Press Releases
Durbin Warns Against FCC Efforts To Rollback Media Ownership Rules
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke out against the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) efforts to rollback media ownership rules that prevent one company from owning or controlling multiple broadcast stations within a single local media market. Ownership limits were originally created to prevent large companies from having excessive influence in local media markets by protecting local broadcast stations from being controlled by major national networks. If these pr… Continue Reading
11.13.17
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Make The VA Smoke-Free
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Patty Murray (D-WA), announced legislation to prohibit smoking at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would repeal an antiquated 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas. Supported by the Department of Veterans Affair… Continue Reading
11.13.17
Durbin: GOP Tax Plans Benefit the Wealthy on Backs of Middle-Income Families
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted how the tax proposals introduced by Republicans in the House and Senate would eliminate numerous deductions and tax benefits used by middle-income families to reduce their tax bills. Along with eliminating the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which is used by roughly 1/3 of Illinoisans, Republicans in Congress are also proposing to eliminate deductions for medical expenses and student loan interest - all to give massive cuts to the… Continue Reading
11.09.17
Durbin Statement On Confirmation Of John Lausch For U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of John R. Lausch to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "With all the partisanship and division in Washington, it's critical that Chicago's U.S. Attorney be a non-partisan professional-I believe Mr. Lausch is the right person for the job. Senator Duckworth and I were glad to work with the White House on Mr. Lausch's nomination and I'm pl… Continue Reading
11.09.17
Durbin, Senators Reintroduce Military And Veterans Education Protection Act With Groundbreaking Support From Veterans Service Organizations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Jon Tester (D-MT) today to reintroduce the Military and Veterans Education Protection Act, legislation that would close a loophole that allows for-profit schools to avoid having to secure at least 10 percent of their revenue from non-federal sources. "This bill is one of many commonsense reforms we need to bring greater accountability to a for-profit industry that en… Continue Reading
11.09.17
Durbin Statement On Zenith Education Campus Closures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after learning that Education Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Group's Zenith Education will close all but three of the remaining campuses of the collapsed for-profit chain, Corinthian Colleges. In 2015, ECMC Group spent $24 million for 56 Everest and WyoTech campuses and online programs - which accounted for 40,000 students - that were on the verge of immediate closure by the predatory Corinthian Colleges. … Continue Reading
11.09.17
Lawmakers Call For Reversal Of Administration Decision To Expose Thousands To Dangerous Deportations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Immigration Subcommittee, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) today led a letter from 58 members of the Senate and House, calling on the Trump Administration to reverse its recent decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Nicaragua and Sudan, which will remove their legal protection, tear families apart, and expose them to potential deportatio… Continue Reading
11.08.17
Durbin, Schatz, Degette Reintroduce Legislation To Raise Smoking Age To 21
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO-01) reintroduced the Tobacco to 21 Act, bicameral legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. Five states, the District of Columbia, and more than 200 localities in an additional 13 states have raised the minimum tobacco age of sale to 21 - including Chicago, Lake County, and ten other localities in Illinois. Studies have shown that three-… Continue Reading
11.08.17
Durbin Marks Critical Win In Fight For Increased Medical Research Funding In Defense Authorization
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement on the National Defense Authorization Act conference report, which removed four provisions which posed a direct threat to the Pentagon's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program: There comes a point in your life where you get a diagnosis-or news about someone you love-and all you can do is hope and pray that someone, somewhere has done im… Continue Reading
11.07.17
Durbin: GOP Must Stand Up To Gun Sales Lobby & Act To Prevent The Next Slaughter
WASHINGTON-Following the tragic mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that killed at least 26 people and injured 20 more, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on his congressional Republican colleagues to work with Democrats on a bipartisan basis to reduce gun violence. The only vote the U.S. Senate has held this year on guns has been to overturn a regulation to keep guns out of the hands of individuals with mental illness. "It is so sad that when… Continue Reading
11.06.17
Durbin: GOP Tax Plan Leaves Illinois Middle Income Families Behind
