Durbin: We Cannot Ignore The Impact Of The COVID-19 Pandemic On Incarcerated Individuals

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19," U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on incarcerated individuals and to take advantage of smart, safe alternatives to incarceration that are readily available in order to protect inmates, detainees, staff, and the surrounding communities. Durbin noted t… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks On The Killing Of George Floyd And The Need To Address Fundamental Issues Of Racial Injustice In America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the death of George Floyd, the anger and pain that has been expressed in recent days across our country, and the need for America to address fundamental issues of racial injustice. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin paid tribute to the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other Black Americans whose lives were cut far too short in incidents of inexplicable and inexcusable violence. Durbin ca… Continue Reading

Durbin And Davis Introduce Legislation To Increase Broadband Service

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-IL-7) visited the Illinois Medical District Office to discuss their new legislation to improve access to broadband service and address internet access disparities, which impact education, health care, and livelihoods. "Our lives have shifted drastically amid the global coronavirus pandemic. It is clear just how essential the role of internet access has become in our country. Access to the internet allows patients … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Call On DHS & HHS Inspectors General To Investigate COVID-19 Health Concerns At Pulaski County Detention Center

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called on the Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately investigate the urgent public health concerns for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees and facility staff at the Pulaski County Detention Center in Ullin, Illinois. Information has indicated that this remote detention facility lacks the physical layout… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump's Veto Of Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump vetoed a bipartisan Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res. 76), to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule: "President Trump's veto of my bipartisan bill to help our veterans was a victory for Education Secretary DeVos and the fraud merchants at the for-profit colleges. My question to the President: in four da… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump Ending United States' Relationship With World Health Organization

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he would move to terminate the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic and after the death toll in the United States surpassed 100,000 Americans: "Today's announcement by President Trump ignores the deadly reality of this pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and death… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Announce Nearly $3 Million For Rock Island Mass Transit

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today announced $2.9 million in grant funding for the Rock Island Co. Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK). The funding, awarded by the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) Bus Program, will be used to purchase new low-emission transit buses. "The funding announced today will not only create a better experience for the thousands of peopl… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Discusses Legislation To Strengthen America's Food Supply Chain

URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Urbana, Illinois, today to learn more about local efforts to help feed those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Durbin joined his colleagues to introduce legislation to strengthen the food supply chain after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and families… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Death Of George Floyd And Gun Violence With 100 Black Men Of Chicago

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with 100 Black Men of Chicago yesterday evening about the death of George Floyd and gun violence in Chicago. Durbin shared his outrage over the death of Mr. Floyd and called for answers and accountability. "It was a reprehensible, heartbreaking moment when I opened up the paper and saw Mr. Floyd on the ground, with an officer with a knee on his neck. It just broke my heart and it enraged me at the same time, to think that we are still coping … Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Press Pentagon For Answers On Lack Of CARES Act Funding Being Spent

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, led the Democratic members of the Subcommittee in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper pressing for information as to why the Department has only placed on contract 23 percent of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds provided by Congress nearly nine weeks ago. The CARES Act provided $10.6 billion to the Department of Defense to support… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Legislation To Aid Immigrant Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic With ICIRR

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today had a call with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to discuss immigration provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act. Durbin has been fighting to include many of these provisions, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) work authorization extensions and expanded access to testing, treatment, and fin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $11.8 Million For COVID-19 Testing In Rural Communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $11,821,279 in federal funding to support COVID-19 testing in rural communities. The funding comes from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act signed into law on April 24th and will help support more than 200 Rural Health Clinics around Illinois. Each clinic will receive approximately $49,000 in federal funding. Congressional Democrats fought to … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Restaurant Association

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with members of the Illinois Restaurant Association. On a call with the members, Durbin shared the changes he supports to the program, including a bipartisan bill he cosponsored that would extend the deadline to apply for a PPP loan from June 30, 2020, to December 31, 2020, and allow borrowers 16 weeks to use their loan funds, instead of eight weeks. Durbin also discussed the future of the restau… Continue Reading

Durbin Releases Chicago HEAL Initiative 2020 Report

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), together with ten Chicago-area hospitals and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), released the one-year report on the progress of the Chicago HEAL Initiative (Hospital Engagement, Action, and Leadership) to improve health and reduce violence in underserved communities across Chicago. Launched in October 2018 by Senator Durbin and ten of the largest hospitals serving Chicago, the Chicago HEAL Initiative is a three-year project t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $12 Million For Metra Improvements

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Metra will receive $12,482,600 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for rail improvements. The funding will support the modernization of three interlockings on the Milwaukee North Line in Illinois, which will help lead to improved reliability and fewer delays for Metra and Amtrak commuters. "For many Illinoisans, Metra and Amtrak are the only affordable and accessible trans… Continue Reading

Durbin Joines Colleagues To Introduce Legislation To Protect America's Food Supply

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to introduce legislation to help protect the food supply after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and families. "For many Illinois families, this is the toughest time they've ever faced. We've seen a huge increase in demand for SNAP benefits, the use of food pantries,… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Contact Tracing With Founder Of Partners In Health, Dr. Paul Farmer

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health (PIH), about COVID-19 contact tracing. PIH worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop the country's first state-wide coronavirus contact tracing program, and has subsequently worked with the State of Illinois on its contact tracing plans. Durbin asked Dr. Farmer about what America will need to develop nationwide contact tracing capacity to identify individuals who may hav… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate Leadership To Include Funding For Children's Hospitals And Health Providers In Future COVID-19 Relief

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to press Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children's hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, the Senators raised concerns that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months. Starting in January, childr… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With Illinois Food Pantry Directors About Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic On Food Security

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today spoke with five Illinois food bank directors-who together serve food pantries, soup kitchens, and local organizations across more than half of Illinois-about rising food insecurity and the increased demand on food pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin heard from the directors about the sharp increase in new clients, the decrease… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Release Plan To Expand Health Care Coverage & Affordability During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Patty Murray (D-WA) to release a Senate Democratic plan to expand health care coverage and affordability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a white paper, the Senators outline a series of common sense legislative priorities that the Senate should take up immediately, including Durbin's proposal to help laid-off workers remain on their employer hea… Continue Reading