Press Releases

July 09, 2020

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Rulings on President Trump's Financial Records

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled on two cases regarding disclosure of President Donald Trump's financial records: "There must be something truly awful in President Donald Trump's tax returns. Look at the lengths he has gone to in order to avoid what every other President in modern times has … Continue Reading


July 09, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth Join Call For $32 Billion In Transit Funding In Next COVID-19 Stimulus Package

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and 22 of their colleagues to urge Senate leadership to provide an additional $32 billion in emergency supplemental funding for public transit agencies in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. Transit agencies have been hit hard ever since stay-at-home orders were first announced in states across the country back in March, resulting in plummeting ridership and fare revenues needed to keep … Continue Reading


July 08, 2020

Durbin Meets With Hospital Leaders In Decatur To Discuss COVID-19 Response

DECATUR - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Mary's Hospital to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care and the economy across central and southern Illinois and priorities for relief legislation. Durbin and hospital leaders discussed the need for a direct and immediate infusion of funds for our hospitals, as well as policies to stabilize funding for rural hospitals, support the health care workforce, and increase the … Continue Reading


July 07, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $29 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that eight organizations around Illinois will receive a total of nearly $30 million in federal funding to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in order to … Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth Join Schumer And Wyden To Introduce New Legislation To Extend Expanded Unemployment Insurance & Require Program Continue Providing Benefits Until Economic Conditions Improve

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the American Workforce Rescue Act, bold, new legislation that would establish "automatic stabilizers" to ensure unemployment benefits remain available for working families during periods of persistent unemployment, a priority for Senate Democrats in the next COVID-19 bill. The proposal would extend the $600 increase in weekly unemployment insurance … Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Implement And Expand Online SNAP Purchasing Nationwide

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill to address hunger needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchasing choices by enabling additional retailers to participate in the program. The Expanding SNAP Options Act would provide funding for the creation of a universal online and app-based portal to make access to … Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Durbin, Grassley Bipartisan Amendment In Support Of Baltic States Included In NDAA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), co-chairs of the Senate Baltic Caucus, today announced that their bipartisan amendment expressing support for coordinated action to ensure the security of our Baltic allies - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "Eastern Europe and the transatlantic alliance are at critical moments in their history. We must support our allies who face the brunt of Russian … Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Durbin To NIH Director & Health Officials: Any COVID-19 Vaccine Must Be Proven Safe And Effective And Free Of Political Influence

WASHINGTON - During a Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) questioned the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, about Operation Warp Speed and how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will assure the American people that any COVID-19 vaccine will be safe and effective given the speed at which vaccines are being developed, … Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Durbin To Illinois AG Raoul: We Must Protect Students From Predatory For-Profit College Industry

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) warned Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about the potential financial dangers posed to Illinois students by the for-profit college industry during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a letter to AG Raoul, Durbin urged the state to remain watchful and vigilant when it comes to for-profit colleges, which have a long history of fraud and abuse that peaks during times of great economic uncertainty. Durbin cited reports that for-profit … Continue Reading


July 01, 2020

Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Support Global Financial Institutions Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), today introduced the Support for Global Financial Institution Pandemic Response Act. The legislation directs representatives from the United States to multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), to help developing countries as they fight COVID-19, ensuring financial support for a … Continue Reading


July 01, 2020

Following Landmark Supreme Court Decision On DACA, Durbin Attempts To Pass Dream & Promise Act On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee and author of the Dream Act, today asked for unanimous consent to pass the bipartisan 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). The House passed the Dream and Promise Act on June 4, 2019, nearly 400 days ago. Senator Ted … Continue Reading


July 01, 2020

Durbin Urges Army Secretary To Hold Illinois Army Reserve Leaders Accountable & Protect Sexual Assault Victims

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to receive an update on the status of an ongoing investigation into the mishandling of sexual assault allegations at the 416th Theater Engineering Command (TEC), an Army Reserve unit in Darien, Illinois. Following an Associated Press article in January, Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to the Army calling for a comprehensive investigation into the handling of such claims as well as a … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

Durbin Joins Klobuchar To Call On Senate To Pass Legislation To Protect Elections During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, today joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on the Senate floor to call on Senate Republicans to act on legislation to protect the right to vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act allocated $400 million to help states prepare for the 2020 election cycle through increasing the ability to vote by mail, vote early, register online, open more voting facilities, and hire more poll-workers. … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Introduce NDAA Amendment To Increase National Production Of Testing Supplies And PPE As COVID-19 Cases Rise

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 (NDAA) that would require President Trump to unlock the full authority and power of the Defense Production Act to scale up nation-wide production of the testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and medical equipment needed at the local level to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "We can't take … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth, Entire Senate Dem Caucus To Trump Administration: Don't Rip Away Health Care For Millions During Public Health Crisis

WASHINGTON - As the Trump Administration moves full-steam ahead to dismantle the Affordable Care Act that provides coverage for millions of Americans, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus today to introduce a resolution condemning the Administration's reckless effort, demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend existing law in court and halt its efforts to repeal the health care protections … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

Durbin Joins Colleagues To Introduce Series Of NDAA Amendments To Protect Service Members And Veterans From Predatory For-Profit College Practices

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to file a series of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect service members and veterans from predatory higher education practices. The Senators' amendments come as for-profit colleges have seen an uptick in enrollment due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, making it more important than ever to hold predatory … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

As COVID-19 Cases Spike Across The Country, Durbin Calls On Senator McConnell To Bring House-Passed Heroes Act To The Floor

WASHINGTON - As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for continuing to delay to bring the House-passed Heroes Act to the floor in the Senate. The House passed the Heroes Act more than six weeks ago. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also highlighted how Senator McConnell has been solely focused on confirming federal judicial nominees instead of addressing the ongoing public … Continue Reading


June 30, 2020

Durbin, Menendez, Reed Seek Details On Pompeo's, Esper's Awareness Of Russian Bounties On U.S. Troops

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL); Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to detail their knowledge of and actions resulting from the U.S. intelligence community's discovery that a Russian intelligence unit offered to pay militants in Afghanistan to target U.S. … Continue Reading


June 26, 2020

Senate Passes Durbin Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the unanimous passage of his resolution encouraging U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate smallpox as an example of why concerted global collaboration and coordination is needed for the COVID-19 … Continue Reading


June 26, 2020

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce "No Check, No Sale" Bill To Close Loophole Allowing Gun Sales Without A Completed Background Check

WASHINGTON - Ahead of the five-year anniversary of the funeral service for the victims of the mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to introduce legislation with 18 of their Senate colleagues to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed after … Continue Reading

Showing page
Showing Page
  of 455