Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Effort To Extend Critical Funding For Community Health Centers Before End Of Month Deadline
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and a bipartisan group of Senators to call for immediate action to extend critical funding for community health centers before funding runs out at the end of this month. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman and Ranking Member, Durbin, Duckworth, and 68 other Senators expressed their strong support for community health… Continue Reading
09.20.17
Durbin, Merkley, Cartwright, Cohen Introduce Bicameral Bill To Crack Down On Predatory Lending Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) were joined by U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-17) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) in introducing the bicameral Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act, legislation that would eliminate the excessive rates and fees that many consumers are charged for payday loans, car title loans, and other types of credit. Cash-strapped consumers nationwide pay, on average, annual interest rates of 400 percent for payd… Continue Reading
09.19.17
Durbin Creates Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program For Illinois Students Interning in DC
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the establishment of the Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program in honor of his former Chief of Staff who passed away in March due to complications with Parkinson's disease. This scholarship, open to students from Illinois or those studying in Illinois, is an opportunity for the students to receive financial assistance while obtaining a first-hand experience in Senator Durbin's Washington, D.C. office. "Ed knew everybody in Washington by n… Continue Reading
09.19.17
Durbin: Latest Republican Proposal To Repeal Health Care Creates Problems Instead Of Solving Them
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) rebuked Senate Republicans for attempting to ram through the latest version of their Trumpcare health coverage repeal instead of focusing on ways to fix America's health care system. As the month of September comes to an end, the U.S. Congress must reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health insurance coverage for more than nine million children and pregnant women nati… Continue Reading
09.18.17
Durbin Highlights Contributions Of Military And JROTC Dreamers
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Republican leaders of the Senate and House to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor, highlighting the contributions of Dreamers who are serving in the military and involved in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs. Following the Trump Administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many JROTC cadets and servicemembers who are DACA recipients are at risk of deportation if… Continue Reading
09.18.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $200,000 In Federal Funding To Support Health Of Illinois Mothers And Babies
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $200,000 to Northwestern University to support the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC), which works to improve the health of pregnant women, mothers, and infants through perinatal quality improvement initiatives implemented by participating birthing hospitals across Illinois. "Illinois' mothers, children, and families… Continue Reading
09.13.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce 188,000 In Federal Funding To Support Safety And Security In Peoria Public Housing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a total of $188,032 to the Peoria Housing Authority. This funding is provided through HUD's Capital Fund Emergency Safety and Security Program, which supports local housing authorities as they address safety and security emergencies including sudden increases in violent or property-related crimes within their public housing communit… Continue Reading
09.12.17
Durbin-Harris Amendment Would Keep Non-Citizen Military Personnel From Discharge Due To Immigration Status
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) today filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to retain military personnel in the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) program until their background screenings are completed. Because of a backlog in the screening process, it is estimated that between 1,000 and 1,800 MAVNI recruits have lost their … Continue Reading
09.12.17
Durbin: Let's Show The American Dream Is Still Alive By Passing The Dream Act
WASHINGTON-Following the Trump Administration's announcement last week that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) 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. During his speech, Durbin shared the story of one Dreamer - Cristina Velasquez, a student at Georgetown University. During her time at Georgetown, Cristina has interne… Continue Reading
09.12.17
Durbin, Franken, Cortez Masto To Equifax: End Use Of Consumer-Harming Forced Arbitration Clauses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) in pushing Equifax-the massive credit bureau that recently made public a data breach affecting 143 million Americans-to completely end its use of forced arbitration agreements, which limit the ability of consumers to pursue justice in a public court of law or challenge widespread corporate wrongdoing. Equifax, one of the three biggest credit bureaus in the Unite… Continue Reading
09.08.17
Durbin, Joined by DACA Medical Students, Calls on Congress to Bring Dream Act to Vote
