Press Releases
Durbin: Republican Tax Plan Looks Out For Special Interests & Corporations, Not Working Families
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today blasted Senate Republicans for ramming through a partisan tax plan this week, which will raise taxes on millions of middle-income families in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin explained how the Republican Tax Plan would also cause 13 million Americans to lose their health insurance - and increase individual market premiums by at least ten percent every… Continue Reading
11.29.17
Durbin Calls On Congress To Pass The Dream Act By The End Of The Year
WASHINGTON-Following the Trump Administration's announcement on September 5, 2017 that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor for a vote before the end of the year. During his speech, Durbin shared the story of one Dreamer - Cesar Montelongo, who was ten years old when his family came to … Continue Reading
11.29.17
Durbin Continues To Press Interior Secretary On Proposed Shrinking Of National Monuments
WASHINGTON-Following a meeting with U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is once again asking Secretary Zinke to share maps and documentation detailing any changes he is recommending regarding the boundaries and management of existing national monuments in a memorandum referred to as "Monument Review," as well as any document explaining what legal authority President Trump plans to use to enact the changes. This letter follows reports that Presid… Continue Reading
11.28.17
Durbin Statement On Luis Gutierrez
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement following U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez's (D-IL-04) announcement that he will not seek re-election: Luis Gutierrez has been my strongest partner in working for the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform. His voice will be critical in the remainder of his term and sorely missed thereafter.… Continue Reading
11.28.17
Durbin: Republican Tax Plan Helps Corporations & Wealthiest Individuals On The Backs Of Working Families
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today blasted Senate Republicans for ramming through a partisan tax plan this week, which will raise taxes on millions of middle-income families in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin explained how the Republican Tax Plan would also cause 13 million Americans to lose their health insurance - and increase individual market premiums by at least ten percent every… Continue Reading
11.27.17
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force Letter Raising Alarm Over Delay In Finalizing Critical Asian Carp Study
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) in sending a letter to the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works raising alarm over the delay in finalizing the Brandon Road Study, a critical action-plan for keeping Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. Fellow Great Lakes Task Force members - Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Kirsten… Continue Reading
11.21.17
Durbin, Leahy Statement On FY18 Defense Appropriations Chairman's Mark
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the release of the Fiscal Year 2018 Defense Appropriations Act. The bill exceeds President Trump's request by $15.3 billion, and exceeds the sequestration caps by $70 billion. This is a step forward, though we remain deeply concerned about the process. So befo… Continue Reading
11.21.17
Durbin, Senators Press DOD And VA To Protect Veterans And Service Members At Ashford University
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today urged the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take steps to protect service members using Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits and veterans using GI Bill benefits at Ashford University in light of the company's impending loss of VA Pos… Continue Reading
11.21.17
In New Letters, Durbin, Duckworth Urge Illinois Congressional Republicans To Reconsider Support For GOP Tax Bill
CHICAGO-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed the Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation to reconsider their support for the House Republican tax plan and the harmful policies within the bill should the House of Representatives be given an opportunity to weigh-in on tax legislation in the future. The House Republican tax plan funds massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of mid… Continue Reading
11.17.17
Senators Ask DHS Nominee To Clarify Stance On DACA, The Dream Act, & TPS
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate's Immigration Subcommittee, and 19 senators today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kirstjen Nielsen, calling on her to answer several immigration related questions prior to consideration of her nomination by the full Senate. During her confirmation hearing, when asked whether she agrees that legislation must be passed to protect Dreamers by the end of this calendar year, Nielsen state… Continue Reading
11.16.17
Durbin Introduces Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced new legislation to address the growing threat of white supremacist groups and other violent domestic extremists. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess those threats and provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing these threats. A… Continue Reading
11.16.17
Durbin Statement On House Passage Of GOP Tax Plan
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Republican tax bill that will finance massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of middle-income families and eliminating vital tax breaks for people in Illinois. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill will, on average, increase taxes on every individual making less than $75,000. This H… Continue Reading
11.16.17
Durbin, Duckworth Press Rauner To Weigh In On GOP Tax Plans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to publically weigh-in on the Republican tax plans in the House and Senate and how these plans would impact Illinois families. Both the House and Senate bills would finance massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of middle-income families and eliminating vital tax breaks for people in Illinois. "Given how quickly Republica… Continue Reading
11.16.17
Durbin Statement On Senator Franken
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: There is never an excuse for this behavior-ever. What Senator Franken did was wrong, and it should be referred to the Ethics Committee for review.… Continue Reading
11.15.17
Durbin: New Legislation Will Require Disclosure Of Drug Prices In Advertising
Drug Advertising Steers Patients Toward Expensive Drugs, Drives Up Health Care Costs Drug Industry Spent More Than $100 Million in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for Each of the Top 16 Brand-Name Prescription Drugs in 2015 WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today previewed new legislation, which will be introduced this week, that will empower patients and promote transparency by requiring the pharmaceutical industry to provide more info… Continue Reading
11.15.17
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Impartial Investigation Into Potential Quid Pro Quo Between Chairman Ajit Pai, Trump Administration, And Sinclair Broadcasting
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined 12 of their Senate colleagues to request the inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) open and investigation into the objectivity and impartiality of the FCC's review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media. "We have strong concerns that the FCC's ongoing review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media may be gained by a series of actio… Continue Reading
11.15.17
Durbin Urges Trump's Task Force On Apprenticeship Expansion To Prioritize Opportunities For At-Risk Youth
WASHINGTON - During National Apprenticeship Week, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed President Trump's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion to identify programs and policies that will help ensure our nation's most at-risk youth have access to pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship opportunities. In a letter to Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, Chair of the President's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, Durbin urged him to prioritize identifying strategies to incre… Continue Reading
11.15.17
Durbin Statement On New GOP Tax Plan That Strips Health Care From 13 Million Americans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the latest version of the Senate Republican tax plan, which now repeals the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will strip health insurance from 13 million Americans: Republicans now want to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by taking health care away from 13 million Americans. Tax breaks for the wealthy, higher taxes on working Illinoisa… Continue Reading
11.14.17
Durbin Meets With Chicago Rockford International Airport Director, Discusses Continued Federal Investment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Mike Dunn, director of the Chicago Rockford International Airport Authority to discuss continued expansion of cargo operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport, which is creating thousands of local jobs. "Northern Illinois' economic growth depends on our airports, and Chicago Rockford International Airport is no exception. Thanks to continued federal investment, the ongoing cargo expansion and upgrades at RFD are creating jo… Continue Reading
11.14.17
Durbin, Warren Release Report Highlighting Secretary DeVos' Failure To Cancel Student Loans Of Nearly 90,000 Defrauded Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today released a report - "Insult to Injury: How the DeVos Department of Education is Failing Defrauded Students" - detailing how the Department of Education (ED) and Secretary Betsy DeVos have failed tens of thousands of Americans by refusing to cancel the loans of students who were defrauded by predatory colleges. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Sens. Durbin and Warren, along with 13 of their Senate colleagues, in… Continue Reading