Durbin Meets with Chicago's Largest Microlender to Discuss Growing Small Business

[CHICAGO, IL] - Support for microfinance organizations that give small businesses and entrepreneurs access to credit will help spur our economic recovery and create jobs, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today at a meeting with officials from ACCION, Chicago's largest microlender, and the owners of Gourmet Gorilla, an organic school lunch catering company that is one of ACCION's fastest growing borrowers. ACCION provides credit and other business services to small business owners who do not … Continue Reading

Durbin: Amazon Agreement with Indiana Paves Way for Bipartisan Bill to Level the Playing Field for Main Street Retailers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the agreement between Amazon and Republican Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will build momentum for bipartisan federal legislation - specifically the Marketplace Fairness Act that he introduced with Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) - which aims to level the playing field for Main Street retailers. Under the agreement, announced yesterday, Amazon will voluntarily begin collecting Indiana sales tax on internet… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Illinois Colleges and Universities to Help Protect Students from Hidden Bank Fees

[EDWARDSVILLE, IL] - Colleges and universities should take a leading role in promoting transparency in checking account fees, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Durbin called on Illinois schools to encourage their partner financial institutions to voluntarily adopt a bank account fee disclosure form designed to make checking account terms and fees transparent and easy for consumers to understand. College students - many of whom open checking … Continue Reading

Durbin and Quinn Announce $7.7 Million in Investment to Help Illinois Communities Recover from Storms

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today announced a more than $7.7 million investment in Illinois communities to help cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by storms last year. Today's funding is provided through the Department of Transportation's Emergency Relief program which funds the repair and reconstruction of federal highways and roads that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters and other outside fac… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a Nearly $700,000 Investment in Illinois First-responder Capabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has made a $693,876 investment in seven fire departments in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department and protection district to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As t… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Cordray Appointment

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), released the following statement today after President Obama announced that he will appoint Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: "After months of delay by Senate Republicans, Cordray's nomination was called and defeated by a filibuster. Sadly, there were no objections to Cordray's qualifications only a decision by Senate Republicans to cripple this agency and try to politically punish the … Continue Reading

Durbin and Senator Call for End to Cigar Company's Sponsorship of NCAA Orange Bowl

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was joined by Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in calling on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Orange Bowl Committee to reconsider a three-year agreement making a cigar company - Camacho Cigars - a corporate sponsor of the Discover Orange Bowl. "Tobacco has no place in sports, and the promotion of cigars at the Orange Bowl sends the wrong message to young fans," the Senators wrote.… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More than $757,000 Investment in Illinois First-responder Capabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has made a $757,263 investment in seven fire departments in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department and protection district to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As t… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on House to Maintain Unemployment Insurance Benefits

[CHICAGO, IL] - The House of Representatives must take quick action before the end of the year to ensure that millions of unemployed workers across the country do not lose access to the critical safety net provided by unemployment insurance, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. A fully offset agreement to maintain all tiers of federal unemployment benefits for two months was approved in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote by the Senate on Saturday, allowing lawmakers time to begin work on a… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Speaker Boehner's Comments on the Bipartisan Payroll Tax Agreement

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to Speaker Boehner's comments on the bipartisan payroll tax agreement passed by the Senate yesterday: "It is time for the Speaker to convene the House and approve the bipartisan Senate agreement to extend the middle class tax cut and maintain unemployment benefits for 60 days." America has had its fill this year of repeated political ultimatums from Speaker Boehner. We can … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Illinois Banks to Follow Chase's Lead and Adopt Fee Disclosure Forms

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent letters to the Illinois Bankers Association, the Illinois Credit Union League and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois today, urging them to follow the lead of Chase bank and ask their membership to adopt a disclosure form designed to make checking account terms and fees transparent and easy for consumers to understand. A copy of the form, developed by The Pew Charitable Trusts' Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project, is… Continue Reading

Durbin and Senators Request Ban on Flavored Cigars

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in sending a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking it to ban flavored cigars. "Cigars with candy-like flavorings such as strawberry, watermelon, vanilla and chocolate attract kids to smoking and help hook them on this addictive habit," the Senators wrote. "Congress helped protect young people from the harmful effect… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Over $315,000 in HUD Grants to Reduce Homelessness Among Illinois Veterans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that three Illinois communities will receive a total of $315,179 in Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) grant funding to help homeless veterans find shelter as they receive health and other services. "Last night, in Illinois alone, more than 1,000 homeless veterans were on the street," said Durbin. "This country can do better-and must do better-for t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk, Senators Welcome FEMA Proposal to Move Toward a More Realistic Analysis of Flood Risk

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) today encouraged community leaders, engineers and the people in flood prone areas to assess and then comment on a new risk assessment process that will replace the original method which was criticized by the lawmakers earlier this year. They argued that the original method disregarded the existence of uncertified levees and flood control structures and unjustly… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Chase's Decision to Adopt Fee Disclosure Form

WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after Chase, the nation's largest bank, announced it will voluntarily adopt a disclosure form designed to make checking account terms and fees transparent and easy for consumers to understand, as he has been urging. A copy of the form, developed by The Pew Charitable Trusts' Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project, is attached. It outlines all the basic checking account terms and conditions - inc… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces a More Than $765,000 Investment in Illinois First-responder Capabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has made a $765,108 investment in seven fire departments and fire protection districts in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department and protection district to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's… Continue Reading

Senators Announce U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Postal Facility Closures for Five Months

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Fifteen Senators from around the country today announced that, at their request, the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. Today's announcem… Continue Reading

Durbin Announced U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Illinois Postal Facility Closures for Five Months

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During that period, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. The moratorium is scheduled to end on May 15, 2012. "Over the last few months, I hav… Continue Reading

Durbin, Quinn, Costello, Emanuel, Hoechst Announce Illinois to Receive $44 Million Investment Through Tiger Grant Program

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL) joined Mayors Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Tom Hoechst of Alton today in announcing that Illinois will receive a total of $44,288,000 in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant funding for three Illinois projects in the Chicagoland area and Alton. The grants represent approximately 8 percent of total funding available through the program. … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Illinois-based For-profit College to Refund Tuition if Programs Lose Accreditation

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After learning that the former CEO of Career Education Corporation (CEC) is set to receive a $5 million severance, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Illinois-based company to refund tuition to students if their program of study loses accreditation. CEC, which owns and operates Le Cordon Bleu and the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, risks losing accreditation after its national accreditor discovered that the company directly violat… Continue Reading