[applaus [applause]. Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you. Jay, thanks for the nice introduction and ed macer, thanks for the kindness youve shown to me and my family. This is my First City Club without paul green and i miss him, we all do, a fantastic person and great resource and all the had a little jab for every speaker with the tough question, i looked forward to it and im sure you will in his tradition make sure i face the music, too. And donna is one of my faves. And i remember saying would you go to a cubs game with me because she wears cubs earring and we went to opening day, you never know what to expect. Well, it was a snowstorm and we ended up in the box and we were there with Billy Williams and she got her picture taken and i was sitting there watching the game and look around, darned if she wasnt weighting on everybo everybody waiting on everybody in the box. You dont have to do that, youre a guest. And as i told the people at the table, with your permission, shes my other girlfriend. And i want you to share thoughts and questions on anything that follows, but relates to the reality of the world that we live in. Do you remember what you did last weekend . Some people do and many people are scratching their heads trying to remember. 63 people will remember it because it was the weekend that they went to an emergency room with a gunshot in chicago. Some will escape with a scar, some will face surgeries and maybe brain damage, and some will face paralysis. For eight chicagoans last weekend, it was their last weekend on earth. It was the deadliest weekend in in city since the longer fourth of july weekend a few weeks ago. So far this year, 2,435 people have been shot in chicago. 454 have been killed. Thats down from last year, chicagos deadliest year in 20 years when more than 4,300 people were shot in that year and 789 killed. But its still horrifically high. No one is spared from this violence, not even children. Last year more than 300 children in chicago were shot. 36 died. So far this year, 176 children had been shot and 27 have died. This past june was the deadliest month for children in chicago in more than 15 years. One child being killed on average every other day. Since 2000, gun violence in this city has taken the lives of more than 1,000 children. In his frustration and anger on monday morning, Police Superintendent johnson said this weekend of killing represents, quote, a culture of chicago. He added, we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis when the criminal Justice System is not a deterrent. The causes of this carnage are complex. Many people are working from every conceivable angle to end it. Faith leaders, many represented today ill acknowledge a few as we go through the remarks. Bereaved parents. Community leaders, Public Health communities, Public Officials and law enforcement. Many of you in this room. Sometimes it must feel like youre pushing a boulder up a hill, but you are saving lives. Thank you for what you do. Today i want to talk about three approaches to this that i believe can help. First, we need to stop the flow of illegal guns in our citys neighborhoods. [applause] last year and the year before that the Chicago Police department recovered more illegal guns than their counterparts in New Hampshire and los angeles combined. About 60 of the crime guns recovered in chicago come from out of state. Indiana the leading source. We can debate what exactly our Founding Fathers meant with the Second Amendment to the confusion, but we know this, when they wrote the words, a wellregulated militia, they werent talking about nineyearolds armed with semi automatic handguns. These are fueling the bloodshed in chicago. As Supreme CourtJustice Robert jackson once side, the constitution is not a suicide pact. I agree. We can respect the constitution and do more to keep dangerous guns out of the hands of criminals and children. Here are a few of the things and i salute the state legislators here today. There should be common sense Safety Measures to keep people who shouldnt possess guns from purchasing them through straw purchasing. And require reasonable Safety Measures, but no state, including illinois, can stop the illegal flow of guns along. Congress should toughen our weak federal laws to stop straw purchases and illegal gun trafficking. Ive been introduced to bipartisan bill with Susan Collins of maine and pat leahy. And they should close the glaring background checks, makes it easy for people to get handguns and other weapons. Let me be honest with you. Congress will not act. The National Gun Lobby has our president and congress, cower and not even the carnage in our street is going to change that shameful political reality in washington. As superintendent johnson remind us, we cant police our way out of this epidemic of violence. If were going to ask young men to put their down guns. That has to include a better life, including a job. And im glad to see father michael here, you know him b. A year and a half ago i got a message that he left for me. Father flagger wanted to tell me about a 26yearold man, a former gang member. An interesting history. Several years ago the man put out a hit on father flagger for the problems he was causing the gangs in his neighborhood. Sounds like him. One day the young man came to father flagger and said i want out. I dont want to live this way. He enrolled him in a g. E. D. Course and got him a job delivering pizza. A year later the young man was on the street with his grandmother when gang members came up to them with an old beef and shot him and hess his grandmother in the head. She survived, he didnt. How many of you would want a job and leave this life. 150 came up. The father says i could find a job for three or four, but how about the rest . Until we end that, would he wont end the killing and retaliation in chicago. The numbers that tell the story. In a recent report, 39 of young black and brown men in chicago. 