Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin and Franken Introduce Legislation to Reduce Tax Haven Abuse
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - US Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced legislation today that would require Members of Congress and candidates for federal office to include in their financial disclosure filing an accounting of any financial interest in a country that is considered a tax haven. The bill would also apply to federal employees who are required to file financial disclosures and the spouses of Members of Congress or candidates. "Any individual who has or wants to … Continue Reading
March 28, 2012
Durbin Chairs Hearing on Treasury Department Budget
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a hearing today to review the FY2013 budget request for the Department of the Treasury and to discuss the impact of the foreclosure crisis and our nation's growing student loan debt on the economic recovery. President Obama's FY2013 budget request for the Treasury Department is $14.072 billion which includes funding for the Internal Revenue Service and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. … Continue Reading
March 14, 2012
Durbin: Bipartisan Senate Transportation Bill Best Route for Illinois Jobs, National Economy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate passed legislation by a vote of 74-22 that will create and protect millions of jobs nationwide while preventing crippling cuts to Illinois' highways and public transit agencies. Durbin urged the House of Representatives to take up and pass the legislation as soon as possible. "This transportation bill is the real jobs bill and it passed today with overwhelming bipartisan support," said Durbin. "This … Continue Reading
March 08, 2012
Durbin: Bipartisan Senate Transportation Bill is Best Route for Illinois Jobs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With Senate Democrats and Republicans having reached an agreement to advance a national transportation funding bill that would protect public transit, highways, and jobs in Illinois and across the country, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed House Republican leaders to take up the Senate's bipartisan compromise that will create and protect millions of jobs nationwide while preventing crippling cuts to Illinois' highways and public transit agencies. Reports … Continue Reading
February 24, 2012
Durbin: House Republicans Right to Drop Partisan Transportation Bill that Would Decimate Local Projects and Transit Systems
[PEORIA, IL] - After House Republicans reportedly scrapped their second attempt to pass a partisan transportation funding bill yesterday in the face of overwhelming bipartisan opposition, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today called on Republican leaders to consider a bipartisan, two-year compromise-like the Senate transportation bill that passed a major procedural hurdle earlier this month by a vote of 85-11. Unless House Republicans reverse course and work in a bipartisan manner to pass legislation … Continue Reading
February 13, 2012
Durbin: President Obama's Budget Would Create Jobs in Illinois and Maintain a Path Towards Reducing Our Debt
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget that President Obama delivered to Congress today makes tough choices to get us back on a stable financial footing while investing in three key areas - education, innovation and infrastructure - that will create jobs and strengthen the United States' role as a global leader in the 21st century. "America owes over $15 trillion to our creditors and we still have millions out of work," said Durbin. "The … Continue Reading
February 08, 2012
Durbin: Both Parties Must Work Together to Prevent Looming Tax Increase on Working Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With last year's bipartisan payroll tax cut extension compromise set to expire at the end of this month, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today detailed the additional take-home pay that Illinois workers and families can expect if Congressional negotiators reach an agreement to extend the Middle Class Tax Cut Act through the end of the year. The expected savings, released in a new Congressional Joint Economic Committee report, highlight the importance of preventing the tax … Continue Reading
February 02, 2012
Durbin Says Secretary of the Army Confirms No Decision Yet on Rock Island Arsenal's Future
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After months of speculation and rumor about the future of Rock Island Arsenal, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced, after a personal call with Army Secretary John McHugh, that no decisions have been made and no changes will occur at the Rock Island Arsenal without the Illinois / Iowa Congressional Delegation and the Quad Cities region being fully engaged. "I have heard a lot of speculation and rumor over the last few months about the future of Rock Island … Continue Reading
January 31, 2012
Durbin: Illinois in Need of Increased Rail Investment Under New Transportation Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today asked the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to increase funding for job creating Illinois rail and multimodal priorities - including rail line relocation grants, Amtrak and the TIGER grant program - in its bill to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Act. Durbin also urged the Committee to reject the proposals in the House Transportation bill that would eliminate or dramatically reduce funding for programs that are … Continue Reading
January 25, 2012
