Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Dems Announce Significant Additions to the Economic Justice Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats, today unveiled new additions to the Economic Justice Act, a major legislative proposal that now provides more than $435 billion in immediate and long-term investments in communities of color to address systemic racism and reverse decades of historic underinvestment. "The substantial additions to the Economic Justice Act make an even larger … Continue Reading
October 29, 2020
Durbin Calls On McConnell To Pass Meaningful COVID-19 Relief Legislation To Help Hard Hit Businesses Struggling During Pandemic
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to pass the HEROES 2.0 Act to provide assistance for struggling Illinoisans and small businesses and slammed the Senate Republican Leader for spending five days jamming a Supreme Court nomination through the Senate floor instead of helping struggling small businesses and families. The HEROES 2.0 Act passed the House of Representatives nearly one month ago, on October 1. Durbin is a … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
Durbin Cosponsors Legislation To Make Payroll Tax Deferral Optional, Including for Military Members And Federal Employees
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in announcing legislation to make the payroll tax deferral outlined by President Trump optional for any worker whose employer chooses to participate, including federal employees and service members. The legislation, which can be found here, is cosponsored by more than 14 of the Senators' colleagues. "Because Fortune 500 companies and state governments are rejecting President Trump's poorly thought-out … Continue Reading
September 29, 2020
Durbin Introduces Bill To Give Unemployed Americans Tax Relief
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits Tax Relief Act, a bill that would provide additional financial relief to unemployed Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic by temporarily excluding the first $10,200 of unemployment compensation from federal income taxes for tax year 2020. This amount is equal to 17 weeks of the now-expired $600 per week federal enhanced benefits included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Durbin Statement On Illinois Budget Issues Resulting From COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker sent a letter to the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation about the State's budget issues and revenue shortfalls resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked for federal support for state and local governments in the next COVID-19 relief package: "The State of Illinois is not alone facing a serious revenue loss resulting from this pandemic. State and local governments … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Federal Reserve And Treasury To Increase Access To Main Street Lending Program
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin to establish more favorable terms for businesses and nonprofits participating in the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP). In a letter to Chair Powell and Secretary Mnuchin, Durbin and Duckworth highlighted that many businesses and nonprofit organizations across Illinois - especially in Black and Brown communities that have been hit … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
Durbin Introduces Bill To Create Civilian Conservation Corps
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced the introduction of the RENEW Conservation Corps Act, a bill that would create a civilian conservation corps that provides valuable job training and work experience to Americans while also completing needed maintenance and restoration of parks, trails, and natural areas. Modeled after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps - which employed, educated, and trained three million young men during the Great … Continue Reading
August 28, 2020
Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Credit Union League
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today with members of the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) about negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief package and the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to ensure Illinois small businesses can maintain their operations and pay their employees as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the economy. Durbin also discussed simplifying the Small Business Administration's loan forgiveness application, especially for … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Durbin Joins Minority Business Owners To Discuss The Paycheck Protection Program
SPRINGIFELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, and the American Business Immigration Coalition at the organizations' webinar for minority business owners in Illinois to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has allocated more than 225,000 loans worth nearly $23 billion to Illinois small businesses. During the webinar, Durbin spoke about his support for providing a second round of loans to the hardest hit … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Durbin Discusses Health Care Protection During Pandemic With Union Leaders
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with union leaders from UNITE HERE Local 1 to discuss health care and his efforts to help workers who've lost jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic stay on their employers' health care plans. Durbin has urged for the inclusion of federal COBRA funding in the next coronavirus relief package and supports a provision in the House-passed HEROES Act that would provide premium assistance to cover 100 percent of COBRA premiums … Continue Reading
August 13, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With Navy Pier Board Members
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with members of the Board of Directors for Chicago's Navy Pier to discuss the latest on negotiations to pass an additional COVID-19 relief bill. Durbin said he would continue to fight for additional relief for Navy Pier, which employs hundreds of people. Navy Pier received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, but like many businesses facing economic uncertainty because of the pandemic, is in need of additional financial … Continue Reading
August 11, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief And USPS Service With St. Louis Regional Chamber
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with members of the St. Louis Regional Chamber to discuss the latest on negotiations to pass an additional COVID-19 relief bill, including unemployment insurance, small business assistance, and protecting the United States Postal Service (USPS). Durbin shared his support for maintaining the $600 per week federal enhanced unemployment benefits and his recent letter to the USPS Postmaster General DeJoy urging him to take … Continue Reading
August 04, 2020
Durbin: Republicans' Priority In Coronavirus Legislation Is Clear - Corporations Over Struggling Families
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans’ and President Donald Trump’s proposed partisan coronavirus response legislation and their dithering and delay, which allowed the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit to expire last week. Republicans finally released their proposal last week – ten weeks after the House passed the Heroes Act. Nationwide, as many as 30 million Americans are relying on enhanced … Continue Reading
July 30, 2020
Durbin: I Reject Notion That $600 A Week Keeps People From Going Back To Work
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans' and President Donald Trump's proposed partisan coronavirus response legislation, and the lack of Senate action to save expanded federal unemployment benefits which are set to expire tomorrow. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out Republicans' plan to cut the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit to $200 per week. "There are people prepared to go back to work. And I happen to believe … Continue Reading
July 27, 2020
Durbin Statement On Republican's Outline For Fourth Coronavirus Stimulus Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on Congressional Republicans' and the Trump Administration's outlined proposal for a fourth coronavirus economic stimulus package: "Ten weeks after the House passed the Heroes Act, and four days before expanded unemployment benefits expire, Republicans and the Trump Administration have finally outlined their priority for the next coronavirus stimulus package: helping corporations over working … Continue Reading
July 27, 2020
Durbin And Welch To Fed: Excessive Debit Swipe Fees Are Hurting Merchants During Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell expressing concern over troubling debit card industry practices that are diminishing competition and costing American merchants potentially billions in excessive swipe fees. Under current law, enacted as part of the 2010 "Durbin Amendment," banks that issue debit cards must enable at least two unaffiliated debit networks to be available for each debit … Continue Reading
July 17, 2020
Durbin Discusses Racial Disparities In Federal Investment, Health Care With Illinois Mayors
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the mayors of communities of color across Illinois about the racial disparities in federal investment, health care access, and economic support. On the call, Durbin discussed state and local fiscal relief funding in the House-passed Heroes Act that would help Illinois recover from the estimated $10 billion in state and local revenues Illinois could lose by next summer. Durbin also spoke about the remaining $130 billion in Paycheck … Continue Reading
July 15, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Mayors Lightfoot And Rockingham
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who is President of the Illinois Municipal League, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and federal relief programs. Topics included assistance to state and local governments, testing, and relief for local small businesses. "I am thankful for the leadership of Mayors Lightfoot and Rockingham during this unprecedented crisis. I appreciated hearing about how … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Schumer And Wyden To Introduce New Legislation To Extend Expanded Unemployment Insurance & Require Program Continue Providing Benefits Until Economic Conditions Improve
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the American Workforce Rescue Act, bold, new legislation that would establish "automatic stabilizers" to ensure unemployment benefits remain available for working families during periods of persistent unemployment, a priority for Senate Democrats in the next COVID-19 bill. The proposal would extend the $600 increase in weekly unemployment insurance … Continue Reading
June 22, 2020
Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges Small Business Administration To Approve State's Economic Injury Declaration
WASHINGTON - Today, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for a SBA Economic Injury Declaration for qualifying counties in Illinois amid occurrences of looting, arson, and rioting of small businesses across the State. Earlier this month, Governor Pritzker issued a State Disaster Proclamation for Cook and contiguous counties that experienced the … Continue Reading