Press Releases
Durbin Announces $9 Million To Improve Airport Safety
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has awarded Illinois airports grants totaling $9,499,326 for safety improvement projects, including runway and taxiway rehabilitation. "These critical funds will help improve safety for travelers flying in and out of our state," said Durbin. "Investing in our airports is key to our state's economic success, and I will continue working … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin Announces $1.7 Million To Combat Violence Against Women
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded Illinois agencies and organizations grants totaling $1,798,279 to prevent, combat, and investigate sexual assault and violence against women. "Today's funding will help ensure that Illinois' organizations and agencies have access to critical funding and resources to assist victims of sexual assault, sex trafficking, and domestic violence," said Durbin. "This important investment … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin Announces $2 Million To Support Law Enforcement Efforts In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,098,785 in federal funding to support law enforcement efforts in Illinois. Today's funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), will help pay for equipment, training, and personnel retention as well as critical services for victims of crime and individuals with drug addiction. "This infusion of federal dollars will strengthen our state's justice system and make Illinois a safer place to live," said Senator … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin Statement On The Death Of Former Israeli President And Prime Minister Shimon Peres
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after learning of the death of Shimon Peres, former Israeli president and prime minister. "Israel has lost one of its true champions. It was my honor to meet Shimon Peres and to be a part of the delegation welcoming him to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. He had a passionate commitment to Israel and to the cause of … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin Meets With Secretary Of Education To Discuss Debt Relief For ITT Tech Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Department of Education Secretary John King, Under Secretary Ted Mitchell, and Chief Enforcement Officer Rob Kaye to discuss the closure of ITT Tech Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech), debt relief options for ITT Tech students, and the future of for-profit colleges. The group was joined by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). During the meeting, Senator Durbin praised the Department for its decision in … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin: Taking In Refugees Not Only The Right Thing To Do, It’s Best For America’s National Security
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today served as ranking member of a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration entitled Oversight of the Administration's FY17 Refugee Resettlement Program. "We are in the midst of the largest refugee crisis in history," said Durbin. "More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. The brutal Syrian conflict, the epicenter of this crisis, has killed hundreds of thousands, injured more than a million, and … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
Durbin, Coons, Democratic Senators Introduce Bill to Limit Use of Solitary Confinement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Al Franken (D-MN) today introduced legislation to reduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) use of solitary confinement and improve conditions for inmates separated from the general prison population. The Solitary Confinement Reform Act limits solitary confinement to the briefest term and under the least restrictive conditions possible, improves access to mental health … Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Durbin Introduces Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have introduced legislation to help Americans burdened by the costs of illness or injury. The Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2016 would make the bankruptcy process more forgiving for those driven to insolvency by health care-related debt or loss of income. "Nobody should ever have to choose between their physical health and their financial health, yet far too many Americans are driven … Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Durbin Calls On EPA To Protect American Families From Toxic Asbestos And Flame Retardants
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to list asbestos and flame retardants among the top priority chemicals it will review under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which reforms the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Signed by President Obama in June, the law gives the EPA new authority to review and regulate chemicals based on the impact they have on the most vulnerable: infants, pregnant … Continue Reading
September 26, 2016
Durbin Announces $9 Million To Combat Violence Against Women
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded Illinois agencies, organizations, and universities grants totaling $9,339,711 to prevent, combat, and investigate sexual assault and violence against women. Today's funding will also support critical victims' services, including counseling and housing assistance. "This investment not only improves our law enforcement's ability to prevent, investigate, and prosecute sexual assault and … Continue Reading
September 26, 2016
Durbin, Senators Demand Answers On Government Use Of Private Prisons
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leading Democratic Senators to press the Obama administration on the use of private prisons and contract facilities by the Department of Homeland Security. The letter comes amid an internal review at DHS regarding its use of private prisons, and the Senators urged DHS to ensure the review was meaningful and genuine. In their letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, the Senators state that "we strongly oppose the use of for-profit prison … Continue Reading
September 23, 2016
Durbin, Warren, Schatz Introduce Bill To Reform College Accreditation And Strengthen Accountability For Students And Taxpayers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act of 2016 (AREAA), which seeks to reduce student debt and protect students and taxpayers by reforming higher education accreditation and strengthening the Department of Education's (ED) ability to hold accreditors accountable. College accreditation is the cornerstone of the nation's higher education quality assurance system, with … Continue Reading
September 23, 2016
Durbin, Leading Democratic Senators Call On Wells Fargo To End Use Of Forced Arbitration To Allow Customers To Seek Justice In Court
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and others to call on Wells Fargo to end the use of forced arbitration clauses that prevent customers whose names were used to open fraudulent accounts from seeking justice in court. Arbitration clauses force consumers to waive their rights to bring a claim in court or to band together in a class action, before any dispute has arisen. These clauses also deny access to the courts even … Continue Reading
September 23, 2016
Durbin Announces $3.7 Million To Address Youth Violence In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded Illinois counties and agencies grants totaling $3,738,028 to address the problem of youth violence in Illinois. These investments will support programs that provide critical intervention services to keep youth from entering the juvenile criminal justice system and prevent juvenile offenders from relapsing into criminal behavior. "Exposure to violence has a profound psychological … Continue Reading
September 22, 2016
Durbin, Wicker Introduce Legislation To Promote Study Abroad
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) today introduced legislation that creates a competitive grant program for colleges and universities to expand study abroad opportunities for American college students and encourage more minority, low-income, and non-traditional students to spend part of their undergraduate experience abroad. The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act seeks to bolster young Americans' foreign language skills and cultural competency. … Continue Reading
September 22, 2016
Durbin Statement On Education Department Termination Of Deadbeat Accreditor
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced its decision to terminate recognition of the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Universities (ACICS). Durbin had called for the Department to terminate ACICS, which accredited now-defunct Corinthian, ITT Tech, and Westwood Colleges. "ACICS repeatedly showed that it was not a reliable authority on educational quality or worthy of its responsibility as a … Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Durbin Joins Group Of 38 Democratic Senators In Call To Protect Women’s Access To Contraceptive Coverage
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a group of 38 Democratic Senators calling on the Obama Administration to protect women's access to affordable birth control under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the senators argue that when Congress passed the ACA it clearly intended to provide contraceptive coverage to women and families, and that the current accommodation policy appropriately guarantees women access to that … Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass Bill To Extend G.I. Housing Benefits For Veterans Affected By Itt Tech Closure
WASHINGTON - In light of the recent closure of ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about the need to pass the Veterans Education Relief and Reinstatement Act (VERRA) to temporarily extend G.I. Bill housing benefits to veterans whose schools abruptly close. The bill could help ITT Tech veterans who lost this critical benefit and now may be in danger of losing their homes due to the closure of ITT Tech. "When it closed … Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Durbin Statement On Devry Decision To Limit Revenue From Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after DeVry University announced it would limit the share of revenue its six colleges derive from federal taxpayers, including tuition assistance provided through the Department of Defense and G.I. Bill benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. "It is breathtaking to say that any for-profit business will 'limit' its federal subsidy to 85% of its revenue, but in the bizarre world of for-profit schools, this … Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Durbin, Chicago Public Schools Announce More Than $1 Million For Mental Health Services
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chicago Public Schools Chief Education Officer Janice K. Jackson announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Chicago Board of Education $1,274,909 to support mental health services for students affected by violence and improve awareness of childhood trauma among educators and school support staff. Under this announcement, Chicago Public Schools will establish the Healing Trauma Together (HTT) program, allowing the district to … Continue Reading