Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in Whole Woman's Health V. Hellerstedt

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down abortion restrictions passed by the Texas legislature in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. "More than forty years after Roe v. Wade‎ established a woman's right to choose, American women still face attempts to restrict their access to abortion. Texas' law was another such measure - passed under the guise of protecting women's health, it placed an undue burden on low-income and … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators in Calling on EPA to Establish a Strong Renewable Fuel Standard

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in calling for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares to finalize its proposed rule on biofuels volume requirements for 2017 under the RFS. In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the senators urged the agency for a strong RFS that will support U.S. jobs and the economy, reduce the environmental impact of the transportation and … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Decision to More Closely Monitor CSX's Use of Elsdon Rail Line

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after learning of the Surface Transportation Board's decision to impose enhanced reporting requirements on CSX's Elsdon Rail Line so that it can better monitor and mitigate the increased amount of blocked grade crossings. "Since CSX acquired the Elsdon Rail Line in 2013, the increased frequency of rail traffic blocked crossings has led to significant traffic delays and threats to pedestrian safety," said Durbin. "The … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court upheld race-conscious college admissions in Fisher v. University of Texas. "Affirmative action has helped generations of well-qualified minority students - often first-generation college students - access higher education and new career opportunities," said Durbin. "Affirmative action is constitutional and will allow universities to continue taking steps to make their student bodies as diverse a… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $17 Million for HIV Care & Support in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $17,300,456 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for HIV assistance programs in Illinois. Today's funding, awarded through the Ryan White Care Act Part B, will allow the Illinois Department of Health to provide comprehensive medical care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. "This critical investment supports valuable patient care and is key for improving health outcomes in medically underse… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks on Senate Floor About Supreme Court Ruling on Immigration

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the floor of the Senate after the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision in the legal challenge to Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The result of this deadlock is that the lower court decisions blocking the implementation of DAPA and DACA remain in place for now. These programs were established as part of President Obama's immigration announcement on November … Continue Reading

Durbin and Cardin Applaud OAS Special Session on Venezuela Crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) issued the following statement after the Organization of American States (OAS) affirmatively voted today to review the OAS Secretary General's report on the deteriorating political and economic situation in Venezuela. "Secretary General Almagro's leadership in invoking the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter is a much-needed step toward diffusing Venezuela's urgent and deepening political, economic, and humanitarian crise… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in United States V. Texas

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision in the legal challenge to Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This result of this deadlock is that the lower court decisions blocking the implementation of DAPA and DACA remain in place for now. These programs were established as part of President Obama's immigration announcement on November… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President's Nomination of Chicago Native to Lead Railroad Retirement Board

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the decision by President Obama to nominate Chicago, Illinois native, Thomas Kotarac, as the Chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board - an independent agency that administers comprehensive retirement-survivor and unemployment-sickness benefit programs for the nation's railroad workers and their families. "There are few people I have met in my career that are more committed to our transportation systems than Tom Kotarac,… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins House Sit-In to Demand Action on Gun Reform

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA) in support of a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives to protest Congressional Republicans' inaction on gun violence legislation: "I was proud to join my House colleagues from Illinois and around the country to say enough is enough-this Congress can no longer ignore the will of the American people for common sense gun reform. Too many guns are getting in the hands of dangerous people and… Continue Reading

Durbin Warns of Consequences of Inaction on Emergency Funding for Zika Crisis

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Citing a recent New York Times article showing that the rising number of Zika infections in Puerto Rico is surprising public health officials, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today warned of the consequences of inaction by Congress. Highlighting this recent public health development, as well as earlier findings that the disease can be transmitted sexually and is linked to serious neurological birth disorders, Durbin called upon Congressional Republicans to act quickly and c… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Total of $500,000 for Public Housing Safety in East St. Louis & Hardin County

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $500,000 in federal funding for Illinois public housing agencies to help pay for security systems, deter crime and address resident safety concerns. "‎Our public housing agencies offer critically-needed affordable housing options to Illinoisans all across the state. This funding will help keep those residents, their families, and their communities safe," said Durbin. Today's funding is made available through languag… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Steering Committee Meet with Civil Rights Leaders to Discuss Voting Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after taking part in a Senate Democratic Steering Committee roundtable discussion on voting rights. The meeting included leaders of prominent civil rights organizations and focused on the need for legislative action to address voting discrimination and inequality. "Three years ago this week, the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to American democracy by overturning a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. T… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Zika Conference Report

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the Zika conference report: Republicans have shown nothing but bad faith since the CDC and NIH came to Congress about the Zika crisis four months ago. This conference report makes a terrible situation worse: it shortchanges health care funding for women and families and robs critical funding from our ongoing fight against the Ebola virus. Republicans in Congress are either unwilling or unable to put their party's in… Continue Reading

Durbin: I'm Not Going to Quit on Gun Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the floor about the Senate's failure last night to advance legislation regarding background checks and to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists. "Our first obligation: provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure domestic tranquility in the United States. If that is our obligation, there is much more that needs to be done: keeping America safe from gun violence. Thousands of Americans are shot a… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Failure of Senate to Advance Gun Violence Amendments

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate failed to advance two pieces of critical gun reform legislation called for by Senate Democrats last week: After September 11th, our country vowed that we would never again allow Americans to be slaughtered by terrorists like that. So we changed the law. We tightened security at our airports to prevent that kind of attack from happening again. Tonight, the Senate turned its back on victims of gun violen… Continue Reading

Durbin Says Congressional Inaction on Gun Safety is an Outrage and Must End

CHICAGO - In response to the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and the ongoing gun violence that plagues Chicago, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called for Congressional action on gun safety reform. The Senate is expected to vote on several gun amendments introduced by Senate democrats next week, including legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and strengthen background checks for gun shows and online purchases. So far this year more than 1,700 people in Ch… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $172,000 for Illinois Office of Rural Health

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded $172,000 to the Illinois Office of Rural Health. Today's funding will help boost primary care access and encourage community involvement to improve health outcomes for the more than two million Illinoisans living in rural areas. "Illinois' rural residents face barriers to health care access that keep too many people from get… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Legislation to Prevent Prescription Opioid Addiction

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced comprehensive legislation to combat the volume of addictive painkillers on the market and improve prescribing practices. The Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act (A-PROP Act) would curb the number of opioids flooding the market, increase accountability to ensure responsible prescribing practices, and support prevention efforts to reduce drug diversion and addiction. U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA) will … Continue Reading

Durbin: For-Profit College Accreditor Should Lose Federal Recognition

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who is working with his colleagues in the Senate on legislation to reform the college accreditation process, commended the Department of Education's staff recommendation to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity to end federal recognition of one of the nation's largest accreditor of for-profit colleges - the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). The Center for American Progress found… Continue Reading