Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
Durbin Introduces Legislation to Make College Textbooks More Affordable
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation designed to help students manage costs by making textbooks available to students, professors and the public for free on an easily-accessible website. This bill, known as the Open College Textbook Act, would create a competitive grant program for institutions of higher education, professors and organizations to create textbooks that can be made available online and licensed under terms that grant … Continue Reading
September 16, 2009
Durbin Holds Oversight Hearing on DC Education Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a hearing today examining the use and impact of Federal appropriations for educational programs in the District of Columbia. The hearing, held before Durbin's Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, was the first time in over five years that the Senate has held a comprehensive review of the District's education entities. In that time, Congress has invested nearly $350 million in … Continue Reading
September 14, 2009
Durbin: US Commerce Secretary Locke Announces $4.5 Million in Recovery Act Grant
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the decision by the U.S. Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, to award a $4.5 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Ill., to help refurbish an existing building at the Institute's University Technology Park for use as a technology business incubator facility. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of … Continue Reading
September 10, 2009
Durbin: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $52 Million in Defense Funding for Projects in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, has approved $52,000,000 in federal funding to assist defense related facilities and projects across Illinois. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 defense spending bill includes funding for the following projects: • Columbia College Chicago, Chicago. $2,000,000 in funding for the Construct Program at Columbia College Chicago, which will … Continue Reading
August 27, 2009
Durbin Announces Nearly $1 Million in Recovery Act Funding for New Carbon Sequestration Training Center at U of I
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the University of Illinois was the recipient of $994,991 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for the development of a carbon sequestration training center in Champaign, Illinois. The center will be run by the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium and will facilitate the understanding of technologies required for site development, operations, and monitoring of commercial carbon … Continue Reading
August 20, 2009
Former Rockford Mayor John McNamara Named to Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that John McNamara, former Rockford Mayor and Vice President for College Development at Rockford College, has been named to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. The committee is an independent and bipartisan source of advice and counsel on student financial aid policy for both Congress and the U.S. Secretary of Education. "John's long history of public service and current position as … Continue Reading
August 13, 2009
Employees with Disabilities--An Untapped Resource
Prepared for delivery by Senator Richard Durbin I want to thank Dr. Richard Wilson for that generous introduction and for his outstanding leadership as president of this great institution. Illinois Wesleyan University is one of the real jewels of our state. Thanks to the university for hosting us today and to Carl Teichman for inviting me to join you. I also want to acknowledge my friend Mike Matejka with the Great Plains Laborers District Council, his wife, Kari Sandhaas … Continue Reading
August 04, 2009
Durbin: Senate Approves Nearly $8.5 Million for Illinois Agriculture Projects
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Senate has approved $8,478,000 for Illinois projects with the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bill for Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA includes funding for the following Illinois projects and programs: • Biotechnology Research Development Corporation (BRDC), Peoria. $3,500,000 in funding to facilitate the … Continue Reading
July 31, 2009
Durbin Announces Senate Committee Approval of $7 Million for Campus Safety
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $7 million in funding for colleges and universities to support their emergency management and campus safety efforts. The money will be used for a program passed into law last year and based on Durbin's legislation, the Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act, which will help ensure that all colleges and universities develop emergency response procedures and … Continue Reading
July 30, 2009
Durbin: Senate Committee Approves $5.2 Million in Health and Education Projects for Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, has approved $5.2 million in federal funding for health and education projects in Illinois. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 appropriations bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations includes funding for the following projects: • Alivio Medical Center, Cicero: $500,000 in funding for … Continue Reading
July 30, 2009
Durbin Extends Impact Aid Funding Formula for Schools Serving the Great Lakes Naval Base
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Impact Aid Coalition, today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a Durbin authored amendment that will extend the practice of allowing the five public schools serving the Great Lakes Naval Training Base to pool their students to maximize federal education assistance through the Impact Aid program. This amendment - added to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services and … Continue Reading
July 23, 2009
Durbin Introduces Legislation to Ease Nationwide Nursing Shortage
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to ease our nation's nursing shortage which is expected to exceed one million by 2020. The Nurse Training and Retention Act would build on the current healthcare workforce by creating incentives for healthcare worker to become nurses and for current nurses to become nurse faculty. "Everyone depends on nurses for quality patient care, yet the healthcare system in America lacks an adequate … Continue Reading
July 09, 2009
Durbin Introduces Bill to Promote Economic Opportunities for Women, Address Global Poverty
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation today that will promote economic and educational opportunities for women in developing countries. The Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive or GROWTH Act will support a variety of programs designed to improve the economic standing of women. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) is the bill's lead cosponsor. "There is a critical link between improving the lives of women … Continue Reading
July 09, 2009
Durbin: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves More Than $11 Million for Illinois Projects
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Durbin is a member, has approved $111,037,000 for energy- and water-related projects in Illinois. The Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill includes funding for the following projects: Army Corps of Engineers: • Carlyle Lake, Carlyle. $5,171,000 in funding for operations and maintenance at Carlyle Lake, the largest man-made lake in Illinois, with … Continue Reading
July 09, 2009
Durbin: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $3.3 Million for Illinois Projects
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Durbin is a member, has approved $3,300,000 for projects in Illinois. The Fiscal Year 2010 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill includes funding for the following projects: • Haymarket Center, Chicago. $700,000 to allow the Haymarket Center to develop and implement a workforce development initiative. This project will provide transitional … Continue Reading
June 25, 2009
Durbin: Senate Committee Approves $3.45 Million for Illinois Projects
[Washington, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $3.45 million for projects in the state of Illinois in the Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill. The Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill includes funding for the following projects in Illinois: Department of Justice • Ceasefire at the University of Illinois, Chicago. $500,000 in funding for the Chicago Project for … Continue Reading
May 21, 2009
Durbin Introduces Bill to Boost College Enrollment for Low-Income Students
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Congressmen Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Vern Ehlers (R-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation today to help improve college access for low-income students. The Pathways to College Act would create a competitive grant program to help low-income school districts implement programs designed to increase the number of students who are entering and succeeding in college. "When schools focus on … Continue Reading
May 14, 2009
Durbin Commends Inclusion of Study Abroad in House Foreign Relations Act
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement the announcement that the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act was included in wide-ranging legislation in the House of Representatives to improve and support U.S. foreign policy efforts. The House Foreign Relations Authorization Act - introduced by Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - would establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation as a new … Continue Reading
May 07, 2009
Durbin On President Obama's Budget
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget President Obama delivered to Congress today restores responsibility and makes critical investments in the future of the country. The President's budget will cut taxes for 4.8 million families across the state; give $1.2 billion for Illinois schools, students and teachers; and direct $4.5 billion to help families pay for college. "We've inherited a mess - the result of mistaken policies, … Continue Reading
April 20, 2009
Durbin Announces Illinois Approved for $1.4 Billion in Recovery Act Education Funding
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that $1.4 billion in Recovery Act funding is now available for Illinois to use to fill shortfalls in the state's education budget and to improve educational outcomes for Illinois students. "Investing in our children's future is an investment in our nation's future," said Durbin. "At a time when states face difficult choices about filling increasing budget gaps, today's funding will increase access to … Continue Reading