Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin: Illinois to Receive $166 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Public Building Projects
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 10 Illinois public buildings will receive a total of $166,479,000 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the modernization and conversion of federal buildings and courthouses to high performance, energy-efficient buildings. "The General Services Administration owns roughly 1,500 federal buildings nationwide," said Durbin. "These buildings affect our natural environment, … Continue Reading
March 31, 2009
Durbin Announces $99 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Argonne National Lab
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced on a conference call with the Director of Argonne National Laboratory, Eric Isaacs that the lab will receive $99 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate environmental cleanup work and create jobs. The Director of Fermilab, Pier Oddone, was also on today's call. "Last week, Congressman Foster and I announced forty-eight million dollars in Recovery Act funding … Continue Reading
March 27, 2009
Durbin Announes $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers … Continue Reading
March 27, 2009
Durbin Announces $221 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Housing Agencies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Housing Agencies will receive $221,498,521 in grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Public Housing Capital Fund grants, allocated through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provide funding for improvements to and the modernization of public housing. "Improvements to public housing will enhance the quality of life for individuals who rely on … Continue Reading
March 27, 2009
Durbin Announces $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers provide a … Continue Reading
March 25, 2009
Durbin Commends Amtrak Decision to Commit $80 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Illinois Rail
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended Amtrak's decision to commit $80 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Illinois to modernize Amtrak's repair shops and improve accessibility and security at Amtrak stations and facilities in the state. Earlier today, Amtrak announced the recipients of $1.3 billion in Recovery Act funding for rail projects nationwide. The announcement also includes $90.8 million to … Continue Reading
March 24, 2009
Supporting the President's Budget
Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate Next week the Senate will consider the Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2010. This will be a crucial debate. For 50 hours on the Senate floor we will make fundamental decisions about the shape of our economy - and the prosperity of our county - that will guide our nation for many years to come. We need to face facts -- we have inherited the worst economic crisis in generations. Passing the economic recovery package was the … Continue Reading
March 24, 2009
Durbin Announces $38.5 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Defense Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Department of Defense (DoD) facilities will receive a total of $38,542,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for construction projects and repairs, quality of life improvements and energy efficiency projects. Today's funding is expected to immediately generate additional employment in communities around the defense facilities. "The Recovery Act will put people to … Continue Reading
March 23, 2009
Durbin Announces $78.8 Million in Recovery Act Funding for VA Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) facilities located in Illinois will receive $78,827,369 in funding for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding, allocated through the Veterans Health Administration, will be used for upgrades and repairs at six VA hospitals, construction at three VA extended care facilities and repairs and equipment purchases at seven VA cemeteries. … Continue Reading
March 23, 2009
Durbin, Foster Praise $48 Million in DOE Funding for Fermilab and Argonne
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Science has awarded a total of $48 million in funding to Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory to protect jobs and support critical research. The funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was part of the $1.2 billion in funding that will be announced later today for national labs. "To continue leading … Continue Reading
March 19, 2009
Durbin Announces Nearly $10 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Airports
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded $9,731,580 in grants to airports in Rockford, Decatur and the Quad Cities. Today's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs in Illinois and strengthen the region's infrastructure to serve passengers safely and efficiently. • Greater Rockford Airport Authority: $1,052,632 in funding to expand a terminal building at … Continue Reading
March 18, 2009
Durbin Announces More Than $12 Million in Stimulus Funding for Chicago O'Hare Airport
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $12,294,387 in funding to the city of Chicago for O'Hare International Airport. Today's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to rehabilitate an already existing runway at the airport in order to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration's annual runway inspections. "Rehabilitation of this runway at will put … Continue Reading
March 18, 2009
Durbin Announces Over $3.7 Million to Provide Meals to Illinois Seniors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $3,770,526 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide meals to thousands of low-income seniors in need. Today's funding will also assist communities and the national aging services network in restoring nutrition services that have been cut and restoring positions which may have been eliminated or reduced. The funding is distributed as follows: … Continue Reading
March 06, 2009
Durbin Announces Distribution of More Than $83 Million in Byrne Grants for Illinois Communities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the distribution of $83,663,470 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants to seven Illinois communities and the state of Illinois. These funds are part of the $2 billion in funding available nationwide under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Byrne grants are often used by state and local governments for programs dealing with drug prevention and enforcement, law enforcement information sharing, and combating … Continue Reading
March 05, 2009
Durbin Announces More Than $467 Million in DOT Grants for Illinois Transit
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has made $467,537,681 in grants available to the state of Illinois under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today's funding is part of the $7.4 billion in DOT grants for transit projects nationwide. Additionally, Illinois will be eligible to compete for $100 million in grants will be available to public transit agencies nationwide for capital investments to help reduce … Continue Reading
February 11, 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate I know from your state of New York and my state of Illinois what this recession really means. In December the recession really hit my home state of Illinois hard. We lost 1,200 jobs a day in December. 36,000 jobs. And that is a hit that continues, I'm afraid, in the month of January and maybe in the early part of February. The overall unemployment rate for America is 7.6%. 3.6 million jobs lost since the beginning of the recession just … Continue Reading
January 08, 2009
Economic Recovery Plan
Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate. Mr. President, I want to follow on the comments of my friend from New Hampshire, Senator Gregg. Although he and I may disagree on some political issues, and we do, the fact is , many of the things he just said I agree with completely. I think there is a sense among Members of Congress that we are facing an extraordinary set of circumstances in America today. The Presiding Officer, from the State of Michigan, probably has endured more … Continue Reading
April 19, 2007
S. 1172: Hunger Free Communities Act
Mr. President, President Eisenhower once stated, ``Every gun that is made, every warship that is launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in armaments is not spending its money alone: it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.'' In as trying a time as we live in today, his statement cannot ring more true. We are in … Continue Reading
September 28, 2006
S. 3977 Patriot Employers Bill--Providing a Tax Cut to our Best Companies
Mr. President, when companies make headlines today it is often for all the wrong reasons: fraud, tax avoidance, profiteering, etc. Yet many of the companies that are currently providing jobs across America are conscientious corporate citizens that strive to treat their workers fairly even as they seek to create good products that consumers want and to maximize profits for their shareholders. I believe that we should reward such companies for providing good jobs to American workers, and … Continue Reading