Press Releases
Durbin Statement On Trump's Veto Of Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump vetoed a bipartisan Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res. 76), to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule: "President Trump's veto of my bipartisan bill to help our veterans was a victory for Education Secretary DeVos and the fraud merchants at the for-profit colleges. My question to the President: in four da… Continue Reading
05.29.20
Durbin Statement On President Trump Ending United States' Relationship With World Health Organization
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he would move to terminate the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic and after the death toll in the United States surpassed 100,000 Americans: "Today's announcement by President Trump ignores the deadly reality of this pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and death… Continue Reading
05.29.20
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Announce Nearly $3 Million For Rock Island Mass Transit
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today announced $2.9 million in grant funding for the Rock Island Co. Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK). The funding, awarded by the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) Bus Program, will be used to purchase new low-emission transit buses. "The funding announced today will not only create a better experience for the thousands of peopl… Continue Reading
05.29.20
Durbin Visits Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Discusses Legislation To Strengthen America's Food Supply Chain
URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Urbana, Illinois, today to learn more about local efforts to help feed those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Durbin joined his colleagues to introduce legislation to strengthen the food supply chain after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and families… Continue Reading
05.29.20
Durbin Discusses Death Of George Floyd And Gun Violence With 100 Black Men Of Chicago
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with 100 Black Men of Chicago yesterday evening about the death of George Floyd and gun violence in Chicago. Durbin shared his outrage over the death of Mr. Floyd and called for answers and accountability. "It was a reprehensible, heartbreaking moment when I opened up the paper and saw Mr. Floyd on the ground, with an officer with a knee on his neck. It just broke my heart and it enraged me at the same time, to think that we are still coping … Continue Reading
05.29.20
Durbin, Colleagues Press Pentagon For Answers On Lack Of CARES Act Funding Being Spent
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, led the Democratic members of the Subcommittee in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper pressing for information as to why the Department has only placed on contract 23 percent of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds provided by Congress nearly nine weeks ago. The CARES Act provided $10.6 billion to the Department of Defense to support… Continue Reading
05.28.20
Durbin Discusses Legislation To Aid Immigrant Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic With ICIRR
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today had a call with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to discuss immigration provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act. Durbin has been fighting to include many of these provisions, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) work authorization extensions and expanded access to testing, treatment, and fin… Continue Reading
05.28.20
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $11.8 Million For COVID-19 Testing In Rural Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $11,821,279 in federal funding to support COVID-19 testing in rural communities. The funding comes from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act signed into law on April 24th and will help support more than 200 Rural Health Clinics around Illinois. Each clinic will receive approximately $49,000 in federal funding. Congressional Democrats fought to … Continue Reading
05.28.20
Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Restaurant Association
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with members of the Illinois Restaurant Association. On a call with the members, Durbin shared the changes he supports to the program, including a bipartisan bill he cosponsored that would extend the deadline to apply for a PPP loan from June 30, 2020, to December 31, 2020, and allow borrowers 16 weeks to use their loan funds, instead of eight weeks. Durbin also discussed the future of the restau… Continue Reading
05.28.20
Durbin Releases Chicago HEAL Initiative 2020 Report
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), together with ten Chicago-area hospitals and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), released the one-year report on the progress of the Chicago HEAL Initiative (Hospital Engagement, Action, and Leadership) to improve health and reduce violence in underserved communities across Chicago. Launched in October 2018 by Senator Durbin and ten of the largest hospitals serving Chicago, the Chicago HEAL Initiative is a three-year project t… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $12 Million For Metra Improvements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Metra will receive $12,482,600 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for rail improvements. The funding will support the modernization of three interlockings on the Milwaukee North Line in Illinois, which will help lead to improved reliability and fewer delays for Metra and Amtrak commuters. "For many Illinoisans, Metra and Amtrak are the only affordable and accessible trans… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Durbin Joines Colleagues To Introduce Legislation To Protect America's Food Supply
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to introduce legislation to help protect the food supply after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and families. "For many Illinois families, this is the toughest time they've ever faced. We've seen a huge increase in demand for SNAP benefits, the use of food pantries,… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Durbin Discusses Contact Tracing With Founder Of Partners In Health, Dr. Paul Farmer
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health (PIH), about COVID-19 contact tracing. PIH worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop the country's first state-wide coronavirus contact tracing program, and has subsequently worked with the State of Illinois on its contact tracing plans. Durbin asked Dr. Farmer about what America will need to develop nationwide contact tracing capacity to identify individuals who may hav… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate Leadership To Include Funding For Children's Hospitals And Health Providers In Future COVID-19 Relief
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to press Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children's hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, the Senators raised concerns that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months. Starting in January, childr… Continue Reading
05.26.20
Durbin Speaks With Illinois Food Pantry Directors About Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic On Food Security
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today spoke with five Illinois food bank directors-who together serve food pantries, soup kitchens, and local organizations across more than half of Illinois-about rising food insecurity and the increased demand on food pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin heard from the directors about the sharp increase in new clients, the decrease… Continue Reading
05.26.20
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Release Plan To Expand Health Care Coverage & Affordability During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Patty Murray (D-WA) to release a Senate Democratic plan to expand health care coverage and affordability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a white paper, the Senators outline a series of common sense legislative priorities that the Senate should take up immediately, including Durbin's proposal to help laid-off workers remain on their employer hea… Continue Reading
05.26.20
Durbin Joins Colleagues To Introduce Bipartisan Bill Extending Paycheck Protection Program
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), to introduce a bipartisan bill that would extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to reflect the fact that economic shutdowns have lasted longer than originally anticipated. The bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act would extend the deadline to apply for a PPP from June 30, 2020, to December 31, 2020, and allow borrowers 16 week… Continue Reading
05.26.20
Durbin, Grassley, Pascrell, Gosar Lead Overhaul To H-1B, L-1 Visa Programs
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to reform and close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act will reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders, and require more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers. This complete overhaul of the H-1B an… Continue Reading
05.23.20
Durbin Delivers Virtual Commencement Address For Class of 2020
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a virtual commencement address for Illinois' Class of 2020. Durbin congratulated Illinois' students for their achievements this year and wished them well as they begin their next chapter in life. "Class of 2020, nothing about this is fair. But there is a light within your reach. You are part of the most resilient, innovative generation in America. You are the best-educated, most tech-savvy generation the world has ever known," Du… Continue Reading
05.22.20
In New Video, Durbin Speaks With UFCW President About Protecting Workers During The COVID-19 Pandemic
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke with Marc Perrone, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, about protecting the health and safety of workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In the video, Durbin and Mr. Perrone discussed the need for clear, comprehensive, and enforceable federal standards, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for … Continue Reading