Durbin Meets with Fermi Director to Discuss Support for National Labs and Funding for Scientific Research

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the new Director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Dr. Nigel Lockyer to discuss the importance of continued federal funding for scientific research and development programs. "Research and innovation are a fundamental part of the basic infrastructure that builds this country," said Durbin. "It is critical that we maintain our commitment to the scientific research taking place at our national labs that fuels American inno… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Illinois Health Plan Rates

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the State of Illinois announced that the rates for health care plans in Illinois' new Health Insurance Marketplace will be more than 25 percent lower than initial estimates. The marketplace, created as part of the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare," will open on October 1st. "Today's announcement by the State of Illinois confirms what many have been saying for years: Obamacare will lower health ca… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $1.4 Million in Funding to Local Colleges to Bridge Supply Chain Management Skills Gap

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that William Rainey Harper College and Northwestern University have received a combined $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor supporting a new initiative to train workers for high-demand jobs in the fast-growing, high-need field of supply chain management. The schools are part of a multistate group of twelve colleges working to establish the Leveraging, Integrating, Networking, Coordinating Supplies (LINCS) in Supply Cha… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Nearly $8.5 Million in Workforce Development and Training Grants for Illinois Community Colleges

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Labor has awarded a total of $8,460,255 in funding through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program to four colleges and universities throughout Illinois. The funding announced today is intended to help create and expand innovative partnerships between community colleges and businesses to educate and train workers with the skills employers need. The National Associatio… Continue Reading

Durbin meets with University of Illinois - Chicago Student Trustees

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with the student representatives to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees outside the Capitol building. During the meeting, the group discussed issues in higher education including rising college costs and federal student aid. A photo of today's meeting is available here. "Investing in our students and preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow's global economy must be one of our highest priorities," Durbin said. "I was pleased … Continue Reading

Durbin to Duncan: Time to Crack Down on For-Profit Medical Schools That Use Offshore Loophole

[WASHINGTON, DC] - In a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) raised the alarm about foreign medical schools that are not accredited by approved U.S. accrediting bodies, but are still eligible for federal Title IV funds due to a 1992 loophole that allowed a small number of these schools to qualify for federal funding under lower standards than other foreign medical schools. An investigative report that appeared today in Bloomberg Markets Magazine highligh… Continue Reading

National Park Service Interested in Telling the Pullman Story

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly today announced the National Park Service has released a study which concludes that the Pullman community in Chicago's South Side has unique historical significance and is worthy of serious consideration as a new National Park. The Illinois members have been working to secure national park status for the architecturally unique neighborhood which played important roles in Americ… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Richland Community College to Discuss Closing "Skills Gap"

[DECATUR, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited Richland Community College (RCC) today to discuss legislation he introduced to help community colleges train workers for high-needs technical jobs, many of which are currently going unfilled due to a lack of qualified employees in the workforce. Durbin toured labs and met with students in RCC's Illinois Network for Advanced Manufacturing Earn and Learn Manufacturing Program, in which students complete industry-recognized certificates in di… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos Urge House to Pass Water Resources Development Act

[CREVE COEUR, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today urged their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Water Resources Development Act and include legislation they authored when the House considers the measure in coming weeks. A key provision of the Senate bill is modeled on the Water Infrastructure Now Public-Private Partnership Act, which authorizes improvements to the nation's water infrastructure-including locks and d… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Harkin, Carper, Brown, and Markey Warn Against Dangers of E-Cigs After CDC Release Data Showing an Increase in Use Among Youth

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Ed Markey (D-MA) warned against the dangers of electronic cigarettes after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released new data showing that use of these products has more than doubled among middle and high school students since the 2011-2012 school year. Electronic cigarettes or "e-cigs" are marketed as substitutes for tobacco smoking. However, in addition to r… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos Brief Community Members on Progess of Thomson Prison's Activation

[THOMSON, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) met today with local community leaders to brief them on the progress and next steps in the activation of Thomson Prison, which the federal government purchased from the State of Illinois at Durbin's urging last year. The two were accompanied at today's meeting by Bill Dalius, the Assistant Director for Administration of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), who oversees facility and budget development … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Potential Military Action in Syria at Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to debate the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Syria. During today's hearing, Durbin questioned Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey regarding Syria's capacity for chemical warfare, and the regional response to the ongoing conflict. This morning, Senator Durbin, the Assistant Ma… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Situation in Syria

Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today regarding the situation in Syria: "The President gave a powerful and historic speech this afternoon, challenging Congress and the American people to begin a debate about how to respond to the atrocities in Syria. As we decide what, if anything, we will do as nation to respond, the President has called for a national conversation and for Congress to approve any use of force. That is the righ… Continue Reading

Durbin Marks 2-Year Anniversary of Veteran Caregiver Program by Meeting with Participating Families

[HINES, IL] - In recognition of the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Family Caregiver Program, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the Hines VA Hospital today to meet with veterans and their family caregivers and hear how their lives have changed as a result of the program. The Family Caregiver Program provides technical, financial and practical support to family caregivers of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seriously injured in the line of duty. It was create… Continue Reading

Springfield to Receive $14.4 Million in Federal TIGER Grant Funds for Carpenter Street Underpass

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A bipartisan group of Illinois lawmakers today announced that the City of Springfield, Illinois has been awarded $14.4 million for the construction of a railroad underpass at Carpenter Street - an important component of the Springfield Rail Improvement Project and the entire Chicago-to-St. Louis passenger rail corridor. In June, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined U.S. Representatives Aaron Schock (R-IL-18) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) united in sup… Continue Reading

Durbin Awards Four Medals to Highland Park World War II Veteran

[HIGHLAND PARK] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today presented Dr. Irving Distelheim, a veteran and retired physician, with four medals he earned during his service in France during World War II. Staff in the Senator's Chicago office worked with Dr. Distelheim and the Army to obtain the medals earlier this year. "Dr. Irving Distelheim is a true American hero, and it gives me great honor to recognize him with these decorations," Durbin said. "Today I presented him with four medals recogn… Continue Reading

Durbin Introducing Bill to Strengthen Concussion Safety in High School Sports

[CHICAGO] - On the eve of the high school football season's kick-off, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced he will introduce legislation when the Senate reconvenes to strengthen K-12 schools' procedures for preventing, detecting, and treating student-athletes who suffer concussions while competing. "Injuries are a part of all sports, but as we learn more about the long-term effects of concussions and how frequently they are ignored, it is clear we need to do more to confront this … Continue Reading

Durbin, Schneider Discuss Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

[VERNON HILLS, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today visited College of Lake County to provide a cross section of community leaders with a briefing on their efforts to enact comprehensive immigration reform and hear from participants regarding their perspective on why reform is needed. A complete list of attendees is attached. "Months ago, I sat down with seven of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to tackle a difficult issue wh… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More Than $115,000 Investment in Illinois First-Responder Capabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded $115,552 in grants to two fire departments and municipalities in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of the departments to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "When fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation's firefighters and first-responders sta… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $58,000 Investment in Quincy Area Communities to Create Jobs and Boost Development

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $58,165 in Economic Development District Planning funding to the Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials in Quincy, Illinois to create jobs and boost economic development in the region. "Today's funding will help Western Illinois create and implement a plan for continued economic growth - one that leverages new investm… Continue Reading