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

Durbin, Bipartisan Senators, Medical and Veterans Groups Call on Senate: Don't Strangle Medical Research Funding in Red Tape

WASHINGTON-This morning, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was joined by a breast cancer survivor and a disabled American veteran to call on the Senate to protect medical research funding in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 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 … Continue Reading

Durbin Challenges Visa's New Fee that Diminishes Competition

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Visa to defend a new fee that imposes a significant penalty on credit and debit card issuers - often small banks and retailers - that see their business shift from Visa to competing card networks. The Delayed De-Conversion Assessment fee applies a charge of 5 basis points to the Visa payment volume of any card issuer that has experienced a material decline in Visa payment volume or the number of issued Visa cards or has demons… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Toxic Chemical Safety Law

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate passed the bipartisan Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a chemical safety reform bill to overhaul the nation's broken Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). The 39-year-old TSCA is the last of the major environmental laws passed in the 1960s and '70s that has not yet been modernized. The bill now goes to the President for his signature. ‎ We have long known that our … Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Move by Department of Education to Better Protect Taxpayers from ITT Tech

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded a decision by the Department of Education to require ITT ‎Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech) to increase its surety - money held in escrow by the Department that would be used to offset taxpayer losses in the even the company collapses - from $80 million to about $123.6 million. Durbin has urged the Department of Education to more aggressively use its authority to require Letters of Credit and other forms of surety to b… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on NGA Decision of Record

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after learning that NGA Director Robert Cardillo issued his decision of record for the North St. Louis site, and not the St. Clair County site next to Scott Air Force Base: "I am deeply concerned about the security of the St. Louis site and I do not believe we have received acceptable answers from Director Cardillo," said Durbin. "His decision today is short-sighted and ignores not only safety issues, but also l… Continue Reading

Durbin: CFPB's Proposed Rule Would Crack Down on Payday Lending Industry Abuses

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for its proposed rule aimed at addressing abuses in the payday lending industry. The proposed rule is one of the first efforts by the federal government to rein in small-dollar loans, which often carry interest rates exceeding 300%. ‎ "Payday lenders offer a quick way to make ends meet, but often with devastating consequences," said Durbin. "Lenders are, in many instances, making th… Continue Reading

New GAO Report Highlights Value of Broadcasting Supreme Court and Appellate Court Proceedings

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) released the following statement on a newly released Government Accountability Office report on video and audio coverage of Supreme Court and other appellate court proceedings. The report cites stakeholders who state that the benefits of such coverage include enhancing public access to the courts, educating the public on the judiciary, and providing a useful window into how courts think about the issues in a case. Som… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on TSA Security During Memorial Day Holiday Weekend

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement as travelers head to airports around the country to take advantage of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Last Friday, Durbin convened a meeting with Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) Administrator Peter Neffenger, airline representatives and federal, state and local officials at O'Hare International Airport to discuss new measures to address the massive delays at airport security lines across the cou… Continue Reading

Durbin & Kirk Announce Senate Passage of Bill to Name Aurora Post Office After Ken Christy

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today announced that the Senate has unanimously passed legislation designating the U.S. Post Office facility located at 525 N. Broadway in Aurora, Illinois, as the Kenneth M. Christy Post Office Building. The bill must now pass in the House of Representatives where U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced an identical bill -supported by the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation - in Ap… Continue Reading

Senators Call on ITT Tech to Halt Use of Mandatory Arbitration Clauses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called on ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech) to follow the lead of the University of Phoenix and DeVry and halt the use of mandatory arbitration clauses in college enrollment agreements. In a letter to the CEO, the Senators wrote, "ITT Tech, under your leadership, has long been an advocate in the for-profit college industry for the continued use of mandator… Continue Reading

Durbin: Defense Appropriations Bill Invests in Groundbreaking Research & Protects Illinois Priorities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill - which provides $574.6 billion in funding for the military and intelligence community, our national security requirements and the daily needs of over two million active duty and reserve servicemembers - funds Illinois defense installations and protects important Illinois priorities. The legislation was … Continue Reading

On Bill to Fund Homeland Security Department, Durbin Includes Amendments Zeroing in on TSA Security at Chicago Airports

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that two of his amendments to help reduce wait times at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in airports around the country were approved as part of the FY2017 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Specifically, Durbin's amendments would: · Direct TSA to make PreCheck more accessible by expanding the number of office hours available (including the possibility of weekend hours… Continue Reading

Durbin & Kelly: Resolution Establishing “National Gun Violence Awareness Day" Introduced in House & Senate

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At least sixteen U.S. Senators and eleven U.S. Representatives joined together to introduce a resolution in the House & Senate establishing June 2nd as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and designating June as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." Every day in America, an average of 297 men, women and children are shot, 91 of them fatally. Establishing a day to bring attention to the issue of gun violence honors the thousands of Americans who are victims of gun … Continue Reading

Summary of Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON-The Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act, 2017 provides $574.6 billion in base and Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funding, compared to $572.9 billion enacted in fiscal year 2016 and $576.5 billion in the President's budget request. The base budget appropriation is $516 billion with $58.6 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations of the Department of Defense. The Subcommittee's allocation conforms to the spending levels set by the Bipartisan Budget Act and provide… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Officials from Springfield & Sangamon County in Washington

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with officials from Springfield, Illinois, and Sangamon County to discuss local priorities including economic development, the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Fighter Wing and transportation and infrastructure improvements. "My hometown of Springfield is well positioned to take advantage of the long-term transportation bill that Congress passed last year," said Durbin. "I will continue working to fully fund the grant programs in… Continue Reading