39 between the ages after 20 and 24 are not working and not in school. Remember that number, 39 . Nationwide, its 25 of young africanamerican and latino menatian wide out of work and out of school. White men, 8 . Then the researchers looked at where the homicides occur in chicago. They found five neighborhoods, austin, englewood. Back of the yards, West Englewood and grand crossing. Those account for about 8 of our citys population, but 32 of the murders. In those five neighborhoods, the jobless rates among young black and brown men range from 79 to 91 . Does anyone doubt theres a connection between lack of jobs and violence . The mayors one Program Brought together community groups, businesses and others to provide jobs for 31,000 young people. Ive seen them, theyre transformative. For many young men, its the first time theyve had the responsibility of work. And Many Organizations are bringing jobs to the neighborhood. If youre part of those efforts, thank you. A week after he took office, President Trump said he would send in the feds, closed quotes, if chicago doesnt fix the carnage. If you want to use the power of the government to end violence in chicago we welcome your help. Send us federal dollars for our abandoned neighborhoods, for job training and help us close outrageous tax loopholes to send Companies Overseas instead, a tax code that rewards American Companies creating jobs for americans with decent paying benefits. The last proposal i want to give you is critically important and often overlooked. If we are ever going to stop the bloodshed we must learn to recognize and heal the deep wound that violence and traumatic loss inflict on the minds of those exposed to it, especially the developing brains of children. I went to the cook county medical center, spent better part of a day meeting with teenagers waiting for trial after having shot people working with those that work with them. Those are there for long period of time. There are high schools, gyms, programs and counseling. I said to the counselors at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center when you sit down with these largely men, young men. What is going on here . We find everything, senator. We find bipolar. We find depression. We find it all. But in 92 , in 92 of those waiting trial coming through the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, we find the same thing, they have been victims of violent trauma or exposed to violent trauma. Now that is not a coincidence, my friends. Its a reality. Many have lost parents to addictions, incarceration or debt. They have grown up in poverty and chaos. They have lost friend, classmates and Family Members to violence. Now when i visit classrooms in the city and other places i say how many of you have seen someone killed or close friend or Family Member murdered . More than after the hands shoot up in the classroom. Let me ask you, how many of you have seen someone you know or loved murdered . If you have have you never forget it. How many worry that a stray bullet could independent your life or the life of someone you love . Ask yourself, what if you were eight years old and answered yes to both those questions. I went to the hines va hospital. I was talking with returning veterans. The returning veterans came back with ptsd. It was transform tiff to see them walk through the door, close the door and many break down in tears in front of me. They had gone flu battle, battling the wound they brought home with them. Think about that. These are former members of our military who were carefully screened before they have inducted. They were trained extensively by professionals. They were sent into combat with careful and supervision and support. Yet they come home in desperate need for support and counseling to heal their psychological wounds. How can we possibly believe children who grow up surrounded by the daily threat of violence or loss can cope on their own or outgrow these traumatic experiences . 20 years after mri and other Brain Technology gave us definitive proof exposure to violence and trauma affects kids. Experiencing repeated trauma leaves emotional scars that can last a lifetime, but literally change a childs brain chemistry. It can force children into constant fight or flight mode. This can result into emotional difficulties, developmental delays and variety of Chronic Health conditions, all factors that per pet sate the cycle of violence an poverty. We know for example that children who experience violence, traumatic loss, more likely to suffer serious asthma, panic and flash back. More likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. They have trouble focusing and learning in school. A 2012 study of children in a chicago neighborhood. Children who took tests after a murder in the neighborhood performed dramatically worse as though they lost several