MAYWOOD - Following the Trump Administration's cruel and misguided decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today called on the Republican leaders of the Senate and the House to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor. The Dream Act, which was introduced by Durbin and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), would allow DACA recipients to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin was joined by DACA recipients … Continue Reading
09.07.17
Durbin, McCain Resolution Condemns Violence Against Burmese Rohingya, Calls On Aung San Suu Kyi To Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ) today introduced a resolution condemning the horrific acts of violence being committed against the Rohingya ethnic minority in Burma, and calling on Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi to live up to her historic democratic and human rights ideals by taking action to stop this humanitarian tragedy. Co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the resolution: (1) condemns the vi… Continue Reading
09.05.17
Durbin Statement On DACA And The Dream Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, released the following statement: In my first conversation with President Trump on Inauguration Day, I thanked him for the positive things he had said about the Dreamers. He looked me in the eye and said: "Don't worry. We are going to take care of those kids." Despite many of the terrible immigration policies this Administration has put forward, I have always held out the hop… Continue Reading
08.29.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $1.5 Million In Federal Funding For Roadway Improvements In Jefferson County
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,507,478 in federal funding through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the construction of roadway improvements for industrial expansion in Jefferson County, Illinois. The project will improve access to allow current industries to ship and receive goods more efficiently, which will result in new higher paying jobs and additional employment throughout the region. The project is expected t… Continue Reading
08.29.17
Following Announcement Of National Opioid Emergency, Durbin And Bipartisan Sponsors Of Medicaid Care Act Press Trump To Heed Own Commission's Recommendations And Expand Access To Substance Abuse Treatment Under Medicaid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Democratic Senators Dick Durbin (IL), Sherrod Brown (OH), Joe Manchin (WV), and Cory Booker (NJ), Independent Senator Angus King (ME), and Republican Senators Rob Portman (OH), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), and Susan Collins (ME) today urged President Trump to lift the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) Exclusion for residential substance use disorder treatment as part of his opioid emergency declaration. In May, the senators introduced the bipartisan Medicaid Coverage… Continue Reading
08.25.17
Durbin Visits Roberts Park Fire Protection District, Touts Importance Of Federal Funding For First Responders
JUSTICE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited the Roberts Park Fire Protection District, which was awarded $569,674 in federal funding last month through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program. The SAFER grant will allow the fire protection district, which includes Justice, Hickory Hills, and parts of unincorporated Cook County, to hire additional firefighters. "Our nation's firefighters and first-re… Continue Reading
08.24.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $6.5 Million In Federal Funding To Help At-Risk Youth In Illinois Find Jobs
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded six local community colleges and non-profits in Illinois a total of $6,501,644 million through YouthBuild, a job-training and educational program for at-risk youth ages 16 to 24. Through YouthBuild, at-risk youth learn construction skills while constructing or rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in their own communities. Program … Continue Reading
08.24.17
Lawmakers Call Out Sessions For Holding City Violence Prevention Funds Hostage To His Extreme Immigration Agenda
WASHINGTON-Fifty-three members of the United States House and Senate are calling out Attorney General Jeff Sessions for holding critical violence prevention funds used by American cities hostage to the Trump Administration's extreme immigration agenda. The Department of Justice has placed new and onerous conditions on local law enforcement's access to federal funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program, forcing cities to choose between redirecting alr… Continue Reading
08.23.17
Durbin Statement On Reports Of DACA Recipient Detained In Suburban Chicago
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement on reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Riccy Enriquez Perdomo, a DACA-protected individual, in suburban Chicago: "I'm disturbed by reports that a Dreamer with DACA protection has been detained. My office is in touch with ICE for an explanation. When he was Secretary of DHS, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly assur… Continue Reading
08.22.17
Durbin, Bustos Tour Continued Activation Of Thomson Prison
THOMSON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today toured Thomson correctional facility and received an update on the continued activation of the facility by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). "Today, Congresswoman Bustos and I were assured that the activation of Thomson prison remains on schedule and that they are making good progress on critical infrastructure projects," Durbin said. "Congresswoman Bustos and I have been working to secure robust federal f… Continue Reading