Durbin Announces More Than $1.2 Millioin in Federal Funding for Illinois First-Responders

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded $1,231,184 in grants to fire departments and municipalities throughout Illinois. "This federal funding will ensure that when fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation's firefighters and first-responders have access to the best resources and the equipment necessary to help protect them as they… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Filibuster Calling for Immediate Action on Gun Violence

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in a filibuster of the Senate to call for immediate action on legislation to stop the rising tide of gun violence. Durbin phrased his remarks in the form of a question to Murphy in accordance with Senate procedure. "There were 488 homicides in Chicago in 2015, the vast majority shootings. Chicago's 488 murders were the highest total number of any United States city last year. In New York, there were only-o… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Must Heed America's Call to End Gun Violence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today about the urgent need for gun control legislation as a matter of national security and public safety, citing Sunday's mass shooting in Orlando and gun violence in Chicago as examples of the consequences of inaction. Durbin called on his Senate colleagues to act immediately to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, the mentally unstable, and individuals with ties to terrorism. He also strongly criticized Republican leaders for fail… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on House GOP Bill to Repeal Critical Swipe Fee Reforms

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding a House Republican bill that would repeal the Durbin amendment to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010: "Repealing the Durbin Amendment would be a windfall for Visa, MasterCard and the nation's biggest banks, but it would diminish transparency and competition in the debit card system and harm millions of Main Street merchants and their customers. Make no mistake - Main Street will not g… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Space Launch Agreement in Defense Authorization

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice-Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement on an agreement reached to support a responsible transition to American-made rocket engines that ensures America's ability to launch national security satellites: "This agreement is a win for America's national security and taxpayers," said Durbin. "It will provide for a responsible transition to American-made engines and guarantee America's access to spac… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Must Do More to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Dangerous People

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about yesterday's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, and called on the Senate to take immediate action to close loopholes in law that allow dangerous people to purchase guns and explosives. "We don't know all the details, but we know this was an act of terror and it was an act of hate, and it was directed at the LGBT community. I want to begin by expressing my condolences to the victims, their families and loved ones, a… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $4.8 Million for Small Airports in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $4,852,151 in federal funding for upgrades to small airports in Illinois. The grants were awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration and will help improve safety and efficiency at DuPage Airport, Greater Kankakee Airport, and Lewis University Airport. Senator Durbin has worked to increase funding for critical transportation and infrastructure grant programs that benefit Illinois. "Investin… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $2 Million to Protect Cook County Families from Lead Hazards

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development will award Cook County $2 million to identify and address lead-based paint hazards in low-income homes with children. Today's funding will allow the Cook County Department of Health to control hazards in 132 housing units, protecting families from dangerous lead exposure. Prolonged exposure to lead can cause irreversible and long-term developmental delays and health and behavior prob… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Mass Shooting in Orlando

SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida early this morning: "This morning's mass shooting was the worst in American history. 50 people were massacred and dozens more injured when a heavily armed man opened fire on innocent people. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with the victims and their loved ones, and I stand in solidarity with the LGBT community in Orlando and across America. These mass shootings follow … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Urge TSA to Implement Measures to Protect Rail and Transit Passengers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and twelve other Senate Democrats in calling on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to take immediate action to implement security recommendations mandated in the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. In a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger, the senators expressed concern over the safety of our nation's rail and transit systems in the wake of the Brussels terrorist attacks in March. They also emphasized t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Emanuel Announce More Than $56.5 Million in DOT Grants for Chicago Airports

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded more than $56.5 million dollars in grants for runway construction and improvement projects at Chicago airports. Under this announcement, O'Hare International Airport will receive Department of Transportation grants totaling $45 million dollars to pay for runway construction, taxi lighting, and signage. Midway International Airport will receive $11,790,715 … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces New Bill to Combat Opioid Epidemic

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today unveiled new legislation to combat the volume of addictive painkillers on the market and improve prescribing practices as the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic continues to rock communities across Illinois and the country. The Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act (A-PROP Act), which Durbin will formally introduce in the Senate next week, would curb the number of opioids flooding the market, increase accountability to en… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Mastercard to Explain Penalty Fee That Hurts Competition

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on MasterCard to explain a fee it has created to penalize certain banks and credit unions that issue their cards. On Tuesday, Durbin called on Visa to defend a similar penalty fee. A day later, it was reported that Visa intended to cancel the fee. Similar to Visa's fee, this MasterCard fee would impose a significant penalty on card issuers that conduct transactions with MasterCard's competitors. "This raises troubling questions about the fee's i… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Committee Approves Study of One-Size-Fits-All Cancer Medication that Costs Patients & Taxpayers Billions

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, approved a comprehensive study of one-size-fits-all drug vial sizes by the Institutes of Medicine in coordination with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service. The study was approved as part of the FY2017 Labor Health and Human Servic… Continue Reading

Durbin, Leahy Lead Call for Halt to Immigration Raids Targeting Central American Women and Children

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today led 24 Senate Democrats calling for an end to deportation raids targeting families and unaccompanied minors who have fled the rampant violence in Central America's Northern Triangle. In a letter to President Obama, the senators also urged the Administration to designate Guatemala and re-designate El Salvador and Honduras for temporary protected status (TPS), allowing individuals from those countries to legally remain in… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators to State Dept and Pentagon: Protect U.S. Service Members, Civilians Living Abroad from Zika Virus

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined 21 Senate Democrats in urging the Departments of State and Defense to continue taking measures to protect American servicemembers, civilians, and their families serving and living abroad from the growing threat of Zika. In a letter to Secretaries John Kerry and Ashton Carter, the senators expressed concern over a recent Pentagon report revealing that as of May 20th, 11 servicemembers, 4 dependents, and 2 retirees had contracted the virus since … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Announcement that Visa Will Cancel Anti-Competitive Fee

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin released the following statement after Visa announced that they will cancel a new fee that imposes a significant penalty on credit and debit card issuers-often small banks and credit unions-that see their business shift from Visa to competing card networks. On Tuesday, Durbin called on Visa to defend the new fee. Senator Durbin's staff had initially alerted Visa to the Senator's concerns about the fee in a May 17 meeting with Visa representatives. On Tuesda… Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Bipartisan Senators

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today convened a meeting of bipartisan senators, including Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro to discuss a number of issues in Latin America, including the need for a political resolution to deteriorating events in Venezuela, the ongoing electoral impasse in Haiti, and the critical work of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. "I've been impres… Continue Reading

Senate Passes Durbin Amendment to Protect Medical Research for Service Members, Military Families, and Veterans

WASHINGTON-The Senate today voted 66-32 to pass a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect medical research in the Department of Defense. For more than twenty years, the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) has achieved medical research breakthroughs for service members, military families, and veterans. But two provisions inserted into this year's NDAA would have strangled this program in red tape, effectively h… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Champaign County Leaders in Washington to Discuss Local Transportation Priorities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a meeting with local leaders from Champaign County today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed central Illinois transportation priorities and the importance of long-term, sustained investments in our nation's infrastructure deficit. A photo from today's meeting is available HERE. "With strong advocacy and a consistent message about the region's infrastructure needs, Champaign County, like much of Central Illinois, is in a good position to take advantage of the long… Continue Reading