years of academic progress compared with students tested before the murder. A single bullet can ripple through a family and community, shattering fragile sense of safety and security many of us take for granted. Leaving in its place grief, unimaginable loss and heart break. We know adults that experience trump ma and violence as children are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, addiction, lung disease, Liver Disease and many other chronic conditions. They live sicker and die younger than people that dont grow up surrounded by stress and threat of violence. It is important to stress not all he children exposed to violence and trauma will have these problems or medical and physical challenges. With many care, many children who are harmed can be healed. For too many children in violencescarred neighborhood their biography becomes their biology. Here is the reason why. Estimated only 25 of the children in america need Mental Health care actually receive it. Black and brown children, those most likely to experience violence are even less likely to receive the help they need to prevent trauma, related medical and physical difficulties. Put it another way, when it comes to gun violence in chicago, sign me up for 1000 cops but sign me up for 1000 counselors. We need them both. [applause] heres the good news. The good news is there are many people in this room, many i have met who are showing us a path forward. Dr. Colleen saketi. Is she here . Tell her i mentioned her name. Colleen has an amazing staff at center for childhood resistance at laurie hospital, we sat down to talk many times about her work. She came to washington recently to brief staff on violence and toxic stress. She has daunting task educating a senator. She has done pretty well. She worked with School Districts all over our state. Educating School Leaders professionals and Health Leaders and professionals and parents to recognize to help. I went with her to a school there, all hispanic kids. They had decided to pick out 1200 kids, four that they could help. Four out of 1200. So naturally they went to those they needed help the most. A mother was there to tell me the story. Hispanic lady told me the story she had two little kids in the first and third frayed. Six months before her husband walked into the living room where they were all sitting, took out a gun and killed himself in front of them. As a result of that experience these kids started going through flashbacks, night terrors, became withdrawn in class. They had no interest in anything. Their mother called one of the teachers and teachers suggested both of them be part of that program. Gradually the little children opened up, talked about the grief, the fear and anger. Changes were profound. I met the kid afterwards. They didnt know the circumstance why i was there, why i was meeting with them. Perfectly normal, happy kids who had been through that life shattering experience. The mother said when i look what happened with the kids, senator, im going to get some counseling too. So we understand that foals are looking for help and need to find places to turn. Chicago has the knowledge and leadership and infrastructure to become a National Leader in childhood trauma. We have an army of organizations made a difference. Under mayor emanuel and chicago Public Health commissioner, chicago is learning to become the largest trauma informed city. I introduced a bill in the senate to help make it happen. It is called Trauma Informed Care for children and families act. My partners are Heidi Heitkamp of north dax and al franken from minnesota and in the house, congressman danny davis. He knows the heart break of gun violence last year his 15yearold grand son was killed by two teen inners arguing over shoes and clothes. The need for Trauma Informed Care is staggering. A 2013 study conducted in chicago, found nearly nine out of 10 kids age 15 to 17 had been exposed to this kind of violence. One in three lost a close friend or Family Member. One in five witnessed a murder firsthand. Few received any Mental Health services at all. This bill will build on innovation here and other places, educate and trained a adults who can help these young people, front line people, expand medicaid coverage of trauma informed counseling and services to more schools. Enable more kids to benefit from these curriculum. Provide proven Mental Health perhaps to help young people. Young people are 21 more likely to go to a School Clinic than another clinic for care. We want to make sure were there to help them. Our bill will enlist community leaders. Jay and joy luster, i met jay in the course of my education, started a project, com classrooms. Thousands of students in chicago are taking advantage of that from now. Mentors from the ymca urban warriors programs. Coach wayne garden, and mike like mike, he has been on front lines of battle 42 years, am i right, wayne on that . He moved into lawndale neighborhood, raised his family there and never left. Wayne, thank thank you for all u have done with mike and others in the fate community. [applause] one of my friend went to jerusalem jerusalem, saw a program there dealing with trauma and violence decided to bring it back here. Let me give a shoutout to pastor chris harris in Bright Star Church in brownsville. Chris, thank you so much. [applause] we need to have the best practices come out of these experiences and ones we learn