After Durbin Raises Concerns About Melatonin in Baked Goods, FDA Declares "Lazy Cakes" Unsafe

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to declare "Lazy Larry" brownies - formerly known as "Lazy Cakes" - unsafe because although the product is marketed as a dietary supplement, it is clearly a conventional food containing the unapproved food additive melatonin. The manufacturer has 15 days to send FDA a response indicating what steps they have taken to correct the violation. Today's announcement comes after Durbi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Agreement to Raise the Debt Ceiling

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement tonight, after an agreement was reached to raise the nation's debt ceiling and avoid a default on our national debt: "Tonight's agreement prevents a default on our nation's debt and will give our economy the certainty it needs as it continues to recover from a historic recession. This deal is not perfect, nor the deal many of us would have made ourselves, but in the end and after we… Continue Reading

Durbin, Conyers, Welch and Others Introduce Bill to Level the Playing Field for Main Street Retailers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After receiving support from the largest online retailer in the United States - Amazon.com Inc - and Illinois-based Sears Roebuck and Co., U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives, John Conyers (D-MI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced a bill to allow local Main Street retailers to compete more effectively against out-of-state internet sellers. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Jack Reed (D- RI) in the Senate and Represen… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cochran Introduce Legislation to Help Organ Transplant Patients

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Scott Brown (R-MA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the quality of life for people with kidney disease. The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act would assist thousands of Americans under the age of 65 who are being cut off from Medicare after 36 months by extending coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients. Also cosponsoring today… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Ask Airlines to Put Consumers First

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In response to rising airline ticket rates following a partial Federal Aviation Administration shutdown, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) have sent a letter to Nicholas Calio, President and CEO of the Air Transport Association, calling into question the fare hikes instituted by many airlines. Congressional authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expired on July 22nd, resulting in the shutdown of certain FAA responsibilities and pause i… Continue Reading

Durbin Asks Senate Committee to Delay Flood Insurance Purchase Requirement for Metro East Residents

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the Senate Banking Committee to include in its bill to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) a provision that would require that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to delay flood insurance purchase requirements for communities - like Metro East, Illinois - already spending significant resources to improve their flood control infrastructure. Recently, the House of Representatives passed its version of … Continue Reading

Durbin: Federal Government Unprepared for Growing Number of Extreme Weather Events

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today chaired a hearing of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee to examine the federal government's preparedness for the economic impact of weather events which are growing in frequency and severity. Traditionally, disaster relief funding has been largely unplanned for - being provided only on an as-need basis rather than through the regular annual funding cycle. After hearing testimony from the Presid… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Funding for Education Programs and Research Initiatives at Illinois Cultural Institutions

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded four Museums for America grants totaling $484,497 to cultural institutions in Illinois. These funds will help allow recipient institutions to better serve their communities by supporting high-priority activities that support their mission and strategic goals. "Illinois is home to many of the nation's finest cultural institutions," said Durbin. "Today's funding … Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Costello, Shimkus: Army Corps to Report Back in One Week on Possibility of Expediting Permit Process

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Congressmen Jerry Costello (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to look into how the approval process for upgrades to the Metro East levees system can be expedited to avoid delays that could drive up project costs. In a meeting earlier today, Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy assured the Illinois members that she would report back within one week with her findings. A … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls for Human Rights Awareness in the Congo at the Holocaust Memorial Museum

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called attention to the human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and what the US can do to reduce the violence and hold perpetrators accountable. The speech was part of the "Voices from the Congo" conference, co-hosted by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience, The National Endowment for Democracy, and the Eastern Congo Initiative, which aids grass-… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Funding for Public-Private Partnership Aimed at Protecting the Great Lakes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) program has awarded a total of $706,350 in grants to three organizations in Illinois. The Sustain Our Great Lakes program works to protect, maintain, and restore the integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem by supporting habitat restoration, protection and enhancement projects, invasive species control, water quality improvements, and watershed planning and management. "We must ensure t… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Funding to Repair Loyola CTA Station and Take Steps Toward Future Red Line Modernization

[CHICAGO, IL] - The Loyola CTA Station will soon see major improvements, ensuring the safety of passengers and pedestrians, as the result of $11 million in federal funding, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said today. Durbin joined local elected officials, representatives of the CTA and Loyola University, and members of the Rogers Park community at the Loyola CTA Station to announce $18.5 million - including $11 million in federal funds - to begin immediate repairs to the dilapidated Loyola CTA Station … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on House Republicans' Decision to Walk Away from Debt Talks with the White House

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement tonight after House Republicans walked away from debt talks with the White House: "Republicans have repeatedly walked away from serious debt talks, insisting the best way to prevent a default of our nation's debt is to protect tax breaks for millionaires and oil companies and balance the budget on the backs of the middle class and the poor. They were wrong before and they are wrong now.… Continue Reading

Durbin Pays Tribute to Doug Aurand, Former Longtime Winnebago County Treasurer, on Senate Floor

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today paid tribute to Harlem Township supervisor and former Winnebago County Board Member and Treasurer, Doug Aurand, who is retiring from public office after four decades of service to the people of Winnebago County, Illinois. "Doug Aurand was born in Dixon, Illinois, hometown of Ronald Reagan, and he was every bit as proud a Democrat as President Reagan was a Republican. But he never allowed his political affiliation to influence the w… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois State Director of USDA Rural Development

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Colleen Callahan, Illinois State Director of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, to discuss Illinois agriculture issues including ethanol and other renewable fuels. Durbin originally recommended Callahan for the post, and she was officially named to the position by President Obama in 2009. "Colleen Callahan hails from Peoria county and has been a respected voice for agriculture in th… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Nominee to be First-ever Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On the one year anniversary of President Obama signing legislation that created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) into law, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, the President's nominee to be the Bureau's first-ever Director. Attorney General Cordray was one of the first senior executives recruited at the CFPB, and currently serves as the head of its enforcement division, where he is tasked wi… Continue Reading

Durbin: Metro East Port District Project to Receive Additional $8.5 Million in Funds

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded an additional $8,500,000 in funding Tri-City Regional Port District for a project to continue construction on a regional multimodal transportation hub in Metro East, Illinois. This award was part of $15,000,000 in Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program funding that was redistributed by the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, earlier today. … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Nearly $430,000 for Firefighter Recruitment in Godfrey, Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded a $429,603 grant to the Godfrey Fire Protection District, in Godfrey, Illinois, for recruitment initiatives aimed at increasing the number of frontline firefighters. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselve… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Approves More Than $146 Million for Military Construction Projects in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate has approved $146,742,000 in federal funding for military construction projects in Illinois. These projects were included in President Obama's FY2012 Budget and supported by Durbin. The Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations Bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs includes funding for the following Illinois projects: Army National Guard Readiness Center, Normal, Illinois. $10,000,000 to construct… Continue Reading

Durbin Seeks Explanation of Ventilation Issues at Union Station

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today asked the President and CEO of Amtrak, Joseph Boardman, for an update on their efforts to improve air quality in and around Union Station and an explanation of how the responsibility to ensure the air ventilation systems are operating properly is shared with private land owners near the station. "Amtrak, as the owner of Union Station, has a responsibility to ensure the air ventilation systems under their control are operating properly and … Continue Reading