Durbin Statement on President Obama's Address to the Nation

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Obama's address to the nation from the Oval Office: The world has witnessed acts of evil in the past several weeks, from Beirut and Paris to Colorado Springs and San Bernardino. As the President said tonight, in our darkest moments, when innocent civilians are gunned down in horrific massacres, it is how we respond, how we band together to fight terror itself that defines who we are as Americans. The t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky, Quigley Urge Illinoisans to Get Covered Before ACA Enrollment Deadline

CHICAGO - With an important Affordable Care Act deadline less than two weeks away, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region V Director Kathleen Falk today urged the remaining uninsured and those wishing to re-enroll to take action before the December 15th deadline in order to get health care coverage that starts in January. Open enrollment for 2016 coverage runs from Novem… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lake County Community Leaders Discuss Initiatives to Combat Heroin Epidemic

[LIBERTYVILLE, IL] - As heroin overdose deaths rise in Illinois and across the country, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Lake County Opioid Initiative to discuss overdose-prevention and treatment strategies. Durbin also discussed recently co-sponsored bills to expand treatment for heroin addiction and expand access to naloxone - a drug that counters the effects of an opioid overdose - and other drug prevention programs that have been proven to save lives. "Communiti… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Sends Long-Term Transportation Bill to President

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) hailed Congressional passage of legislation that will authorize and fund transportation programs for the next 5 years and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Durbin - who was a member of the Conference Committee tasked with finding a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the transportation bill - said that the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act will provide the certainty that businesses and state governments, lik… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal Statement on ED Decision to Grant Relief to Over 1,300 Students Following Collapse of Corinthian Colleges

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called the Department of Education's approval of more than $28 million in federal student loan debt relief of 1,312 students of former Heald College - which was part of the collapsed Corinthian Colleges, Inc. system -evidence of progress for students. To accompany today's relief, the Department of Treasury issued guidance that ensures federal debt relief for Corinthian students will not be considered taxab… Continue Reading

Durbin Requests DOJ Investigation of Chicago Police Department Policies & Practices

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a meeting at the White House on criminal justice reform, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to request a Department of Justice Civil Rights Division investigation of the Chicago Police Department (CPD)'s policies and practices. Durbin asked for the investigation in a letter that can be found HERE. "The shooting death of Laquan McDonald is just one of a number of troubling incidents that have frayed the relationship betw… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Mass Shooting in San Bernardino

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor this evening about the horrific mass shooting today in San Bernardino, California: Earlier today, there was a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. News reports are saying that up to three heavily armed gunmen attacked a social services center that helps developmentally disabled people and their families in the community. Preliminary reports say that there have been 14 people killed, and 14 wounded, although we don… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Dismissal of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that he had dismissed Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy: "Now is the time to move forward and build a relationship based on mutual trust and respect between the Police Department and the community it serves. "Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us. Those who fail to live up to the high standards they have sworn … Continue Reading

Durbin: House-Senate Transportation Bill Compromise Protects Important Illinois Infrastructure Priorities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to authorize and fund transportation programs for the next 5 years. Durbin - who was a member of the Conference Committee tasked with finding a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the transportation bill - said that the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act will provide the certainty that businesses and state governments, like Illinois, need to plan critical infra… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the EPA's Final Rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to establish the renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Durbin was briefed on the announcement by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy earlier today. The Renewable Fuels Standard was created by Congress more than ten years ago to drive growth in the biofuels industry. "I am disappointed that the biofuels volum… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Confirmation of Gayle Smith to Head USAID

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate voted 79-7 to confirm Gayle Smith, who was nominated to head the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on April 30th: USAID is charged with coordinating America's response to humanitarian crises around the world, and the catastrophic civil war in Syria is the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. While this tragedy unfolded throughout the year, giving rise to a massive refug… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Following Release of Laquan McDonald Shooting Video

SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Chicago Police Department released footage from a dashcam video showing the shooting of 17 year-old Laquan McDonald. Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder for the shooting. "The violence in this video is shocking and upsetting. Our law enforcement officers protect and serve their communities with honor and courage, but those who fail to follow the high standards they ha… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Call for Vote on Legislation to Close Egregious Loophole that Allows Suspected Terrorist to Purchase Guns & Explosives

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined with Senate Democrats to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan to quickly schedule votes on legislation that would close an egregious loophole and prevent individuals on the Federal Terrorist Watchlist from being able to purchase firearms and explosives that may be used in connection with terrorism. Under current law, a member of a terrorist organization is not prohibited from "possessing firearms or ex… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murphy, Blumenthal, and 21 Other Senators Urge White House to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 21 other senators in calling on President Barack Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under his executive authority to reduce gun violence. In a letter to the President, the senators urged him to eliminate a loophole that currently allows individuals without a federal license to conduct high volumes of gun sales at gun shows, over the internet… Continue Reading

Durbin Files Public Comment in Support of Scott Bid to House New NGA Facility

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In comments filed today with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) once again expressed his strong support for Scott Air Force Base's bid to house the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), known as NGA West, as part of the Army Corps' public comment period. The agency is expected to make a final decision by spring 2016 after examining the finalist sites' costs, relative merits and environmental qualities. "I write to express my str… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Pfizer-Allergan Inversion

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the merger between Pfizer and Ireland-based Allergan, which would create a roughly $160 billion inversion in order to avoid paying U.S. taxes: When corporations choose to invert and don't pay their fair share of taxes, they leave the rest of us to pick up the tab. That isn't right, and I hope Pfizer will reconsider. The Obama Administration has taken action to help curb this practice, but there are still lo… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Gov. Rauner to Meet With Syrian Refugee Families in Illinois Before Thanksgiving

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Governor Bruce Rauner calling on him to drop his opposition to resettling Syrian refugees in the state of Illinois. After the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris last week, Republican governors and members of Congress rushed to block children, women, and families who are themselves fleeing ISIS terrorism. On Friday, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry sent a letter to Gov. Rauner detailing the… Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Illinois Members at Bipartisan Delegation Luncheon

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation at the sixth bipartisan Illinois Congressional Delegation Luncheon of the 114th Congress. Started by the late U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon, the Illinois Delegation Luncheon has been held regularly in Washington, DC at no expense to the federal taxpayer for more than 25 years. A photo of today's luncheon is available here. The luncheon today was attended by seven members of… Continue Reading

Durbin: History Will Judge How Congress Responds to Paris Terror Attacks

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) took to the Senate floor today to speak out against a slew of Republican proposals to respond to the Paris terror attacks by closing the door on Syrian refugees fleeing similar terrorism and violence in their own country: "We will reflect in years to come about what happened in this world in the last week. We will reflect on the terrible tragedy that occurred in Paris, France, in Beirut, and other nations that was led by ISIS terrorists. We will r… Continue Reading

Durbin Bill Would Close Gun Loophole in Visa Waiver Program

WASHINGTON-Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to close a loophole in federal law that permits foreign nationals who have entered the United States through the Visa Waiver Program to buy and wield firearms. Current law prohibits visa holders from other countries from purchasing guns, but excludes travelers from the 38 Visa Waiver Program countries. "The horrific terror attacks in Paris last week have given new urgency to protecting our own com… Continue Reading