from around the country to make this learn better. Making these changes will not break the bank. It will make better use of money were currently spending on violence in this city. Well look at every federal program that reaches kids from head start to home visits to health care to make sure it includes strategies for identifying trauma. You know what costs more than treating trauma . Ignoring it. It has been two decades since the First Research showed us the link. Think how much money we could have saved in health costs if we followed that lead . Centers for Disease Control estimates that america spend 124 billion a year fon health care for Adult Patients with a history of early trauma. How many lives, how many billions of dollars a year might we save by treating childhood trauma to avoid the problem before it becomes worse. It costs dramatic amount of money to incarcerate these young people. Wouldnt it be better to counsel them to deal with this. Our bill is supported by 100 chicago area organizations American Academy of pediatrics, National Education association, National Council of juvenile and family courts but the most powerful endorsements for Trauma Informed Care may come from two young men from inglewood. Deshawn hanna and dan blake are cousins. Deshawn is 20. Dantrel will turn 21 this month. Both men were shot in separate incidents months apart in 2015. Dantrel has a bullet in his leg. The cousins caught a break that changed their lives, when he went back to the hospital for a followup. Let me thank you, tony, for stroger for the great work that you do every single day there. You deserve a lot of applause. [applause] so when dontrelle went back to stroger he went into a woman named arecia williams. She was worked for healing people in chicago that works for young people victims of violence. She convinced them to go back an finish high school. Then she persuaded them to get involved with chicago fire. Amazing program that uses glass blowing and therapy to heal scars of violence and chart a new course for their lives. Before they met her they never thought of going to college. Between them they have been accepted at five colleges and theyre weighing their options. Theyre working as peer counselors at healing hurt people, helping other young men who have been shot and lost friends and Family Members to violence. Helping to teach doctors and other Health Professionals how to recognize and heal the psychic wound that violence inflicts. Somehow even with all these demands they were able to join us today. Ladies and gentlemen, a hand for deshawn hannah, dontrel blake and their caseworkers letcia williams. [applause] there is a lot of hurt in this city but theres a lot of hope too. I hope you ask yourself what can i do about this . What can i do to make chicago a National Leader healing childhood trauma . Statues of confederate leaders reflect painful racial wound from our history, many deep, Racial Disparities continue to wound us today. Voter suppression, lack of jobs, traumatized kids in communities. We have to come to together to heal our communities. There are things we can do. Defend voting rights, work for more jobs, be an advocate for change including Trauma Informed Care for children. Be a mentor for kids who need an adult to trust. If youre part of the Corporate Community and stepped up thank you. If you havent, please consider it. There are some great employers in our city who are hiring and training young men and women from violence scared neighborhoods. If you talk to them, they will tell you young kids are resilient and determined workers they have. Frankly not enough businesses are getting involved yet. We need your help. In closing, let me leave you with words of hope from one of americas great poets maya angelou, here is what she wrote. History despite its wrenching pain can not be unlived and if faced with courage need not be lived again. Thanks for inviting me. I will take some questions. [applause] thank you very much, senator durbin. And if anybody back there in the audience has questions, hold up your blue card, members of our staff will come by, pick them up, the senator will try to answer as many questions as we can. Thank you, i would like to recognize my congressman, congressman danny davis, who just joined us. [applause] this is like a triple header today. I have my u. S. Senator, my congressman and my alderman. Boy, unbelievable. [inaudible] remember all politics are local. Okay. This is from mike bowers sitting over here, City Club Member. What do you think of the proposed acquisition by Sinclair Broadcasting of Tribune Media . Do you expect the acquisition to be completed . Mike, i dont know what well have to say about that in terms of their acquisition. Im being very kind, a conservative organization. They used to put editorial comments when they owned springfield station, i would demand, occasionally get opportunity for rebuttal. Hard for me to imagine that kind of operation taking over with. G wgn. Seems like a hometown Radio Station with deep roots in chicago history. Hard to imagine outsiders coming in. Weve seen great dislocations already. Tribune sometimes and other things but i worry about it. I worry about the change of the approach at this station. Thank you. Lot of questions. Great. Okay, charlie garder in, Roosevelt University trustee. Do democrats have a chance to recapture the senate in 2018 . Right now it is 48 democrats, 