Press Releases
Durbin Statement On DACA Supreme Court Oral Arguments
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after attending the oral arguments in the Supreme Court on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In April 2010, Durbin and then-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) were the first members of Congress to call for the establishment of the DACA program. "Today, the Court is considering an issue of fundamental human rights - the fate of Dreamers, hundreds of thousands of young immigrant… Continue Reading
11.08.19
Durbin To Devos: Illinois Institute Of Art Students Deserve Full Loan Discharges After Accreditation Misrepresentation By Dream Center
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced it would cancel loans taken out between January 20, 2018, and December 31, 2018, for students who attended Dream Center Education Holding's (DCEH) Illinois Institute of Art and Colorado Art Institute. "Today's loan cancellation will only relieve harmed Illinois Institute of Art students of part of the debt they incurred at these worthless institutions. I renew my c… Continue Reading
11.08.19
Durbin, Menendez, Cardin Introduce Resolution Recognizing Sikh Americans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a resolution recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of Sikh Americans and their contributions to the United States. The resolution is being introduced ahead of the 550th birthday of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, which is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. The day recognizes the teachings of Guru Nanak on equality and service, serving as an inspir… Continue Reading
11.08.19
Durbin Introduces Bill To Lower Price Of Insulin & Ensure Americans Pay No More Than Patients In Other Countries
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), introduced the End Price Gouging for Insulin Act, legislation that would tackle drug companies' exorbitant price hikes on insulin that have made it difficult for millions of Americans to afford the drug. Americans pay drastically higher prices for insulin than patients in other similar, developed countries. Americans who drive across the border to Canada can buy some brands of insulin for one tenth of the pri… Continue Reading
11.07.19
Ahead Of President Trump's Meeting With Erdogan, Durbin & Senate Democrats Press President Trump For Comprehensive Plan That Addresses Unanswered Questions About Admin's Efforts To Counter ISIS
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), today joined top Senate Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that the President develop and submit a comprehensive strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Senators' letter comes amid ongoing tensions in Northeast Syria, including the escape of at least one hundred ISIS detainees-a direct result of President Trump's decision to greenlight Turkey's military invasion of northern Syria-and ongoing threat… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin Shares Support For Venezuelan President Juan Guiado, Receives Update On Current Situation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó about the ongoing violent repression and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the discredited regime of Nicolás Maduro. During today's call, Durbin reiterated his support for Guaidó and his constitutional role to help Venezuela return to the community of democracies, and to do so with a thoughtful and timely transition and credible election process in wh… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin Statement On Poland's Entry Into Visa Waiver Program
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today on the Department of Homeland Security's announcement regarding Poland's entry into the Visa Waiver Program. Starting November 11, 2019, citizens of Poland will be able to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without obtaining a U.S. visa. "For years, I have worked in Congress for visa waivers for our Polish visitors. I know so many Polish Americans who simply w… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin To Leader McConnell: Protect Dreamers & Call A Vote On The Dream And Promise Act
WASHINGTON-Ahead of next week's oral argument in the Supreme Court on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today came to the Senate floor to once again call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to call a vote on the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immig… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $13 Million Grant for New Underpass in Normal
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Town of Normal has been awarded $13 million in federal funding for the final design and construction of an underpass under Union Pacific's tracks next to Uptown Station. Today's investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) BUILD grant program, will help establish a better connection between Uptown Normal and homes on the south side of the railroad tracks. "I'm plea… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $14 Million Grant for Carbondale Station
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Carbondale has been awarded $14 million in federal funding for the Carbondale Station Multimodal Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) BUILD grant program. "This federal investment will be a tremendous boost to Carbondale and Southern Illinois. A new multimodal transportation center will help better connect the families, businesses, and students of Carbondale to both local a… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin Once Again Calls On Congress To Pass Legislation To Increase Number Of Green Cards Available, Eliminating The Backlog
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today once again made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families (RELIEF) Act, which would eliminate the family and employment green card backlog by increasing the number of green cards. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) objected. Along with eliminating the family and e… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Durbin Pushes For Legislation To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted plans to seek Senate passage for his bipartisan Drug-price Transparency in Communications (DTC) Act, a bill he introduced in May with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that would require pharmaceutical companies to list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. Durbin's bipartisan legislation would empower patients and l… Continue Reading
11.05.19
Durbin: NAFTA 2.0 Is A Trojan Horse Giveaway To Big Pharma
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor, as part of his "Pharma Fleece Awards" series of floor speeches highlighting egregious cases of pharmaceutical industry greed, slammed PhRMA and the Trump Administration for a giveaway tucked into NAFTA 2.0 that will keep drug prices high for Americans. Durbin highlighted provisions in the NAFTA 2.0 trade agreement that cement monopoly protections for pharmaceutical corporations by blocking generic competition, resulting in … Continue Reading
11.05.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos, Loebsack Announce Addition Of 50 Jobs At Rock Island Arsenal
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02), today announced the addition of 50 new human resources professional positions at Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) through the U.S. Army's Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) in order to support the Defense Health Agency (DHA). These positions are in addition to the approximately 160 positions added to CHRA's activity in Rock Island in 2018, an… Continue Reading
11.05.19
Durbin, Colleagues to DOD IG: Investigate Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative Funding That Was Held By Trump Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, along with Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), today reiterated their call for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to review DoD's Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding appropriated by Congress, which was halted for a signi… Continue Reading
11.01.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Announce Multi-Year Extension For Quad Cities To Chicago Amtrak Rail Project Funding
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an extension for $177 million in Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funding for the Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline until December 31, 2024. In June, the members sent a letter to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao that urged DOT to extend the deadline for Illinois to use the $177 million in FRA fun… Continue Reading
11.01.19
Durbin, Blumenthal, Brown Call On Devos To Immediately Cooperate With Investigation Into Department's Role In Dream Center Accreditation Misrepresentation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos calling for her immediate and full cooperation with House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott's (D-VA-03) investigation into the Department's role in Dream Center Education Holding's (DCEH) accreditation misrepresentation at its Illinois Institute of Art and Art Institute of Colorado campuses. DeVos has failed … Continue Reading
11.01.19
Durbin, Kennedy Urge DEA To Use Its New Authorities To Lower Opioid Quotas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today, in a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, called on DEA to use its new authorities-passed into law by Durbin and Kennedy last year-to prevent and limit opioid diversion by properly regulating the pharmaceutical industry and appropriately reducing opioid production quotas for 2020. In its 2020 proposal, DEA explained it would only lower opioid production quotas based upon r… Continue Reading
10.31.19
Durbin Demands CFPB Investigation Of Mismanagement Of Student Loan Forgiveness Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along 22 other Democratic Senators, demanded Consumer Financial Protect Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger to investigate student loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) for mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. "We write to request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) immediately open an enforcement investigation into the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's (PHE… Continue Reading
10.31.19
Durbin Statement On Deadlocked Appropriations Process, Republican Fear-Mongering
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting against the motion to proceed to four Senate Appropriations Committee funding bills, including the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee funding bill: "President Trump continues to divert funds from our men and women in uniform and their families i… Continue Reading