Press Releases

November 22, 2019

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $25 Million For Public Transportation Improvement In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced more than $25 million in federal funding awarded to Illinois communities to replace and rehabilitate buses and their facilities. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. "This funding will help our public transit systems continue to provide safe and reliable service to the thousands of Illinoisans who rely on them each day," said … Continue Reading

November 22, 2019

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9 Million Grant For Runway Reconstruction At Quincy Regional Airport

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that QuincyRegional Airport has been awarded $9 million in federal grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The funding will be used for runway reconstruction. "Today's funding will help improve service, safety, and efficiency at Quincy Regional Airport, which is a critical economic engine and transportation link for western Illinois," Durbin said. … Continue Reading

November 21, 2019

Durbin Meets With FDA Commissioner Nominee Dr. Stephen Hahn

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Stephen Hahn, President Trump's nominee to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to discuss the youth vaping epidemic and the Trump Administration's apparent reversal of a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally announce-on September 11, 2019-that it would soon ban all non-tobacco … Continue Reading

November 21, 2019

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the federal government through December 20, 2019: "The CR that passed the Senate today is essential to keeping the government funded through the end of the year. Now it is time for Senators on both sides of the aisle to put the appropriations process back on track. We owe it to … Continue Reading

November 21, 2019

Durbin Introduces Bill To Improve Amtrak On-Time Performance

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill today that helps improve Amtrak on-time performance (OTP) in Illinois and around the country by providing Amtrak with the ability to take the freight railroads to court in order to enforce current law, which requires freight railroads to provide preference to passenger rail operating on their rail lines. The Rail Passenger Fairness Act would provide Amtrak with the ability to sue the freight railroads to enforce its statutory … Continue Reading

November 20, 2019

Durbin Statement On FERC Approval Of Emergency Propane Shipments To Midwest

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after Federal Emergency Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved temporary emergency shipments of propane to help alleviate a shortage of the fuel that Midwestern farmers need to dry the annual corn harvest: "Today's decision by FERC to deliver emergency shipments of propane to Monee, Illinois, will hopefully assist our farmers who are … Continue Reading

November 20, 2019

Durbin: Senate Must Stand With Defrauded Student Borrowers And Overturn DeVos Borrower Defense Rule

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a speech on the Senate floor, slammed Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. The DeVos borrower defense rule makes it almost impossible for borrowers who are defrauded by their school or harmed by their school's closure to receive the relief to which they are entitled, and which Congress intended, under the Higher … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Hong Kong Human Rights And Democracy Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of the bipartisan Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, of which Durbin is a cosponsor. The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent. "With the situation deteriorating by the hour in Hong Kong, the passage of the legislation couldn't be more timely. I urge my colleagues in the House to take action quickly after we have acted," Durbin said. "This bill … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin Meets With National Biodiesel Board To Discuss Biodiesel Tax Credit

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, met with members of the National Biodiesel Board to discuss the biodiesel market, and its impact on energy, the environment, and agriculture. The group discussed the importance of extending the biodiesel tax credit, which expired in 2017. This is the longest lapse ever in the tax credit's history, which dates back to 2005. Durbin also brought up his effort to fight for more … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support NPS Management Of Pullman Historical Park

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill that would ensure protections for National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land and enter into cooperative agreements at Pullman National Historical Park in order to advance park management. The legislation, the Pullman National Historical Park Act 2019, would ensure protections for the Pullman area and provide NPS more flexibility to work with historic buildings and assets that it does not own, but … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin to BOP Director: Why Is DOJ Undermining The First Step Act?

WASHINGTON-In today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the Trump Administration's implementation of the recently-enacted Grassley-Durbin First Step Act. Durbin pressed Dr. Hawk Sawyer on his concerns that DOJ is actively undermining the First Step Act and fighting to oppose retroactive Fair Sentencing Act relief for eligible … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin Shares Illinois Constituent Story To Highlight Stakes In Fight Against Republicans' Attacks On Families' Health Care

WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans for their continued efforts to destabilize and undermine America's health care system. Durbin also shared the story of an Illinois constituent, Stefanie from Oak Park. Stefanie's son just graduated college and has a history of mental health and substance abuse issues. Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), her son is able to stay on her health … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin To Trump: You Should Care More About Children Than Lobbying Pressure From Big Vape

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a speech on the Senate floor slammed President Donald Trump for seemingly reversing course on a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. Durbin called out the President for caving to lobbying pressure from Big Tobacco and Big Vape, breaking his promise to protect our nation's children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to … Continue Reading

November 19, 2019

Durbin To Trump On E-Cigarette Flavor Ban Inaction: You Broke Your Promise

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to President Donald Trump slamming his Administration for seemingly reversing course on a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally announce-on September 11, 2019-that it would soon ban all non-tobacco e-cigarette flavors "within weeks." Now, more than two months later, it appears that President Trump is … Continue Reading

November 18, 2019

Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Delay Of E-Cigarette Flavor Ban

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that President Donald Trump is reversing course on a planned e-cigarette flavor ban. For years, e-cigarette use among children has skyrocketed nationwide, leading the Trump Administration to finally announce-on September 11, 2019-that it would soon ban all non-tobacco e-cigarette flavors "within weeks." Now, more than two months later, it appears that President Trump is … Continue Reading

November 18, 2019

Durbin Statement On USDA Second Round Of Trade Aid Payments

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement of the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program payments to assist American farmers affected by the Trump Administration's trade policies: "Illinois soybean farmers have been badly hurt by the President's nearly two-year trade war with China. Worse yet, when you … Continue Reading

November 15, 2019

Durbin, Colleagues Continue To Press Pompeo On Determination To Exclude Saudi Arabia From Child Soldiers List

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and U.S. Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA-07), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07), and Ted Lieu (D-CA-33) today lead several of their colleagues in a bicameral letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on his reported decision to exclude the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the State Department's list of countries known to recruit and use child soldiers in the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, despite State Department experts' findings that … Continue Reading

November 15, 2019

Durbin Calls For Increased Funding For Scientific Research

URBANA-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined researchers at the University of Illinois to discuss his efforts to restore the United States' commitment to breakthrough scientific, biomedical, and agriculture research. Research and development (R&D) funding in the United States has been lagging in recent decades. During the 1960s, the United States invested 17 percent of its discretionary budget on research and development-that number has now decreased to just nine percent. This … Continue Reading

November 15, 2019

Durbin, Murray Continue To Seek Status Of Group Discharge Applications Submitted By State AG's

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today requested the U.S. Department of Education provide an update on group discharge applications filed by State attorneys general on behalf of thousands of defrauded students who are eligible for federal loan discharge under the borrower defense provision of the Higher Education Act. The Department's response to the same request Durbin, Murray, and 20 of their Senate colleagues sent in June was "unacceptable." The … Continue Reading

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