On Senate Floor: Durbin Discusses Trip To Alton, Illinois To View Flood Damage

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today recounted his trip this past weekend to Alton, Illinois, on the Mississippi River and Winchester, Illinois, near the Illinois River to see first-hand the effects of severe flooding that has reached historically high levels and duration. Durbin thanked local volunteers, first responders, charitable organizations, and officials at Illinois' state government agencies for their emergency response efforts. Durbin al… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Trump Is Most Anti-Immigrant President In History & Weakest On Border Security

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today called on Senate Republicans to work with Democrats on smart, effective, and humane solutions to the humanitarian crisis at the southwest border. During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham's Secure and Protect Act, Durbin stated that he cannot support this proposed legislation because it would not s… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With The Illinois Farm Bureau To Discuss Farming Conditions, Disaster Aid, & Trade Policy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss financial difficulties with crop conditions in Illinois due to the wettest planting season in decades. During the meeting, farmers expressed concerns with the Trump Administration's uncertain trade approach with Mexico, and the importance of more federal investments in infrastructure, like rural broadband. "As I saw over the… Continue Reading

Durbin, Leahy, Cardin, Brown, Senators Introduce Resolution Expressing Support For Free, Fair, Transparent Elections In Guatemala

WASHINGTON - Ahead of Guatemala's elections on Sunday, June 16, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today introduced a resolution expressing support for free, fair, and transparent elections in Guatemala. The resolution also expresses concern over efforts to undermine United Nations anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala and opposition to President Donald Trump cutting of… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cohen: Congress Must Close Loophole That Encourages For-Profit Colleges To Target Veterans & Service Members

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) today introduced bicameral legislation that would help put an end to the for-profit college industry's aggressive recruiting of veterans, service members, and their families. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities from receiving more than 85 percent of their revenue from the federal government and change the calculation of federal revenue t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Capito, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Address Childhood Trauma

WASHINGTON - Building off sweeping federal legislation they passed in 2018 to help children exposed to trauma, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) today introduced bipartisan legislation to increase support for children who have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma, such as witnessing violence, parental addiction, or abus… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $20 Million in Federal Funding For Create's Dolton Junction Interlocking Rail Project

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $19,206,398 to the CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) Program's Dolton Junction Interlocking project in Dolton, Illinois. This rail project will help ease freight congestion outside of Chicago. This funding was awarded through DOT's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Pro… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce 'Buffet Rule' To Ensure Wealthiest Americans Pay Fair Share In Taxes

WASHINGTON - With income inequality soaring to a level not experienced in America since prior to the Great Depression, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), introduced legislation to prevent America's top earners from paying lower tax rates than middle-class families. The Paying a Fair Share Act would ensure that multi-million-dollar earners pay at least a 30 percent effective federal tax rate, also known as the "Buffett Rule"… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Harris, Klobuchar: Keep International Student Talent In America

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced a bill that would remove unfair barriers for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educated international students who want to work in the United States after they complete their advanced degrees. The Keep STEM Talent Act of 2019 would help grow the economy by retaining talented international graduates who have earned STEM advanced degrees fro… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Press Carson For Answers On State Of Public Housing In East St. Louis

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson for answers on the state of public housing infrastructure in East St. Louis, Illinois. Durbin and Duckworth asked Carson about the growing backlog of repairs at Public Housing Authorities, like the East. St. Louis Housing Authority (ESLHA), and whether HUD is meeting its oversight authority to ensure that residents living in ESLHA proper… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass American Dream and Promise Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to schedule a floor vote on the House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also called on the Senate to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border created by President Donald T… Continue Reading

Durbin: Leader McConnell Must End The Senate Legislative Graveyard & Protect Americans With Pre-Exisiting Conditions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to end the Senate legislative graveyard and take up bills already passed by the House of Representatives. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted the House-passed Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, which passed on a bipartisan basis and would prevent President Donald Trump from once again allowing health insurance companies to discriminate aga… Continue Reading

Senate Passes Durbin, Graham Bipartisan Election Interference Bill

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in order to prevent foreign governments from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill, the first Senate Judiciary Committee legislation to pass the Senate in response to Russia's attack on our dem… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Historic Flooding With IEMA Acting Director

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau to get an update on how IEMA is responding to historic and ongoing flooding throughout Illinois. Durbin thanked first responders for their bravery and pledged to do everything he can in the Senate to ensure the federal government is being responsive to the needs of Illinois counties still at-risk of dangerous flooding. "It was good to speak with Acting Dir… Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights Measure To Allow Student Loan Debt To Be Discharged In Bankruptcy

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin held a news conference highlighting new bicameral legislation that would give Americans overwhelmed by student loan debt the option of obtaining meaningful bankruptcy relief. The Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 - introduced last month with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-01) and John Katko (R-NY-24) - would eliminate the section of the bankruptcy code that makes private and federal student loans nond… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On E15 Gasoline Rule

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule allowing the sale of E15 - gasoline containing as much as 15 percent ethanol-to be sold year-round. "Though I am pleased the EPA has finally issued this new rule for the sale of E15 gasoline, I remain concerned that the Trump Administration is issuing carve outs for Big… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Move To Impose Tariffs On Mexico As Immigration Retaliation

CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced that his Administration will impose a five percent tariff on all goods coming into the United States from Mexico until Mexico stops migrants and families seeking asylum from coming to the U.S. border through Mexico. Mexico is Illinois' second largest export market and third largest import market. "… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On DHS IG Report Regarding Dangerous & Inhumane Conditions At CBP Facility In El Paso

CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report detailing the inhumane and dangerous overcrowding of migrants at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center: "What I saw at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center on April 12 has haunted me ever since, and is detailed vividly in t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murray, Feinstein Press HHS For Information & Reforms Following Undisclosed Death Of Migrant Child

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the top Democrats with jurisdiction over the government's handling of migrant children, today pressed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar for information following last week's acknowledgment that a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador died in the agency's custody on September 29, 2018. This was the first death of a migrant child in federal custody since 2010, and the … Continue Reading

Durbin To FDA Commissioner: Don't Be A Spectator To Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless to get off the sidelines and address the public health epidemic of youth use of e-cigarettes with strong enforcement action from his agency. In a letter to Sharpless, Durbin said the face-to-face meeting this month with him was, "one of the most disappointing and alarming meetings," during his time in public service. Durbin also cited specific actions t… Continue Reading