Durbin Sounds Alarm Over Potential Russian Takeover of U.S. Energy Infrastructure

NEW YORK - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a bipartisan letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressing serious national security concerns over the potential takeover by Russia's state-controlled oil company of critical U.S. energy infrastructure that could put Vladimir Putin and his associates in position to influence American gas prices and oil refinery production. The lett… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Call for EPA Chief to Address Likely Conflicts of Interest Regarding Clean Power Plan

NEW YORK - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined his colleagues in calling for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to address the apparent conflict of interest regarding his participation in EPA's review of the Clean Power Plan, which Mr. Pruitt formerly challenged in court as Oklahoma's Attorney General. Durbin, along with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), E… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cassidy, Burgess, Cummings Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve Accountability Of Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined U.S. Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to reintroduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would protect students and taxpayers by closing a loophole that gives special treatment to a small number of overseas medical schools. The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act would require all medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to r… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on U.S. Missile Strikes in Syria

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: My preliminary briefing by the White House indicated that this was a measured response to the Syrian nerve gas atrocity. Any further action will require close scrutiny by Congress, and any escalation beyond airstrikes or missile strikes will require engaging the American people in that decision.… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trump Nominee Will Enter Supreme Court with an Asterisk

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed Senate rules to allow Supreme Court nominations to advance on a simple majority vote. For decades, Senate rules have required 60 votes to end debate on a Supreme Court nomination, helping to ensure some measure of bipartisan support and prevent confirmation of justices with extremist views. Earlier today, President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Failure of Trump Supreme Court Pick to Earn 60 Votes

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch, failed to garner the 60 votes required to advance: Every Supreme Court nominee in the past quarter-century showed they could exceed the 60 vote threshold in the Senate. Senator McConnell is now poised to abolish this longstanding Senate rule to achieve his partisan goal. He will wear the mantle of responsibility for this his… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Merkley in Protest Against Gorsuch Nomination on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - Before sunrise, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined his colleague Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on the Senate floor to discuss their opposition to President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Senators Durbin and Merkley slammed Senate Republicans' unprecedented obstruction of President Obama's Supreme Court nominee last year as well as the Republican Senate Majority Leader's rush to limit debate on Judge Gorsuch's nomination. Senator Merkley held the Senate … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: Images of the victims of Assad's latest chemical weapons attack-including women and children-are a horrific reminder that the six-year conflict in Syria is the humanitarian crisis of our time. History will judge how America responded, and so far, our response has been insufficient-failing to create humanitarian safe zones, shutting the door on Syrian refugees, and now this White House is cozying up to A… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Demand Trump Administration Release Secret Plan to Undermine Health Care System That Was Presented to House Freedom Caucus

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined 20 U.S. Senators in a letter to Tom Price, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), calling on the Trump Administration to release a secret plan that was presented to the House Freedom Caucus. In a bid to win the far right group's support, reports indicate that the Administration identified specific Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules that the Administration would gut in exchange for the Freedom Caucus' support. With Pr… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos, McKinley Press Attorney General Sessions to Fully Exempt Bureau of Prisons from Hiring Freeze

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and David McKinley (R-WV) today urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to immediately and fully exempt the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) from the federal hiring freeze ordered by President Donald Trump on January 23, 2017. In a bipartisan letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the lawmakers stressed that the security of our nation's prisons and the safety of our communities are at stake as long as the hir… Continue Reading

Durbin: Trump's Proposed Budget Would Eliminate After-School Programs for Thousands of Chicago Kids

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited a Chicago elementary school that would lose funding under President Trump's proposed budget cuts to after-school programs. Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) after-school programs depend on federal funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, which is the only federal funding source dedicated to after-school enrichment at low-income schools. President Trump's budget proposes to eliminate the 21st CCLC program, i… Continue Reading

Durbin: Nunes Must Withdraw From Investigation of Trump's Russian Connection

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: Devin Nunes should have the decency to withdraw as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee investigation of President Trump's Russian connections. Paul Ryan, as Speaker, should have the strength to remove him if he doesn't. Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) was named to the Executive Committee of President Trump's Transition Team on November 11th, 2016.… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CTA and CDOT to Discuss President Trump's Budget

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval Carter and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Managing Deputy Commissioner Kevin O'Malley to discuss President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts and the devastating impact they could have on transportation infrastructure projects around Chicago. They also discussed progress on the Red and Purple Modernization Program, CREATE's 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, updates … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Milestone Effort to Bring Down Prescription Drug Prices

WASHINGTON - In the wake of Congressional Republicans' failed attempt to rip health coverage away from millions of Americans, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Al Franken (D-MN) in launching a major push to improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by bringing down the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs, one of the main reasons why health care costs are rising. An overwhelming majority of Americans agree that prescription drug prices are too high and that we need action to lower pric… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CDA Commissioner Evans to Discuss President Trump's Budget

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Ginger Evans to discuss President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts and the harmful impact they could have on airport security. They also discussed ongoing initiatives at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport, the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP), O'Hare's Fly Quiet Runway Rotation program, and the Elgin O'Hare Western Access (EOWA) project. "President Trump says he wants… Continue Reading

Trump Message in Fight Against Climate Change: America Surrenders

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling America's efforts to reduce pollution and fight climate change: "Just about everyone agrees that we should try to pollute less, but not Donald Trump-he just surrendered in the fight against climate change. He's put the future health and safety of America's children back into the hands of big oil companies, and turned us back toward a dange… Continue Reading

Durbin Opposes President Trump's Supreme Court Nominee

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced his opposition to President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Durbin reiterated his concerns over Gorsuch's record of siding with powerful interests over working Americans, students with disabilities, and victims of discrimination. In light of the legal and constitutional disputes surrounding President Trump, Senator Durbin also stressed the need … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $20 Million for Head Start Programs in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $20,356,447 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. "This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families in more than 25 counties across Illinois by promoting healthy development and school readiness for kindergarten and elementary scho… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $58 Million for Head Start Programs in Chicagoland Area

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $58,065,218 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the Chicagoland area. "This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families in the Chicagoland area by promoting healthy development and school readiness for kindergarten and elementary school children,"… Continue Reading

Durbin: ISAC Will Not Charge Fees To Students Who Rehabilitate Loans Within 60 Days of Default

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced it would not charge high collection fees to Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers who enter loan rehabilitation within sixty days of defaulting on their student loans. The announcement was made after the U.S. Department of Education withdrew guidance issued by the Obama Administration prohibiting guaranty agencies from charging borrowers fees of… Continue Reading