Press Releases
Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Decision To Slash Refugee Resettlement Quota
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Elaine Duke, who confirmed that the Trump Administration has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees in the United States next year. This will bring the number of refugees allowed into the United States to the lowest … Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
Durbin, Franken, King, Polis, Sinema Introduce Bicameral Legislation To Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), and Angus King (I-ME) along with U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO-02) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-09) today introduced bicameral legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. This bill, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would create a competitive grant program to support the creation and expand the use of open … Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
Durbin: Latest GOP Health Care Repeal Bill Creates Problems For Every American Family
WASHINGTON-Following announcements from numerous Republican Senators in opposition to their party's latest effort to repeal health care, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Republican colleagues to drop their partisan attempt to ram through health care repeal. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin urged Congressional Republicans to instead focus on ways to strengthen America's health care system. As the month of September comes to an end, the U.S. Congress … Continue Reading
September 25, 2017
Durbin Statement On The Succeed Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement on new immigration legislation announced today by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and James Lankford (R-OK): I appreciate that my colleagues recognize the need to pass legislation giving a path to citizenship to Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought here as children and grew up in this country-so do 75% of the American people. Unfortunately … Continue Reading
September 25, 2017
Durbin Discusses Latest Disastrous Republican Plan To Repeal Affordable Care Act
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the latest Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the impact it would have on Illinois patients and health care providers. Senate Republicans are rushing to vote on the Cassidy-Graham repeal bill this week - despite the fact that final bill text is still not available, last-minute changes are still being made in secret, and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has not had enough time to provide an analysis … Continue Reading
September 21, 2017
Durbin, Brown, Reed, Blumenthal, Markey, Franken Introduce Legislation To Reduce Youth Tobacco Use, Close Tax Loopholes
WASHINGTON-U.S Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D- IL) and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Al Franken (D-MN) announced the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2017 which would help reduce tobacco use by closing loopholes in the tax code that have long been exploited by the tobacco industry to avoid regulation and taxes for their products. This legislation would apply tax parity across all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. … Continue Reading
September 21, 2017
Durbin Urges MLB To Extend Safety Netting At All Ballparks
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today wrote to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, urging him to push for extended safety netting at all 30 major league ballparks. Full text of Durbin's letter: September 21, 2017 Mr. Rob Manfred Commissioner Major League Baseball 245 Park Avenue New York, New York Dear Commissioner Manfred: The latest tragic incident of a young child struck by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium should be a clarion call to professional … Continue Reading
September 20, 2017
Durbin, Scott, Menendez, Young, Donnelly, Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Children In Federally-Assisted Housing From Lead Exposure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Todd Young (R-IN), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2017, which would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to adopt prevention measures and update its lead regulations to protect children from the risk of lead exposure. Since the enactment of federal lead policies in the 1990's, lead poisoning rates have fallen … Continue Reading
September 20, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $7.2 Million For Community Health Center Across Illinois
WASHINGTON - 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 42 community health centers across Illinois a total of $7,252,595 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program. Community health centers are community-based organizations that improve access to affordable, high-quality health care in underserved urban and rural communities by integrating … Continue Reading
September 20, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Effort To Extend Critical Funding For Community Health Centers Before End Of Month Deadline
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and a bipartisan group of Senators to call for immediate action to extend critical funding for community health centers before funding runs out at the end of this month. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman and Ranking Member, Durbin, Duckworth, and 68 other Senators expressed their strong support for community … Continue Reading
September 20, 2017
Durbin, Merkley, Cartwright, Cohen Introduce Bicameral Bill To Crack Down On Predatory Lending Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) were joined by U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-17) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) in introducing the bicameral Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act, legislation that would eliminate the excessive rates and fees that many consumers are charged for payday loans, car title loans, and other types of credit. Cash-strapped consumers nationwide pay, on average, annual interest rates of 400 percent for … Continue Reading
September 19, 2017
Durbin Creates Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program For Illinois Students Interning in DC
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the establishment of the Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program in honor of his former Chief of Staff who passed away in March due to complications with Parkinson's disease. This scholarship, open to students from Illinois or those studying in Illinois, is an opportunity for the students to receive financial assistance while obtaining a first-hand experience in Senator Durbin's Washington, D.C. office. "Ed knew everybody in Washington by … Continue Reading
September 19, 2017
Durbin: Latest Republican Proposal To Repeal Health Care Creates Problems Instead Of Solving Them
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) rebuked Senate Republicans for attempting to ram through the latest version of their Trumpcare health coverage repeal instead of focusing on ways to fix America's health care system. As the month of September comes to an end, the U.S. Congress must reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health insurance coverage for more than nine million children and pregnant women … Continue Reading
September 18, 2017
Durbin Highlights Contributions Of Military And JROTC Dreamers
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Republican leaders of the Senate and House to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor, highlighting the contributions of Dreamers who are serving in the military and involved in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs. Following the Trump Administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many JROTC cadets and servicemembers who are DACA recipients are at risk of deportation … Continue Reading
September 18, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $200,000 In Federal Funding To Support Health Of Illinois Mothers And Babies
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $200,000 to Northwestern University to support the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC), which works to improve the health of pregnant women, mothers, and infants through perinatal quality improvement initiatives implemented by participating birthing hospitals across Illinois. "Illinois' mothers, children, and … Continue Reading
September 13, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce 188,000 In Federal Funding To Support Safety And Security In Peoria Public Housing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a total of $188,032 to the Peoria Housing Authority. This funding is provided through HUD's Capital Fund Emergency Safety and Security Program, which supports local housing authorities as they address safety and security emergencies including sudden increases in violent or property-related crimes within their public housing … Continue Reading
September 12, 2017
Durbin-Harris Amendment Would Keep Non-Citizen Military Personnel From Discharge Due To Immigration Status
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) today filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to retain military personnel in the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) program until their background screenings are completed. Because of a backlog in the screening process, it is estimated that between 1,000 and 1,800 MAVNI recruits have lost … Continue Reading
September 12, 2017
Durbin: Let's Show The American Dream Is Still Alive By Passing The Dream Act
WASHINGTON-Following the Trump Administration's announcement last week that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor for a vote. During his speech, Durbin shared the story of one Dreamer - Cristina Velasquez, a student at Georgetown University. During her time at Georgetown, Cristina has … Continue Reading
September 12, 2017
Durbin, Franken, Cortez Masto To Equifax: End Use Of Consumer-Harming Forced Arbitration Clauses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) in pushing Equifax-the massive credit bureau that recently made public a data breach affecting 143 million Americans-to completely end its use of forced arbitration agreements, which limit the ability of consumers to pursue justice in a public court of law or challenge widespread corporate wrongdoing. Equifax, one of the three biggest credit bureaus in the … Continue Reading
September 08, 2017
Durbin, Joined by DACA Medical Students, Calls on Congress to Bring Dream Act to Vote
MAYWOOD - Following the Trump Administration's cruel and misguided decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today called on the Republican leaders of the Senate and the House to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor. The Dream Act, which was introduced by Durbin and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), would allow DACA recipients to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin was joined by DACA … Continue Reading