Recognizing and supporting the efforts of the USA Bid Committee to bring the 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup Competition to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 327) to recognize and support the efforts of the USA Bid Committee to bring the 2018 or 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup competition to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Every 4 years during the FIFA World Cup, the world is captivated and obsessed with soccer. We watch young men take to the field representing their respective nations, and we proudly fly our national flags and sing our national anthems. But the World Cup is not just a soccer tournament. As a truly global event, it is a vehicle for bringing the world closer together.

In 1994, the United States hosted what has been hailed as the most successful World Cup in history. Spread across the country in nine host cities, we accommodated more fans than any previous World Cup, reached a record television audience around the world, and in the process fueled the development of the beautiful game in America.

Hosting the World Cup again would be a great honor for our Nation, and I wholeheartedly support H. Con. Res. 327, which supports the USA Bid Committee's efforts to bring the 2022 FIFA World Cup back to the United States.

In May of this year, the USA Bid Committee presented our bid to FIFA, which, in addition to information on logistics, includes a 10-year plan to use soccer as a tool to promote education, health, development, and peace.

In addition to bringing the world's attention to the United States for one month in 2022, hosting the tournament would also generate a tremendous amount of revenue. The USA Bid Committee estimates that ticket sales alone will generate over $1 billion and visitors are expected to spend an additional $5 billion on accommodations, transportation, and communications. The licensing and sponsorship of the tournament will likewise bring revenue into the country, and the spotlight on the United States will encourage investment in our economy.

I commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) for authoring this important resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in expressing strong support for the 2022 World Cup bid.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and rise in support of H. Con. Res. 327, a bipartisan measure recognizing the efforts of the USA Bid Committee to bring the World Cup to the United States.

On December 2, the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Football Associations, or FIFA, will be voting and announcing the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup competitions.

A month ago, the United States decided to focus solely on its bid for 2022. My colleagues will recall that the U.S. hosted a highly successful World Cup 16 years ago, in 1994.

In addition to holding opening ceremonies and the first match in my home State of Illinois, that tournament set World Cup attendance records, drawing nearly 3.6 million live spectators at matches that were broadcast to billions of viewers around the world. It was a great success for the World Cup and a huge boost for the game in the United States. Since that time, soccer has grown significantly in this country, both as a participant and a spectator sport.

I can think of no better venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup than the United States of America. We boast the second largest number of players in the world, with over 24 million Americans playing. With nearly 4 million young people playing in more than 6,000 clubs and leagues, the United States leads the world in youth players--those who are most committed and important to the future of the game. With our state-of- the-art stadiums and broadcast facilities, we also have the best possible infrastructure to make the 2022 World Cup accessible to the people of the world.

For these and many other reasons, holding the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the United States would be good for FIFA and good for the economy of the United States. Thus, it is fitting that today we join together across party lines to commend and support the efforts of the USA Bid Committee to bring the World Cup competition to the United States in 2022.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with the excitement of this year's FIFA World Cup competition in South Africa and the achievements of the U.S. Men's National Team still fresh in our minds, I rise to support efforts to bring the world's most popular sporting event--the FIFA World Cup competition--back to our country.

In 1994, our nation hosted the FIFA World Cup tournament. That tournament still holds the record for the highest attendance in history, with an overall attendance of 3.6 million. It also spurred the development and popularity of soccer in this country, leading to the creation of Major League Soccer, the United States' national first division professional soccer league.

Building upon this country's enormous success in hosting the FIFA World Cup in 1994, the US Soccer Federation--through the USA Bid Committee--has submitted a very strong bid to host the 2022 competition.

Bringing the FIFA World Cup tournament back to the United States will both contribute to the further growth of soccer in America and stimulate the economies of dozens of cities and states that hope to serve as hosts to national teams and spectators from around the world. Eighteen communities across the country, including Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, are working with the USA Bid Committee to serve as potential hosts for the games during the month-long competition.

I want to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen as well as my fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus--George Miller, Dave Reichert, and Mary Bono Mack--for their support of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, the United States faces formidable competition in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament from several countries in Asia and Australia, but with Congressional encouragement and support for USA Bid Committee's effort in advance of FIFA's decision on December 2nd, it would send an important message to FIFA at this critical time.

I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution.

I ask unanimous consent to proceed to H. Con. Res. 327.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.