Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin: Illinois Among Finalists in Innovative Race to the Top Education Reform Competition
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Department of Education has named Illinois among nine finalists for a continuation of its Race to the Top competition. The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward states like Illinois that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform. In 2010, Illinois was a finalist in both rounds of competition, but did not win a grant. "Maintaining the … Continue Reading
May 25, 2011
Durbin Chairs Hearing on Funding for Programs that Aid Small Businesses and Distressed Communities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the FY12 budgets of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) Fund today, where he highlighted the important work these agencies do to improve our economy and our communities. "In the face of recent pressure to reduce the federal deficit, I've made it a priority to maintain investments in SBA and CDFI … Continue Reading
May 18, 2011
Durbin Announces Over $5 Million in Department of Labor Grants for Illinois Youth
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded five grants totaling in $5,499,644 to YouthBuild organizations throughout Illinois. YouthBuild assists out-of-school youth in obtaining their diplomas or GEDs while providing occupational training in the construction industry. Participants in the program include individuals who have been in the juvenile justice system, youth aging out of foster care, high school dropouts … Continue Reading
May 09, 2011
Durbin, Kirk, Quinn Announce $268 Million for High Speed Rail Cars in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) were joined by Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn in announcing that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $268 million in high speed rail funding to Illinois for the purchase of 48 new passenger rail cars and 7 locomotives that will be equipped to travel at high speeds. Today's funding comes from the $2 billion that was rejected by the governor of Florida earlier this year. It is in addition to the … Continue Reading
May 04, 2011
Durbin, Kirk, Quinn Announce $186 Million for Chicago to St. Louis High Speed Rail
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn in announcing that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $186 million in high speed rail funding to finance track and other improvements on the Chicago to St. Louis corridor between Dwight and Joliet. Earlier today, the Department of Transportation notified Congressional Appropriators that they have reprogrammed $400 million of the $2 billion in funding that was … Continue Reading
April 27, 2011
Durbin Celebrates opening of New Terminal at Peoria International Airport
[PEORIA, IL] - The completion of construction on a new terminal at Peoria International Airport will create more capacity for commercial passenger airplanes, lower wait times for baggage, expand space for vendors, enhance security and provide the airport with the ability to handle one million passengers per year, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Durbin joined Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and other federal and local elected officials at the ribbon cutting ceremony … Continue Reading
April 20, 2011
Durbin, Kirk, Illinois Delegations: High Speed Rail Funding Will Have Greatest Impact in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in expressing support for Illinois' application for the federal funding for high speed rail projects that was rejected by the Governor of Florida. In their letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, the members stressed the importance of the Chicago to St. Louis route as the backbone of the Midwest passenger rail system. "We believe Illinois offers … Continue Reading
April 15, 2011
Durbin Meets with Bureau of Prisons Director to Discuss Thomson Funding
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, Harley Lappin, to urge him to identify funding for the acquisition of Thomson Correctional Center in Carroll County, Illinois, in order to open it as a federal maximum security prison. The FY2011 budget agreement that passed Congress late yesterday provided the Bureau with the funds necessary to operate for the remainder of the fiscal year. "Director Lappin assured me that the … Continue Reading
April 13, 2011
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, … Continue Reading
April 08, 2011
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 … Continue Reading
April 05, 2011
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 … Continue Reading
April 05, 2011
Durbin: DOT to Obligate $1 Million in Funds for Peoria Warehouse District
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has obligated $1 million in funding - 10% of the federal funding that was awarded - for the Peoria Warehouse District project. This move to begin obligating funds as soon as possible comes in response to Durbin's request to obligate $10 million in funding for the Peoria Warehouse District project - and the nearly $400 million funding for other Illinois transportation projects - … Continue Reading
April 04, 2011
Durbin: Obama Administration will not Transfer Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Attorney General Eric Holder clearly stated that the Obama Administration has no intention of transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson Correctional Center, a move that is already prohibited by federal law. Today's letter was sent in response to a February letter that Durbin had sent to Holder outlining the bipartisan support for the purchase of Thomson prison and a March letter from Durbin and Senator Mark Kirk … Continue Reading
March 29, 2011
Durbin Meets with Postmaster General to Discuss Illinois Jobs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General, Pat Donahoe, to discuss the financial condition of the Postal Service and a study on the possible consolidation of the mail processing operations performed at the Rockford Processing and Distribution Facility with those performed at the Postal Service's Carol Stream facility. Similar moves, which often have a negative impact on the local workforce, have been proposed in other … Continue Reading
March 29, 2011
Durbin to LaHood: Obligate Illinois Transportation Funds to Save Illinois Jobs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, urging him to obligate as soon as possible nearly $400 million in Illinois transportation funding. Obligating - making a legal commitment to allow a project to move forward - this funding could potentially keep eight Illinois projects safe from rescission under the House Republican's 2011 Budget plan. "Over the past two years, communities in Illinois have successfully … Continue Reading
March 24, 2011
Durbin, Kirk Express Support of Quincy Appeal
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) supporting the City of Quincy's appeal of the Commission's decision to dismiss the a permit application for the hydroelectric power plant at Lock and Dam 21. "We are writing to express our strong support for the City of Quincy's (Illinois) proposed hydroprower project and to urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to grant their … Continue Reading
March 23, 2011
Durbin: Cuts to Head Start Will Devastate Low-Income Families and Stunt Economic Recovery
[AURORA] - Thousands of low-income children and their families will lose critical access to education, health, and support service programs as the result of drastic federal spending cuts passed by the House of Representatives, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today in Aurora. Funding for comprehensive early childhood services, including the Head Start program, is cut by more than 20 percent in the House spending bill (H.R.1) for the current fiscal year 2011, which was approved along party … Continue Reading
March 22, 2011
Durbin and Quinn Announce Major Agreement to Advance High-Speed Rail in Illinois
CHICAGO - Work on the next phase of high-speed rail between Chicago and St. Louis is set to begin as the result of a $685 million construction agreement, Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The federally funded project will create an estimated 6,200 direct and indirect jobs and move Illinois one step closer to faster trains and improved service along its signature high-speed route. Durbin and Quinn were joined at today's announcement by railroad workers and … Continue Reading
March 21, 2011
Durbin Announces More Than $800,000 in FEMA Grants to additional Illinois Fire Departments
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded eight grants totaling $834,272 to fire departments and municipalities throughout Illinois. "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 … Continue Reading
March 18, 2011
Durbin, Kirk Ask Attorney General to Clearly State that No Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay Will Be Transferred to Thomson
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today asked Attorney General, Eric Holder, to clearly state that his Administration has no intention of transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson Correctional Center so that Congress can focus its efforts on acquiring and operating Thomson as a maximum-security federal prison. The activation of Thomson Correctional Center by the federal government is expected to create more than 1,100 jobs and inject at … Continue Reading