Durbin Meets with Quad Cities Officials to Discuss Rock Island Arsenal and Other Priorities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with officials from the Quad Cities area to discuss their priorities for Rock Island Arsenal and the region. Participants in today's meeting included: Rock Island County Board Chairman, Jim Bohnsack and Moline Mayor Dan Welvaert. "The Quad Cities region has a great history of coming together to build the economy of the entire region," said Durbin. "Meeting with local leaders like Chairman Bohnsack and Mayor Welvaert we can … Continue Reading
January 24, 2012
Durbin Reaction to President Obama's State of the Union Address
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement in reaction to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. "Tonight we heard the President lay out a plan for an American economy that values hard work, promotes fairness and rewards responsibility. He spoke about an economy based on American energy and manufacturing and built by the highest skilled workers in the world." "I support that plan and the President's vision for an America that … Continue Reading
January 11, 2012
Durbin Meets with Chicago's Largest Microlender to Discuss Growing Small Business
[CHICAGO, IL] - Support for microfinance organizations that give small businesses and entrepreneurs access to credit will help spur our economic recovery and create jobs, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today at a meeting with officials from ACCION, Chicago's largest microlender, and the owners of Gourmet Gorilla, an organic school lunch catering company that is one of ACCION's fastest growing borrowers. ACCION provides credit and other business services to small business owners who do … Continue Reading
December 20, 2011
Durbin Calls on House to Maintain Unemployment Insurance Benefits
[CHICAGO, IL] - The House of Representatives must take quick action before the end of the year to ensure that millions of unemployed workers across the country do not lose access to the critical safety net provided by unemployment insurance, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. A fully offset agreement to maintain all tiers of federal unemployment benefits for two months was approved in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote by the Senate on Saturday, allowing lawmakers time to begin work on … Continue Reading
December 18, 2011
Durbin Statement on Speaker Boehner's Comments on the Bipartisan Payroll Tax Agreement
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to Speaker Boehner's comments on the bipartisan payroll tax agreement passed by the Senate yesterday: "It is time for the Speaker to convene the House and approve the bipartisan Senate agreement to extend the middle class tax cut and maintain unemployment benefits for 60 days." America has had its fill this year of repeated political ultimatums from Speaker Boehner. We … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Senators Announce U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Postal Facility Closures for Five Months
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Fifteen Senators from around the country today announced that, at their request, the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. Today's … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Durbin Announced U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Illinois Postal Facility Closures for Five Months
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During that period, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. The moratorium is scheduled to end on May 15, 2012. "Over the last few months, I … Continue Reading
December 12, 2011
Durbin, Quinn, Costello, Emanuel, Hoechst Announce Illinois to Receive $44 Million Investment Through Tiger Grant Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL) joined Mayors Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Tom Hoechst of Alton today in announcing that Illinois will receive a total of $44,288,000 in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant funding for three Illinois projects in the Chicagoland area and Alton. The grants represent approximately 8 percent of total funding available through the program. … Continue Reading
December 07, 2011
Durbin Discusses Progress at FutureGen 2.0 Site With FutureGen Alliance CEO Ken Humphreys
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the progress of FutureGen 2.0 with the CEO of the FutureGen Alliance, Ken Humphreys. Recently, the FutureGen Alliance announced it will move forward with FutureGen 2.0 by purchasing portions of the Meredosia Energy Center from Ameren Energy Resources Company with the Department of Energy - a move that, according to the FutureGen Alliance, could save several million dollars. "The FutureGen Alliance is a strong … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Durbin Calls for Extension and Expansion of Middle Class Payroll Tax Cut Before End of Year
[CHICAGO, IL] - Millions of families across America will see their taxes increase by more than $1,000 next year if Congress fails to pass an extension and expansion of President Obama's middle-class payroll tax credit, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Failing to pass the payroll tax cut would also result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and a potential 1 percent drop in GDP. On Thursday evening, Republicans in the Senate blocked an effort to pass the Middle Class Tax … Continue Reading
November 30, 2011
Durbin, Kirk to American Airlines: Keep Illinois Routes and Projects a Priority
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to the Chairman and CEO of AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today urged the airline to make Illinois routes and projects - such as the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP) and downstate air service - a priority as it moves forward with bankruptcy proceedings. "American Airlines has a long history in Illinois: American began air service in Illinois in 1926, when Charles Lindbergh … Continue Reading