Recognizing and supporting the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup competition to Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 111) recognizing and supporting the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup competition to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

I thank him for introducing a resolution which expresses the broad bipartisan agreement that the United States supports the United Bid Committee's effort to jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup competition.

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the World Cup is its most important competition. Hosting the tournament would be a win for the United States and for our neighbors in Canada and Mexico as well.

The United States has not hosted a FIFA World Cup since 1994, but 24 years later, we still hold the all-time attendance record. Over 3\1/2\ million people attended those matches. I remember. I was there in the stands for the games in L.A. The economic revenue generated by the 1994 tournament generated more than double what was expected.

The 2026 tournament is expected to break revenue and attendance records. FIFA has already announced that it will be the first time in tournament history that 48 teams, instead of 32, are going to compete in the World Cup. The addition of more teams will mean more economic opportunities for American cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco to host and entertain visitors from around the country and around the world.

The FIFA World Cup, much like the Olympics, has a long tradition of bringing countries together in a competitive but peaceful environment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the author of this resolution.

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

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

In closing, I would like to, once again, thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), and I also thank the 40 cosponsors who have been pushing this important, bipartisan resolution. By passing this resolution, we show our support for the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the excitement of the World Cup tournament to the United States once again, for the first time since 1994.

Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the United States of America and our North American neighbors of Canada and Mexico have a wonderful opportunity to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. This is a combined North American bid.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Representative LaHood, and Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their support of this resolution, and I also commend my colleagues, Congressman Bacon and Congressman Kihuen, who also co-chair the Congressional Soccer Caucus.

The United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994. We had nine cities. The attendance was over 3\1/2\ million. We think now for 2026 it is going to be bigger and better than ever because we are going to combine efforts with our North American neighbors of Canada and Mexico, where they will also host many of the tournament matches.

Mr. Speaker, I noticed that Mr. Webster was on the floor, along with Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and Mr. Deutch, and they should be proud to know that Orlando and Miami, from our home State of Florida, will be participating, and we love soccer in the Sunshine State.

But I also offer my strong support for this resolution because of the inspiration that the World Cup soccer tournament provides to young people all across this country. It is like the Olympics. It encourages them to be healthy and well, to participate in team supports and athletics. It exposes and encourages children and young people to be good sports and understand what a world competition means in a friendly way.

Studies show that team sports lead to healthier lifestyles, increased knowledge about exercise and nutrition, positive gains in reading and math; and that is why the Congressional Soccer Caucus works with the U.S. Soccer Foundation because they really provide the national model for programs about ``the beautiful game,'' and they make so many helpful investments in communities across the country to encourage kids to get out, be active, and learn about great sportsmanship.

So here is this resolution. We are coming together in a bipartisan way, to recognize the effort, to support it, to make sure that Americans everywhere know that we expect the men's team to live up to their expectations. The women's team, national team, of course,

has been champion after champion after champion. It is time, also, for the men's team and this generation to try to meet their goals.

We would like to encourage everyone to pay attention, support the effort.

Again, I thank my colleague, Mr. LaHood, Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel; and I urge the House to kick this resolution towards passage so that we can meet our goals.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

First, let me thank Congressman LaHood for authoring this bipartisan resolution and Chairman Royce for bringing it to the floor.

With this resolution, we send a strong message of support for the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the FIFA World Cup competition to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

We share critical relationships with our neighbors to the north and south, and it is important that we keep those good relationships. So I am pleased that Congress continues to push back on anything that would hurt the relationship.

Last year, the House passed my resolution with Congressman McCaul reaffirming the importance of the U.S.-Mexico partnership, as well as a resolution from Congressman Jeff Duncan on the U.S.-Canada alliance. The 2026 FIFA World Cup provides another key opportunity for us to reinforce our strong alliances with both Mexico and Canada.

The United States has hosted the World Cup three times: the men's tournament in 1994, and the women's World Cup in both 1999 and 2003. We have the infrastructure. We know how to prepare. We have 25 American cities eligible to host. Bringing the world's most popular tournament back to North America would generate increased tourist revenue for host sites as fans arrive from all over the world.

Congress should not only pass this resolution, but Congress should also continue to provide support for the United Bid Committee and its efforts in our own conversations with foreign leaders and other stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), an original cosponsor of this resolution, but even more importantly, co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus.

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

The ties between the United States, Mexico, and Canada are longstanding and deep; and I am pleased that the United States can continue to come together in partnership with our friends from both of those countries on the United Bid Committee to try to bring the 2026 World Cup to North America.

I stand ready to support the North American bid in any way that I can. It would really be terrific to get it, and I know we all feel the same way.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 111, recognizing and supporting the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer competition to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This bipartisan resolution, introduced by the co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus--myself, Congresswoman Castor, Congressman Bacon, Congressman Kihuen--conveys our strong support for this united North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup as well as voicing our overall support for soccer at the global level.

When the U.S. last hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup competition, it served as a catalyst for the increased popularity and development of soccer across America and the introduction of Major League Soccer, which is thriving today.

Since the games in 1994, soccer has become one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, promoting a competitive and a healthy and active lifestyle, teamwork, and sportsmanship to over 24 million Americans of all ages in every State. This includes the 20 percent of American children under the age of 12 who currently play soccer.

As the father to three young soccer players and the Representative of a district which includes eight college soccer programs, I recognize the value that soccer has for families and communities. Additionally, in my home State of Illinois, we are proud to be the home of the U.S. Soccer Federation and the Chicago Fire, one of Major League Soccer's original soccer clubs.

By uniting players and fans from different nations under one banner of friendship and fair competition, it is our hope that hosting the 2026 competition would promote and further the positive impact of soccer here and abroad.

As the consideration of the 2026 location by FIFA continues, support from Congress will help demonstrate that our government is equally enthusiastic for North America's three largest nations to host one of the world's preeminent sporting events, which is soccer.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues who have supported this effort, including Chairman Royce, who has been a strong advocate for this resolution, and also my colleagues on the U.S. Congressional Soccer Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 111.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committe on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 111 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.