Durbin, Grassley Introduce Legislation to Reform H-1B Visa Program

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act - narrowly-tailored bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B and L-1 guest-worker programs to prevent abuse and fraud and to protect American workers. "The H-1B visa program should complement the U.S. workforce, not replace it," Durbin said. "Congress created the H-1B visa program so an employer could hire a foreign guest-worker… Continue Reading

Durbin Nominates Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Muhammed Yunus for Congressional Gold Medal

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) today nominated Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus for a Congressional Gold Medal. Dr. Yunus, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, is recognized as a leading figure in the effort to fight poverty and promote economic and social opportunity. Through his Grameen Bank, he pioneered the microcredit movement and helped people around the world break out of poverty. "Dr. Muhammad Yunus believes o… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Confirms Duckworth for VA Position

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the Senate approval of Tammy Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. "President Obama and America's veterans now have Tammy Duckworth as their advocate and champion," said Durbin. "I know Tammy will bring the same level of commitment to the VA that she has shown in fighting for her country and representing Illinois veterans." … Continue Reading

Illinois to Receive More Than $100 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Unemployment Insurance Modernization

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced Illinois will receive $100,383,562 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for unemployment insurance modernization. The funds will allow the Illinois Department of Employment Security to pay unemployment benefits and to deliver employment services. "Recent job loss numbers underscore how urgently unemployment benefits are needed," Durbin said. "Putting money in the hands of unemployed families… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Illinois Approved for $1.4 Billion in Recovery Act Education Funding

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that $1.4 billion in Recovery Act funding is now available for Illinois to use to fill shortfalls in the state's education budget and to improve educational outcomes for Illinois students. "Investing in our children's future is an investment in our nation's future," said Durbin. "At a time when states face difficult choices about filling increasing budget gaps, today's funding will increase access to edu… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $49.4 Million in Recovery Act Funding for EJ&E Bridge

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $49.4 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E) Bridge on the Illinois River near Morris, Illinois. On March 12, 2009, Durbin sent a letter to the Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard requesting that the EJ&E Bridge reconstruction project be considered for Recovery Act fundi… Continue Reading

Durbin: Midwest is Well Positioned to Utilize High Speed Rail Funding in President's Plan

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood for identifying the Chicago Hub Network as a potential recipient of federal funding under their new vision for high speed rail in America. Their strategic plan identifies $8 billion available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high speed rail and an additional $1 billion per year for five years out… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Millions in Recovery Act Funding for Hazardous Waste Cleanup

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $10-25 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for hazardous waste clean-up at the Outboard Marine Corporation site located in the Waukegan Harbor area of the city of Waukegan. The funding, part of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement of $600 million for the cleanup of Superfund sites across the nation, will be used for the demolition … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $6.3 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Greater Peoria Regional Airport

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $6.3 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to construct a new terminal facility at Greater Peoria Regional Airport. "Construction of a new terminal facility will put Illinoisans to work immediately on a project that will contribute to the long term ability of the Peoria Airport to serve travelers safely and efficien… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $650,000 in Recovery Act Funding for Impact Aid in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $654,425 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the repair and modernization of two Illinois school districts. Today's funding is part of an announcement by the Department of Education making $39.6 million in Impact Aid Construction grants available nationwide for communities with military bases, Indian reservations and other federal property that do not generate local tax revenues… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $82 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Children's Health Programs

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $82,238,025 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for crucial health and human services programs that help to provide care for children and prevent disease. Today's funding is part of a $2.3 billion nationwide announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services to support child care for working families and ensure that more underserved Americans rece… Continue Reading

Durbin and Illinois Delegation Ask DOT to Support Revival of Illinois Train Car Industry

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led the Illinois Congressional Delegation in asking the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, to support their effort to revive the passenger rail car manufacturing industry in Illinois. The Department of Transportation recently announced that $90.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been committed to rehabilitating train cars in the United States and returning them to service - the ave… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $4.7 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Provide Emergency Food and Shelter

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $4,735,727 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to supplement and expand efforts to provide shelter, food and supportive services to the hungry, homeless and people in economic crisis. The funds will be distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program and used for supplemental food, shelt… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $143,327 Science Funding for Illinois Institute of Technology

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the National Science Foundation has awarded $143,327 in funding to Illinois Institute of Technology for under the Institute's Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering. The project will improve our understanding of how geometric variations introduced during manufacturing can impact a product's performance. Manufacturing processes are inherently imprecise, producing parts and prod… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $7.4 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Environmental Cleanup

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the state of Illinois will receive $7,402,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assess and clean up underground storage tank petroleum leaks. Today's funding is part of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement of $197 million nationwide for environmental cleanup which the EPA estimates will create or retain a significant number of jobs and contribute to at least … Continue Reading

81st Annual Spring Dinner of the Economic Club of Chicago

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Senator Richard J. Durbin Economic Club and "practical economics" Grace Barry sent me a copy of the Club's 75th anniversary book. I enjoyed reading the remarks of Mr. Melvin Traylor, president of the First National Bank of Chicago, who spoke at the very first meeting of this distinguished group, back in 1927. The topic of Mr. Traylor's remarks was, "[W]hy the hell another club in Chicago?" This is how he answered his own question: He said th… Continue Reading

Addressing the Global Food Crisis

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Senator Richard J. Durbin I want to thank my friend Dan Glickman for that generous introduction - and for his and Cathy Bertini's tireless leadership in the fight against global poverty and hunger. I want to thank them, in particular, for their leadership on The Chicago Initiative on Global Agricultural Development. I also want to acknowledge and thank Marshall Bouton for his leadership of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The sympo… Continue Reading

Durbin and Midwest Senators Urge President to Consider Recovery Act Funding for Midwest Rail

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a group of Senators from Midwestern states in urging President Barack Obama to consider investing funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in rail corridors in the Midwest. The Recovery Act designates $8 billion to high speed passenger rail - a significant investment which is 17 times more funding than the federal government has invested over the last 10 years combined. "We believe the Midwest r… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Over $4 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Airports

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded $4,238,655 in grants to Illinois airports. Today's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs in Illinois and strengthen the region's infrastructure to serve passengers safely and efficiently. • Springfield Airport Authority: $2,448,855 in funding to reconstruct a ramp at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. This project wil… Continue Reading

On World Autism Day, Durbin, Casey, Menendez Introduce Bill to Establish a National Comprehensive Autism Strategy

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On a day designated by the United Nations to highlight the growing global health crisis of autism, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Robert Menendez (D- NJ) today introduced legislation that would create a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of families affected by autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Treatment Acceleration Act requires health insurers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of auti… Continue Reading