Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $3.5 Million for Maternal and Child Health Services in Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $3,531,780 in federal funding awarded to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to support health care for low-income mothers, children, and families. This funding is provided through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). "With this grant, the Illinois Depar… Continue Reading
03.13.20
Durbin, Duckworth Press Alden Global Capital on Alarming Staff Cuts at Tribune Publishing
CHICAGO-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to Alden Global Capital about its alarming strategy of staff cuts at Tribune Publishing. The company has a concerning history of dismantling local newspapers for personal gain. On January 13, two months after Alden obtained a 32 percent stake in Tribune Publishing, veteran employees of Tribune Publishing, including staff members at the Chicago Tribune, reported being offered buyouts in an effort to reduce expenses… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Bill Directing VA To 'Do Its Job' And Support Veterans Suffering From Diseases Linked To Agent Orange
WASHINGTON - After years of inaction from the Trump Administration, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and more than 29 Senate colleagues, introduced the bicameral Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2020, which would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide additional benefits for veterans suffering from four diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange. Currently, veterans with specific health conditions developed as a result of… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Durbin, Alexander, Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Address Medical Supply Vulnerability Due To Coronavirus
WASHINGTON - Amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), along with a group of nine Senators, today introduced the Commission on America's Medical Security, bipartisan legislation to safeguard America's medical supply chain and address shortages due to the United States' dependence on foreign-made medical equipment. Approximately 40 percent of finished drugs and 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured overseas-primarily fr… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Durbin, Duckworth Press CDC On Shortage Of Coronavirus Test Kit Supplies
WASHINGTON-Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield for information on the potential shortage of enzymes needed for CDC coronavirus test kits. Health officials in Illinois have indicated they may not have enough testing supplies to cover their diagnostic needs over the next two weeks. Further, they have not received word from the CDC about whe… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Durbin Meets With The Illinois Farm Bureau
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, met with the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss agriculture priorities in Illinois. During the meeting, farmers expressed concerns with the Trump Administration's uncertain trade approach with China and the Trump Administration's abuse of small oil refinery waivers that have hurt the biofuels market. "The decision by the Trump Administration to effectively shut down the biofuels industry has hurt farmers… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Illinois Congressional Democrats: Border Wall Reprogramming Will Result In Shortfalls Of Illinois National Guard Equipment
WASHINGTON - Today, Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper expressing concern over the shortfalls of equipment for the Illinois National Guard in the wake of the Department of Defense's (DOD) decision to transfer National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA) funds to be used to build part of President Donald Trump's ineffective wall on the southwest border. For Fiscal Year 2020, the Illinois Army National Guard identifi… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Durbin, Duckworth Call On President Trump To Utilize FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund To Aid State & Local Response To Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON-Following Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's state of emergency declaration in response to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to immediately consider any disaster declarations so states can utilize the $42.6 billion currently available in the Disaster Re… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin Meets With Illinois Public Transportation Officials
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois public transportation officials from the Chicago Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Metra, and PACE to discuss transportation priorities in Illinois. The group discussed Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation and the importance of providing federal funding to improve surface transportation. "Investing in Illinois' public transportation infrastructure helps create jobs and improves the safety and efficiency of travel… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin Discusses Detection Of PFAS Near Scott Air Force Base With Secretary Of The Air Force
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today met with U.S. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett to discuss the detection of the two main types of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - PFOS and PFOA - during site inspections at Scott Air Force Base (AFB), which may be impacting off-base water wells. The Air Force is now working to determine how many water wells might be impacted, whether people are consuming the water … Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin, Senate Dem Leaders Announce New Targeted Economic & Community Relief Proposal To Help States With Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with Senate Democratic Leaders today announced a new, targeted economic and community relief proposal to help communities and individuals deal with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. The proposal is based on input from policy experts and state and local officials about what is needed to help workers, their families, and the communities they live in to manage the economic disruption and services crisis at the local level in both the near-t… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin, Schumer, Murray, Scott, Lee Statement On Senate Vote Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) and Susie Lee (D-NV-03), released the following statements after the Senate's 53-42 bipartisan vote to approve Congressional Review Act (CRA) H.J.Res. 76, to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. The resolut… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin, Colleagues Push DeVos To Issue Clear Guidance On Coronavirus For Schools And Families Following Widespread School Closures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in leading 31 other Democratic Senators in urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to provide clarity and guidance for school districts and institutions of higher education, as well as families and students, following widespread school closures across the country due to the spread of the coronavirus. In a letter to Secretary DeVos, the Senators stressed that it is crucial that the Department of Education provide d… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin Presses CDC On Need For Additional Coronavirus Test Kit Supplies
WASHINGTON - Amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the urgent need for additional coronavirus test kit supplies in Illinois and around the country in order to improve diagnosis and treatment efforts. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin urged the Trump Administration to respond to this issue quickly with clear, factual information and strategies to boost the supply… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin Meets With Illinois Corn Growers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with the Illinois Corn Growers Association to discuss agriculture priorities in Illinois, including crop conditions, trade, lock and dam infrastructure, ethanol and biofuels, and refinery waivers. "Corn growers are an integral part of Illinois' agriculture economy, and we need to ensure they have certainty from the federal government as we head into the 2020 planting season. Additionally, the small… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Durbin, Cassidy Introduce Bill To Ensure Greater Transparency For Third-Party Sellers Of Consumer Products Online
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced legislation to combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ensuring transparency of large-volume third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act would direct online retail marketplaces that include third-party sellers of consumer products to authenticate the ide… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Senate Advances Congressional Review Act Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate voted 55-41 on a motion to proceed to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval overturning Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule: "With a bipartisan vote today, the Senate is one step closer to ensuring that veterans and student borrowers who were defrauded by their schools will still have the opportunity to seek financi… Continue Reading
03.10.20
One Year After House Passage, Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass For The People Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined members of the Senate Democratic Caucus to call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the For the People Act to the Senate floor for a vote one year after it was passed by the House. The For the People Act is a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would fix our broken politics and make government work for the people. The landmark legislation aims to restore the promise of American democracy b… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Durbin Asks CDC For Clarification And Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Airport Screening Procedures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Redfield, to clarify guidance from CDC about airport screening procedures in place to protect Americans from the coronavirus outbreak. Durbin, in a letter to Director Redfield, outlined his concern that travelers from countries with high incidences of COVID-19 and State Department and CDC travel advisories are not being screened, particularly I… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Durbin, Duckworth Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), introduced the Great American Outdoors Act, landmark legislation to preserve and protect our country's public lands. The bipartisan legislation provides permanent and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and addresses the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and other land management agencies. "Illinois familie… Continue Reading