Durbin Expected to Visit Southern Illinois on Wednesday to Survey Flood Control Efforts

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is planning to visit Southern Illinois on Wednesday to consult with federal, state, and local officials on their ongoing flood preparation and control efforts. Earlier today, Durbin was briefed by federal and state officials on the threat of severe flooding due to heavy rainfall over the last few weeks which has caused waters levels to rise dramatically along the Ohio, Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. "I commend Governor Quinn for quickly… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More Than $65,000 FEMA Grant to East Moline Firefighters

[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 $66,600 in a grant for operations and safety to the East Moline Fire Department. The East Moline Fire Department, lead by Chief Robert G. DeFrance, has three stations throughout East Moline. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Illinois Delegations: High Speed Rail Funding Will Have Greatest Impact in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in expressing support for Illinois' application for the federal funding for high speed rail projects that was rejected by the Governor of Florida. In their letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, the members stressed the importance of the Chicago to St. Louis route as the backbone of the Midwest passenger rail system. "We believe Illinois offers t… Continue Reading

Durbin Travels to China

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) has arrived in Hong Kong as part of a week-long, senior Senate Delegation visiting China. Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, is part of a ten-member, bipartisan trip lead by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Other members of the Delegation include Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR… Continue Reading

Durbin Autism Awareness Month, Durbin, Casey, Menendez, Lautenberg, Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Establish a National Autism Strategy

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - During a month set aside to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced legislation that would create a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of families affected by autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Services and Workforce Acceleration Act authorizes federal funding for a wide range of service, tre… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Bureau of Prisons Director to Discuss Thomson Funding

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, Harley Lappin, to urge him to identify funding for the acquisition of Thomson Correctional Center in Carroll County, Illinois, in order to open it as a federal maximum security prison. The FY2011 budget agreement that passed Congress late yesterday provided the Bureau with the funds necessary to operate for the remainder of the fiscal year. "Director Lappin assured me that the Bureau… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces more than $200,000 in Public Broadcasting Grants to Illinois Stations

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded three grants totaling in $206,861 to local Illinois public radio stations for digital conversion. "In my State of Illinois, 1 million people listen to our 14 public radio stations each week and 3 million people each month tune into our 8 public television stations," Durbin said. "With the momentous changes occurring in the world, and the major challenges facing … Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Legislation to Reduce Medicare Fraud

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to crack down on Medicare fraud by increasing the access to information that will allow for better oversight and accountability of the program. The Medicare Spending Transparency Act would make summary level Medicare data publicly available and enhance the ability of qualified outside organizations to access more detailed data. "Every year, between $30 and $60 billion in Medicare spending is wasted on fraud an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Reid, 20 Senate Democrats Write Obama on Current Situation of DREAM Act Students

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and a group of 20 Democratic senators today sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to establish a rigorous, consistent and orderly process for handling requests for stays of deportation from young people who would qualify for the DREAM Act if it were to become law. The Obama administration, like the Bush administration before it, has granted "deferred action" to som… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congressional Budget Agreement Will Help Fermilab and Argonne Continue Research and Avoid Major Layoffs

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the agreement reached on the FY2011 budget will help both Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory continue important research and avoid the major layoffs that the House Republican Budget (H.R.1) would have required. The agreement, expected to be voted on in the House and Senate later this week, funds the Office of Science at $4.884 billion which is $866 million above the level in H.R.1."This is good news for Fermilab, Arg… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More Than $285,000 FEMA Grant to Pembroke Firefighters

[WASHINGTON, DC] - 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 $286,380 grant to the Pembroke Fire Protection District, in Pembroke Township, 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 … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a $37,000 FEMA Grant to Sauk Village Fire Department

[WASHINGTON, DC] - 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 $37,766 grant to the Sauk Village Fire Department, in Sauk Village, 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 themselves … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the President's Deficit Reduction Speech

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the President's fiscal commission, released the following statement today in response to the President's speech on deficit reduction: "Our bipartisan group of six Senators continues to work for a comprehensive solution to our nation's debt. The President's speech makes it clear that he is committed to the same goal."… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Costello, Shimkus: Restarting Surgeries at Marion VA is Good News for Southern Illinois Veterans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined Representatives Jerry Costello (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) today in saying that the announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that inpatient surgeries at the Marion VA Medical Center in (VAMC) are restarting is good news for veterans in Southern Illinois. In a letter to the Illinois Members, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki expressed confidence that all necessary reviews to ensure safety and quality o… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Polis, Paulsen Introduce Bill to Expand Successful Charter Schools

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) joined Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN) today to introduce legislation that would expand the Charter School Program at the Department of Education (DOE) making the expansion and replication of successful charter school models eligible for federal funding. The bill - the All Students Achieving through Reform (All-STAR) Act - also takes several steps to strengthen public charter school accountabil… Continue Reading

Durbin: $400 Million in Illinois Transportation Funding Protected in Budget Agreement

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the agreement reached on funding the government through the end of FY2011 protects nearly $400 million in federal funding for eight transportation projects in Illinois that were targeted for rescission in the House Republican's FY2011 Budget plan (H.R.1). For over a month, Durbin has been travelling the state to draw attention to the negative impact these rescission would have on Illinois jobs and economic development. … Continue Reading

Durbin Holds Hearing on Fair Elections Now Act

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a hearing today on his Fair Elections Now Act, a bill that will dramatically change the way we finance Congressional elections. Under the new law, qualified, legitimate candidates will receive grants, matching funds, and television vouchers to run competitive campaigns based on small dollar donors, not special interest money from lobbyists and corporations. Today's hearing was held before the Senate Judiciary Commit… Continue Reading

Letter to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Regarding Interchange Fees

TO: Jamie Dimon, Chief Executive Officer and President JPMorgan Chase & Co. 270 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Dear Mr. Dimon: In your recent annual letter to your company's shareholders, you wrote a lengthy and dismissive critique of the debit interchange fee reform legislation that I drafted and that Congress enacted last year. You have also been quoted describing my amendment as "counterproductive," "price fixing at its worst," and "downright idiotic." I am compelled t… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Postponement of International Hockey Tournament Over Concerns About Belarusian Human Rights Record

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Peter Stastny, National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Member of European Parliament sent a letter to the International Ice Hockey Federation today, urging them to postpone the 2014 Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk, Belarus over human rights concerns. "We write to urge the International Ice Hockey Federation to suspend its 2014 Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk, Belarus until that co… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Budget Agreement

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on funding the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year:"With an hour to spare, we have reached an agreement to avert a government shutdown. This agreement is the largest budget cut in our nation's history and it still preserves the investments needed to help our economy continue to recover. While these cuts will be painf… Continue Reading