52 republicans. There are 25 democrats up for reelection, nine republicans. So the numbers are not in our favor. Out of those 25 democrats, there are many in states that donald trump carried. Now historically, except with one exception, offyear elections have not been kind to a president s party. The other party picked up seats in the house and senate. And so, maybe, just maybe we may pick up some seats but there are only two possibilities, if you look at the nine republican seats. And that would be nevada and arizona at this point. Way too early to tell how that is going to work out. I actually think that house of representatives, u. S. House of representatives may be as likely or more likely to turn. There are lots of candidates running in some of the republican districts in this state there are as many eight different democrats who are vying for the nomination. So there is a lot of interest that came out of the trump election on the democratic side, grassroots. Could be a fascinating election. Thank you, senator. This is from paul singer. Not a City Club Member. Paul, remember, well ask your question this time. We expect you to join. [laughter]. He is in a liberal democratic voter. Can President Trump shut down the federal government if congress does not fund the wall . I doubt that is what is going to happen. Although he is adamant that he wants to see that big, beautiful wall built and paid for by the mexicans some way or another. I doubt that will happen. The reason i say that is i believe that weve been through this scenario a few months ago when we had to finish the budget for this fiscal year and the republicans now in control in the house and senate do not want to carry the burden of having shut down the government on their watch for any reason. So we face two critical votes right away. One of them is on the budget for the next year which may be delayed a little bit but even more compelling is the extension of the National Debt which if we do not do, will have the same impact of shutting down the government and our economy. I just dont think the Republican Leaders or the president want that to happen on their watch. Thank you. This is from City Club Member joe with sienna. Senator, where do you propose funding will come from to support the necessary increase in Mental Health therapies . Well i can tell you first we need to have a Health Care System that provide Mental Health services through Health Insurance in america. [applause] members of the senate and congress where i have served have the most passion, most effective, when theyre dealing with an issue that touches them personally. There was a time when paul well stone of minnesota, with a brother who suffered from mental illness, pete domenici, conservative republican of new mexico who had a son who suffered from mental illness. The two teamed up kept beating the Insurance Industry you have to absolutely include Mental Health services with other services in Health Insurance, they finally won it. It put it in the Affordable Care act. It makes a big difference for vast majority of people like us, most of us who in this room have Health Insurance through our employers. You start there. It is not enough. You make sure medicaid, serving many lower income populations has access to good Mental Health services too. Which Means Community clinics have to offer behavioral health. More and more are doing that but we have to keep the funding going. Were hanging by a thread what will happen to americas Health Care System. The president said let it sink, let it go under unless democrats crawl on their knees beg us to fix it. I hope that doesnt happen, because throughout that, president and members of congress will still have their Health Insurance. People across america will pay a heavy price. The good news is lamar alexander, republican of tennessee, patty murray, democrat of washington will start hearings as soon as we return in couple weeks what to do with the Health Care System to strengthen it to move it forward. Incidentally that is where we should have started seven months ago. [applause] thank you very much. Shifting gears a little, this is a question from steve who bills himself as transportation consultant. He is a very good one, by the way. Senator, is there hope for broad partisanship in the senate . What does that mean for an Infrastructure Initiative . Steve, there is, everybody cheer as trillion dollar infrastructure program. It is easy to explain. You look at china, what theyre doing, other countries, and what we need in this state and country, you know it better than most. The problem is how do you fund it . How do you fund it . We havent touched the federal gas tax in 15, 18 years . It a gas tax imposed by the gallon. As we drive more fuelefficient cars and trucks, burn fewer gallons, less money comes into the Highway Trust Fund but we still have potholes and need to build new infrastructure of the funding mechanism is easier on my side of the oil than it is on the other side of the oil. But that is crucial. Let me add one footnote. Were now moving toward more and more electric vehicles. Well see more of that being done. As a consequence, fewer gallons of gas likely are to be burned. How are we then going to fund the infrastructure in this country . Really calls out for some new calculation. Instead of by the gallon, maybe by the mile, something reflects real use of the highway, reinvests