Press Releases
Senators Ask DHS Nominee To Clarify Stance On DACA, The Dream Act, & TPS
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate's Immigration Subcommittee, and 19 senators today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kirstjen Nielsen, calling on her to answer several immigration related questions prior to consideration of her nomination by the full Senate. During her confirmation hearing, when asked whether she agrees that legislation must be passed to protect Dreamers by the end of this calendar year, Nielsen … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin Introduces Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced new legislation to address the growing threat of white supremacist groups and other violent domestic extremists. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess those threats and provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing these … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin Statement On House Passage Of GOP Tax Plan
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Republican tax bill that will finance massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of middle-income families and eliminating vital tax breaks for people in Illinois. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill will, on average, increase taxes on every individual making less than $75,000. This … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Press Rauner To Weigh In On GOP Tax Plans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to publically weigh-in on the Republican tax plans in the House and Senate and how these plans would impact Illinois families. Both the House and Senate bills would finance massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of middle-income families and eliminating vital tax breaks for people in Illinois. "Given how quickly … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin Statement On Senator Franken
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: There is never an excuse for this behavior-ever. What Senator Franken did was wrong, and it should be referred to the Ethics Committee for … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Durbin: New Legislation Will Require Disclosure Of Drug Prices In Advertising
Drug Advertising Steers Patients Toward Expensive Drugs, Drives Up Health Care Costs Drug Industry Spent More Than $100 Million in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for Each of the Top 16 Brand-Name Prescription Drugs in 2015 WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today previewed new legislation, which will be introduced this week, that will empower patients and promote transparency by requiring the pharmaceutical industry to provide more … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Impartial Investigation Into Potential Quid Pro Quo Between Chairman Ajit Pai, Trump Administration, And Sinclair Broadcasting
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined 12 of their Senate colleagues to request the inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) open and investigation into the objectivity and impartiality of the FCC's review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media. "We have strong concerns that the FCC's ongoing review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media may be gained by a series of … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Durbin Urges Trump's Task Force On Apprenticeship Expansion To Prioritize Opportunities For At-Risk Youth
WASHINGTON - During National Apprenticeship Week, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed President Trump's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion to identify programs and policies that will help ensure our nation's most at-risk youth have access to pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship opportunities. In a letter to Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, Chair of the President's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, Durbin urged him to prioritize identifying strategies to … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Durbin Statement On New GOP Tax Plan That Strips Health Care From 13 Million Americans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the latest version of the Senate Republican tax plan, which now repeals the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will strip health insurance from 13 million Americans: Republicans now want to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by taking health care away from 13 million Americans. Tax breaks for the wealthy, higher taxes on working … Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Durbin Meets With Chicago Rockford International Airport Director, Discusses Continued Federal Investment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Mike Dunn, director of the Chicago Rockford International Airport Authority to discuss continued expansion of cargo operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport, which is creating thousands of local jobs. "Northern Illinois' economic growth depends on our airports, and Chicago Rockford International Airport is no exception. Thanks to continued federal investment, the ongoing cargo expansion and upgrades at RFD are creating … Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Durbin, Warren Release Report Highlighting Secretary DeVos' Failure To Cancel Student Loans Of Nearly 90,000 Defrauded Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today released a report - "Insult to Injury: How the DeVos Department of Education is Failing Defrauded Students" - detailing how the Department of Education (ED) and Secretary Betsy DeVos have failed tens of thousands of Americans by refusing to cancel the loans of students who were defrauded by predatory colleges. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Sens. Durbin and Warren, along with 13 of their Senate colleagues, … Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Durbin: GOP Tax Plan Will Increase Taxes For Middle-Income Americans & Create $1.5 Trillion Deficit Hole
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today blasted Senate Republicans for ramming through their partisan tax plan, which would hurt working families in Illinois and across the country. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin explained that at the heart of the Republican playbook for how to bankroll massive tax cuts for the wealthy few and the largest corporations is the elimination of three vital tax breaks for working families in this country. The House Republican … Continue Reading
November 13, 2017
Durbin Warns Against FCC Efforts To Rollback Media Ownership Rules
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke out against the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) efforts to rollback media ownership rules that prevent one company from owning or controlling multiple broadcast stations within a single local media market. Ownership limits were originally created to prevent large companies from having excessive influence in local media markets by protecting local broadcast stations from being controlled by major national networks. If these … Continue Reading
November 13, 2017
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Make The VA Smoke-Free
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Patty Murray (D-WA), announced legislation to prohibit smoking at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would repeal an antiquated 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas. Supported by the Department of Veterans … Continue Reading
November 13, 2017
Durbin: GOP Tax Plans Benefit the Wealthy on Backs of Middle-Income Families
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted how the tax proposals introduced by Republicans in the House and Senate would eliminate numerous deductions and tax benefits used by middle-income families to reduce their tax bills. Along with eliminating the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which is used by roughly 1/3 of Illinoisans, Republicans in Congress are also proposing to eliminate deductions for medical expenses and student loan interest - all to give massive cuts to … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Durbin Statement On Confirmation Of John Lausch For U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of John R. Lausch to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "With all the partisanship and division in Washington, it's critical that Chicago's U.S. Attorney be a non-partisan professional-I believe Mr. Lausch is the right person for the job. Senator Duckworth and I were glad to work with the White House on Mr. Lausch's nomination and I'm … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Durbin, Senators Reintroduce Military And Veterans Education Protection Act With Groundbreaking Support From Veterans Service Organizations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Jon Tester (D-MT) today to reintroduce the Military and Veterans Education Protection Act, legislation that would close a loophole that allows for-profit schools to avoid having to secure at least 10 percent of their revenue from non-federal sources. "This bill is one of many commonsense reforms we need to bring greater accountability to a for-profit industry that … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Durbin Statement On Zenith Education Campus Closures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after learning that Education Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Group's Zenith Education will close all but three of the remaining campuses of the collapsed for-profit chain, Corinthian Colleges. In 2015, ECMC Group spent $24 million for 56 Everest and WyoTech campuses and online programs - which accounted for 40,000 students - that were on the verge of immediate closure by the predatory Corinthian … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Lawmakers Call For Reversal Of Administration Decision To Expose Thousands To Dangerous Deportations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Immigration Subcommittee, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) today led a letter from 58 members of the Senate and House, calling on the Trump Administration to reverse its recent decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Nicaragua and Sudan, which will remove their legal protection, tear families apart, and expose them to potential … Continue Reading
November 08, 2017
Durbin, Schatz, Degette Reintroduce Legislation To Raise Smoking Age To 21
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO-01) reintroduced the Tobacco to 21 Act, bicameral legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. Five states, the District of Columbia, and more than 200 localities in an additional 13 states have raised the minimum tobacco age of sale to 21 - including Chicago, Lake County, and ten other localities in Illinois. Studies have shown that … Continue Reading