Durbin: Bill to Fund Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Protects Illinois Priorities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, has approved a bill to fund the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2014 fiscal year that will protect Illinois priorities, promote infrastructure investment and create jobs. TIGER Grant Program Created by Congress in 2009, the TIGER grant program directs the Department of Transportation to invest in a … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Passage of Immigration Reform Bill

Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), one of the eight authors of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, made the following statement before the Senate voted to approve the measure, 68-32: "First I want to thank the seven Senators who joined with me to reach this moment in history. We came together to see if we could create a bill and in the end, we did much more. We created a friendship and a life experience we will never forget… Continue Reading

Durbin, Boozman, and Coons Bill to Increase US Exports to Africa Passes Committee

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A day before President Obama is set to begin a weeklong trip to Africa to promote American business and trade, a bill to create American jobs and dramatically increase the number of U.S. exports to the continent was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today and sent to the full Senate for consideration. The bill, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Boozman (R-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE), aims to improve America's competiveness throughout the con… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Congratulate Blackhawks on Winning the Stanley Cup

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today congratulated the Chicago Blackhawks after they captured the Stanley Cup for the second time in four seasons last night with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Senators also introduced a resolution praising the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the 2013 Stanley Cup (see attached). Durbin said: "The Chicago Blackhawks are Stanley Cup Champions once again with yet another dramatic fin… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Supreme Court's Decision on the Voting Rights Act

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today, after the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. "For almost 50 years, the Voting Rights Act has protected minority populations from discrimination at the ballot box, whether in the form of poll taxes, literacy tests or voter identification laws and discriminatory redistricting. We need look no further than the last election cycle to understand the ong… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Supreme Court's Decision in Fisher v. University of Texas

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today, after the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the University of Texas's admission policy. In its 7-1 ruling, the Court reaffirmed the principle that universities may consider racial and ethnic diversity as one factor among many in a narrowly tailored admissions policy. "Today's decision reaffirms our nation's commitment to racial and ethnic diversity" Durbin said. "This decisi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kelly to Mayor Parks: Extending Club Hours Will Increase Risk of Violence, Undermine Federal Law Enforcement Efforts

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks and members of the East St. Louis City Council, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly today said that extending night club hours in East St. Louis will increase the risk of violence and killings while undermining federal law enforcement efforts that Durbin has fought to bring to East St. Louis. Their letter was sent following a report by the Belleville News-Democrat that the East … Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bill to Require Televising Supreme Court Proceedings

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With the Supreme Court likely to announce numerous high-profile opinions in the coming days, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation today to require open proceedings of the Court to be televised. The Cameras in the Courtroom Act of 2013 would require television coverage of all open sessions of the Court, unless the Court decides, by a majority vote of the J… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bruce, Ellis & Wood at Senate Committee Hearing on Illinois Judicial Nominations

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today chaired a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member, on President Obama's nomination of Sara Ellis and Andrea Wood to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and President Obama's nomination of Colin Bruce to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court in the Central District of Illinois that will open up on June 30th. Their nominations are expected to receive votes in the c… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Markey: AMA's Call for Ban on Marketing to Teens Should be Heeded by Energy Drink Companies

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a decision by the American Medical Association (AMA) to support a ban on the marketing of high stimulant / caffeine drinks to children and young adults under the age of 18, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) once again called on energy drink companies to immediately stop marketing their products to children and teens. The members noted that, at their request, the Food and Drug Administra… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Director of National Intelligence Clapper

Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, to discuss the recent revelations on the National Security Agency (NSA) data-mining programs and the budgets of our nation's intelligence community. As Chairman of the Senate's Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Durbin oversees the budgets for the majority of our nation's intelligence gathering agencies. A photo of the meeting can be found here. Durbin has b… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls for the Release of Former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko

[Washington, D.C.] Assistant Senate Majority Leader and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), called for the release of Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, in light of the European Court of Human Rights recent decision on her case. In 2011, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly abusing her power in the awarding of a natural gas contract. Numerous political and human rights groups have called the charges politically motivate… Continue Reading

Thanking Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood For His Service to America and Illinois

When President Obama was elected four years ago, I urged him to appoint Ray LaHood to be America's Secretary of Transportation. I was confident that Ray would serve our nation with the same integrity and inexhaustible energy he had shown while serving his Congressional district in central Illinois. As Secretary LaHood prepares to leave his cabinet post, I am pleased but not a bit surprised to say that I was right. Ray LaHood is a proud Republican. Yet, when President Obama asked him --… Continue Reading

Bipartisan Support in Congress for Springfield's Federal TIGER Grant Request

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A bipartisan group of Illinois lawmakers today united in support of the application for federal Transportation, Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funding submitted earlier this month by the City of Springfield, Illinois. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined U.S. Representatives Aaron Schock (R-IL-18) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) in a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urging the Department of Transportation to provide… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Chief Justice Roberts to Increase Transparency and Acess by Providing Live Audio of Court Proceedings

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With numerous high-profile Supreme Court opinions likely to be announced in the coming weeks, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) wrote to Chief Justice John Roberts today urging him to provide live audio of the Court's public proceedings. Durbin applauded the Court's recent decision to release same-day transcripts and end-of-the-week audio of oral arguments and opinion announcements, but asked for additional steps to be taken to increase the public's access to all … Continue Reading

Durbin: I Want to Put the Gun Lobby on Notice

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] After a spike in gun deaths in Chicago over Father's Day weekend, and just six months after the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the United States Senate Floor regarding the continuing toll of gun violence in America. "This past week we lost too many Americans, too many Illinoisans to gunfire. Over the weekend, at least 6 were killed and dozens more were wounded in shootings across the Chicago area," Durbin said. "We can't … Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Applaud Decision to Make Public Assistance Available to Fifteen Additional Illinois Counties

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today applauded the decision by President Obama to make Public Assistance funding available to fifteen additional Illinois counties - Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Greene, Hancock, Lawrence, McDonough, Monroe, Morgan, Peoria, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell and Will - that were affected by flash and river flooding that occurred in April. Public Assistance eligibility allows the State of Illinois, local governme… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Warren, and Cowan Place Friendly Wager on Blackhawks-Bruins Stanley Cup Final

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and William "Mo" Cowan (D-MA) today put home-state products on the line as they announced a friendly wager on the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Finals series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. Senators Durbin and Kirk have wagered Chicago's famous Eli's cheesecake and 312 beer from Goose Island Brewery while Senators Warren and Cowan countered with Legal Seafood's Chowd… Continue Reading

Durbin Praises Northern Illinois University at Senate Hearing Examining For-Profit Colleges & DOD Education Programs

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - While chairing a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the work that Northern Illinois University has done to make serving veterans and servicemembers a priority. During an April 3, 2013 visit to Northern Illinois University, Durbin sat down with several student veterans and program administrators to discuss their experience and hear how the Military Student Services office has improved their life on campus… Continue Reading

Durbin Raises Concerns Over Collection of Americans' Personal Information by Government Agencies

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) raised concerns today at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee with National Security Agency Director General Keith Alexander over Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which has been reportedly been used to obtain the phone records of hundreds of millions of Americans and can also be used to obtain other sensitive personal information, including medical records, internet search records, tax records, and credit card records. "Over the … Continue Reading