Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos, Underwood Meet With FEMA Acting Administrator Gaynor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), today met with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Peter T. Gaynor to push his agency to do everything in its power to help Illinois recover from and prepare for disasters. The members also urged Gaynor to improve the state application process for Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM) funding. "Illinoi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Humanitarian Aid To Southwest Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today voted for a bipartisan funding agreement to address the humanitarian crisis that President Donald Trump has created at our southwest border. The bill includes funding to alleviate overcrowding at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and provide food, supplies, and medical care to mig… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Officials From Springfield & Sangamon County in Washington

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with officials from Springfield, Illinois, and Sangamon County to discuss local priorities including the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Wing and transportation and infrastructure improvements. Durbin discussed progress on the Springfield Rail Improvement Program (SRIP) and various road and highway improvement projects the city is hoping to get federal support for. "Springfield is my hometown, and it's always great to welcome Mayor La… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Trump Has Created A National Embarrassment At The Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today slammed the Trump Administration for the inhumane conditions at the southwest border and called on the Senate to pass comprehensive immigration reform. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin detailed recent press reports that describe detestable and unacceptable conditions at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility in Clint, Texas, which was holding mo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley, Bipartisan Group Of Senators Urge EPA To Update Ethanol Science To Improve Trade

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today led a bipartisan group of Senators urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update an outdated environmental analysis on ethanol in order to improve foreign sales opportunities. Peer-reviewed science conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has affirmed U.S. ethanol lowers greenhouse gas emissions between 39 to… Continue Reading

Durbin Testifies At House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Student Loan Bankruptcy Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today testified at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing entitled "Oversight of Bankruptcy Law and Legislative Proposals." Durbin testified about the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019, a bicameral bill he introduced with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-01), and U.S. Representative John Katko (R-NY-24) that would give A… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cardin, Van Hollen, Kaine Introduce NDAA Amendment To Halt Security Assistance To Cameroon

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to halt all further U.S. security assistance to Cameroon, except for dealing with Boko Haram, until the U.S. Secretaries of Defense and State certify military and security forces of Cameroon have demonstrated progress in abiding by international human rights standards, particularly in regards t… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Peoria, Illinois, Mayor Jim Ardis today to discuss transportation priorities and the importance of investing in our nation's infrastructure. Durbin discussed Peoria's interest in becoming a research hub for autonomous vehicle technology, including the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) in the Greater Peoria Area's application for an Automated Driving System Demonstration Grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Durb… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Lipinski Announce More Than $65 Million For Chicago Airport Improvements

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has awarded O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport grants totaling $65,276,900. O'Hare International Airport will receive $65 million to support runway construction and Midway International Airport will receive $276,900 to conduct a n… Continue Reading

Ten Years After Landmark Law To Fight Tobacco Addiction, Durbin Presses FDA For Stronger Response To Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic

TEN YEARS AFTER LANDMARK LAW TO FIGHT TOBACCO ADDICTION, DURBIN PRESSES FDA FOR STRONGER RESPONSE TO YOUTH E-CIGARETTE EPIDEMIC CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 15 of their Democratic colleagues, sent a letter to Dr. Ned Sharpless, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in recognition of the ten year anniversary of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. In the letter, the Senators urged the FDA to take… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Reintroduce Bill To Provide Equal Tax Treatment For Married Same-Sex Couples

WASHINGTON - During LGBTQ Pride Month, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), today reintroduced the Refund Equality Act. This legislation would ensure that legally-married same-sex couples - who until the U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 U.S. v. Windsor decision were barred from filing federal taxes jointly - are permitted to file amended tax returns back to the date of their marriage. The House Ways and Means Committee will vote… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump administration Arms Sale To Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after voting for the joint resolutions of disapproval regarding arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The joint resolutions of disapproval passed the Senate and will now head to the House of Representatives for a vote. "The Saudi-led war in Yemen has been a humanitarian disaster - leading to an estimated 85,000 children having already died of malnutrition. And the Saudi government and royal family conti… Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Illinois Members At Delegation Lunch

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation at an Illinois Congressional Delegation Luncheon. Started by the late U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon, the Illinois Delegation Luncheon has been held regularly in Washington, D.C., at no expense to the federal taxpayer for more than 27 years. "I always enjoy welcoming my House colleagues to the Senate for our delegation luncheons. Having the opportunity to discuss the issues in their districts… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Nomination Of Martha Pacold, Mary Rowland, & Steven Seeger To Serve As U.S. District Judges For The Northern District of Illinois

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nominations of Martha M. Pacold, Mary M. Rowland, and Steven C. Seeger to serve as District Judges on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, based in Chicago: "We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced these three Illinoisans. They have the qualifications, integrity, and judgment to serve … Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Has Responsibility To Address Humanitarian Crisis President Trump Has Created At Southwest Border

WASHINGTON - In today's Senate Appropriations Committee markup, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, supported reporting to the floor a bipartisan funding agreement to address the humanitarian crisis that President Donald Trump has created at our southwest border. The bill includes funding to alleviate overcrowding at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and provide food, supplies, and medical care to mig… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Push DOT To Support Quad Cities Amtrak Route

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), urged the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue an extension for federal funding for the Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline. After funding delays from former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker renewed the state's financial commitment to the proposed state-supported Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline by providing $225 m… Continue Reading

Durbin: Pres. Trump & Republicans Are Threatening Millions Of American Families By Undermining Health Care System

WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans on their continued efforts to destabilize and undermine America's health care system. Durbin cited the pending lawsuit, Texas v. United States, in which the Trump Administration is seeking to eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act, including important protections for people with pre-existing conditions. "Is it any wonder why we are concerned about the lawsuit file… Continue Reading

Durbin To HHS Secretary: FDA Won't Act To Curb Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic, Will You?

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to use his authority and full force of his agency to tackle the youth vaping epidemic. Durbin, referencing a meeting last month with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless, urged Azar to take action on e-cigarettes in light of FDA's refusal to respond to this public health epidemic in a timely manner. "It has become clear to … Continue Reading

Durbin Receives Update From Venezuelan President Juan Guaido

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó about the ongoing violence, deteriorating security situation, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the discredited regime of Nicolás Maduro. During today's call, Durbin reiterated his support for Guaidó and his constitutional role to help Venezuela return to the community of democracies, and to do so with a thoughtful and timely transition and credib… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Acting Director Of Bureau Of Prisons To Discuss Prison Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Acting Director Hugh Hurwitz to discuss the Trump Administration's implementation of the recently-enacted Grassley-Durbin First Step Act, inadequate staffing, and the overuse of solitary confinement. Durbin also received an update on the activation of the Federal penitentiary in Thomson, Illinois. "The goal of our criminal justice system should be to rehabi… Continue Reading