Durbin Discusses DACA, Legal Aid Services With Illinois Bar Association Leaders

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with representatives of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Foundation, and the Chicago Bar Association to discuss the increasing need for legal aid services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of ensuring adequate funding for the Legal Services Corporation, which helps provide accessible legal aid to tens of thousands of Illinoisans. Durbin also discussed expanding student loan relief programs and Defe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Push Treasury To Ensure Americans Without Broadband Can Receive Economic Impact Payments

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 22 of his Senate colleagues, urged the Department of Treasury to increase its efforts to make Economic Impact Payments available to the most vulnerable populations-including those without access to the internet who cannot file a tax return electronically. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Durbin and the Senators highlighted that at least 21 million Americans are without high-speed internet access and they face a significan… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With West Side United

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with representatives from West Side United to discuss the racial and ethnic disparities in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and solutions for more equitable health care outcomes for communities of color. To begin addressing these disparities, Durbin has called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to begin reporting nationwide demographic data of cases and deaths related to COVID-19 and utilize this data seek soluti… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Response In Illinois With Acting Navy Secretary And Chief Of Naval Personnel

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, spoke with Acting U.S. Navy Secretary James McPherson and Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Admiral John Nowell today to discuss the Navy's COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois, including reports of the spread of COVID-19 at Naval Station Great Lakes in Great Lakes, Illinois. … Continue Reading

Durbin Presses DHS On Reported Sharing Of Confidential DACA Recipient Information

SPRINGFIELD - In light of serious concerns that the Trump Administration is preparing mass deportations of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, wrote to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf urgently seeking more information about the confidentiality of information that DACA recipients have provided to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Se… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With Africa Global Chamber Of Commerce

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Africa Global Chamber of Commerce virtual conference to discuss the racial disparities in health care impacting minority communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking solutions for more equitable health care outcomes for communities of color. During the virtual conference, Durbin also spoke about the barriers minority-owned businesses face in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program. "Our nation has never confronted a challe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Push For Access To Digital Resources For State And Local Governments Managing COVID-19 Crisis

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in leading a letter with 14 of their Senate colleagues urging Congressional leadership to provide additional digital resources for state and local governments managing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on local communities. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-C… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Enviromental Protection And Climate Change With The Nature Conservancy

SPRINGFIELD - Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day tomorrow, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined the members of The Nature Conservancy to discuss conservation, environmental protection, and climate change. Durbin spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the use of outdoor recreation spaces in Illinois, the importance of addressing the backlog in National Park maintenance and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and efforts to combat the effects of climate chang… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact of COVID-19 With Chicago Chapter Of The First Ladies Health Initiative

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined the "Solutions, Not Just Conversations" conference call hosted by the First Ladies Initiative's Chicago Chapter to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on minority communities in Illinois. On the call, Durbin spoke about the racial disparities in health care magnified by this public health crisis and additional support needed for Illinois communities in the next coronavirus relief package. Durbin also discussed the CARES Act and how f… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response & Detection Of PFAS Near Scott Air Force Base With Air Force Chief Of Staff

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today had a call with U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at Scott Air Force Base (AFB), as well as an update on the detection of the two main types of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - PFOS and PFOA - during site inspections at Scott AFB in February. "General Goldfein had high praise for the work being done a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.9 Billion In State And Local COVID-19 Funding For Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $4.9 billion in state and local stabilization funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help offset the significant increased costs that state and local governments are facing from the COVID-19 pandemic. "I'm glad the Senate was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to pass the CARES Act, which amo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Warren, Colleague Urge Senate To Protect COVID-19 Relief Funds From Predatory For-Profit College Industry

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with 15 of their Senate colleagues, today urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), to explicitly direct any additional emergency funding specifically for institutions of higher education to public and private, nonprofit institutions. I… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $108 Million For Illinois Emergency Education Block Grants

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $108,497,757 in federal funding to ensure education continues for students of all ages impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is a flexible emergency block grant designed to enable governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students, schools, posts… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COBRA Assistance And DACA With American Federation Of Teachers President Randi Weingarten

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on teachers and students with Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Durbin discussed his letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) last week urging for the next COVID-19 relief package to include funding to allow people who lose their jobs to remain on their employers' health plans through COBRA. "This crisis has forced tens of millions of Americans to … Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Advocate For Dedicated, Flexible State And Local Government Emergency Funding

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and 32 Senate colleagues, wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to urge for state, local, and tribal governments to receive dedicated, flexible funding in the next COVID-19 emergency funding package. While Illinois has received $4.9 billion for state and local governments to support their COVID-19 pandemic response, state and local governments need m… Continue Reading

Durbin, Harris, Booker, Colleagues Call For Law Enforcement Training To Combat Racial Profiling During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), today sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray calling for racial profiling training for all law enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter comes after reports of African American men being targeted by law enforcement based on the CDC's guidance to wear f… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging Trump Administration To Ensure That Minority-Owned Small Businesses Are Not Shut Out Of Paycheck Protection Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05) in leading Democratic lawmakers in calling for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department to ensure that minority-owned businesses are not shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The lawmakers also called for the Administration to amend guidance on PPP, to… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Press For Robust Federal COBRA Subsidies In The Next COVID-19 Legislation

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) led 17 Senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to ensure that any forthcoming COVID-19 legislation include robust federal subsidies so that individuals who lose their job as a result of this pandemic can maintain their employer-sponsored health coverage. One option for Americans who lose their jobs, or drop below the hours necessary to be eligible for emp… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Press USDA To Provide Financial Relief For Illinois Pork And Beef Producers During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide immediate and direct financial assistance to help family pork and beef producers in Illinois. In a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators said such financial assistance would help with stabilizing cash flow and mitigate marketplace disruptions in the wake of the economic emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the recently enacted Corona… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With FEMA Midwest Region Administrator

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic response in Illinois with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 Administrator James Joseph. Durbin asked about FEMA's progress on the Alternate Care Facility (ACF) at McCormick Place, as well as ensuring Illinoisans have access to much-needed resources including sufficient medical staff, personal protective equipment, sterilizing equipment, pharmacy caches, and additional Intensive Care Units (I… Continue Reading