Durbin, Obama, Emanuel: Congratulate Chicago on Moving Forward in Olympic Competition

June 4, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) and Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) today issued a statement following the announcement that Chicago has been chosen as a finalist in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s competition to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"The Chicago 2016 organizers, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Mayor Daley and the people of Chicago deserve praise for a job well done. Because of their fine efforts, Chicago is well prepared to face stiff competition from the three additional finalists - Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

"Chicago is a diverse city with culture and history to inspire people around the world. From our beautiful downtown parks to magnificent lakefront to terrific sports venues, Chicago is a world-class city that has what it takes to host the Olympics.

"It has been over 100 years since a Midwestern city has hosted the Olympics and the return of the Games is long overdue. We will continue to work in Congress to ensure that the federal government does its part to make Chicago's Olympic dream a reality."

Source: Senator Barack Obama