Durbin Discusses Racial Disparities In Federal Investment, Health Care With Illinois Mayors

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the mayors of communities of color across Illinois about the racial disparities in federal investment, health care access, and economic support. On the call, Durbin discussed state and local fiscal relief funding in the House-passed Heroes Act that would help Illinois recover from the estimated $10 billion in state and local revenues Illinois could lose by next summer. Durbin also spoke about the remaining $130 billion in Paycheck Pr… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Federal Court Ordering Trump Admin To Reopen DACA Program For New Applicants

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee and author of the Dream Act, today released the following statement regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland's order for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to fully restore Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which includes reopening DACA to eligible individuals who have been unable to apply due to President Trump's decision… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks To Chicago Bar Association About Justice In Policing Act

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke to the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) Young Lawyers Section's (YLS) Racial Justice Coalition via webcast about the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a comprehensive approach to hold police accountable for misconduct, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities. "The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many other Black… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Dems Press Trump Admin To Reverse Move Undermining COVID-19 Hospital Data Collection & Reporting

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 43 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, urging the Trump Administration to reverse recent changes requiring hospitals to report COVID-19 data to a new system set up by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) instead of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), wh… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Creation Of ICE "Citizens Academy" Pilot Program In Chicago

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement in regards to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) plans to launch an Enforcement and Removals Office (ERO) "Citizens Academy" in Chicago, Illinois, where members of the community can learn about "defensive tactics, firearms familiarization and targeted arrests": "ICE should abandon its deeply flawed plan to launch a 'C… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce Legislation To Support Bias And Anti-Racism Training In COVID-19 Response

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and colleagues in introducing the COVID-19 Bias and Anti-Racism Training Act, legislation to ensure health providers and other individuals involved in COVID-19 testing, treatment, vaccine distribution, and response receive bias and anti-racism training. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgent need to address longstanding biases in our health care system. "Black and … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses International Response To COVID-19 With Catholic Relief Services

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Catholic Relief Service representatives from the Diocese of Belleville about the international response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin advocated for additional international assistance in the next COVID-19 relief package, including at least $4 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Durbin also called for renewing the United States' international leadership efforts in the global effort to develop therapeutics and vaccines t… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For Comprehensive DOD Review Of Treatment Of Women Service Members & Service Members Of Color

PEORIA - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today urged the Department of Defense (DOD) to begin a comprehensive review of the treatment of women and persons of color in the military in light of the deeply disturbing murder of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Durbin wrote that sexual assa… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On President Trump To Comply With Supreme Court Decision To Reopen DACA Program For New Applicants

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Trump Administration to immediately comply with the Supreme Court decision to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and reopen DACA to eligible individuals who have been unable to apply due to President Trump's decision to terminate DACA. The Supreme Court announced its decision on June 18, with Chief Justice John Roberts calling the Administration's effort to repeal deportation protections for Dreamers-… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 With Illinois Veteran Service Organization Leaders

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Illinois veterans service organization leaders about ensuring COVID-19 treatment and access to VA benefits for veterans and the economic constraints veterans organizations are facing as a result of the economic crisis spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin spoke with the leaders about the rise in COVID-19 cases this spring in Illinois VA hospitals across the state and the growing backlog of VA benefit claims. Durbin discussed his efforts t… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Police Reform With National Organization Of Black Law Enforcement Executives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Land of Lincoln Chapter President Marcus Lucas and local chapter members today about policing reform. During the call, Durbin heard from NOBLE members about their experiences in law enforcement and discussed his support for the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which aims to comprehensively change the culture of law enforcement by prohibiting racial and discrimina… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Mayors Lightfoot And Rockingham

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who is President of the Illinois Municipal League, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and federal relief programs. Topics included assistance to state and local governments, testing, and relief for local small businesses. "I am thankful for the leadership of Mayors Lightfoot and Rockingham during this unprecedented crisis. I appreciated hearing about how t… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Impact With Illinois Corn Growers Association

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke with the Illinois Corn Growers Association today to discuss his support for farmers during the COVID-19 crisis, including assistance in rebuilding locks and dams, restoring strong ethanol production, and improving export markets. During the call, Durbin talked about the distribution to date of more than $5 billion in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments to livestock and row crop farmers exp… Continue Reading

Durbin, Harris Lead 33 Senators Administration Comply With Supreme Court Decision On DACA

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee and author of the Dream Act, and U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), member of the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today led a letter from 33 Senators to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf calling on the Trump Administration to immediately comply with the Supreme Court's decision rejecting the Administration's rescission of Deferred Action… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Health Disparities & Relief Programs With Illinois Latino Caucus

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with the Illinois Latino Caucus to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Latinx Illinoisans and how the federal government can support communities of color in the health and economic needs during the pandemic. Latinx and Black Americans in the U.S. are three times more likely to become infected with coronavirus than their White counterparts, and are nearly twice as likely to die from the virus as White Americans. These disparities exist in cities l… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging ICE And DHS To Immediately Withdraw New Guidance That Threatens International Students With Deportation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), Joe Neguse (D-CO-2), Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), and 85 other Senate and House Democrats, to send a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) an… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 On Local Communities With The Illinois Business Immigration Coalition

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with Illinois Business Immigration Coalition leaders and staff about his efforts to extend COVID-19 relief to immigrants and communities of color. On the call, Durbin discussed provisions contained in the Heroes Act that he is fighting for in the Senate, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) work authorization extensions. He also discussed the Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act, l… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Rulings on President Trump's Financial Records

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled on two cases regarding disclosure of President Donald Trump's financial records: "There must be something truly awful in President Donald Trump's tax returns. Look at the lengths he has gone to in order to avoid what every other President in modern times has disclosed." -30-… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Call For $32 Billion In Transit Funding In Next COVID-19 Stimulus Package

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and 22 of their colleagues to urge Senate leadership to provide an additional $32 billion in emergency supplemental funding for public transit agencies in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. Transit agencies have been hit hard ever since stay-at-home orders were first announced in states across the country back in March, resulting in plummeting ridership and fare revenues needed to keep t… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Hospital Leaders In Decatur To Discuss COVID-19 Response

DECATUR - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Mary's Hospital to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care and the economy across central and southern Illinois and priorities for relief legislation. Durbin and hospital leaders discussed the need for a direct and immediate infusion of funds for our hospitals, as well as policies to stabilize funding for rural hospitals, support the health care workforce, and increase the perso… Continue Reading