Durbin Meets with Springfield / Sangamon County Community Partnership

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Springfield / Sangamon County Community Partnership group which included Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin, Illinois Air National Guard Commander Brigadier General Jay Sheedy, members of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, representatives from the Springfield Fire Fighters and several other labor and local governments leaders. They discussed the region's federal priorities and moving forward with their effort to find a new flyin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Gregg, Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Comprehensive Bill to Reform FDA's Food Safety Systems

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) today introduced bipartisan legislation that will dramatically improve the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the safety of the nation's food supply. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act will give the FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation's food safety systems. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Lam… Continue Reading

Reunification of Cyprus

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate. Madam President, in the last few decades we have seen historic changes around the world--the end of apartheid in South Africa, the peaceful collapse of the Soviet Union, the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, a wave of democratization across Eastern Europe and Latin America. My mother's homeland, her land of birth, the country of Lithuania, was once occupied by Nazis and then the Soviets. Today, it is a free, prosperous, democratic … Continue Reading

Durbin: President Obama's Budget Restores Responsibility and Invests in the Future

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget President Obama delivered to Congress today is an important break past policies and responsibly invests in the future of the country. "We've inherited a mess - the result of mistaken policies, misplaced priorities and an era of profound irresponsibility," Durbin said. "This irresponsibility ends right now. The President's budget is up-front and honest about the challenges we face and makes the tough choices necessary to get… Continue Reading

Durbin, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Combat Organized Retail Crime

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced legislation that would crack down on organized retail crime (ORC). The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act confronts the growing problem of organized criminal activity involving stolen and resold retail goods by creating stricter penalties for those found guilty of organized retail crime and by facilitating the identification and prosecution of those who participate in it. "In the midst of the dee… Continue Reading

Durbin: Legislation to Name Rockford Courthouse After Judge Roszkowski Passes Senate

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin announced today's the passage of legislation to name the United States District Courthouse in Rockford, Illinois after Stanley J. Roszkowski, former Federal Judge in the Northern District of Illinois. Roszkowski, who served in combat as a member of a bomber crew in World War II, played an integral role in bringing a new federal courthouse to Rockford. The bill must now pass the House of Representatives. "I am proud that my colleagues have approve… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lowey Introduce Legislation to Address Nationwide Nursing Shortage

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Citing a report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that predicts the United States will face a shortage of more than one million nurses by 2020, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation in the Senate - Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) will introduce companion legislation in the House next week - to address one of the major causes of the nationwide nursing shortage - an insufficient number of nurse educators. Last year, nursing colleges… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Excessive Interest Rates and Fees

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] -U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act today - a bill to eliminate the excessive rates and fees that some consumers are charged for payday loans, car title loans and other types of credit. "Within blocks of my home in Springfield, Illinois, there are payday lenders charging interest rates of two and three hundred percent of the value of the loan," Durbin said. "These excessive rates are often hidden and can ha… Continue Reading

Durbin and Wicker Introduce Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act

Durbin Statement on President Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement following President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress. "Tonight's speech, focused on the important things people care about across America and certainly across Illinois." "President Obama talked about jobs, and that's something we're all worried about. Millions of people have lost their jobs across the country and Congress passed an economic recovery bill that will get people back to work a… Continue Reading

Bill to Name Springfield Post Office After Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. Headed to President's Desk

[WASHINGTON, DC] - The House of Representatives today gave final passage to legislation introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) to name the post office located at 2105 East Cook Street in Springfield after Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. The bill now heads to the President's desk. "Colonel Wilson was a true American hero who served our country during World War II and served my hometown of Springfield for 57 years as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service," said … Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Two Illinois Soldiers for Today's Presidential Address

[WASHINGTON, DC] - TODAY, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) hosted two wounded Illinois soldiers as his guests for the President Barack Obama's Address to a Joint Session of Congress. In what has become an annual tradition, two soldiers who served in Iraq, Sergeant Ralph McCallum II of Springfield, Illinois and Sergeant Rafael Delgado of Chicago, Illinois joined Durbin as his guests at the Joint Session of Congress and the Secretary of the Senate's dinner immediately preceding the President's … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after participating in President Obama's Fiscal Responsibility Summit. Held today at the White House, the summit was the first of a series of bipartisan discussions on how we can address the long-term fiscal problems facing the nation. "Today's summit brought together a diverse and bipartisan group of individuals around a common goal - to look beyond the immediate economic crisis and put our nation on sound f… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a $3 Million DOT Grant for Greater Peoria Regional Airport

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $3,000,000 grant to construct a new terminal facility at Greater Peoria Regional Airport. This grant will fund an essential upgrade of the airport's infrastructure that will support the Peoria Airport Authority's effort to serve travelers safely and efficiently while remaining competitive in the region. The Greater Peoria Regional Airport is a public airport south… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senator Roland Burris

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today on the evolving situation regarding Senator Roland Burris (D-IL): "When we met with Roland Burris in January, we made it clear that in order for him to be seated in the U.S. Senate he needed to meet two requirements - first, that he submit the proper paperwork certifying his appointment, and second, that he appear before the General Assembly's Impeachment Committee to testify openly, honestly and complet… Continue Reading

Durbin to Travel to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey This Week

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) will travel to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey over the President's Day congressional recess. The primary focus of this trip will be the tense political situation in Cyprus. Durbin will depart Saturday, traveling first to Cyprus, then on to Greece and Turkey. Stops in Nicosia, Athens, Ankara and Istanbul are currently planned. Due to security concerns, specific details of the trip will not be released in advance. "For mo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Burris, Illinois Delegation Call on President to Provide Federal Relief for Nine Illinois Counties

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roland Burris (D-IL) were joined by members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today in requesting that President Obama declare nine Illinois counties - Alexander, Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline and Union - federal disaster areas. Members signing on to today's letter include Representatives Jerry Costello (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Debbie Halverson (D-IL), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Ti… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today after the Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - a bipartisan bill that will create good-paying jobs; make investments in America's future; and cut taxes for working families. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law early next week. "In three weeks, this President, working with Congress, was passed landmark legislation to promote economic recovery, create jobs and inves… Continue Reading

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate I know from your state of New York and my state of Illinois what this recession really means. In December the recession really hit my home state of Illinois hard. We lost 1,200 jobs a day in December. 36,000 jobs. And that is a hit that continues, I'm afraid, in the month of January and maybe in the early part of February. The overall unemployment rate for America is 7.6%. 3.6 million jobs lost since the beginning of the recession just several … Continue Reading

Economic Recovery Plan

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate. Mr. President, I want to follow on the comments of my friend from New Hampshire, Senator Gregg. Although he and I may disagree on some political issues, and we do, the fact is , many of the things he just said I agree with completely. I think there is a sense among Members of Congress that we are facing an extraordinary set of circumstances in America today. The Presiding Officer, from the State of Michigan, probably has endured more economic … Continue Reading