Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats Urge HUD Secretary Ben Carson To Restore Resources That Protect LGBTQ From Housing Discrimination

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and 26 of their colleagues in a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, urging him to reinstate resources that protect LGBTQ people from housing discrimination. These resources, designed to help housing providers comply with HUD's nondiscrimination rules, were removed from HUD's website in recent months. "It is concerning that HUD apparently removed … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $14 Million In Federal Funding For HIV Treatment In Chicago

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the City of Chicago with $14,823,525 in federal funding through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A Grant Program. With this funding, Chicago's Department of Public Health will develop and/or enhance access to a comprehensive continuum of high quality, community-based care for low-income people living with HIV. "This critical i… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $3 Million In Federal Funding For Firefighter Resources

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a total of $3,122,417 to sixteen communities across Illinois through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The AFG Program provides first-responder organizations with the ability to obtain much-needed emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles and training in an effort to strengthen t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bipartisan Senators Introduce Bill To Protect Veterans' Education Benefits

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in introducing bipartisan legislation that would provide relief to veterans whose Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits are affected by the permanent closure of certain educational institutions. In 2016, ITT Tech filed for bankruptcy and closed all 136 campuses in 38 states - after receiving $917 million in Post-9/11 GI Bill funds - leaving student veterans stranded and unable to reallo… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Illinois To Refuse Request To Release Illinois Voter Files To Trump Commission On Voter Fraud

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Illinois Board of Elections to utilize every legal authority to protect sensitive voter information being requested by the Presidential Commission on Voter Integrity. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who serves as the vice chair of the commission, wrote on Wednesday to all 50 states and the District of Columbia requesting that all publicly available voter roll data be sent to the White House. "This Commission… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown Urge SEC To Hold ITT Tech Executives Accountable

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton, urging the Commission to prevent future abuses in the for-profit college industry by holding ITT Tech and its executives accountable. The SEC is currently suing ITT Tech, its former CEO Kevin Modany, and former CFO Daniel Fitzpatrick for fraud. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is also suing the now-defunct company over its illegal s… Continue Reading

Members Of Congress To Secretary DeVos: Stand Up For Students And Families, Reverse Delay Of Protections For Defrauded Students

WASHINGTON - Led by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), 48 Members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos slamming her recent decision to delay the "borrower defense" rule that would provide defrauded students with debt relief and hold predatory institutions accountable for cheating students across … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump Administration's Unfair Travel Ban Criteria

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of State issued new criteria in response to the Supreme Court's decision on President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from six-Muslim majority nations and all refugees. "Earlier this week, the Supreme Court exempted from the ban travelers and refugees with a 'bona fide relationship' with individuals or entities in the United States.… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Legislation Demanding Trump Administration Release Report On Asian Carp

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) to introduce the Stop Asian Carp Now Act, which will require the Trump Administration to release the Brandon Road Study within seven days of the bill's enactment. The Brandon Road Lock and Dam study will provide important guidance on how best to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and is an important hurdle before further action can be taken. "With last week's discovery … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Press Trump To Fully Fund Fastlane Grants

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on President Trump to fully fund the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) fiscal year 2017 FASTLANE grants after the Administration announced that DOT will hold funding for large project awardees and call for new and separate applications with "updated" criteria. This latest delay of much needed transportation grant funding by the Trump Administration will directly impact transportation infrastructure proje… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Senate's First-Ever Resolution Recognizing June As Pride Month

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in introducing the first-ever Senate Resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution notes major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Today, June 28, marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. "This month we celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ Americans and the strides made toward equ… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Republicans To Work With Democrats To Improve, Not Destroy, Health Care System

WASHINGTON - After Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was forced to delay a vote on his catastrophic health care repeal bill, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Senate Republicans to take the repeal option off the table and work with Democrats to improve America's health care system. "I am glad that we've reached this point, that these proposals by House and Senate Republicans are not going to move forward quickly and become the law of the land. Too many people woul… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murphy Bill Will Meet Demand For High Quality Prosthetic Care For Veterans

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) today introduced two bills to improve orthotics and prosthetics care for our nation's service members and veterans. The legislation would enhance research in best practices and support colleges and universities seeking to establish degree programs to train specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer serious injuries because of it have already sacrificed enough. They should ex… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges No Vote On DOT General Counsel Nominee Steven Bradbury

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the nomination of Steven Bradbury, a former George W. Bush administration official who authored several of the infamous "torture memos," to be General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). "The Senate refused to confirm Mr. Bradbury once before because of his role in promulgating torture techniques. The poor judgment Mr. Bradbury demonstrated raises serious questions about whether he… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Republicans To Drop Repeal, Join Democrats In Improving Health Care

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Senate Republicans convened at the White House with President Trump to discuss next steps for their disastrous health care repeal bill: "When the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported its analysis of the Senate Republican health care repeal bill this week, the bottom fell out of the effort. The Senate Republican bill, which is opposed by hospitals, doctors, nurses, the disability … Continue Reading

Durbin Invites Labor Secretary To Chicago To See Job Training Programs Cut By Trump Budget

WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) questioned U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta about the forty-percent cut to job training programs proposed in the President's fiscal year 2018 budget. Durbin invited Secretary Acosta to visit Chicago and see firsthand what the Trump budget cuts would mean for the city's efforts to reduce gun violence. "If we c… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Delay Of Senate Republican Health Care Repeal Bill

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Senate Republicans announced a delay on a vote of their devastating health care repeal bill: "While I am relieved that the Senate will not be voting on this bill before July 4, I remain troubled that the Republican repeal effort is still alive. According to the CBO, 22 million Americans would lose health insurance under the Senate Republican health care repeal bill - including one million Illinoisa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Democrats Blast Secretary DeVos For Harmful Actions On Civil Rights Protections, Enforcement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 32 other Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos citing major concerns with steps the U.S. Department of Education has taken under her leadership to diminish civil rights enforcement for students across the country. The senators highlight a number of alarming steps Secretary DeVos has taken, including hosting events with anti-LGBTQ hate groups, proposing to slash the budget of the Office fo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth To Rauner: Weigh In On Republican Health Care Repeal Bill Before It Is To Late

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) once again called on Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to explain how Senate Republicans' plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect Illinois families, health care providers, schools, and the state's economy. The senators expressed concern that both the House and Senate Republican repeal bills would take away health care from tens of millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans, and incre… Continue Reading

Durbin: FISA Reauthorization Raises Serious Privacy Concerns

WASHINGTON - During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) raised serious concerns with regard to the privacy of Americans whose communications are swept up in foreign intelligence collection. Durbin pressed Bradley Booker, Acting General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to provide details on the intelligence community's efforts to protect Americans' private information. "We have seen… Continue Reading