back into it. That is only way. But funding is thing that will stop us. Thank you. This question from tim eagan, committeeman of Brian Hopkins second ward, ceo of the new roseland hospital. Is trumpcare dead, and what can we expect to see in the coming months . I have been in the house and senate for a long time and, thank you for those of you who helped me have this public career. And ive seen a lot of votes. Half a dozen of those votes fit into the category of things like war. When youre voting about whether or not you will go to war, if youre not lying awake rolling back and forth at night youre not thinking because lives will be lost, one way or the other on that vote. So youre always remember those votes and there are votes it remember because it is your bill, my bill, to ban smoking on airplanes, my bill to do this, that, other thing. On top of that remember it for a lifetime. Handful of other votes that occur dont fit in those categories you will never forget. The vote on trumpcare at 2 30 on floor of the senate was one of those. When i saw john mccain come through the senate doors, walk up to the desk on the republican side and lift his shoulder as far as he can, shattered in the plane crash and tortured say, no, that was the end of trumpcare, thanks to collins, murkowsky and mccain who stepped forward. It is not the answer what we do for our Health Care System. I voted for the Affordable Care act. I believe in it. I said on the floor, say to you, if you have ever been father of a seriously ill child and you have no Health Insurance, you will never forget it as long as you live. I know, ive been there. I dont want anybody else to be there. So i voted for Affordable Care act. We reduced number of uninsured by 50 in illinois virtually nationwide. It is not perfect. The individual marketplace premiums are way too high because older and sicker people are signing up and younger, healthier are not. We have to fix that. There is nothing, absolutely nothing in the Affordable Care act to deal with the cost of prescription drugs. It is breaking the bank. Blueblue crossblue shield payse out each year on prescription drugs than they do for inpatient hospital care. Go figure. It is reached the point there is no control in terms of the rise in prices. Things we have to do to make this Health Care System work. If trumpcare is not going to pass, we have to get something that moves forward on a bipartisan basis. Thank you very much. Our weekly armenianamerican question from laura. Senator, please tell us your thoughts on initiating impeachment and what cause requires . Told you we would have some zingers. Impeachment is initiated in the house of representatives. [laughter] and, should it occur, ive been through one of them, i will be a member of the jury in the senate. So it is probably best that i leave it there. [laughter]. Very good. This is from don sullenberger with baron and warner. You indicated your Democratic House cochairs why have you not tried to involve republican cochairs in the house . For example, adam kinzinger, rodney davis or peter roskam, all representatives from the state of illinois . Certainly working on the senate side first and as i mentioned senator collins is cosponsor of the gun bill i mentioned to you. I have so many bipartisan bills. Lindsey graham and i introduced the d. R. E. A. M. Act some are aware of when it comes to immigration. [applause] my cosponsor on criminal Justice ReformCharles Grassley from iowa. Durbin and grassley what is that all about. Theyre in the majority. I need them. They need me maybe. I am not adverse to having corepublican sponsorship and support. Danny will tell you he and many issues we care about dont excite our republican friend as much. Well keep asking, arent we . You bet we will. While youre gathering your thoughts, senator, this is compliment. Lets work this in from Susan Hayes Gordon from lurie childrens hospital. Thank you for your integrity and your steadfast leadership over some years, working to serve humanity and our nation. We need to especially now in these very difficult times. Thank you. [applause] well heres question, even though we have limited time, we could probably go on for hours. This is from kate with sutton place financial. Can you add any clarity to whats going on in washington . [laughter] so, here is, im going to give you two numbers to give you an idea where america is today. Roughly 2 3 of the American People have said in a poll that theyre embarrassed by the president. 2 3 of republican, identified Republican Voters say they dont see anything wrong yet. Look, listen to what i just said, dichotomy between the general population and the republican primary voters. Many republican senators, some i should say, some republican senators have said to me, it is hard back home because my republican primary voters are still very loyal to the president. And i know that colors their decision about whether to speak out. That is part of the reality that we face. Meantime i would have to say this president comes to the office with virtually no government or political experience, and does not have a team that reflects any experience on capitol hill. I might be able to remember if i think hard enough but i cant tell you the Congressional Liaison for this president. I dont know the person very well. And you cant be effective in leading forward an agenda, whatever it may be without having somebody who