Supporting Olympic Day and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 538) supporting Olympic Day on June 23, 2009, and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as amended.

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 legislation and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the gentlelady from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for introducing this resolution supporting Olympic Day and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games.

H. Res. 538 provides an opportunity for the House to celebrate the Olympic ideal of peace through sport and to recognize Olympic Day, the founding anniversary of the modern Olympic games. For over a century, the modern Olympic games have brought together athletes from all around the world and in the process has helped forge countless relationships found by friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Olympic Day promotes the Olympic ideal by encouraging the teaching of Olympic history, health, arts, culture to students across the country. It also encourages a new generation of American athletes to take part in Olympic and Paralympic sports.

As we support the ideals of Olympic Day, it is only fitting that we also urge the International Olympic Committee to support the City of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. Last year, the IOC named Chicago one of the finalist cities to host the games, and the winning city will be selected this October.

Hosting the 2016 games would bring significant benefits to Chicago, one of our Nation's truly world-class cities, and would provide an excellent opportunity for American athletes to compete in the summer Olympic and Paralympic games in front of a home crowd for the first time since 1996.

I congratulate the gentlelady from Illinois for her tireless efforts, along with the other members of the delegation, to promote their city's bid to host the 2016 summer games and to urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), one of the sponsors of the bill and a great fan of Chicago and who is ready to go.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson).

(Mr. JACKSON of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House and offer the resolution previously noticed.

I do, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this House operates under rules, or it's supposed to operate under rules, rules that have been longstanding in the House and that are incorporated in written form. And rule IX of those rules of the House states specifically, Members may raise questions ``affecting the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings'' and those affecting the rights of Members individually in their representative capacity.

So the question is, Mr. Speaker, what is more fundamental to the rights of the Members of this House than the ability to represent their constituents and to affect the legislation that's brought to the floor?

The Democrat majority, under Speaker Pelosi, has unilaterally--some would say brazenly, some would say repressively--ended a 220-year tradition of allowing any Member to allow a spending bill.

And that's precisely what I'm attempting to do, Mr. Speaker.

When my constituents sent me here to Congress, they didn't send me here to just push buttons. What they sent me here to do was to exercise every single ability that a Member of the House is granted. And one of the abilities that the Member of the House is granted is the opportunity to affect legislation.

And under rule IX, which states, Mr. Speaker, that the proceedings should not affect the rights of the Members individually in their Representative capacity, so if being denied the ability to offer an amendment doesn't affect the rights of this House, if it doesn't affect the dignity and integrity of its proceedings, if it doesn't affect my rights as a Representative, then I don't know what does, Mr. Speaker.

I don't know what does. If Members are not allowed to offer amendments, then the Member, him or herself, is unable to represent their constituents and consequently is disenfranchising every single American.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would contend respectfully that the inability of Members to offer amendments is an indignity upon the House and makes it so that Members are not able to exercise their representative capacity.

And I appeal to the Chair to see the light of day and allow this privileged resolution to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 538, supporting Olympic Day and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games, and I congratulate my good friend and colleague Ms. Schakowsky for sponsoring this, bringing it to the floor today. I think it sends a very clear message of the solidarity that we have that this be the venue for the 2016 Olympic games.

Last month, the world observed the 61st annual Olympic Day, a celebration commemorating the creation of the International Olympic Committee. Olympic Day was first observed in 1948, 54 years after the founding of the International Olympic Committee. As the only annual, worldwide event of the Olympic movement, Olympic Day is a fitting tribute to the ideals of the Olympic charter.

These are: ``to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles,'' and ``to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man,'' and I would add woman, ``with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.''

The theme of this year's Olympic Day is ``Move, Learn and Discover,'' and it was celebrated last month with the 22nd annual Olympic Day run sponsored in various locations around the world by over 150 national Olympic committees.

This resolution also encourages the selection of Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Selected in April of 2007 as the United States bid city for the summer Olympics in 2016, Chicago is a thriving example of our Nation's heartland, its urban vitality, and its remarkable diversity.

The contributions of international sport to personal fitness and international understanding deserve our recognition, and I thank again my distinguished colleague from Illinois for introducing this resolution which deserves our unanimous support.

I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 538, a resolution supporting Chicago, my hometown's bid to host the summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2016, and to congratulate Congresswoman Schakowsky for rallying the Congress behind this important effort.

Chicago, with its diverse culture and international flair, is an ideal host for these games. Since the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, the city and its people have been internationally recognized for hosting magnificent events on a global stage. With world-class museums, outstanding restaurants, numerous accommodations and stadiums, the city would provide a resounding welcome, hearty embrace and ideal environment to host Olympic athletes and visitors from around the world.

Chicagoans are also known for their passion for sports: the world- famous Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.

Furthermore, the Olympic games will bring many needed jobs, economic opportunities, and infrastructure investments to our Nation.

Chicago 2016 has worked with more than 75 community groups to ensure that opportunities in construction, procurement and jobs will be shared by everybody. The games will create the equivalent of 315,000 full-time jobs for at least 1 year and generate $7 billion in wages.

Chicago's bid uses existing facilities, the lakefront and parks so no residents will be displaced as a result of construction related to the games. The new permanent venues that are proposed will serve communities after the games, providing sports facilities, pools, tennis courts and recreational spaces in our parks and on our lakefront.

The International Olympic Committee will make a decision on October 3. I can't think of a better way to demonstrate the House's support for Chicago's bid and America's bid than voting for this resolution.

I urge all my colleagues to vote ``aye,'' and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 538, a bipartisan resolution I introduced to express the support of the House of Representatives for the City of Chicago's bid to host the summer Olympics in 2016.

Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2016, athletes from all over the world will come together to compete in a modern Olympiad, a series of games that has represented peace and hope since it first began more than 100 years ago. In April 2007, Chicago was selected by the United States Olympic Committee as the one and only United States bid city; and on June 4, 2008, the International Olympic Committee named Chicago as one of the four finalists to host the 31st Olympiad, and I can't think of any better place to host these games.

On the edge of the Great Lakes, Chicago boasts a magnificent skyline and a diverse population that prides itself not only on its history but on what will be achieved in the future. Chicago has overcome adversity to rise up as the crown jewel of the Midwest, embracing hard work and hospitality as cornerstone values.

The United States and the White House have each taken unprecedented steps to express support for the 2016 Olympics to be hosted in Chicago. Mayor Richard Daley has organized an incredible group of civic and political and business leaders in support of our bid, and it is my hope that my colleagues in the House will join in this cause by supporting this important resolution.

The bipartisan resolution recognizes June 23 as Olympic Day and supports the City of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics. I realize that that day has passed, but I think that when we join together to support this resolution, we'll be expressing our support for our great City of Chicago, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support it.