Press Releases
Durbin Announces more than $200,000 in Public Broadcasting Grants to Illinois Stations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded three grants totaling in $206,861 to local Illinois public radio stations for digital conversion. "In my State of Illinois, 1 million people listen to our 14 public radio stations each week and 3 million people each month tune into our 8 public television stations," Durbin said. "With the momentous changes occurring in the world, and the major challenges facing … Continue Reading
04.14.11
Durbin Introduces Legislation to Reduce Medicare Fraud
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to crack down on Medicare fraud by increasing the access to information that will allow for better oversight and accountability of the program. The Medicare Spending Transparency Act would make summary level Medicare data publicly available and enhance the ability of qualified outside organizations to access more detailed data. "Every year, between $30 and $60 billion in Medicare spending is wasted on fraud an… Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin, Reid, 20 Senate Democrats Write Obama on Current Situation of DREAM Act Students
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and a group of 20 Democratic senators today sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to establish a rigorous, consistent and orderly process for handling requests for stays of deportation from young people who would qualify for the DREAM Act if it were to become law. The Obama administration, like the Bush administration before it, has granted "deferred action" to som… Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin: Congressional Budget Agreement Will Help Fermilab and Argonne Continue Research and Avoid Major Layoffs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the agreement reached on the FY2011 budget will help both Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory continue important research and avoid the major layoffs that the House Republican Budget (H.R.1) would have required. The agreement, expected to be voted on in the House and Senate later this week, funds the Office of Science at $4.884 billion which is $866 million above the level in H.R.1."This is good news for Fermilab, Arg… Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin Statement on the President's Deficit Reduction Speech
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the President's fiscal commission, released the following statement today in response to the President's speech on deficit reduction: "Our bipartisan group of six Senators continues to work for a comprehensive solution to our nation's debt. The President's speech makes it clear that he is committed to the same goal."… Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin Announces a $37,000 FEMA Grant to Sauk Village Fire Department
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded a $37,766 grant to the Sauk Village Fire Department, in Sauk Village, Illinois, for recruitment initiatives aimed at increasing the number of frontline firefighters. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves … Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin Announces a More Than $285,000 FEMA Grant to Pembroke Firefighters
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded a $286,380 grant to the Pembroke Fire Protection District, in Pembroke Township, Illinois, for recruitment initiatives aimed at increasing the number of frontline firefighters. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put … Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin, Kirk, Costello, Shimkus: Restarting Surgeries at Marion VA is Good News for Southern Illinois Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined Representatives Jerry Costello (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) today in saying that the announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that inpatient surgeries at the Marion VA Medical Center in (VAMC) are restarting is good news for veterans in Southern Illinois. In a letter to the Illinois Members, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki expressed confidence that all necessary reviews to ensure safety and quality o… Continue Reading
04.13.11
Durbin, Kirk, Polis, Paulsen Introduce Bill to Expand Successful Charter Schools
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN) today to introduce legislation that would expand the Charter School Program at the Department of Education (DOE) making the expansion and replication of successful charter school models eligible for federal funding. The bill - the All Students Achieving through Reform (All-STAR) Act - also takes several steps to strengthen public charter school accountabil… Continue Reading
04.12.11
Durbin: $400 Million in Illinois Transportation Funding Protected in Budget Agreement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the agreement reached on funding the government through the end of FY2011 protects nearly $400 million in federal funding for eight transportation projects in Illinois that were targeted for rescission in the House Republican's FY2011 Budget plan (H.R.1). For over a month, Durbin has been travelling the state to draw attention to the negative impact these rescission would have on Illinois jobs and economic development. … Continue Reading
04.12.11
Durbin Holds Hearing on Fair Elections Now Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a hearing today on his Fair Elections Now Act, a bill that will dramatically change the way we finance Congressional elections. Under the new law, qualified, legitimate candidates will receive grants, matching funds, and television vouchers to run competitive campaigns based on small dollar donors, not special interest money from lobbyists and corporations. Today's hearing was held before the Senate Judiciary Commit… Continue Reading
04.12.11
Letter to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Regarding Interchange Fees
TO: Jamie Dimon, Chief Executive Officer and President JPMorgan Chase & Co. 270 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Dear Mr. Dimon: In your recent annual letter to your company's shareholders, you wrote a lengthy and dismissive critique of the debit interchange fee reform legislation that I drafted and that Congress enacted last year. You have also been quoted describing my amendment as "counterproductive," "price fixing at its worst," and "downright idiotic." I am compelled t… Continue Reading
04.11.11
Durbin Urges Postponement of International Hockey Tournament Over Concerns About Belarusian Human Rights Record
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Peter Stastny, National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Member of European Parliament sent a letter to the International Ice Hockey Federation today, urging them to postpone the 2014 Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk, Belarus over human rights concerns. "We write to urge the International Ice Hockey Federation to suspend its 2014 Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk, Belarus until that co… Continue Reading
04.08.11
Durbin Statement On Budget Agreement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on funding the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year:"With an hour to spare, we have reached an agreement to avert a government shutdown. This agreement is the largest budget cut in our nation's history and it still preserves the investments needed to help our economy continue to recover. While these cuts will be painf… Continue Reading
04.08.11
Durbin: DOT Approves Cape Air as Essential Air Service Carrier for Next Four Years
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Cape Air's application to provide long-term service at Quincy Regional Airport for the next four years was accepted by the Department of Transportation. This move will likely lead to the airline moving maintenance and other associated work to the region which could add good paying jobs to Western Illinois. Cape Air will also continue providing service from to Marion, Illinois to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport."C… Continue Reading
04.07.11
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators to Introduce Bill to Help Prevent Youth Suicide
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In an effort to prevent youth suicide and reach out to young people who need mental health services, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tom Udall (D-NM) today introduced the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011. Included in today's legislation are portions of Durbin's Mental Health on College Campuses Act which calls for the creation of a competitive grant program that would provide funding to colleges to focus on … Continue Reading
04.06.11
Durbin Announces a Nearly $250,000 FEMA Grant to Park Forest Firefighters
[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 a $198,183 grant to the Park Forest Fire Department for hiring initiatives aimed at increasing the number of frontline firefighters. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we must ensure that t… Continue Reading
04.06.11
Durbin Announces More Than $150,000 in FEMA Grants to Chicago Area Fire Departments
[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 two grants totaling $179,763 to fire departments in the Chicago Metro area. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we must ensure that they are equipped with the best tools possible to do their… Continue Reading
04.06.11
Durbin, Larson Introduce Fair Elections Now Act, Durbin Announces Hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-CT) introduced the Fair Elections Now Act today, a bill that will dramatically change the way we finance Congressional elections. Under the new law, qualified, legitimate candidates will receive grants, matching funds, and television vouchers to run competitive campaigns based on small dollar donors, not special interest money from lobbyists and corporations. "American… Continue Reading
04.05.11
Durbin Statement on the Ryan Budget Proposal
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the President's fiscal commission, released the following statement today on Congressman Ryan's budget proposal: "The Ryan Republican budget has three pillars: reduce Medicare benefits by more than half; reduce Medicaid benefits for seniors in nursing homes; and reduce taxes on the wealthiest Americans. America can resolve its budget crisis without punishing the elderly and poor while rewarding the very ric… Continue Reading