Durbin, Biggert to Host Wednesday Meeting of Great Lakes Leaders to Chart Path Forward on Asian Carp Containment

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) today announced that they have called a meeting of House and Senate leaders from states surrounding the Great Lakes to chart a path forward in the effort to contain Asian carp in Illinois. The meeting - to be held on Wednesday, January 27- will be attended by both Assistant Secretary of the Army, Jo-Ellen Darcy, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers and Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor… Continue Reading

Durbin: $98 Million in Recovery Act Funding Will Be Used to Put Chicagoans Back to Work and Mitigate Foreclosure Crisis

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the City of Chicago a Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant in the amount of $98,008,384 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These grants are competitively awarded to local governments and non-profit housing developers to spur economic development and create jobs in hard-hit communities. "One of the primary goals of the Recover… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Bernanke Nomination

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today on the nomination of Ben Bernanke to serve a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. "I will vote to confirm Ben Bernanke to continue to serve as Chairman of the Federal Reserve." "I saw Ben Bernanke under fire, facing our nation's most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression. We need his steady hand as we build our economy and create new jobs across Am… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Supreme Courts Decision to Overturn Campaign Finance Laws

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to overturn a ban on corporate spending on political campaigns. "Today's decision by Supreme Court is a triumph for special interest and judicial activism at its worst. Overturning the ban on corporate spending on political campaigns opens the floodgates for the corrupting influence and the dominant hand of special interest groups." … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $6 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Green Job Training in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded a $6,000,000 State Energy Partnership and Training grant to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today's funding will be used to implement projects such as the Greater Rockford Solar Initiative and the Chicago Green Jobs for All Initiative, both of which provide green job training and c… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Must Chart Next Steps to Prevent Asian Carp from Entering the Great Lakes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reacted to a decision by the Supreme Court to reject a request from Michigan and other Great Lakes states that would have forced Illinois to stop the flow of water from the Mississippi River into Lake Michigan. "The Supreme Court made the right decision today. Illinois is committed to restoring and protecting our Great Lakes just as much as Michigan or any other state. "Last week, federal, state, and local of… Continue Reading

Durbin: Small Businesses will Benefit from Healthcare Reform Bill

[CHICAGO, IL] - Healthcare reform will give small businesses the ability to offer their employees quality, affordable healthcare coverage while remaining competitive in a challenging economy, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today while addressing local business owners at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. There won't be an economic recovery until small businesses start growing again. Despite misinformation to the contrary, h… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $18 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Evanston

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a $18,150,000 Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the City of Evanston, Illinois. With this grant, Evanston plans to rehabilitate foreclosed properties and create affordable housing in Evanston's lower-income areas. Durbin met with Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl in October 2009 to… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More than $900,000 in Grant Funding to Improve Illinois Public School Lunches

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service division has awarded a $902,953 grant to help Illinois schools participating in the National School Lunch Program replace outdated equipment with new, energy-efficient appliances. In Illinois, over 4,300 schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, feeding over 1.1 million children every day. USDA will give funding priority for these … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Nearly $13 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Chicago Area

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded three Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) grants to Cook County, Calumet City and the Village of Plainfield totaling $12,989,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and create jobs locally. "Creating jobs and securing the future of our planet a… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $200,000 In Recovery Act Funding For Community Facility Improvements In Jackson, Pulaski, And Stark Counties

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded a total of $207,230 in Community Facility grant and loan funding to local governments in Jackson, Pulaski, and Stark counties through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "Community facilities and services are an important part of everyday life for millions of rural Illinoisans," said Durbin "This funding makes a significant inves… Continue Reading

Durbin And Biggert Host Briefing On Asian Carp Containment

[CHICAGO, IL] -U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) hosted a briefing by federal, state and local officials at the Shedd Aquarium today regarding the containment of Asian carp in Illinois. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the City of Chicago, the Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Coast Guard, an… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $70,000 In Grants For Community Facility Improvements in Montgomery and Crawford Counties

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded three grants totaling $70,100 to local governments in Montgomery and Crawford counties through the Community Facility Grant Program. "Community facilities and services are an important part of everyday life for millions of rural Illinoisans," said Durbin "This funding recognizes that importance and makes a significant investment in the c… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $2.9 Million For Completion Of Railroad Grade Separations

[GALESBURG, IL] - The city of Galesburg will see traffic flow improvements, enhanced safety for motorists and pedestrians and the potential for new jobs with the help of $2.9 million in federal funding U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) secured to help the City complete three railroad grade separations. Shortly after his April 16, 2009 meeting with Galesburg officials and visit to the BNSF hump tower, Durbin fulfilled his promise to secure the federal funding needed to make the grade separations a… Continue Reading

Durbin: Crusader Community Health To Receive $5.3 Million In Recovery Act Funding

[ROCKFORD, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited Crusader Community Health in Rockford today to announce the organization will receive $5.3 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, known informally as the Stimulus bill. The funding will be used to construct a new site in Loves Park, to continue their renovation of unused space at an existing site and will allow the clinic to serve 4,500 additional patients on an annual basis, Durbin said. The Crusader Community Hea… Continue Reading

Durbin, Quinn Statement on Recommendation to Approve Sale of Thomson Correctional Center

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today commended the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) for their 7-4 decision in favor of the closure of the Thomson Correctional Center. Senator Durbin and Governor Quinn issued the following statement: "We are pleased the bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has endorsed the sale of the Thomson Correctional Cen… Continue Reading

Durbin, Manzullo Announce $500,000 For West State Street Renaissance Projet

[ROCKFORD, IL] - The City of Rockford will receive an infusion of $500,000 in federal funds to pay for public infrastructure improvements needed for the Renaissance Project planned for Rockford's west side, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Don Manzullo announced today. Durbin and Manzullo worked together to secure the funding in the FY2010 Omnibus bill, which was signed into law last month. Each requested funding for the initiative in their respective chambers and were succes… Continue Reading

Durbin Asks FEMA and Army Corps to Explain Status of Levees in Metro East

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers to publicly release the data on the status of Metro East levees and make both agencies available to brief local community leaders and residents. "Understanding the structural integrity of the levees in the Metro East area and the risk to those living behind them is fundamentally important to my constituents: hundreds of thousands … Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate-Passed Health Care Bill Provides Quality, Affordable Coverage for Additional 1.1 Million Illinoisans

[CHICAGO, IL] - Nearly 1.1 million uninsured Illinoisans and 30 million people across the nation are on track to gain access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage as a result of the historic reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate last month, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was approved by the Senate in a vote of 60-39 on December 24th. The Senate bill builds on what works in our current system and takes the necessary steps to cor… Continue Reading

Durbin: Flood Maps Will Not Take Effect Until 2011

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that, at his urging, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to delay the implementation of the new flood maps for the St. Louis region for at least one year. Durbin also announced that he will be introducing comprehensive legislation in the Senate within the next few months to protect residents and businesses in the event of a major flood. "FEMA's decision today will help property owne… Continue Reading