Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $12.8 Million To Expand Broadband Access In Southern Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $12.8 million in high-speed broadband service in Southern Illinois. As part of the USDA's ReConnect Pilot Program, the investment will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 1,650 homes in Jefferson and Wayne counties. "Without reliable access to broadband internet, rural communities can't fully access the tools and resources they need to s… Continue Reading
12.04.19
Durbin, Duckworth To EPA: Newly Proposed Renewable Fuel Standard Blending Targets Will Be Undermined By Abuse Of 'Hardship' Waivers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), led a public comment letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler expressing concern over the proposed supplemental rule establishing the Renewable Fuel Standard's (RFS) 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations and 2021 Biomass-Based Diesel Volumes. The RFS has proven critical to… Continue Reading
12.03.19
Durbin Sends Bipartisan & Bicameral Letter to President Trump Urging For Final E-Cigarette Flavor Ban
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Peter King (R-NY-02), led 25 Members of Congress in a bipartisan letter urging President Trump to stick to his promise to ban kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors, including mint and menthol. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally announce-on September 11, 2019-that it would soon ban all non-tobacco e-cigarette flav… Continue Reading
12.03.19
Durbin: Will Senators Stand With Betsy DeVos Or Defrauded Student Borrowers?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a speech on the Senate floor, slammed Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. The DeVos borrower defense rule makes it almost impossible for borrowers who are defrauded by their school or harmed by their school's closure to receive the relief to which they are entitled, and which Congress intended, under the Higher Educ… Continue Reading
11.25.19
Durbin And Schakowsky Urge Residents To Get Covered Before ACA Enrollment Deadline On December 15th
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky today urged those who need health insurance for 2020 to sign up for a health plan before the December 15th deadline. Approximately 312,000 people in Illinois purchase their health insurance in the individual market and seven out of ten of them are eligible for tax credits that help keep their monthly premiums below $100 a month. People in Illinois can call (Get Covered Illinois: 866-311-1119), go online (www.Health… Continue Reading
11.25.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Lipinski, Foster, Schneider, Casten, Underwood Ask EPA To Issue Stronger Standards For ETO Emissions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Bill Foster (D-IL- 11), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better protect communities from ethylene oxide (EtO) emitted by industrial processes. The members, in a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, voiced concerns that the EPA's recently proposed actions on… Continue Reading
11.22.19
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Address Public Housing Crisis In East St. Louis And Across Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), introduced the Housing is Infrastructure Act, comprehensive legislation to address the nation's affordable housing crisis, including public housing and low- and mixed-income housing through infrastructure investments. The bill would specifically add $70 billion to the Public Housing Capital Fund, which will aid in building, modernizing, and rehabilitating the public housing stock t… Continue Reading
11.22.19
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $25 Million For Public Transportation Improvement In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced more than $25 million in federal funding awarded to Illinois communities to replace and rehabilitate buses and their facilities. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. "This funding will help our public transit systems continue to provide safe and reliable service to the thousands of Illinoisans who rely on them each day," said Durbi… Continue Reading
11.22.19
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9 Million Grant For Runway Reconstruction At Quincy Regional Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that QuincyRegional Airport has been awarded $9 million in federal grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The funding will be used for runway reconstruction. "Today's funding will help improve service, safety, and efficiency at Quincy Regional Airport, which is a critical economic engine and transportation link for western Illinois," Durbin said. "I… Continue Reading
11.21.19
Durbin Meets With FDA Commissioner Nominee Dr. Stephen Hahn
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Stephen Hahn, President Trump's nominee to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to discuss the youth vaping epidemic and the Trump Administration's apparent reversal of a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally announce-on September 11, 2019-that it would soon ban all non-tobacco e-cigarette … Continue Reading
11.21.19
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Continuing Resolution
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the federal government through December 20, 2019: "The CR that passed the Senate today is essential to keeping the government funded through the end of the year. Now it is time for Senators on both sides of the aisle to put the appropriations process back on track. We owe it to th… Continue Reading
11.21.19
Durbin Introduces Bill To Improve Amtrak On-Time Performance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill today that helps improve Amtrak on-time performance (OTP) in Illinois and around the country by providing Amtrak with the ability to take the freight railroads to court in order to enforce current law, which requires freight railroads to provide preference to passenger rail operating on their rail lines. The Rail Passenger Fairness Act would provide Amtrak with the ability to sue the freight railroads to enforce its statutory prefere… Continue Reading
11.20.19
Durbin Statement On FERC Approval Of Emergency Propane Shipments To Midwest
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after Federal Emergency Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved temporary emergency shipments of propane to help alleviate a shortage of the fuel that Midwestern farmers need to dry the annual corn harvest: "Today's decision by FERC to deliver emergency shipments of propane to Monee, Illinois, will hopefully assist our farmers who are strug… Continue Reading
11.20.19
Durbin: Senate Must Stand With Defrauded Student Borrowers And Overturn DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a speech on the Senate floor, slammed Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. The DeVos borrower defense rule makes it almost impossible for borrowers who are defrauded by their school or harmed by their school's closure to receive the relief to which they are entitled, and which Congress intended, under the Higher Educ… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Hong Kong Human Rights And Democracy Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of the bipartisan Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, of which Durbin is a cosponsor. The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent. "With the situation deteriorating by the hour in Hong Kong, the passage of the legislation couldn't be more timely. I urge my colleagues in the House to take action quickly after we have acted," Durbin said. "This bill sends… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin Meets With National Biodiesel Board To Discuss Biodiesel Tax Credit
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, met with members of the National Biodiesel Board to discuss the biodiesel market, and its impact on energy, the environment, and agriculture. The group discussed the importance of extending the biodiesel tax credit, which expired in 2017. This is the longest lapse ever in the tax credit's history, which dates back to 2005. Durbin also brought up his effort to fight for more tr… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support NPS Management Of Pullman Historical Park
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill that would ensure protections for National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land and enter into cooperative agreements at Pullman National Historical Park in order to advance park management. The legislation, the Pullman National Historical Park Act 2019, would ensure protections for the Pullman area and provide NPS more flexibility to work with historic buildings and assets that it does not own, but th… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin to BOP Director: Why Is DOJ Undermining The First Step Act?
WASHINGTON-In today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the Trump Administration's implementation of the recently-enacted Grassley-Durbin First Step Act. Durbin pressed Dr. Hawk Sawyer on his concerns that DOJ is actively undermining the First Step Act and fighting to oppose retroactive Fair Sentencing Act relief for eligible individual… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin Shares Illinois Constituent Story To Highlight Stakes In Fight Against Republicans' Attacks On Families' Health Care
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans for their continued efforts to destabilize and undermine America's health care system. Durbin also shared the story of an Illinois constituent, Stefanie from Oak Park. Stefanie's son just graduated college and has a history of mental health and substance abuse issues. Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), her son is able to stay on her health insurance… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin To Trump: You Should Care More About Children Than Lobbying Pressure From Big Vape
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a speech on the Senate floor slammed President Donald Trump for seemingly reversing course on a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. Durbin called out the President for caving to lobbying pressure from Big Tobacco and Big Vape, breaking his promise to protect our nation's children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally … Continue Reading