Durbin to Senate Republicans: Keep Your Word and Draft Health Care Repeal Bill in the Light of Day

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today denounced Senate Republicans for drafting their partisan health care repeal bill in secret, and for refusing any meaningful bipartisan input on the bill or to hold any hearings on their legislation before it comes to the floor for a vote. Durbin's speech comes before President Trump's meeting with the 13 Republican Senators who have been drafting the repeal bill behind closed doors. "What is the proposal of the… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $324,000 in Federal Funding for Cook County Drug Court Program

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a $324,811 grant to the Circuit Court of Cook County to enhance services provided by the Cook County Drug Court Treatment Program. The Cook County Drug Court Treatment Program addresses the negative effect of the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol on the criminal justice system in the State of Illi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Comey Testimony in Intel Committee

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee: The question for the American people is: who do you trust? Director Comey kept extensive records of what the President asked of him, and agreed to testify publicly under oath. That speaks volumes. No person-not even the President-should try to influence or stop a criminal investigation. Special Counsel Mueller is… Continue Reading

Durbin Pushes HUD Secretary Carson for His Support for the Families Impacted by Cairo Housing Crisis

WASHINGTON-During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to commit to ensuring that the 183 affected households living at Elmwood and McBride housing complexes in Cairo, Illinois, will have the full support of HUD as they transition to new housing. "Cairo is Exhibit A in mismanagement in Wa… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trumpcare Threatens Rural Hospitals and The People Who Depend on Them

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today blasted Congressional Republicans for continuing to push their health care repeal bill even though it would jeopardize rural communities across the country. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Medicaid expansion, the rate of uninsured adults in rural Illinois communities dropped from 17 percent to 8 percent. Today, 97 percent of all kids in Illinois have health insurance. And in rural Illinois comm… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Schakowsky & Illinois Democrats Urge Rauner to Weigh In On Republican Health Care Repeal Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), along with every Democratic member of the Illinois Congressional delegation, once again called on Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to explain how Republicans' plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act will affect Illinois families, schools and students, health care providers, and the state's economy. The members expressed concern that the Republican health care repeal bill-which p… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth to Mondelez: Invest in the U.S. by Reversing Course on Corporate Offshoring

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are pressing Mondelez International - a confectionery, food, and beverage company based in Deerfield, Illinois - to end its ongoing corporate practice of shifting production from the company's U.S. bakeries to its bakeries in Mexico. Their letter to Mondelez's CEO, Irene Rosenfeld, follows Mondelez's move to close the Oreo cookie production line and cut 600 jobs from its iconic Chicago bakery, which has been a major economic … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Trump Pulling U.S. from Historic Paris Climate Agreement

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Trump announced that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, an historic deal negotiated by former-President Obama to combat climate change: "Pulling out of the international agreement to protect this Earth from the threat of climate change is a fateful message to our children and grandchildren. The President and his party have chosen politics over science and greed over responsibility. With t… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits South Korea to Discuss Regional Threats

CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin has returned from South Korea, where he met with newly-elected President Moon Jae-in, his National Security Advisor, Defense Minister, and other key officials. Durbin also met with U.S. diplomatic and military personnel deployed on the Korean peninsula. "The Trump Administration has taken an aggressive stance with North Korea and made contradictory statements that have rattled the international community-I wanted to get a sense for how that is bei… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Resolution Establishing "National Gun Violence Awareness Day"

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL) joined together to introduce a resolution in the House and Senate establishing June 2nd as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and designating June as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." Every day in America, an average of around 300 men, women, and children are shot, 93 of them fatally. Establishing a day to bring attention to the issue of gun violence honors the thousands o… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $900,000 in Federal Funding for Firefighter Resources

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a total of $939,214 to ten communities across Illinois through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Each department awarded will use the funds for operations and safety including professional training, wellness and fitness programs equipment, personal protective equipment, modifications to facilities, and supplies that support firefighting a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Screening Committees for Judicial, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal Nominations

CHICAGO-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the formation of three screening committees to assist the Senators in evaluating candidates for vacant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal, and federal judgeship positions in Illinois. The Senators are establishing separate screening committees for each of Illinois' three federal districts. The task of the screening committees is to review and vet candidates for the vacancies and advise the Senators regarding the candi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $1.1 Million for Early Head Start Program at Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $1,104,542 to support the Early Head Start program at the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois. "This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families across Illinois thanks to the dedication and hard work of the staff at the Children's Home and Aid Society o… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trumpcare Would Inflame Opioid Crisis in DuPage County

DOWNERS GROVE - In the midst of the opioid crisis, President Trump's budget and plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would greatly diminish access to substance abuse treatment in the western suburbs, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said today in a meeting at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. Last year, there were 78 opioid overdose deaths in DuPage County, a 53 percent increase over the previous year. President Trump's proposed budget would exacerbate these problems by cutting programs that he… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Help Students Burdened by Debt

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced legislation to help address America's student debt crisis. The Fairness for Struggling Students Act would once again allow privately issued student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, giving them the same treatment as nearly all other f… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trumpcare Leaves 23 Million Americans High and Dry

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Congressional Republicans for continuing to advocate for Trumpcare, even after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis of their bill to repeal Americans' health care. The CBO estimates that, if the Republican bill were to become law, 14 million people next year - and 23 million people over the next ten years - would lose their health insurance. "Three weeks ago, Speaker Pa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $18 Million in Federal Funding to IDOT for Safety Technology Implementation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will receive $18,869,888 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology on the Terminal Railroad in St. Louis, Missouri. PTC is a federally mandated computerized system that prevents certain types of train-to-train collisions, helps avoid derailments and other accidents caused by exce… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Lipinski Announce $20 Million in Federal Funding to Metra for Safety Technology Implementation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Dan Lipinski (IL-03) today announced that Metra will receive $20,168,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology on its Milwaukee North and West lines. PTC is a federally mandated computerized system that prevents certain types of train-to-train collisions, helps avoid derailments and other accide… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trump's Budget Pulls Rug Out From Under Our Nation's Most Vulnerable

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, chastised President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget request to Congress. "For all the talk on the campaign trail of standing up for the forgotten Americans in this country, the President's budget takes aim at the exact programs that many rely on. From healthcare and food stamps to student loans and disability, President Trump's budget is nothing less th… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Trump's Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Request

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump submitted his fiscal year 2018 budget request to Congress: "In the America of President Trump's budget, children, working families, seniors, and people with disabilities will be 'fined,' while the wealthiest Americans will get a 'bonus.' What's so 'great' about that America?"… Continue Reading