Durbin Statement Following Senate Hearing on Student Loans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today submitted a statement for a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on the federal student loan program and the growing student loan debt crisis which has, for the first time in history, surpassed the total amount of credit card debt in America. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, this growing pile of debt threatens current and future economic growth. Before 2009, young people with stude… Continue Reading

Durbin to Introduce Legislation to Coordinate Oversight of For-Profit Colleges

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a speech on the floor of the Senate today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that, next week, he will be joining with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, to introduce legislation that will ensure that federal agencies are working together to oversee the for-profit college industry. According to Durbin, for-profit colleges are part of the problem when it comes to the growing student loan de… Continue Reading

Durbin and Silicon Valley Leaders Meet to Discuss Support for American Innovation & Discovery

[WASHINGTON, DC] Today, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin met with members of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, including Mountain View, California Mayor Chris Clark, to discuss efforts to maintain America's global leadership and economic competitiveness through scientific research. Earlier this month, Durbin introduced the American Cures Act, which would support the future of scientific research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Depart… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Statement on BP Whiting Refinery Oil Spill into Lake Michigan

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today released the following statement after learning that an unknown amount of oil from BP's Whiting refinery in Indiana spilled into Lake Michigan. Earlier today, Durbin spoke with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy and EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman about the spill. "We cannot be too careful when it comes to protecting the health and safety of Lake Michigan which … Continue Reading

Senators: FDA Must Regulate E-Cigarettes and Other Nicotine Delivery Products

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In light of mounting evidence that the emerging market of new nicotine delivery products poses serious public health and consumer protection issues, six U.S. Senators today called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move quickly to regulate the rapidly evolving market of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products saying: "It's time for the FDA to stop the sale of these candy-flavored poisons to our children." U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ba… Continue Reading

Gen. Mark Welsh Visits Scott Air Force Base

[SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE] - U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh today visited Scott Air Force Base with members of Illinois' Congressional Delegation to discuss Scott's importance to our nation's military and meet with leaders of the surrounding community to hear about the strong local support for the base. Gen. Welsh agreed to visit Scott at the invitation of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees discretionary spending for our n… Continue Reading

Bipartisan Group of Senators Call for International Monitors in Ukraine

Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan group of Senators, led by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), today sent a letter to the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, urging the international body to immediately deploy civilian monitors to eastern and southern Ukraine as the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jeff Flake (R… Continue Reading

Durbin, Foster Applaud Opening of Argonne Energy Sciences Building

[ARGONNE] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today attended the dedication ceremony for Argonne National Laboratory's new Energy Sciences Building. Construction on the $95 million building was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Science Laboratories Infrastructure Program. The facility is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building. "With its caliber of work, quality of people and boldness of mission, Argonne … Continue Reading

Durbin to CIA: Respect Separation of Powers and Declassify Torture Report

Washington, D.C. - In a strongly worded letter to CIA Director John Brennan, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the CIA to support declassifying a report on its controversial detention and interrogation program. Durbin's letter follows the highly questionable and possibly unconstitutional search of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence computers by the CIA which was revealed this week. "I write to express my grave concerns about the CIA's actions with respect to t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Quinn, Emanuel Announce More Than $128 Million in HUD Disaster Recovery Funding for Chicago Area

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) has awarded a total of $128,300,000 in funding through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program to communities in the Chicago area for recovery efforts following severe storms and flooding that began on April 18, 2013. This funding was made available through the FY2013 Sandy Supplementa… Continue Reading

Durbin Travels to Ukraine

[Washington, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) is on two-day trip to Ukraine where he will hold high-level meetings on regional political dynamics and security issues. The delegation, led by Senator Durbin and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), will also include Senators Murphy (D-CT), Flake (R-AZ), Whitehouse (D-RI), Barrasso (R-WY), Hoeven (R-ND) and Johnson (R-WI). Durbin will travel to Kiev, for meetings with the interim Ukrainian government, including Acting President Turchyn… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Chicagoan Bruce Heyman As New U.S. Ambassador to Canada

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statements today after the Senate confirmed Bruce Heyman of Chicago, Illinois to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Canada. The Senate unanimously approved his nomination. "I was proud to support Bruce Heyman's confirmation to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Canada, and I am pleased that my colleagues in the Senate unanimously agree." "Bruce's broad experience in international business and global affairs will prepare h… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Springfield and Sangamon County Officials to Discuss Regional Priorities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Springfield and Sangamon County Community Partnership to discuss local priorities including economic development and transportation improvements. A photo of today's meeting is available here. "I want to thank the Springfield and Sangamon County Community Partnership for their work to improve the community around them and spur local job creation," Durbin said. "I will continue to look for opportunities in Washingt… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces the American Cures Act

[WASHINGTON, DC] With a decline in federal biomedical research threatening our standing as a leader in discovery and innovation and our global competitiveness, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the American Cures Act, to support the future of research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defense Health Program (DHP), and the Veterans Medical & Prosthetics Research Program. "In the last two centuri… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces The America Cures Act

[WASHINGTON, DC] With a decline in federal biomedical research threatening our standing as a leader in discovery and innovation and our global competitiveness, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the American Cures Act, to support the future of research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defense Health Program (DHP), and the Veterans Medical & Prosthetics Research Program. "In the last two centuries,… Continue Reading

In Letter to President Obama, Durbin, Five Other Senators, Urge Administration to Finalize Regulations for Tobacco Products

[WASHINGTON, DC] - In a letter to President Obama, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) - joined by U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) - urged the Administration to review and finalize regulations for tobacco products, which may include e-cigarettes and e-hookahs, without further delay. By Executive Order, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has 90 days to complete review of regu… Continue Reading

Inspector General Report on Campus Debit Card Use Confirms Need to Better Protect Students

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative George Miller (D-CA) today said that a Department of Education Inspector General (IG) report they requested in 2012 recommends that the Department of Education should take action to better ensure that student interests are protected when colleges and universities use third-party servicers - such as Higher One and Sallie Mae - to deliver Title IV student financial aid dollars to students. "The Inspector General has e… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Springfield's Tom Lamont Named to Commission on Military Monuments

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today congratulated Springfield native Tom Lamont, the former Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs within the Department of the Army, on his appointment to the American Battle Monuments Commission. The Commission is responsible for honoring American armed forces where they have served and for controlling the construction of military monuments and markers on foreign soil by others. "I had no doubt that when Tom Lamont retired as Assistant Secre… Continue Reading

Illinois Congressional Delegation Announces $3.4 Million In FY2014 Funding to Fix Metro East Levee

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today announced that the Army Corps of Engineers will allocate $3.4 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 funding to fix the portions of the Wood River Levee that have been negatively impacted by a design deficiency in the construction of the Melvin Price Dam. The funding was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 that was signed into law by President Obama in January. As part of his FY 2015 Budget which was deliv… Continue Reading

Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Resolution Condemning Russian Aggression in Ukraine

A bipartisan group of Senators, led by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), introduced a resolution today condemning the Russian military siege of Crimea, calling for a withdrawal of those troops, and a negotiated settlement to any concerns regarding the Crimea. It also urges the administration and European Union to use a range of economic and diplomatic leverage against Russia should it fail to abide by these basic economic norms. "Russia must immediately … Continue Reading