Durbin and Wicker Introduce Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act

Durbin Statement on President Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement following President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress. "Tonight's speech, focused on the important things people care about across America and certainly across Illinois." "President Obama talked about jobs, and that's something we're all worried about. Millions of people have lost their jobs across the country and Congress passed an economic recovery bill that will get people back to work a… Continue Reading

Bill to Name Springfield Post Office After Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. Headed to President's Desk

[WASHINGTON, DC] - The House of Representatives today gave final passage to legislation introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) to name the post office located at 2105 East Cook Street in Springfield after Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. The bill now heads to the President's desk. "Colonel Wilson was a true American hero who served our country during World War II and served my hometown of Springfield for 57 years as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service," said … Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Two Illinois Soldiers for Today's Presidential Address

[WASHINGTON, DC] - TODAY, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) hosted two wounded Illinois soldiers as his guests for the President Barack Obama's Address to a Joint Session of Congress. In what has become an annual tradition, two soldiers who served in Iraq, Sergeant Ralph McCallum II of Springfield, Illinois and Sergeant Rafael Delgado of Chicago, Illinois joined Durbin as his guests at the Joint Session of Congress and the Secretary of the Senate's dinner immediately preceding the President's … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after participating in President Obama's Fiscal Responsibility Summit. Held today at the White House, the summit was the first of a series of bipartisan discussions on how we can address the long-term fiscal problems facing the nation. "Today's summit brought together a diverse and bipartisan group of individuals around a common goal - to look beyond the immediate economic crisis and put our nation on sound f… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a $3 Million DOT Grant for Greater Peoria Regional Airport

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $3,000,000 grant to construct a new terminal facility at Greater Peoria Regional Airport. This grant will fund an essential upgrade of the airport's infrastructure that will support the Peoria Airport Authority's effort to serve travelers safely and efficiently while remaining competitive in the region. The Greater Peoria Regional Airport is a public airport south… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senator Roland Burris

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today on the evolving situation regarding Senator Roland Burris (D-IL): "When we met with Roland Burris in January, we made it clear that in order for him to be seated in the U.S. Senate he needed to meet two requirements - first, that he submit the proper paperwork certifying his appointment, and second, that he appear before the General Assembly's Impeachment Committee to testify openly, honestly and complet… Continue Reading

Durbin to Travel to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey This Week

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) will travel to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey over the President's Day congressional recess. The primary focus of this trip will be the tense political situation in Cyprus. Durbin will depart Saturday, traveling first to Cyprus, then on to Greece and Turkey. Stops in Nicosia, Athens, Ankara and Istanbul are currently planned. Due to security concerns, specific details of the trip will not be released in advance. "For mo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Burris, Illinois Delegation Call on President to Provide Federal Relief for Nine Illinois Counties

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roland Burris (D-IL) were joined by members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today in requesting that President Obama declare nine Illinois counties - Alexander, Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline and Union - federal disaster areas. Members signing on to today's letter include Representatives Jerry Costello (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Debbie Halverson (D-IL), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Ti… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today after the Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - a bipartisan bill that will create good-paying jobs; make investments in America's future; and cut taxes for working families. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law early next week. "In three weeks, this President, working with Congress, was passed landmark legislation to promote economic recovery, create jobs and inves… Continue Reading

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate I know from your state of New York and my state of Illinois what this recession really means. In December the recession really hit my home state of Illinois hard. We lost 1,200 jobs a day in December. 36,000 jobs. And that is a hit that continues, I'm afraid, in the month of January and maybe in the early part of February. The overall unemployment rate for America is 7.6%. 3.6 million jobs lost since the beginning of the recession just several … Continue Reading

Economic Recovery Plan

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate. Mr. President, I want to follow on the comments of my friend from New Hampshire, Senator Gregg. Although he and I may disagree on some political issues, and we do, the fact is , many of the things he just said I agree with completely. I think there is a sense among Members of Congress that we are facing an extraordinary set of circumstances in America today. The Presiding Officer, from the State of Michigan, probably has endured more economic … Continue Reading

Durbin Welcomes State Senator Dave Koehler as Special Guest to the Joint Session of Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today welcomed Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) and his wife, Nora Sullivan, as his guests to an address by Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel to a joint session of Congress. Durbin, a member of the Senate Escort Committee, will meet with his guest after the joint session. "Today's Joint Session of Congress is a celebration of the ongoing partnership between the United States and a unified Germany," … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Final Approval of Long-awaited Internet Code of Conduct

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after a number of the largest internet companies, human rights organizations and other stakeholders finally approved a voluntary code of conduct governing companies' operations in countries where internet freedom is restricted. Durbin noted that Congressional action may still be needed to protect freedom of expression and user privacy. "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right guaranteed to all p… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Announcement of New FBI Guidelines

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement in reaction to the Justice Department's announcement late Friday afternoon that the Attorney General is revising the guidelines for FBI investigations: "The American people will react skeptically to the Administration's efforts to rewrite the rules for FBI surveillance one month before the election in the eighth year of the Bush Administration." "The Justice Department claims that they consulted wi… Continue Reading

Durbin Says Internet Giants Close To Agreement On Code Of Conduct

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that a number of the largest American internet companies, human rights organizations and other stakeholders have reached agreement on a voluntary code of conduct that would govern internet companies operating in countries where internet freedom is restricted, like China. The participants are now reviewing the agreement for final approval. "I commend Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and other participants for agreeing on the princ… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill to Improve Mental Health Services on College Campuses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today introduced legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act creates a competitive grant program that would provide funding to colleges to focus on both outreach to identify students with mental health needs and treatment of students coming to counseling centers for help. "The shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech focused national attention on college campuse… Continue Reading

Durbin, Coburn Seek Update on Long-awaited Code of Conduct for Internet Giants

[WASHINGTON, DC] - United States Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) sent a letter today to three internet giants, seeking an update on a long-planned voluntary code of conduct being written by the industry. The code of conduct, which was discussed during a hearing Durbin chaired in May on global internet freedom and corporate responsibility, would regulate the actions of internet firms which operate in countries that restrict internet use and content. Today's letter was sent to th… Continue Reading

Durbin, Along with Military & Education Leaders, Urges Congress to Support Bright, Accomplished Kids with Bipartisan DREAM Act

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Senate colleagues to come together and support the DREAM Act, a narrowly tailored, bipartisan measure which would permit a select group of undocumented students to become permanent residents if they came here as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years. "When I hear some describe this bill as amnesty, I wonder, if someone is willing to r… Continue Reading

DREAM Act as an Amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill

Mr. President, last month we had a controversial and spirited debate over immigration. It went on for several weeks on the floor of the Senate, and many Members of the Senate thought about it and voted one way or the other. The net result is that nothing happened. That is unfortunate. Everybody concedes our immigration laws have broken down. About 600,000 illegal people come into the United States each year and stay. Over 20 years, we now have 12 million people. The number continues to gro… Continue Reading