Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Relief And Labor Protections With Illinois AFL-CIO

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Tim Drea, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Illinois AFL-CIO executive committee. On a call with the Illinois AFL-CIO, Durbin and Duckworth shared their priorities for the next COVID-19 relief package, including federal assistance for COBRA health coverage, strengthening unemployment insurance, and providing state and local governments financial assistance for lo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Call For More Funding For Social Service Nonprofits In Next Coronavirus Relief Bill

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education programs, an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Smith To Introduce Legislative Fix To Help State And Local Governments Provide Paid Leave During Pandemic

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced plans to introduce a legislative fix that would help state and local governments provide public employees with paid leave when they need it most. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires many public and private employers to provide paid leave for workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That law provides tax credits to private-sector employers to cover the costs of paid leave. But the package … Continue Reading

Durbin, Schumer, Menendez Highlight Role Of Immigrants On The Frontlines Of COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on a press call with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) immigrant workers who are fighting COVID-19 on the front lines to highlight the urgent need to protect Dreamers and TPS holders, extend their work authorizations, and honor their essential work, not just amid the pandemic, but always. While court decisions on DACA and TPS hang in t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging Federal Communications Commission To Coordinate With Other Federal Agencies To Inform Low-Income Families They Can Receive Broadband Services

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in leading 139 of their colleagues in both the House and Senate to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the Supplement… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With Howard Brown Health

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Howard Brown Health employees to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on Community Health Centers (CHCs) and his efforts to secure additional federal funding for CHCs on the frontlines of the public health crisis. On the call, Durbin thanked Howard Brown's health care workers for serving more than 35,000 patients each year and for their efforts to launch new initiatives to address COVID-19, including creating a COVID-19 hotline for pat… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos, Duckworth Statement On BOP's Decision To Designate Thomson Prison A "Quarantine Location"

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement in response to the announcement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson has been designated as one of 11 nationwide "quarantine locations" for thousands of newly-admitted inmates to the federal prison system. "We are disturbed to learn that BOP is preparing to transfer hundreds of additional… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Shimkus, Bost Discuss COVID-19 Response With Southern Illinois Hospitals

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL-15) and Mike Bost (R-IL-12) today, on a call with more than 30 CEOs of southern Illinois hospitals and AJ Wilhelmi, President of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. The bipartisan members of Congress thanked the hospital representatives for everything t… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Expanding Vote-By-Mail Options With League Of Women Voters Of Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) to discuss expanding access to vote-by-mail and the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call with LWVIL members, Durbin spoke about his support for instituting vote-by-mail options nationwide, and securing more funding for state and local election authorities to ensure that all voters can access the ballot box during the pandemic. Durbin also discussed the need to provide finan… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to discuss recommendations on how best to reach minority-owned and underserved businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin discussed the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and how he and Senate Democrats fought for improvements to better address the needs of minority-owned and underbanked busines… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to discuss recommendations on how best to reach minority-owned and underserved businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin discussed the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and how he and Senate Democrats fought for improvements to better address the needs of minority-owned and underbanked busines… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to discuss recommendations on how best to reach minority-owned and underserved businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin discussed the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and how he and Senate Democrats fought for improvements to better address the needs of minority-owned and underbanked busines… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to discuss recommendations on how best to reach minority-owned and underserved businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin discussed the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and how he and Senate Democrats fought for improvements to better address the needs of minority-owned and underbanked busines… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to discuss recommendations on how best to reach minority-owned and underserved businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin discussed the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and how he and Senate Democrats fought for improvements to better address the needs of minority-owned and underbanked busines… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Express Concern Over ArcelorMittal Inspection Summary, Urge EPA To Take Action

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) expressed concerns over the results of a recent Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) inspection summary of ArcelorMittal USA's Burns Harbor facility that showed the company's self-monitoring program and its contract laboratory, Microbac, were both deemed unsatisfactory in terms of its procedures and laboratory methods. In August 2019, after a blast furnace wastewater failure, the Burns Harbor facility relea… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Statement On BOP Transfer Of Inmates To Thomson Prison

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement after learning that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is transferring at least 20 inmates from Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) Chicago, where there is a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, to the United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson, in Thomson, Illinois: "BOP's response to the threat of COVID-19 in federal prisons has been inadequate and tr… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky Announce Bill To Expand Health Care Workforce To Meet Nationwide Challenges

SPRINGFIELD - Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, today announced bicameral legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs to cover the graduate education costs of approximately 300,000 clinicians in order to help address existing health workforce shortages throughout our health care system. The COVI… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bipartisan Colleagues Call For Relief For Rural Broadcasters, Local Newspapers During Coronavirus Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and 71 other Senators in a bipartisan letter calling for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought to support radio and television broadcasters and local newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our radio and television broadcasters and rural newspapers provide local and national news, emergency alerts, educational programs, and more to all corners of the Un… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Press DOJ IG To Review Implementation Of First Step Act & CARES Act In BOP COVID-19 Investigation

WASHINGTON - Following the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General's (IG) decision to assess whether facilities housing Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates are complying with available guidance and best practices regarding preventing, managing, and containing potential COVID-19 outbreaks, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requested that DOJ Inspector General (IG) Horowitz's review also include the implementation of relevant legislative authorities and Attorney General … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump's Proclamation On Immigration

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement on President Donald Trump's proclamation halting some immigration for 60 days: "Where would America be in this crisis without millions of immigrants and first generation Americans who are essential workers on the frontlines of this pandemic? President Trump should stop attacking immigrants and spend his valuable time attacking thi… Continue Reading