEMORATING THE BICENTENNIAL 
                        OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 683

       Whereas Illinoisans will celebrate the 200th anniversary of 
     the founding of the State of Illinois on December 3, 2018, 
     and the lasting legacy of all that the ``Prairie State'' has 
     to offer;
       Whereas Illinois was the 21st State to be admitted to the 
     Union in 1818, expanding the heartland of the United States 
     farther west;
       Whereas Illinois took part in shaping the visions and moral 
     compass of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United 
     States, and became known as the ``Land of Lincoln'';
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln demonstrated political courage in 
     issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, an Executive 
     order which freed more than 3,000,000 enslaved persons of 
     color in the United States;
       Whereas Illinois led the righteous path toward equality as 
     the first State to ratify the 13th Amendment, banning slavery 
     in the United States, in 1865;
       Whereas Illinois fostered the development of many leaders 
     of the United States as the birthplace of President Ronald 
     Reagan and the home of President Ulysses S. Grant and the 
     first African-American President of the United States, Barack 
     H. Obama;
       Whereas Illinois served as a pioneer in challenging the 
     views of leadership in society by electing--
       (1) the third woman to ever serve in Congress, Winnifred S. 
     Huck, in 1922; and
       (2) the first African-American woman to serve in the 
     Senate, Carol Moseley Braun, in 1993;
       Whereas the characteristic forests, wetlands, and vast 
     farmland of Illinois established Illinois as an agricultural 
     leader and the predominant producer of soybeans, corn, and 
     swine in the United States, and is home to more than 72,000 
     farms that cover 27,000,000 acres, or 75 percent of the 
     State;
       Whereas Illinois is home to Chicago, the third largest city 
     in the United States, which survived and rebuilt following 
     the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that resulted in 300 
     fatalities and incurred an estimated $200,000,000 in damage 
     across 4 miles of the city;
       Whereas Chicago introduced the world to groundbreaking, 
     life-altering innovations

[[Page S6826]]

     while it was host to the World's Columbian Exposition in 
     1893, where the world witnessed--
       (1) the first all-steel-framed skyscraper, the Rand McNally 
     Building on Adams Street; and
       (2) the first Ferris Wheel;
       Whereas Illinois inventors have been trailblazers in every 
     area of scientific and mechanical achievement, having 
     contributed such inventions as the cell phone, the mechanical 
     dishwasher, the zipper, meatpacking, the first blood bank in 
     the United States, the wireless remote controller, the vacuum 
     cleaner, and the farm silo;
       Whereas Chicago was home to revolutionary and timely 
     events, including--
       (1) the first televised Presidential debate;
       (2) the first successful open-heart surgery; and
       (3) the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction 
     in the world;
       Whereas the economic contributions of Illinois are a 
     testament of the hardworking men and women who call the State 
     home, as the gross domestic product of the State of Illinois 
     in 2016 amounted to $796,000,000,000 and was the fifth 
     highest in the United States in that year;
       Whereas the communities of Illinois nurture unwavering 
     heroism, as the State is home to more than 20,000 active duty 
     military personnel, more than 24,000 members of reserve 
     forces, and, from 2012 to 2016, more than 643,000 veterans, 
     who selflessly risked their lives for the protection of the 
     United States;
       Whereas Illinois prides itself on institutions of academic 
     excellence and is home to more than 300 colleges and 
     universities that have made significant intellectual, 
     scientific, and philosophical contributions to the State as 
     well as the United States;
       Whereas Illinois has been home to numerous renowned artists 
     in the areas of music, writing, acting, and visual art, 
     including--
       (1) Miles Davis, born in Alton and raised in East St. 
     Louis;
       (2) Ernest Hemingway, born in Oak Park;
       (3) Jane Addams, born in Cedarville;
       (4) Nat King Cole, raised in Chicago;
       (5) Carl Sandburg, born in Galesburg;
       (6) Sam Cooke, raised in Chicago;
       (7) Walt Disney, born in Chicago; and
       (8) Robin Williams, born in Chicago;
       Whereas the major league sports teams of Chicago exhibit an 
     impressive level of athleticism and sportsmanship, and have 
     won several national championships, including, within the 
     past 40 years--
       (1) the Chicago Bears in 1986;
       (2) the Chicago Bulls each year from--
       (A) 1991 through 1993; and
       (B) 1996 through 1998;
       (3) the Chicago White Sox in 2005;
       (4) the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015; and
       (5) the Chicago Cubs in 2016;
       Whereas, since its inception, Illinois has welcomed with 
     open arms visitors from every corner of the world, possessed 
     an understanding of how diversity enriches the fabric of our 
     country, fostered people, preserved land, and generated 
     contributions that are imperative to the history of the 
     United States;
       Whereas Illinois will be celebrating its bicentennial with 
     the dedication of a new Bicentennial Plaza that connects the 
     home of President Lincoln to the State Capitol in 
     Springfield, as well as a commemorative Route 66 motorcycle 
     ride and fireworks above the State Capitol on the eve of the 
     occasion; and
       Whereas residents across Illinois have hosted, and continue 
     to host, celebrations, from downstate Illinois up to the 
     coast of Lake Michigan, commemorating the 200th anniversary 
     of the State: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the bicentennial of the founding of the 
     State of Illinois, as well as the past and current residents 
     of Illinois for their significant contributions to the 
     economic, social, and cultural development of the United 
     States; and
       (2) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governor of 
     Illinois.

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