Durbin Meets with Illinois Servicemember Who Will Be His Guest for the State of the Union

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (HM3) Joseph Marcinkowski from Batavia, Illinois who will be his guest for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address later this evening. Durbin has invited Illinois servicemembers who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as his guests to the State of the Union since 2005 when he hosted Army Major Tammy Duckworth. HM3 Marcinkowski will also attend the Secretary of the Senate's dinner… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today following President Obama's State of the Union address: "Tonight the President gave an optimistic speech about opportunity for American families, an economy on the rise and leveled a call to action to ensure this is a year of progress for the middle class." "From programs to grow the economy and create jobs like the launching of new manufacturing institutes and infrastructure investment… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Kelly Introduce Bill to Establish National Park in Pullman

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today announced that they will introduce legislation next week to create the Pullman National Historical Park in the neighborhood's historical district, an architecturally unique neighborhood which played important roles in America's railroad, industrial and labor history. "There is much to preserve and celebrate in Chicago's unique Pullman neighborhood, from its important role in … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Call on EPA to Support Rural America's Economy, Environment & Revise Fuel Standards Proposal

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Al Franken (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and twenty-six of their Senate colleagues sent a bipartisan letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy yesterday urging the agency to firmly support the future of biofuels and revise its proposed waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The Senators shared their concerns regarding the proposed rule's potential impact on our … Continue Reading

Durbin, Foster Announce More Than $1 Million Investment in Naperville First-Responder Capabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded a $1,002,000 grant to the Naperville Fire Department in Naperville, Illinois for hiring initiatives aimed at increasing the number of frontline firefighters. "Today's grant will ensure that when fires or other emergencies occur, firefighters and first-responders will always sta… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos: Omnibus Appropriations Bill Helps Ensure Strong Future for Thompson Prison, Rock Island Arsenal

[ROCK ISLAND] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today said that the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which both houses of Congress passed this week on bipartisan votes and now heads to President Obama's desk, contains funding to activate Thomson Correctional Center and secure a strong future for the Rock Island Arsenal. Durbin and Bustos also announced they have written federal Bureau of Prisons Director Charles Samuels requesting the agency sp… Continue Reading

CTA Poised to Benefit from Funding of New "Core Capacity" Program

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Transit Authority President Forrest Claypool and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today said that as the only transit system currently accepted into the FTA's Core Capacity Program, the CTA is poised to benefit from the infusion of funding included in the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which was passed on a bipartisan Senate vote yesterday and now moves to President Obama's desk for his signature. Every mem… Continue Reading

Durbin: The Surgeon General's First Report on Smoking Was a Turning Point, But We Still Have a Long Way to Go

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Tobacco Use, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin spoke on the United States Senate Floor today to recognize the landmark report and the progress that has been made since it first sparked a public debate on the public health impact of smoking half a century ago. Today, Durbin also called for a renewed commitment to halting the still ongoing and deadly epidemic of tobacco, particularly among young people. … Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Ask FEMA to Fix Funding Formulas That Hurt Downstate Illinois Communities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fix the funding formulas that are unfairly putting downstate Illinois communities at a disadvantage following a disaster. Durbin and Kirk note that while FEMA is currently reviewing its disaster assistance process - required by law in the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 - the agency should consider the legislation the Senators introduced following t… Continue Reading

Durbin: Omnibus Appropriations Bill Funds Innovation & Research at Argonne National Lab & Fermilab

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, which was filed in the House and Senate yesterday, preserves essential federal funding for scientific research and development programs that support work at both Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab. Together, Argonne and Fermilab employ roughly 4,725 Illinoisans. The bill, which reflects a budget agreement between the House and Senate, must now be voted on by both chamb… Continue Reading

Senators: Golden Globes Should Celebrate Achievements in Film and Television, Not Smoking and E-Cigarettes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a primetime broadcast of the Golden Globes that featured prominent images of celebrities smoking e-cigarettes, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) today asked NBC Universal and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to take action to ensure that future broadcasts avoid the glamorization of smoking and protect the health of young fans. Electronic cigarettes - or "e-cigs" - have more than … Continue Reading

Omnibus Appropriations Bill Makes Funding Available for CTA Under Core Capacity Program

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014 honors the $120 million included in the President's Budget to fund a competitive grant program he created as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) which was signed into law in 2012. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) became the first transit system accepted into the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)'s "Core Capacity" Program in No… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Agrees to Fund Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 Million

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the inclusion of $300 million in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014 will support ongoing efforts to protect the Great Lakes including: combating invasive species, particularly Asian Carp; reducing and removing pollution, waste run-off and toxic chemicals; and restoring wetlands and other lakefront assets. The bill, which was filed in the House earli… Continue Reading

Durbin & Blumenthal Optimistic FDA's New Online Reporting System Will Better Detect Unsafe Dietary Supplements

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today expressed optimism that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s new online adverse event reporting system will improve submission of reports from dietary supplement consumers and members of the industry and help FDA better detect dietary supplements that pose health risks. Previously, only voluntary reports could be submitted online while mandatory adverse event reports associated with dietary… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos: Robust Funding for Prison Activation in Omnibus Appropriations Bill Is Good News for Thomson

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today announced that the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, which was filed in the House and Senate earlier today, includes funding for the activation of the Thomson correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois. The bill, which reflects a budget agreement between the House and Senate must now be voted on in both chambers and signed into law by President Obama. Though today's bill … Continue Reading

Durbin Commends State Action on Pet Coke

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today welcomed new rules announced by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today that would require total enclosure of petroleum coke piles and other protections associated with the potentially harmful byproduct of petroleum refining, also known as pet coke. "Driving by the pet coke piles in Chicago, I understand why the families living nearby are concerned. Exposing them and their children to dangerous air pollution containing heavy metals and ca… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos: Omnibus Appropriations Bill Improves Rock Island Arsenal Competativeness, Ensures Steady Workload in Future

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) today announced that the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, which was filed in the House and Senate earlier today includes two provisions that will help solidify the future of Rock Island Arsenal. The bill, which reflects a budget agreement between the House and Senate, must now be voted on by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by President Obama. "As a result of the p… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $2.9 Million for Illinois Housing Development and Self-Sufficiency Programs

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that communities across Illinois will receive a total of $2,953,707 in grant funding through two programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency (PH-FSS) Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program develop strategies which help families learn skills, gain experience, and obtain employment… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown, and Kirk Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Famed Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan resolution to honor Ohio resident and Illinois native Eliot Ness, the legendary law enforcement agent who fought to bring Chicago mob boss Al Capone to justice. The senators' resolution would name the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) headquarters in Washington D.C., the Eliot Ness ATF Building. "Chicago gangster Al Capone believed th… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk React to Denial of Federal Public Assistance for Southern and Central Illinois Counties

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today expressed disappointment after receiving word that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied the State of Illinois' request for Public Assistance to help nine Illinois counties recover from the deadly tornadoes that struck the state on November 17, 2013. The State of Illinois plans to appeal the decision. "This was some of the worst storm damage I have ever seen," said Durbin. "While the Individual… Continue Reading