Durbin: Democrats Want Border Security, But Will Not Support Administration's Hardline Anti-Immigrant Agenda

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today rebuked President Donald Trump's claims that Democrats "do not want border security." During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, Durbin reminded Commissioner McAleenan that earlier this year, a bipartisan majority of the Senate supported Durbin's bipartisan immigration and border security agreement but it failed to reach the 60 votes it needed because of t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Reed, Leahy, Schatz Press Secretary Mattis On Plans To Build Barriers Along Arizona Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee; Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee: Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee; and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee today pressed Secretary of Defense James Mattis about planned activities on the Barry M. Goldwater Range near Yuma, Arizona, including buildin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Takano, Carper, Cohen Call On Department Of Education To Protect Military And Veteran Students

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-41), U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), and six of their colleagues today sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education to protect military and veteran students by publishing, as part of the federal 90/10 rule, the amount and percentage of revenue received by for-profit colleges from all federal educational programs. The 90/10 rule … Continue Reading

Durbin, Murray, Markey, and Colleagues Keep Pressure On FDA To Go Further In Combatting Youth Tabacco Use

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and 18 of their colleagues, sent a letter to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging him to act quickly to implement agency plans to ban flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes and follow FDA's recent efforts to address rising youth e-cigarette use with additional steps including ending marketing of all tobacco products to youth and removing from market all… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $22 Million Grant For Springfield Rail Improvement Project

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the City of Springfield has been awarded $22 million in federal funding for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project. Today's investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) BUILD grant program, will support the replacement of the existing single track bridge with two new double track bridges over both 5th and 6th Streets to accommodate the expanded corridor. "This important … Continue Reading

Durbin: Expel The Saudi Ambassador To The U.S.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again called for the expulsion of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman, son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and the younger brother of the Crown Prince, following his return to the U.S. given the clear evidence that the Crown Prince was directly involved in the murder of noted journalist and critic of the Saudi government, Jamal Khashoggi. Durbin first called for the expulsion of the Saudi Ambassador… Continue Reading

Durbin Pays Tribute To President George H.W. Bush

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today paid tribute to the 41st President of the United States George H.W. Bush on the Senate floor. "President Bush himself is now passed beyond our reach. And yet we all feel the difference that he made in the nation and in the world. Many of us feel that deep longing for a kinder, gentler nation that President Bush promised in his inaugural address 30 years ago," Durbin said. "George Herbert Walker Bush was an American patriot who… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $36 Million For Illinois Community Health Centers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded five community health centers in Illinois a total of $36,726,488 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program. Community health centers are community-based organizations that improve access to affordable, high-quality health care in underserved urban and rural communities by integrating primary he… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For Full Senate Briefing By CIA Director Haspel On Saudi Involvement In Khashoggi Murder

WASHINGTON-Following a classified briefing on Saudi Arabia's involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi from CIA Director Gina Haspel in which only a handful of Senators were allowed to attend, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement: While I cannot discuss the content of the briefing, it certainly reinforced my support for the bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen and the need for a stronger… Continue Reading

Durbin Echoes Department Of Education Inspector General's Alarm On For-Profit Colleges

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General (OIG) semi-annual report to Congress where retiring Inspector General (IG) Kathleen Tighe raised the alarm on for-profit colleges. In the report, IG Tighe noted, "We disagreed with the Department's proposed elimination of the gainful employment regulations without an adequate replacement to ensure accountability. My predecessors and I have testified before… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement Honoring Illinois' Bicentennial

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today honoring the 200th anniversary of the founding of the State of Illinois. Earlier this year, Durbin and Duckworth introduced a resolution - that unanimously passed the Senate - honoring and celebrating the State of Illinois and the Illinoisans who have participated in cultivating the rich history of the State. "Illinois has seen a lot over its 200-year history and today we celebrate ev… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Passing Of George H.W. Bush

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the passing of 41st President of the United States George H.W. Bush: Read the book "Fly Boys" and you will never think of President George H. W. Bush as anything other than one of the heroes of World War II. Ready to give his life as a young Navy Pilot who trained at Navy Pier in Chicago, President Bush devoted his entire life to America. He was humble, caring, and principled, qualities we ve… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Residents To Get Covered Before ACA Enrollment Deadline On December 15th

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged those who need health insurance for 2019 to sign up for a health plan before the December 15th deadline. Nearly 350,000 people in Illinois purchase their health insurance in the individual market and eight out of ten of them are eligible for tax credits that help keep their monthly premiums below $100 a month. People in Illinois can call (Get Covered Illinois: 866-311-1119), go online (www.Healthcare.gov), or get in-person help to sign up fo… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Fall 2018 Recipient Of The Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced Irving Moran, a sophomore at Elgin Community College as the Fall 2018 recipient of the Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program. This scholarship, open to students from Illinois or those studying in Illinois, is an opportunity for the students to receive financial assistance while obtaining first-hand experience in Senator Durbin's office. The program was created in honor of Durbin's former Chief of Staff who passed away in March 2017 due to … Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill To Improve Concussion Safety In Youth Sports

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act, a bill that would strengthen elementary and secondary school procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating student-athletes who suffer concussions. The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates that about 140,000 students playing high school sports suffer concussions every year, though many go unreported. The bill requires states to adopt "when in doubt, … Continue Reading

Durbin Presses For Stronger Action On Kid-Friendly E-Cigarette Flavors In Meeting With FDA Commissioner

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to discuss recently announced regulations on e-cigarette flavorings, flavored cigars, and menthol cigarettes. Durbin thanked Gottlieb for his decision to implement stronger oversight on e-cigarette flavorings being sold to teenagers and kids, and urged him to take even stronger action moving forward. Photos of today's meeting are available here. "E-cigarette use among… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schneider, Duckworth, Lipinski, Foster Introduce Bill To Require EPA To Revise Standards For Ethylene Oxide Emissions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), along with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11), today introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions standards for medical sterilization and chemical facilities, which have been the source of harmful emissions in Illinois. The bill also requires the EPA to notif… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Congress To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen Ahead Of Senate Vote On War Powers

WASHINGTON-Following a classified briefing on the Saudi's war in Yemen from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - CIA Director Gina Haspel was troublingly not allowed to attend - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Senate to pass a bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen. The Senate is expected to vote on the matter this afternoon. "The American people entrust us [Senators] with … Continue Reading

Durbin Honors Victims Of Shooting At Mercy Hospital

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a speech on the Senate floor honored the victims of last week's shooting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago, in which a gunman killed Chicago Police Department Officer Samuel Jimenez, Dr. Tamara O'Neal, and Dayna Less. "Officer Jimenez, Dr. O'Neal, and Ms. Less were all doing work that mattered - and mattered greatly. All three were dedicated to helping others - Officer Jimenez as a protector, and Dr. O'Neal and Ms. Less as healers. Their death… Continue Reading

Durbin Criticizes Trump Administration After Watchdog Finds Vulnerabilities At Facility Charged With Caring For Children In Health Department's Custody

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) responded to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) that identified significant vulnerabilities at a facility in Tornillo, Texas, tasked with caring for children as part of the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program. The report found that HHS waived the requirement that the facility conduct required Federal Bureau of Investigation … Continue Reading