Durbin Meets With Illinois Health And Hospital Association To Discuss Workforce Shortages, COVID-19 Recovery

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) President AJ Wilhelmi and several Illinois hospital representatives to discuss workforce shortages and additional support for hospitals recovering from the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. During their conversation, Durbin received an update about how hospitals have coped with increased financial strains while maintaining quality care and access for patients. Congress has p… Continue Reading

In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Calls For Improved Safety Kits For Army Humvees

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor about upgrading safety features of the Army's Humvees and improving training to address the troubling number of military tactical vehicle accidents. In his remarks, Durbin highlighted research into anti-lock brake and electronic stability safety kits, known as ABS/ESC, as well as other upgrades, to help prevent accidents. While u… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Jobs Program & Appropriation Funding With Secretary Of Labor Marty Walsh

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Marty Walsh. During their meeting, Durbin and Walsh discussed the DOL Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which totals $14.6 billion. The funds would go toward Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, Reentry Employment Opportunities, apprenticeship grants, Job Corps, YouthBuild, and more. Durbin and Walsh also discussed health care workforce shortages that have been ma… Continue Reading

Durbin: It Is Clear That Putin Has Disastrously Miscalculated

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor to reiterate the United States' support of the transatlantic alliance and Ukraine as Vladimir Putin continues his unjustified and unprovoked war. Durbin also highlighted the service of two Illinois veterans - Lorenzo Cervantes, who passed away last week, and Casimir "Casey" Celeske. Both Cervantes and Celekse fought in World War II with an elite combat unit known as the F… Continue Reading

Durbin Responds To Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans' Letter Calling For Hearing On Title 42

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today responded to a recent letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans requesting a Committee hearing with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials regarding the Biden Administration's decision to rescind the Title 42 Public Health Order on May 23, 2022. In a letter to Committee Republicans, Durbin welcomed their renewed interest in Committee oversight of DHS and noted that it… Continue Reading

Durbin, Warren, Warnock, Colleagues Ask Department Of Education For Its Plan To Provide A "Fresh Start" To Student Loan Borrowers In Default

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, asking the Department of Education (ED) for details about its plan to give a "fresh start" to student loan borrowers currently in default before loan payments resume. Their letter follows ED… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Statement On First Step Act Annual Report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the lead sponsors of the landmark First Step Act (FSA), released the following statement regarding the publication of the First Step Act Annual Report this week: "The Justice Department's recently released report shows significant progress towards the implementation of the First Step Act and the legislat… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nomination Of Rachelle Crowe To Serve As U.S. Attorney For The Southern District Of Illinois & David Davis To Serve As U.S. Marshal For The Southern District Of Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the White House announced the nominations of Rachelle L. Crowe to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois and David C. Davis to serve as United States Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois. Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Southern District, Durbin and Duckworth… Continue Reading

Durbin, Hospital Leaders Release Year 3 Report On Chicago HEAL Initiative To Address Gun Violence

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined hospital leaders and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association to unveil the three-year report of the Chicago HEAL Initiative and announce new federal investments to help reduce violence and health disparities. Launched in 2018 by Senator Durbin and 10 of the largest hospitals serving Chicago, the HEAL Initiative is a collaboration to address the root causes of gun violence through economic, health, and community projects in 18 of Chicago… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With East Peoria Chamber Of Commerce

EAST PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce to discuss local economic priorities, workforce development, and how federal investments will help the Peoria region achieve long-term economic growth. Durbin heard from local leaders in business, health care, education, and government. "I thank the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce for sitting down with me today to discuss both the challenges they face and the opportunities for growth p… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown, Warren Applaud Biden Administration's Actions On Student Loan Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced it will take action to address problems with debt cancellation under the income-driven repayment (IDR) program. Today's action by the Administration follows a letter that the Senators sent last week to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Education (ED) requesting … Continue Reading

Durbin, Garcia Call On CTA To Improve Transit Security And Safety For Employees And Passengers

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-4) sent a letter to Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval Carter today urging him to implement a provision required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that will help improve the safety of transit workers and passengers. Specifically, the letter urges CTA to work with organized labor to establish the joint management-labor safety committee mandated by… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $850,000 In Federal Funding For Bradley University's Nurse Training And Workforce Development Program

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from Bradley University and Peoria Public Schools to announce $850,000 in new federal funding to support state-of-the-art training and education for nursing students at Bradley University. The funding, which Durbin secured in the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill, will allow Bradley University to install a new High-Fidelity Multi-Patient Nursing Simulation Lab and implement a workforce development program for local Peoria P… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $10.2 Million Earmark For New Illinois National Guard Complex

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from the Illinois National Guard to discuss $10.2 million in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending-more commonly known as an earmark-in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill for the construction of a new Base Civil Engineer (BCE) Complex for the 183rd Air National Guard Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield. "These past two years in particular have been unprece… Continue Reading

Durbin, Marshall, Welch, Van Duyne Urge Visa And Mastercard To Call Off Planned Swipe Fee Increases On Vulnerable American Families And Businesses

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), and U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) today sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the CEOs of Visa and Mastercard urging the companies not to proceed with plans to raise their interchange fee rates. In 2021, according to the Nilson Report, Visa and Mastercard charged merchants a total of $77.48 billion in credit card f… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Urge EPA To Implement Robust Prevention And Safety Standards To Prevent Chemical Disasters

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44th) in leading 27 of their colleagues in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement strong safeguards at high-risk chemical facilities to protect fenceline environmental justice communities, facility workers, and first resp… Continue Reading

Durbin, Portman, Shaheen, Wicker Urge President Biden To Appoint A Ukraine Security Assistance Coordinator

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), sent a letter to President Biden urging him to appoint a Ukraine Security Assistance Coordinator. In light of the continued fighting in Ukraine, as the United States continues to send a historic amount of aid to assist Ukraine in their defense, the senators believe a coordinator would… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown, Warren Urge Review Of Loan Servicers' Student Loan Program Mismanagement

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent letters urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Education (ED) to review student loan servicers' reported mismanagement of the income-driven repayment (IDR) program, leading to significant harm for low-income borrowers. "A recent NPR investigative report found the IDR program is riddled with problems and mismanagement, even … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $3 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding To Support Rural Health Care Services In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, six health care providers in rural Illinois will receive a total of $3,190,300 to increase access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, food assistance programs, and other services to improve community health outcomes. The funding comes from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program created by the American Rescue Plan. "Across Illinois, rural hospitals and … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Historic Nominations Of John Lee To Serve As 7th Circuit Judge, Nancy Maldonado To Serve As U.S. District Judge

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the White House announced the nominations of Judge John Z. Lee to serve as a Circuit Court Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Nancy L. Maldonado to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: "We are pleased that President Biden… Continue Reading