Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Agricultural Value-Added Producer Grants

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson. "This funding will help boost small agricultural busine… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Bill To Strengthen Servicemember Employment And Reemployment Protections

PEORIA-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in introducing legislation to better protect military personnel and veterans from potentially unfair employment disadvantages caused by any extended absence from work while on active duty. Passage of the USERRA Improvement Act, as well as the Justice for Servicemembers Act, are especially critical after a federal court ruled this month that a Navy reservist could … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Have New Questions For Mylan About Epipen Price Hike, Pricing Strategy

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a group of 17 senators requesting additional information from the CEO of pharmaceutical company Mylan about the recent EpiPen Auto-Injector (EpiPen) price increases and how Mylan's pricing strategy affects consumers, taxpayers, and insurance premiums. The letter follows a previous request for information made in August about the EpiPen price hike. Today's letter was also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richar… Continue Reading

Durbin: New Borrower Defense Regulations Empower Students To Hold For-Profit Colleges Accountable

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its final "borrower defense" rules to protect students and taxpayers from deceptive and illegal practices in higher education. The final regulations, announced today after a period of public comment, help clarify the process for defrauded students to discharge their loans, and ban schools from requiring students to sign pre-dispute arbitration agreements waiving their ri… Continue Reading

Durbin, Markey Call On DEA, Justice Dept To Explain Reduction Of Enforcement Efforts Against Wholesale Opioid Distributors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) were joined by a group of senators today in sending a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) querying both agencies about enforcement efforts against wholesale opioid distributors that are violating DEA rules intended to prevent legal controlled substances from entering the illicit market. A recent story in the Washington Post ("The DEA slowed enforcement while the opioid epidem… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $2 Million For Head Start In South Eastern Illinois

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation $2,068,302 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Christian, Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties. "We know that a child's first years are the most crucial in their brain development. Early Head Start and Head Start programs ensure children have the… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Rural Renewable Energy Development Across Illinois

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $490,000 in federal funding across Illinois to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems, and in making energy-efficiency improvements to their operations. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in eight counties: Clinton, Crawford, Douglas, Henry, Jo Daviess, Montgomery, Ric… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown Announce Friendly Wager On The World Series Matchup Between Chicago Cubs And Cleveland Indians

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Cubs) and Sherrod Brown (D-Indians) made a bet today on the outcome of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. If the Cubs win, Brown will bring beer from Cleveland's Platform Brewing Company to Durbin's office. If the Indians prevail, Durbin will deliver beer from Chicago's Goose Island Brewery to Brown's office. "No team in sports has had a more storied journey to a championship series than the Chicago Cubs," said Durbin… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Rural Community Development In North Central Illinois

CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $151,500 in federal funding for the North Central Illinois Council of Governments to support rural community development projects. Today's funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative Grant, will provide assistance to benefit 27 lower-income communities located in six surrounding counties: Bureau, Grundy, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark. This assistance will incl… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $12 Million In Federal Funding To Provide Job Training Services To Unemployed, Low-Income Seniors

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $12,219,480 to Chicago non-profit organizations to provide critical job training and employment services through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The SCSEP fosters economic self-sufficiency for older, low-income adults by providing tangible job skills training through community service assignments at non-profit and public facilities. Participants are unemployed, l… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Bipartisan Senators Urging Dot To Help Implement Maritime Strategy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a bipartisan group of senators urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to take a leadership role in the implementation of a first-ever regional strategy for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence maritime transportation system (MTS). The strategy was developed by the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers (CGLSGP) in collaboration with industry, environmental groups, representatives from U.S. and Canadian governments… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls for Increased Resources for Mental Health Services of College Campuses

URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act, which Durbin introduced earlier this year, would make federal help available for campuses to expand their mental health awareness, outreach, and direct counseling services. The bill was included as part of a bipartisan mental health reform package that could be considered on… Continue Reading

Durbin Commends Treasury Actions To Limit Corporate Inversions And Earnings Stripping

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued final regulations to limit corporate tax inversions and curb earnings stripping, a tactic that has allowed American companies to avoid U.S. taxes by shifting their profits overseas. "When corporations avoid paying their fair share of taxes, it hurts all Americans. It keeps us from making critical investments in our nation's infrastructure, schools, and military," said Se… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Education Department Action Against Devry University

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced it reached an agreement with DeVry University regarding the for-profit college's failure to produce student-specific records to substantiate its job placement claims. Today's agreement will immediately place DeVry on provisional certification to participate in Title IV programs for five years; require disclosures related to the agreement to students via its website; and re… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky Call For Congressional Action on Skyrocketing Prescription Drug Costs

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today discussed new efforts to combat the skyrocketing costs of certain prescription drugs and the need for congressional action. They recently introduced legislation to require drug companies to provide 30 days' notice and justification for any price increase over 10 percent. The bipartisan and bicameral Fair Accountability and Innovative Research (FAIR) Drug Pricing Act would require drug manufacturers t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Demand Answers From Wells Fargo On Military Lending  

CHICAGO-Seeking to protect military families and active duty military personnel whose consumer rights may have been violated by Wells Fargo, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Ranking Member of the Banking Committee, to call on Wells Fargo to step up compliance with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (S… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Over $1.1 Million In Federal Funding For Chicago Area Community Policing Development

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded organizations and law enforcement agencies in the Chicagoland area $1,194,307 in funding through Community Policing Development awards. "This funding is an important investment in the Illinois justice system, and in the safety and security of communities throughout our state," said Durbin. "Our nation's law enforcement officers are called up… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lipinski Announce $400,000 To Upgrade Ventra App System To Include Divvy Bikes

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), today announced that the Federal Transit Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has awarded the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) $400,000 to develop two modifications to the Ventra App that will allow customers to more easily access Divvy bikes at more than 580 bike share stations throughout Chicago. The enhancements will allow the nearly one million Ventra App customers to locate Div… Continue Reading

Durbin, Leading Senators Call For The Release Of Children In Prolonged Detention & An End To Family Detention

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with a group of leading Senators, pressed the Obama Administration to end the detention of women and children who have fled gang violence in Central America's Northern Triangle region. The letter was led by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and came after world leaders met in New York for the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants. In their letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the lawmakers note that w… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Call For Justice Dept To Hold Wells Fargo Execs Accountable 

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and 12 other Senators to urge the Justice Department to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute wrongdoing by executives at Wells Fargo after revelations that the bank's employees had opened millions of accounts without customer approval. In September, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued its largest penalty to date of over $100 million to the bank as a result of this multi-year, multi-state fra… Continue Reading