Durbin, 23 Senators Call on Appropriators to Fully Fund the President's $1.9 Billion Request to Fight Zika Outbreak

WASHINGTON -As the outbreak of the Zika virus continues to grow, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined with 23 senators today in calling on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund President Obama's $1.9 billion emergency supplemental request to combat the Zika virus, while simultaneously maintaining the United States' efforts to address other global health priorities, including Ebola. In a letter addressed to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subc… Continue Reading

Legislation to Protect Children in Public Housing from Lead Exposure Introduced in House & Senate

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) joined U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) today in introducing legislation to protect children in affordable housing from lead poisoning. U.S. Representatives Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) are also cosponsoring the House bill. Since the enactment of federal lead policies in the 1990's, lead poisoning rates have fallen dramatically. However, lead poisoning risk c… Continue Reading

Durbin on Supreme Court Obstructionism: How's it Playing in Peoria?

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As Senate Republicans continue to refuse to give any Supreme Court nominee a fair hearing, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked on the United States Senate Floor today, "How is this playing in Peoria, Illinois?" "I want to read from an editorial in the February 28 edition of The Peoria Journal-Star. I quote: 'The most worthless Congress in memory became more so last week with Senate Republicans doubling down on their decision not even to hold hearings for any Obama no… Continue Reading

Senator Meets with Directors of Argonne and Fermilab to Discuss Support for National Labs

[WASHINGTON, DC] - This week, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Dr. Nigel Lockyer, the Director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and Dr. Peter Littlewood, Director of Argonne National Laboratory, to discuss the importance of continued federal funding for scientific research and development programs. "With the support of federal funding, scientific discoveries are changing our world, driving our economy, and giving us the competitive edge that America needs to succeed in the… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with General Everhart, Commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met yesterday with General Carlton Everhart, Commander of the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base. A photo of the meeting is available here. "I am proud to represent Scott Air Force Base and the exceptional servicemen and women who serve there. The work done at Scott Air Force Base is critical for our country's national defense and the region's local economy," Durbin said. "It was a pleasure meeting with General Everhart today. Hi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal Applaud DOT Action to Ban E-Cigarette Use on Airplanes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) applauded the Department of Transportation's announcement that the use of electronic cigarettes on commercial flights will be explicitly banned. "We applaud DOT's efforts to stop this health threat on airplanes once and for all," the Senators said. "Thankfully, fliers will no longer have to worry about the poisons and toxic air emanating from e-cigarettes and whether the airline they fly allows their … Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Stanley Cup on Capitol Hill in Honor of 2015 Champion Chicago Blackhawks

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) hosted the Stanley Cup in his Capitol office today in honor of the 2015 champion Chicago Blackhawks. Durbin was joined by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and a local youth hockey team. Last June, the Chicago Blackhawks captured the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons with a thrilling 4-2 series victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. "It's a privilege to have the Stanley Cup here, made possible by our league champion Chicago Blackhawk… Continue Reading

Durbin: Without Investing in Treatment, We Cannot Turn the Tide of the Opioid Epidemic

[WASHINGTON, DC] - With the Senate debating legislation to combat opioid and heroin abuse, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said on the Senate Floor this morning: "There is no town too small, no suburb too wealthy not to have been touched by heroin overdoses and deaths." The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act - which was passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month and which Senator Durbin is cosponsoring - provides for a community-based response to heroin and… Continue Reading

Durbin: Politics Do Not Trump the Constitution

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the United States Senate Floor today to speak out against Senate Republicans prioritization of politics over their constitutional duties. "Well, it turns out it doesn't take much constitutional study to realize the Constitution applies to election years as well as every other year. There is no reference whatsoever to a presidential campaign year absolving either the President or the Senate from their constitutional obligation," Durbin… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Chicago-Based Abbott Labs to Explain 180 Layoffs, Plan to Outsource Jobs

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Chief Executive Officer Miles White of Abbott Laboratories in Chicago to explain reports that his company plans to lay off 180 workers and replace them with foreign workers. Since 2007, Durbin has repeatedly introduced bipartisan legislation to end the exploitation of the H-1B and L-1 visa programs to displace qualified American workers and offshore American jobs. "I implore you to reconsider this plan and retain these U.S. … Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill to Expand Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Under Medicaid

