Press Releases
Durbin Vows To Fight Reinstatement Of Federal ‘Muslim Database’
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding reports that President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is considering a reinstatement of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program, a post-9/11 program which required travelers to the United States from specified Muslim-majority countries to immediately register with the federal government or face deportation. "Reinstating failed programs that target Arabs and Muslims in our … Continue Reading
November 18, 2016
Durbin Announces $620 Million In Federal Funding For Economic And Community Development
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $620 million in federal funding to spur economic and community development in distressed and low-income communities across Illinois. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), will provide resources for local jobs, community facilities, and safe and affordable housing. "Investing in economic and community development in some of Illinois' hardest hit … Continue Reading
November 17, 2016
Durbin: Gainful Employment Rule Helps Students And Parents Make Smarter College Choices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised the U.S. Department of Education's release of graduate earnings data for thousands of career training programs as part of the Department's implementation of the Gainful Employment rule. The data confirms that public undergraduate certificate programs outperform for-profit certificate programs when it comes to new graduate income. The average earnings of graduates of public certificate programs surpass those of for-profit graduates by … Continue Reading
November 17, 2016
Durbin Collects On Bet With Brown Following Cubs’ Game Seven World Series Win
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Indians) made good on his bet with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Cubs) after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in Game 7. Brown wagered beer from Cleveland's Platform Brewing Company. "The Cleveland Indians proved themselves a great and gutsy ball club with young talent that will keep them competitive for years to come. Ultimately, the heart and grit of the Chicago Cubs carried them through the final three games of the series to bring the … Continue Reading
November 16, 2016
Durbin, Kirk Resolution Honors 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today introduced a resolution in the Senate congratulating the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Dan Coats (R-IN). "In the early morning hours of November 3rd-in the 10th inning of the final game against the resurgent Cleveland Indians-the Chicago Cubs made the final out and won the 2016 World Series. The city of Chicago and baseball fans around the world … Continue Reading
November 16, 2016
Durbin Calls On President-Elect Trump To Protect Dreamers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is calling on President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that his Administration shield the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. In a speech on the floor of the Senate, Durbin appealed to their shared immigrant roots, urging Trump to protect beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants temporary reprieve from deportation to certain young undocumented immigrants. "As a first step in bringing our … Continue Reading
November 15, 2016
Durbin Meets With Democratic Senators-Elect
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Democratic Senators-elect Tammy Duckworth (IL), Maggie Hassan (NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Kamala Harris (CA), and Chris Van Hollen (MD) to congratulate them and discuss their goals for the 115th Congress. "It's an honor to welcome these newly-elected Senators to Washington. They each bring a unique experience in public work and new energy to our efforts to address the issues facing our nation. The arrival of four new women … Continue Reading
November 14, 2016
Durbin Announces $16.8 Million For Rural Development Projects In Illinois
PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson. "This funding will help boost small agricultural … Continue Reading
November 09, 2016
Durbin Statement on Outcome of 2016 Election
CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: I now know the range of human emotions-in six days to go from the heights of the Cubs' victory in the World Series to last night's election. But the bedrock principle of America is that we select our leaders and then come together as a country to find common ground and move forward. I congratulate both Secretary Clinton and President-elect Trump on a hard-fought campaign. While the Administration will change in January, … Continue Reading
November 04, 2016
Durbin Urges U.S. Attorney General To Investigate Unprocessed Absentee Ballot Requests In Rock Island County
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to look into reports that a third party organization failed to deliver more than 1,500 vote-by-mail applications to the Rock Island County Clerk's Office. The ballot requests were discovered in a Rock Island post office box last week after voters began contacting the clerk's office to inquire about the status of their applications. "Voting is, as the Supreme Court has said, a right … Continue Reading
November 02, 2016
Durbin Announces Over $13 Million In Federal Funding To Help Expand Access To Primary Health Care Across Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $13,429,032.80 in federal funding across Illinois to build the state's primary care workforce and support students to reduce their educational debt in exchange for their service in underserved communities. This funding, provided through the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) National Health Service Corps (NHSC), will help remove financial barriers for health professionals interested in practicing a primary care … Continue Reading
November 01, 2016
Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Agricultural Value-Added Producer Grants
PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson. "This funding will help boost small agricultural … Continue Reading
November 01, 2016
Durbin Announces Bill To Strengthen Servicemember Employment And Reemployment Protections
PEORIA-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in introducing legislation to better protect military personnel and veterans from potentially unfair employment disadvantages caused by any extended absence from work while on active duty. Passage of the USERRA Improvement Act, as well as the Justice for Servicemembers Act, are especially critical after a federal court ruled this month that a Navy reservist … Continue Reading
November 01, 2016
Durbin, Senators Have New Questions For Mylan About Epipen Price Hike, Pricing Strategy
PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a group of 17 senators requesting additional information from the CEO of pharmaceutical company Mylan about the recent EpiPen Auto-Injector (EpiPen) price increases and how Mylan's pricing strategy affects consumers, taxpayers, and insurance premiums. The letter follows a previous request for information made in August about the EpiPen price hike. Today's letter was also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), … Continue Reading
October 28, 2016
Durbin: New Borrower Defense Regulations Empower Students To Hold For-Profit Colleges Accountable
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its final "borrower defense" rules to protect students and taxpayers from deceptive and illegal practices in higher education. The final regulations, announced today after a period of public comment, help clarify the process for defrauded students to discharge their loans, and ban schools from requiring students to sign pre-dispute arbitration agreements waiving their … Continue Reading
October 28, 2016
Durbin, Markey Call On DEA, Justice Dept To Explain Reduction Of Enforcement Efforts Against Wholesale Opioid Distributors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) were joined by a group of senators today in sending a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) querying both agencies about enforcement efforts against wholesale opioid distributors that are violating DEA rules intended to prevent legal controlled substances from entering the illicit market. A recent story in the Washington Post ("The DEA slowed enforcement while the opioid … Continue Reading
October 27, 2016
Durbin Announces $2 Million For Head Start In South Eastern Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation $2,068,302 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Christian, Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties. "We know that a child's first years are the most crucial in their brain development. Early Head Start and Head Start programs ensure children have … Continue Reading
October 27, 2016
Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Rural Renewable Energy Development Across Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $490,000 in federal funding across Illinois to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems, and in making energy-efficiency improvements to their operations. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in eight counties: Clinton, Crawford, Douglas, Henry, Jo Daviess, Montgomery, … Continue Reading
October 26, 2016
Durbin, Brown Announce Friendly Wager On The World Series Matchup Between Chicago Cubs And Cleveland Indians
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Cubs) and Sherrod Brown (D-Indians) made a bet today on the outcome of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. If the Cubs win, Brown will bring beer from Cleveland's Platform Brewing Company to Durbin's office. If the Indians prevail, Durbin will deliver beer from Chicago's Goose Island Brewery to Brown's office. "No team in sports has had a more storied journey to a championship series than the Chicago Cubs," said … Continue Reading
October 24, 2016
Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Rural Community Development In North Central Illinois
CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $151,500 in federal funding for the North Central Illinois Council of Governments to support rural community development projects. Today's funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative Grant, will provide assistance to benefit 27 lower-income communities located in six surrounding counties: Bureau, Grundy, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark. This assistance will … Continue Reading