Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $10 Million For Head Start Programs In The City Of Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $10,050,044 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the City of Chicago. Head Start and Early Head Start provide comprehensive child development programs for low-income children from birth to age five. "Head Start and Early Head start programs help ensure that children in … Continue Reading
July 23, 2020
Durbin, Baldwin, Smith, Bustos Introduce Bill To Address Teacher Shortages In Low-Income And Communities of Color
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), today introduced a bicameral bill that would address severe nationwide shortages of early childhood and K-12 teachers that disproportionately impacts students from low-income backgrounds and students of color. Exacerbated by low pay, school leadership instability, and poor teaching conditions, schools in low-income communities struggle to retain … Continue Reading
July 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging ICE And DHS To Immediately Withdraw New Guidance That Threatens International Students With Deportation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), Joe Neguse (D-CO-2), Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), and 85 other Senate and House Democrats, to send a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) … Continue Reading
July 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging ICE And DHS To Immediately Withdraw New Guidance That Threatens International Students With Deportation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), Joe Neguse (D-CO-2), Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), and 85 other Senate and House Democrats, to send a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) … Continue Reading
July 07, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $29 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that eight organizations around Illinois will receive a total of nearly $30 million in federal funding to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in order to … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Durbin To Illinois AG Raoul: We Must Protect Students From Predatory For-Profit College Industry
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) warned Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about the potential financial dangers posed to Illinois students by the for-profit college industry during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a letter to AG Raoul, Durbin urged the state to remain watchful and vigilant when it comes to for-profit colleges, which have a long history of fraud and abuse that peaks during times of great economic uncertainty. Durbin cited reports that for-profit … Continue Reading
June 19, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill Expanding Student Loan Refinancing For Servicemembers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act, legislation that would amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to allow servicemembers to consolidate or refinance student loan debt they had when they entered the military and continue to benefit from the six percent interest rate cap to which they are entitled through the SCRA. A provision in the SCRA protects servicemembers from high interest rates … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Durbin Calls On Illinois Community Colleges To Partner With State & Local Health Departments To Recruit And Train COVID-19 Contact Tracers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Illinois community college presidents urging them to partner with the State of Illinois and local health departments to recruit and organize training courses for COVID-19 contact tracers. In the letter, Durbin encourages college presidents to help meet the need to ensure that training courses are offered by reputable institutions rather than by predatory for-profit colleges that could exploit Illinois students with over-priced … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $13 Million For Chicago Area Head Start Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced more than $13 million in federal funding to help children in the Chicago-area access Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in order to promote the social and … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Durbin Statement On Trump's Veto Of Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump vetoed a bipartisan Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res. 76), to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule: "President Trump's veto of my bipartisan bill to help our veterans was a victory for Education Secretary DeVos and the fraud merchants at the for-profit colleges. My question to the President: in four … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Durbin To Trump: Support Veterans By Signing Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor to urge President Donald Trump to sign a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res. 76), to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule. The rewritten borrower defense rule would make it impossible for defrauded borrowers-including veterans-to get the relief they are owed and would lessen accountability for the schools that defraud borrowers. This week, the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
Durbin: The Time Has Come To Stand Up For Defrauded Veterans And Student Borrowers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a speech on the Senate floor, urged his Senate colleagues to support the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval overturning Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule when it comes for a vote this week. "With her new borrower defense rule, Secretary DeVos, at the Department of Education, will make it virtually impossible for these future defrauded borrowers to receive … Continue Reading
March 09, 2020
Durbin, Takano, Levin Statement On Department Of Veterans Affairs Action To Protect Student Veterans At For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-41), Chairman of the House Committee On Veterans' Affairs, and U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it would halt new G.I. Bill enrollments at for-profit University of Phoenix and former Career Education Corporation (CEC) … Continue Reading
February 12, 2020
Durbin, Schumer, Veterans Groups Urge Senate To Overturn DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and veterans organizations, held a press conference to urge Senate Republicans to support Durbin's Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution, (S.J.Res. 56) which would overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule that gutted essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. Durbin and Schumer were joined by Ohio Army veteran Tasha … Continue Reading
February 12, 2020
Durbin: Senate Will Soon Have Chance To Stand Up For Defrauded Student Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a speech on the Senate floor, slammed Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers, taxpayers, and veterans. Durbin urged his Senate colleagues to support his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution (S.J.Res. 56) of disapproval overturning the DeVos rule when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote. Durbin shared support from … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Durbin Statement On President Trump's FY21 Budget Request
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump submitted his fiscal year 2021 budget request to Congress: "After Congress has repeatedly rejected funding his 'big, beautiful' border wall, the fact that President Trump would request $2 billion for a campaign promise that Mexico was supposed to pay for - while cutting funding from programs like Medicare, Medicaid, … Continue Reading
January 16, 2020
Durbin Statement On House Passage Of Resolution Overturning DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted 231-180 to pass H.J.Res. 76, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval overturning Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' rewritten borrower defense rule that guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. Six Republicans joined House Democrats to pass the measure. The resolution was introduced by U.S. … Continue Reading