IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1098 
Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the State of Illinois. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 
Mr. RUSH (for himself, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. 
DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 
QUIGLEY, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. KINZINGER, Mrs. BUSTOS, 
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. BOST, Mr. 
LAHOOD, Mr. SCHNEIDER, and Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the 
State of Illinois. 
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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Sep 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1098.IH
HR1098
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1098 IH 
United States, and became known as the ‘‘Land of Lin-
coln’’; 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln demonstrated political courage in 
issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, an Ex-
ecutive 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 slav-
ery 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 farm-
land of Illinois established Illinois as an agricultural lead-
er 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 was rebuilt fol-
lowing 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; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Sep 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1098.IH
HR1098
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1098 IH 
Whereas Chicago introduced the world to groundbreaking, 
life-altering innovations while it was host to the World’s 
Columbian Exposition in 1893, where the world wit-
nessed— 
(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 contrib-
uted 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 reac-
tion in the world; 
Whereas the economic contributions of Illinois are a testa-
ment 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 her-
oism, 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; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Sep 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1098.IH
HR1098
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1098 IH 
Whereas Illinois prides itself on institutions of academic ex-
cellence and is home to more than 300 colleges and uni-
versities 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, in-
cluding— 
(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, with-
in 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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Sep 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1098.IH
HR1098
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1098 IH 
our country, fostered people, preserved land, and gen-
erated 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 Spring-
field, 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 House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the bicentennial of the founding 
of the State of Illinois, as well as the past and cur-
rent residents of Illinois for their significant con-
tributions to the economic, social, and cultural devel-
opment of the United States; and 
(2) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives transmit a copy of this 
resolution to the Governor of Illinois. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Sep 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1098.IH
HR1098
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS