Governor Addresses Growth and Opportunity in Illinois with U.S. Chamber President

Contact
Catherine Kelly
Catherine.Kelly@illinois.gov

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner today joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce to discuss Illinois' opportunities for growth. He addressed business leaders as part of the U.S. Chamber's #LetsGrow Tour to encourage economic growth around the country.

"Illinois has the best people and the best location of any state in America. We need to grow the economy to ensure Illinois regains its place as the economic engine of the Midwest," Governor Rauner said. "By making changes to the current system to encourage innovation and job growth, we will be able to overcome our current challenges. As I told lawmakers in the State of the State Address this week, we are encouraged by the bipartisan discussions in the Senate and urge them to keep working aggressively to reach a compromise in order for Illinois to thrive."

Today's event was the first of five stops planned this month by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on its #LetsGrow Tour. The tour is to encourage lawmakers around the country to prioritize economic growth.

"All U.S. businesses—from the Fortune 500 to Main Street shops to nimble startups—need access to short- and long-term capital, liquidity, and risk management tools to operate. Most can't survive, let alone grow, without it. And our economy can't grow without them. We've got to restart the growth engine, and we've got to fuel it with capital, and all the financial products and services that businesses and consumers alike rely on," U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue said. "Some of the loudest voices in the debate over our financial system have forgotten, ignored, or obscured the fact that capital markets are ultimately about growth—that they are the lifeblood of our economy."

"As surrounding states aggressively adopt pro-growth policies, it is essential for Illinois to keep pace," said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Todd Maisch. "The Illinois Chamber is working for progress, especially for modern policies and regulatory structures, that will improve Illinois' climate for investment and access to capital. We want an Illinois that can be recognized as a great place to do business and create jobs."

Video from the event can be found here.