Durbin: Legislation to Address Quality of Care for Nation's Veterans Approved by Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that legislation to provide essential support services to family caregivers of severely disabled veterans was unanimously approved by Congress. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 includes a Durbin-authored provision aims to improve quality control measures at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical facilities by creating a new national quality assurance officer position. This will … Continue Reading

Durbin: Reform Bill Empowers Consumers Against Excesses of Wall Street

[CHICAGO, IL] - A bill to bring accountability to Wall Street will give American consumers the strongest consumer financial protections against abusive lending practices in history, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The measure, set to be debated next week in the Senate, also includes strict new regulations to stop Wall Street from gambling America's financial security. The Wall Street reform bill would create a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, housed in the … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $2.65 Million in Grant Funding to Clean and Redevelop Contaminated Illinois Sites

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded 8 grants totaling $2,650,000 to Illinois communities to assess, clean, and redevelop "brownfield" contaminated waste sites. Today's funding is part of $78.9 million awarded nationwide by the EPA. The grants target local, under-served and economically disadvantaged areas. Since 1995, the EPA has awarded more than 2,500 grants totaling nearly $… Continue Reading

Durbin: White House Nominates Chang to Fill Federal Judgeship in Northern District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that President Obama has nominated Edmond Chang for a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois. Chang is the third individual to be nominated to fill one of five pending vacancies in the Northern District. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the President's first two nominations: Sharon Coleman and Gary Feinerman. Those nominations will now pro… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $25 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Energy Efficient Buildings in Chicago

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) will receive $25 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today's funding is part of $452 million announced by the Department of Energy for 25 projects nationwide. CMAP will use the funding to retrofit commercial buildings for increased energy efficiency in downtown Chicago and provide a range of financing and … Continue Reading

Durbin, Bean: While Canadian National Continues to Ignore Safety Rules Surface Transportation Board Should Respond Decisively

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Melissa Bean (D-IL) today urged the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to consider exercise its statutory authority on Canadian National (CN) after hearing of the company's dangerous underreporting of more than 1,400 blocked crossings. "CN should not be allowed to under report the true impact of its operations at roadway crossings," the Illinois members wrote. "Community officials and fi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lugar Ask Secretary Napolitano to Stop Deportations of Dream Act Students

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today, asking her to halt deportations of immigrant students who could earn legal status under legislation they have introduced called the DREAM Act (S.729). The DREAM Act is a narrowly tailored, bipartisan measure which would permit undocumented students to become permanent legal residents if they came here as child… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Decision to Appoint Andrew Velasquez as FEMA Regional Administrator

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded President Obama's decision to appoint Andrew Velasquez as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Regional Administrator for Region 5. Velasquez has been the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) since March 2007. As Region 5 Administrator, he will coordinate FEMA's preparedness, mitigation and disaster response and recovery activities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and W… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cohen Along With Others Introduce Legislation to Restore Fairness in Student Lending

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Al Franken (D-MN) today joined U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Danny Davis (D-IL) to introduce legislation in both the Senate and the House that will restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans in bankruptcy the same as other types of private debt. Before changes were made to the bankruptcy code in 2005, only government issued or guaranteed student loans were prote… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Federal Judicial Nominees in Northern District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member, has unanimously approved the first two individuals to fill five pending vacancies on the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois: Sharon Coleman and Gary Feinerman. Both nominations will now proceed to a vote by the full Senate. "Sharon Coleman and Gary Feinerman will each bring a great depth of experience and legal ability to the bench,"… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Nearly $1.1 Million in FEMA Grants to Illinois Fire Departments and Ambulance Services

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded 14 grants totaling $1,084,370 to fire departments and ambulance services throughout Illinois for operations and safety. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we must ensure that they are… Continue Reading

Durbin Resolution Expressing Sympathy to the Polish People Passes Senate

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A resolution expressing sympathy to the people of Poland over the death of president, Lech Kaczynski, unanimously passed the Senate today, one day after it was offered by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL). The resolution marks the tragic death of President Kaczynski, his wife, and 94 others who were killed in a plane crash on Saturday. The resolution passed after the Senate held a brief moment of silence in honor of the Polish President. Polish Amb… Continue Reading

Durbin Chairs Hearing on CPSC Budget

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today chaired a hearing on the FY11 budget request for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and to review the steps it has taken to improve product safety after years of high-profile product recall. "In just a few short years, the CPSC has gone from a watchdog agency with no bite to being a robust, proactive agency with greater enforcement powers and more frontline inspectors," Durbin said. "The dramatic… Continue Reading

Durbin: White House Nominates McPherson to be U.S. Marshal in Illinois' Northern District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that President Obama has nominated Darryl McPherson to serve as U.S. Marshal in the Northern District of Illinois. "Over the length of his career, Darryl McPherson has shown a unique dedication to giving back to communities in and around Chicago," said Durbin. "I am confident that he will bring a great deal of knowledge and experience from his many years of service to the position of U.S. Marshal in the Northern Dist… Continue Reading

Durbin: White House Nominates Wigginton to be U.S. Attorney in Illinois' Southern District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that President Obama has nominated Stephen Wigginton to serve as U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Illinois. "With over twenty years of civil and criminal legal experience, Stephen Wigginton has been a leader in the Southern Illinois community," said Durbin. "I was honored to recommend his name to President Obama, and am confident that he will bring a strong work ethic and great depth of knowledge to the posi… Continue Reading

Durbin: Fish and Wildlife Service Report No Carp Found Above Barrier

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reported that three months of analysis by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has yielded no new evidence that Asian carp have bypassed the electric barrier in the Chicago Ship and Sanity Canal. In a meeting with Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Regional Midwest Director Charlie Wooley, Durbin learned that the agency will continue working through the summer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDN… Continue Reading

Durbin, Quigley Introduce Resolution Expressing Sympathy to Polish People on Death of President

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) today introduced identical resolutions in both the Senate and House of Representatives expressing sympathy to the people of Poland over the death of president, Lech Kaczynski, and 95 others who were killed in a plane crash. "I extend my deepest sympathies to the people of Poland for their profound loss," Durbin said. "The people of Poland turn to their faith in times of trial and that faith has… Continue Reading

Durbin Pushes for Overhaul of Nation's Food Safety Laws

[CHICAGO, IL] - The ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect the safety of the nation's food supply for American families will dramatically improve if Congress passes the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Durbin's legislation, which has bi-partisan support, would give the FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation's food safety systems. "We've seen major recalls of peanut butter spiked w… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Passing of Poland's President

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of 97 people including the President and First Lady of Poland, Lech and Maria Kaczynski. Earlier this afternoon, Durbin visited the Polish Consulate in Chicago to sign the book of condolence. "I want to express my deepest sympathies to the people of Poland for their profound loss. The pain of this sad moment is felt especially in Chicago where so many Poli… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Regarding the Retirement of Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement regarding the upcoming retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens."Justice John Paul Stevens, a native Chicagoan, is widely seen as one of the wisest and most accomplished jurists of our time. The fourth-longest-serving Justice in U.S. history, Justice Stevens' judicial philosophy may be hard to label but his integrity is rock solid. A lifetime in the law and the courage… Continue Reading