Durbin Raises Concerns Regarding Safety of Dietary Supplements on Senate Floor

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding questions raised by an article published in USA Today that featured a dietary supplement that contained the chemical DNP - a hazardous pesticide that was used as a weight-loss drug before it was declared toxic for humans. Durbin spoke about the need to ensure that consumers are able to make informed decisions, and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the information it needs to respond quick… Continue Reading

Senators Introduce Bill to Study Effects of Petroleum Coke

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. senators introduced legislation today to require a study of the health, environmental and safety effects of petroleum coke, a byproduct of petroleum refining that is used in energy production. The Petroleum Coke Transparency and Public Health Study Act, introduced by Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is a companion to legislation introduced in the House earlier this year by Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich. … Continue Reading

Durbin: House Spending Bill Would Cripple Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sounded the alarm about the U.S. House of Representatives' plans to cut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) by 80 percent. Those cuts would severely impact federal programs created to address major ecological problems facing the Great Lakes, including fighting the spread of Asian carp. "The Great Lakes are one of our country's greatest treasures, but they face challenges ranging from industrial pollution to invasive spe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Welch Write to Bernanke on Interchange Fees

Washington, D.C. - In a letter to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke today, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) urged the panel to review the new interchange fee regulations the European Commission announced this week and to include the Commission's analysis and recommendations into the Board's assessments of debit interchange fees charged in the United States. "This week, the European Commission proposed to carefully regulate the debit an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Harkin, Dreamers, and Immigration Reform Supporters to Hold Immigration Forum in Ames, Iowa Next Friday

Washington, D.C. - US Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that they would be holding an immigration forum in Ames, Iowa next Friday, August 2, 2013. The event will feature DREAMers from across Iowa, farmers, students and small businesses that support the Senate's approach to immigration reform. Full details of the forum will be released next week. Senator Durbin is the author of the DREAM Act and one of the members of the so-called "Gang of Eight" which wrote th… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Student Loan Interest Rates Bill

[URBANA] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the Senate's passage of a bipartisan bill to lower the interest rates of federal student loans this year for all borrowers who have taken out, or will take out, a new loan after July 1, 2013. The legislation passed on an 81-18 vote on Wednesday. "This week, an overwhelming majority of Senators from both parties came together to lower interest rates on all student loans," Durbin said. "The 380,000 Illinois undergrads getting ready t… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $1.7 Million for Rural Development Project in Sangamon County

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded a loan of $1,700,000 to the Round Prairie Water Coop in Sangamon County, Illinois under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan Program. The project will construct extensions to the new water distribution system in Capital and Cotton Hill Townships that, when complete, will serve approximately 388 rural residents. The extensions will handle ex… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Mayor of Macomb

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Macomb, Illinois Mayor Mike Inman. In today's meeting Durbin and Inman discussed the importance of continued federal transportation investment to stimulate economic growth and the need to repair aging infrastructure to revitalize communities. "I was pleased to welcome Macomb Mayor Mike Inman to Washington today to discuss the city's transportation priorities," Durbin said. "This week, I am working in the Senate to protect… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Former Macomb Mayor to Discuss His Re-Nomination to Amtrak Board

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with former Mayor of Macomb, Illinois and current member of the Amtrak Board of Directors, Thomas Carper who was recently re-nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the Amtrak Board. Carper's re-nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In the meeting, Durbin and Carper discussed the Senate's bill - which is currently being debated - to fund the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More Than $1.1 Million Investment in Chicagoland 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 $1,125,195 in grants to fire departments and communities across Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department and community to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on US District Court Decision Regarding Conflict Minerals

Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the US District Court in Washington DC threw out a challenge to the Security and Exchange Commission's conflict minerals regulations. The regulations would require companies that use key minerals mined in Congo to disclose such usage as part of their Securities and Exchange Commission filings, as well as what measures, if any, they are taking to ensure that they are not purchasing mineral… Continue Reading

Durbin Chairs Hearing on Closing the Prison at Guantanamo Bay

[WASHINGTON, DC] Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today chaired a hearing to examine the national security, fiscal and human rights implications of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The hearing was the first on this issue in the Senate since 2009 and comes two months after President Obama's May 23rd national security speech, in which he announced new steps towards the closure of Guantanamo. "The President's authority to close Guantanamo Bay has been limited by Congre… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Passage of Bill to Lower Rates for All Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to lower interest rates for 100% of borrowers who have taken out, or will take out, a new federal student loan after July 1, 2013. "This agreement will ensure students loan rates will fall below the 6.8 percent rate that kicked in on July 1," said Senator Durbin. "Once again we've shown that when both sides work together, we can reach fair … Continue Reading

An Important Tool to Reduce Gun Violence

CSI is one of the hottest shows on television. Brilliant investigative minds use all the tools to catch criminals and make us safer. Now it's time for Illinois law enforcement to use the most basic tool to fight gun violence: tracing crime guns. It costs the police nothing and solves crimes, yet hundreds of Illinois law enforcement agencies still don't use this basic crime-fighting tool. Here's how the crime gun tracing system works. When a gun is recovered in a criminal investigati… Continue Reading

Durbin Reminds Illinoisans of July 24 FEMA Aid Registration Deadline

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today encouraged Illinoisans affected by the storms bringing flash and river flooding between April 16th and May 5th to apply for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by the July 24th deadline. To be considered for Federal disaster aid, residents must apply with FEMA even if they have already provided damage information to other agencies or organizations. "This spring's storms and floods are far behind us, but … Continue Reading

Durbin Bill Urges Law Enforcement to Take Advantage of Federal Gun Tracing Resources

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on law enforcement agencies to take advantage of the federal gun tracing resources available to help them crack down on gun violence. Durbin announced he is introducing a bill that creates strong incentives for law enforcement agencies to report 100 percent of the crime guns they recover to the ATF National Tracing Center, a practice many agencies do not currently follow. Crime gun tracing can help generate leads in criminal investigatio… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos: Senate Committee Calls for Activation of Thomson Prison

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Durbin is a member, today approved funding for the activation of the Thomson correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois at the level that was requested by President Obama in his fiscal year 2014 budget proposal which was delivered to Congress last April. Durbin and Bustos plan to meet with officials from the Department of Justice's … Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Federal Judicial Nominees in Northern & Central District District of Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member, has unanimously approved Sara Ellis and Andrea Wood for federal judgeships on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and Colin Bruce for a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court in the Central District of Illinois. Their nominations will now proceed to a vote by the full Senate. "Both Sara Ellis and Andrea Wood will make exceptional … Continue Reading

Bipartisan Group of Senators Reach Deal to Lower Rates for All Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Richard Burr (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a bipartisan compromise to lower interest rates for 100% of borrowers who have taken out, or will take out, a new federal student loan after July 1, 2013. "This agreement will ensure students loan rates will fall below the 6.8 percent rate that kicked in o… Continue Reading

Durbin Forwards Recommendations for Federal Judges in the Southern District to White House

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Based on recommendations made by a bipartisan screening committee, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today forwarded a list of names to the White House for consideration when filling vacant judgeships on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Durbin forwarded the names of the following five individuals - George A. Norwood, Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Stephen Stone, Lisa M. Wood and Staci M. Yandle - to President Obama for consideration for filling judicial … Continue Reading