Durbin Votes Against President Trump's Nominee To Be Director Of National Intelligence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting against Congressman John Ratcliffe (R-TX-04), President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence: "Several months ago, the White House withdrew John Ratcliffe's name to serve as Director of National Intelligence. There were serious concerns about his experience, his resume claims, and his ability … Continue Reading

Durbin: We Must Protect The Immigrant Health Heroes On The Frontlines Of COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on Senate Republicans to support the House-passed Heroes Act, which would extend work authorizations for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and T… Continue Reading

Durbin To Trump: Support Veterans By Signing Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor to urge President Donald Trump to sign a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res. 76), to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule. The rewritten borrower defense rule would make it impossible for defrauded borrowers-including veterans-to get the relief they are owed and would lessen accountability for the schools that defraud borrowers. This week, the res… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Republicans Are Continuing Their Assault On The ACA Admist A Public Health Crisis

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Cory Wilson to the Fifth Circuit Court, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called out Senate Republicans for pushing forward judicial nominees with records of strident opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the midst of a public health pandemic. Two of the three hearings the Senate Judiciary Committee has held since the Senate reconvened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have been to cons… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses HHS On Transparency Of Remdesivir Distribution

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a briefing call with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dr. Robert Kadlec, regarding the distribution process for the COVID-19 therapeutic remdesivir. Last week, Durbin led 12 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to HHS seeking transparency and information regarding the distribution process for remdesivir and called for the agency to brief them on the allocation process… Continue Reading

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

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a resolution in the Senate establishing June 5, 2020, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and designating June as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) will introduce a companion resolution in the House. Every day in America, an average of around 300 men, women, and children are shot, nearly one-third of them fatally. Designating a day to bring attention … Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With Air Force Chief Of Staff Nominee General Charles Brown

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today spoke with General Charles Brown, who has been nominated to be Air Force Chief of Staff. On the call, Durbin pressed General Brown on his plans to protect airmen and communities from public health threats, including stopping the spread of COVID-19 and investigating the presence of PFAS in groundwater at Scott Air Force Base and the surrounding community. They also discussed securi… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With Illinois Agriculture Leaders

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on Illinois agriculture with leaders from Illinois agricultural groups. During the call, Durbin received an update on conditions with family farm and livestock operations, the importance of maintaining stability in both agricultural markets and the food supply chain, and recommendations for additional policy changes that can help agriculture producers during… Continue Reading

Durbin: When Will Senator McConnell Feel 'Urgency' To Act On COVID-19 Legislation?

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for failing to act on any COVID-19 related legislative matter on the Senate floor for the past three weeks. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, which increases aid for our health care system and state and local governments, extends unemployment insurance benefits, helps keep laid-off workers on their employer healt… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Impact On Ethanol Producers With Growth Energy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with members of Growth Energy to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on Illinois ethanol producers. On today's call, Durbin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, heard about the severe harm to ethanol production caused by the steep decline in gasoline demand and how provisions included as part of the House-passed Heroes Act will help ethanol producers. Call participants included the Illinois companies Marquis Energy … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Global Food Security With Alliance To End Hunger

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a virtual conference led by the Alliance to End Hunger to discuss global food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin, who is Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus, discussed the importance of protecting and increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Illinoisans and funding the World Food Program to ensure those facing hunger abroad can afford to put food on the table. Durbin called for these e… Continue Reading

Durbin Asks For Unanimous Consent To Consider Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, during a speech on the Senate floor, asked for unanimous consent to have the Senate consider a resolution that encourages U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response given the Trump Administration's failure to participate in global summits on vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate sma… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Bipartisan Letter Outlining Priorities To Support First Responders In The Next COVID-19 Relief Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and nine of his colleagues on a bipartisan letter to Senate Leadership encouraging additional support for first responders in the next COVID-19 relief package. "During a time of crisis, communities rely on local first responders as the first line of defense for protection and emergency response," the Senators wrote. "As Congress considers further legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandem… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Nomination Of Normal Mayor Chris Koos To Serve On Amtrak Board Of Directors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump nominated Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors: "I recommended Mayor Koos for this important position, and I'm glad the President nominated him today. Mayor Koos understands the importance of passenger rail to communities in Illinois and across the country. He will be an important voice for Illinois and the Midwest in support of growing and pr… Continue Reading

DOJ IG Commits To Public Reports In BOP COVID-19 Investigation Following Dubin, Grassley Request

WASHINGTON - In a letter to U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) said he will consider a broader set of concerns in his investigation into whether facilities housing Bureau of Prison (BOP) inmates are complying with available guidance and best practices regarding preventing, managing, and containing COVID-19 outbreaks to address several serious issues affecting the safety of federal correctional officers and inmates an… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Colleagues To Call For State Unemployment Agency Funding In Future Coronavirus-Related Legislation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and 10 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Leadership urging them to include additional funding for state unemployment agencies to upgrade their IT systems and increase hiring in future coronavirus-related legislation, with the goal of getting unemployment support to Americans faster. "We write to urge that forthcoming legislation in the Senate relating to the COVID-19 … Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With DACA Recipient & Emergency Room Resident To Highlight Immigrant Health Heroes

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, spoke with Dr. Manuel Bernal, a DACA recipient and emergency room resident at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago, one of the busiest trauma hospitals on Chicago's South Side. In a new Facebook video, Durbin thanked Dr. Bernal for his work on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as part of Durbin's #ImmigrantHealthHeroes initiative, and heard… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $473 Million To Increase COVID-19 Testing In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $473 million and a distribution of 620,000 testing swabs this month to expand COVID-19 testing efforts. The federal funding, provided through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was approved by Congress as part of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Congressional Democrats fought to ensure that this legislation included a total of $25 … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response At State Veterans Homes With IDVA Director

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed ongoing efforts to mitigate and prevent COVID-19 at State Veterans Homes in Illinois with Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Director Linda Chapa LaVia. Durbin discussed recent reports about a COVID-19 outbreak at the State Veteran Home in Manteno, Illinois, and also received an update on how IDVA is testing all residents in all homes and offering testing to all employees. "I spoke with Director LaVia today to hear how they… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Colleagues To Press Labor Department To Speed Up Unemployment Disbursements And Address System Shortfalls

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in urging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to speed up Unemployment Insurance (UI) disbursements and to work to address system shortfalls that have contributed to the delays in workers getting their benefits. In a letter sent to DOL Secretary Eugene Scalia, the Senators expressed serious concern regarding the significant delays in the processing of UI claims that are preventing workers from r… Continue Reading