CRYSTAL LAKE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined local stakeholders to discuss how the House Republicans' new tax plan would hit Illinois families especially hard, while mostly benefitting corporations and the wealthy. The House Republican proposal reduces the top corporate tax rate while gutting the state and local tax (SALT) deduction - a move that could increase taxes on nearly one-third of all taxpayers in Illinois. The SALT deduction is used by 44 million people nationwide, inclu… Continue Reading
11.03.17
Durbin Statement On Trump's Opioid Commission Recommendations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Trump's commission on the opioid crisis released a draft report of more than 50 recommendations needed to curb the opioid epidemic. The prescription opioid and heroin crisis kills nearly 100 Americans every day. "The President's Opioid Commission has provided an important roadmap-including the removal of an outdated Medicaid rule that restricts access to addiction treatment, and mandatory train… Continue Reading
11.02.17
Durbin Statement On Republican Tax Plan
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the tax plan released this morning by House Republicans: This plan gives massive tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest individuals while middle class families are left behind. It is based on the mistaken belief that cutting taxes for the wealthiest will benefit everybody else-an assumption that has been proven false each and every time it's been tested. Eliminating state and local tax deductions… Continue Reading
10.31.17
Durbin Questions Facebook, Twitter, & Google On Extremist Content And Russian Disinformation
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today questioned executives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google at a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism entitled "Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online: Working with Tech to Find Solutions". The hearing examined how entities affiliated with the Russian government used social media to spread disinformation and sow division during the 2016 U.S. election, and the use of social media to spread terrorist … Continue Reading
10.31.17
Durbin, Cohen, Colleagues: Congress Should End Loophole That Encourages For-Profit Colleges To Target Veterans And Service Members
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) were joined by U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) today to introduce bicameral legislation that would help put an end to the for-profit college industry's aggressive recruiting of veterans, service members, and their families. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities … Continue Reading
10.31.17
Durbin Blasts GOP Hypocrisy On Obstruction Of Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today argued against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) complaint of what he calls Democratic obstruction of President Trump's judicial nominees. So far this year, the Senate has confirmed four of President Trump's circuit court nominees and four of his district court nominees. At this same point in his first year, President Obama had one circuit court nominee and three district court nominees co… Continue Reading
10.30.17
Durbin, Duckworth To Rauner: GOP Tax Plan Will Raise Taxes On Hardworking Illinois Families
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to publicly oppose congressional Republican's proposed elimination of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction as part of their tax plan-a move that would increase taxes on nearly one-third of all taxpayers in Illinois. The state and local tax deduction is used by 44 million people nationwide, including by nearly two million Illinoisans, to avoid being taxed twice on their hard-ea… Continue Reading
10.30.17
Durbin: Sinclair-Tribune Mega-Merger Is Not In The Interest Of The American People
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today warned that if the proposed acquisition of the Tribune Media Company (Tribune) by the Sinclair Broadcast Group (Sinclair) is approved, it would threaten diversity and localism in broadcasting, ignore the unique concerns and interests of local audiences, and harm competition. If approved, the merged Sinclair-Tribune company would own or operate 233 stations nationwide and reach 72 percent of U.S. TV households-making it the nation's largest televis… Continue Reading
10.27.17
Durbin Promotes November 1 Health Insurance Open Enrollment, Releases Report On Trump's Health Care Sabotage Efforts
BELLEVILLE - With health insurance open enrollment for 2018 less than a week away, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged those in need of individual market health plans for next year to sign up for insurance between November 1 and December 15. Last week, Durbin released a report - "1,000 Cuts: A Report on the Trump Administration's Health Care Sabotage" - which outlines the Trump administration's deliberate efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including cutting the open enro… Continue Reading
10.26.17
Durbin, Senate Democrats To EPA: Show Your Work On Clean Power Plan Repeal
COLLINSVILLE-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and 17 Senate Democrats in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt asking for more information on the agency's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan. The proposal, released by the agency earlier this month, relies heavily on skewed scientific and mathematical data in order to justify repealing the Clean Power Plan. The senators wrote, "Our review of the 2017 Repeal proposal revea… Continue Reading