WASHINGTON, D.C. – Local lawmakers are starting to react, a full 24 hours after Caterpillar announced it was moving its headquarters to the state of Texas — five years after it announced the HQ was leaving Peoria.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth say jointly the move out of Illinois after 100 years is disappointing.
They say the transition will only directly affect about 1.5% of the more than 17,000 employees in Illinois.
Congressman Darin LaHood, meanwhile, also brought up Cat’s history in Illinois in his own statement, but also blames state leadership including the Governor, saying businesses here are over-taxed and over-regulated, and that needs to change.
The full statements are below.
“Caterpillar’s surprise decision to move its headquarters from Illinois after nearly 100 years is extremely disappointing. While in terms of jobs impact for Illinois, this transition will only directly affect about 1.5 percent of Illinois’ 17,000 Caterpillar employees, we will do everything we can to encourage Caterpillar to not only preserve these jobs, but also follow through on its promise to continue hiring even more Illinoisans in the weeks and months to come, including meeting its 500 hire goal in Decatur and to grow the number of jobs in downstate Illinois.” — Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Rep. Cheri Bustos
“Caterpillar’s decision to move its headquarters from Illinois is deeply disappointing, as was its leadership’s misguided decision to leave Peoria in 2017. The Greater Peoria Area and central Illinois remain the home to much of Caterpillar’s workforce in Illinois, and this decision will leave many workers in our community with questions that deserve answers from Caterpillar’s leadership. I will continue to work to ensure that Caterpillar’s leadership keeps their commitment to Illinois’ workforce and minimizes any repercussions this could have on our downstate communities.
“For nearly 100 years, Illinoisans have helped build Caterpillar into the company it has become, it is a part of our identity, and this move is a blow to our state. We need to change the trajectory of Illinois and work to provide a better business climate, more competitive tax policies, and more growth opportunities. Despite what Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats say, Illinois businesses and workers are over-taxed, over-regulated, and will be impacted by this move. Caterpillar’s move should be a wake-up call for the Governor and Democratic legislature who have pushed for higher taxes, soft-on-crime policies, more regulations, and punished our energy sector.” — Rep. Darin LaHood