understands how the hill works and to have loyal people working with you in your own party. What the president has said about Mitch Mcconnell makes it kind of hard for him to work with him in the future. I understand they havent spoken to one another for a few weeks. So thats part of the reason that things are not moving very quickly. Okay. We have two last questions. The first one is, do you feel that the present governor of illinois is beatable . Regardless how i feel the numbers say he is. You can [applause] senator harmon, senator hutchinson, others who are here, his numbers are not very good in the state at this moment. I will say this generically. I spent better part of my adult life working for this state. Im honored to do it. Great honor to do it. I am heartbroken what ive seen occur in the last 2 1 2 years in our state. There are things happened around our state which will take more than a decade to repair, that have happened in the last few years. The city of carbondale, illinois, they were blessed with this eclipse, all the tourists that came down for a few days, but Southern Illinois university carbondale, went enrollment from 23,000 to 16,000. They had more students transferring out of Siu Carbondale to kentucky and missouri and Indiana Schools than they ever have in history because of the uncertainty of the state budget. The city of carbondale, mike henry the mayor, republican businessman, nice guy who supports me and some crazy way, says to me, weve had 50 real estate closings in carbondale. We have 250 property force sale. The big get driver of the economy is the university. There is doubt whether it will be there for students. I go to Black Hawk College at quad cities just yesterday, talked to a fellow in charge of admissions. The students would rather go to school in iowa, there is more certainty they will be able to finish. The state will provide whatever assistance they can provide to him than here. The damage has been done to illinois in the last 2 1 2 years is selfinflicted. This is not some great devastation came our way at the hand of god. It is something weve been party to. We have to do something about. I will just add, to think that we are even questioning whether were going to open the schools of illinois on time after all this is shameful. It is disgraceful. [applause] i will say one last thing. And this may be more political, shouldnt be but i will say it anyway, it is beneath the dignity of a leader of the state of illinois to put one region of the state against another. We are one state, should be treated as such. [applause] my father was born in deep Southern Illinois. I was born in east st. Louis and raised my son paul and other kid in down state illinois. Im proud of it. Proud of it. Yes. But having said that i am equally proud to represent this great city. It is fantastic place. My wife and i spend every moment we can here. Great restaurants and everything goes with it and great people. To think we would have to choose, pit one against another, is something beneath the dignity of a public office. [applause] so, senator, speaking of great restaurants, have you eaten at the state lodge down in Southern Illinois you get the friday Chicken Dinner for 12. 99 . You cant get that at mcarthurs on the west side. Okay, one last question. Your colleague, Mitch Mcconnell, any thoughts about mitch and his relationship to the president . Well, it is not very good and the president s been very public about that. I think senator mcconnell made a mistake the day after we swore in the new senate announcing he would go to something reconciliation. That is something total inside baseball for most of you. Basically he does not want to take it through the regular order of business. Any issue. Anything he can move through the reconciliation process, basically no committee hearings, no amendments. Take it to the floor, simple majority passes. He has 52 votes. He doesnt want to get into the world of 60 votes. By doing that, unfortunately put us in a position on the Health Care System were bringing a measure before us to change the Health Care System, 1 6 of economy of america no one has read and no one can possibly understand. That is why it fell apart. Why his three members his own party would not support it. I think, i hope senator america connell will call senator schumer, any of us, basically, i will take a fly at, flyer at the regular order of business. Lets see how this works. See if we can do it together. Put us on the spot. We should be doing it together. I think you elected us as democrats and republicans to solve problems together. That means [applause] that means that durbin has to compromise and maybe mcconnell has to compromise. Isnt that what it is all about at the end of the day . We do the best we can, get the most done we can. Im still honored to serve, i tell you this last year has been very unusual in the United States senate, likely to continue. City club, thanks. [applause] folks we have our drawing, the winner today, from Governors State university, maureen kelly. Maureen, where are you . [applause] former staffer. Former staffer, inside baseball. Okay. 200 gift certificate. You pick it up from amanda. Senator, before you leave, it is a coffee cup. And a oneyear complimentary membership in the city club. An well expect you back again. Thank you. [applause] thank you, everybody. Dont forget to buy your powerball tickets. I want my cut