[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined doctors and substance abuse treatment clients at Haymarket Center to discuss legislation he is introducing this week that will expand access to treatment for vulnerable populations who currently are not receiving the addiction care they need while the heroin and opioid prescription drug abuse epidemic continues to grow. The Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion (Medicaid CARE) Act would modify the Medicaid Institutions for Men… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls for Face-to-Face with VA Secretary to Discuss Ongoing Problems at Hines VA Hospital

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After an independent federal agency issued a report detailing serious deficiencies with the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation into whistleblower allegations of wait times and delays in veterans' access to mental health care at Hines VA Hospital, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked Secretary McDonald to meet personally to discuss steps that may be necessary to provide quality, timely care for veterans and uphold transparency and accountability within the De… Continue Reading

As Senate Begins Debate on Legislation to Combat Opioid & Heroin Abuse, Durbin & King Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Under Medicaid

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - This week, as the Senate prepares to begin debate on legislation to combat opioid and heroin abuse, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced legislation to expand access to substance abuse treatment for vulnerable, underserved populations. The Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion (Medicaid CARE) Act would modify the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) Exclusion policy - a decades-old policy that restricts Medicaid coverage of… Continue Reading

Illinois Delegation Members Call on President to Provide Federal Relief for Communities Impacted by December Storms & Flooding

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today joined by the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation in support of Governor Bruce Rauner's request for federal assistance to help the counties that were hardest-hit following the storms and severe flooding that began on December 23, 2015 and continued through January 13, 2016. Preliminary Damage Assessments have determined that Illinois communities experienced significant uninsured losses and widespread property d… Continue Reading

Durbin: The American People Have Already Spoken to Give President Obama the Authority to Nominate a Supreme Court Justice

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the United States Senate Floor for the third time this week to call on Senate Republicans to uphold their Constitutional obligation to consider the President's nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. "Three years and three months ago the American people chose a President. By a margin of five million votes, Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney for President of the United States. They made their selection. Did they elect President Ob… Continue Reading

Senators to Treasury: Stop Corporate Tax Dodgers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As more and more corporations are announcing intentions to shirk their tax responsibility, seven U.S. Senators today said that more needs to be done to stop corporate tax dodgers. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, they urged the department to expedite rules to limit the use of earnings stripping and other tax avoidance schemes that are often used by foreign-controlled U.S. corporations following an inversion. Senators signing on to today's letter include: U… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cardin Introduce ‘CLEAR Act’ to Ensure Safer Drinking Water for American Communities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) today introduced new legislation, the Copper and Lead Evaluation, Assessment and Reporting Act of 2016 (CLEAR Act), to better protect the American public from being poisoned by its drinking water supplies. The CLEAR Act directs the Environmental Protection Agency to develop new ways to improve the reporting, testing and monitoring of lead and copper levels in America's drinking water, addressing an urgent need brou… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate GOP Refusal to Meet with Supreme Court Nominee a New Low

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the floor of the Senate to call on Senate Republicans to uphold their Constitutional obligation to consider the President's nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. Durbin read a passage from Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution stating that the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint….Judges of the Supreme Court." "For the first time in the history of the… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Army Leadership Prior to Hearing on Army FY2017 Budget Request

[WASHINGTON, DC] - In advance of today's Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Army budget, Vice Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) met yesterday with Acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy and the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark Milley. During the meeting, Acting Army Secretary Murphy, General Milley, and Durbin discussed the long-term future of Illinois' Army installations, including the Rock Island Arsenal. A photo of the meeting is available here. "Last year, t… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls for Accountability & Fairness as STB Considers New Passenger Rail On-Time-Performance Standards

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As the Surface Transportation Board (STB) considers new rulemaking regarding passenger rail on-time performance standards, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Board Chairman Dan Elliot to consider the impact of the rule on Amtrak's quality of service in Illinois and throughout the country. "While there needs to be a clear process of accountability for on-time performance, it is important to get it right," Durbin wrote to Elliot, calling attention to the role of freight… Continue Reading