Press Releases
Durbin Discusses Historic Flooding With IEMA Acting Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau to get an update on how IEMA is responding to historic and ongoing flooding throughout Illinois. Durbin thanked first responders for their bravery and pledged to do everything he can in the Senate to ensure the federal government is being responsive to the needs of Illinois counties still at-risk of dangerous flooding. "It was good to speak with Acting Dir… Continue Reading
06.03.19
Durbin Highlights Measure To Allow Student Loan Debt To Be Discharged In Bankruptcy
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin held a news conference highlighting new bicameral legislation that would give Americans overwhelmed by student loan debt the option of obtaining meaningful bankruptcy relief. The Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 - introduced last month with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-01) and John Katko (R-NY-24) - would eliminate the section of the bankruptcy code that makes private and federal student loans nond… Continue Reading
05.31.19
Durbin Statement On E15 Gasoline Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule allowing the sale of E15 - gasoline containing as much as 15 percent ethanol-to be sold year-round. "Though I am pleased the EPA has finally issued this new rule for the sale of E15 gasoline, I remain concerned that the Trump Administration is issuing carve outs for Big… Continue Reading
05.31.19
Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Move To Impose Tariffs On Mexico As Immigration Retaliation
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced that his Administration will impose a five percent tariff on all goods coming into the United States from Mexico until Mexico stops migrants and families seeking asylum from coming to the U.S. border through Mexico. Mexico is Illinois' second largest export market and third largest import market. "… Continue Reading
05.31.19
Durbin Statement On DHS IG Report Regarding Dangerous & Inhumane Conditions At CBP Facility In El Paso
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report detailing the inhumane and dangerous overcrowding of migrants at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center: "What I saw at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center on April 12 has haunted me ever since, and is detailed vividly in t… Continue Reading
05.29.19
Durbin, Murray, Feinstein Press HHS For Information & Reforms Following Undisclosed Death Of Migrant Child
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the top Democrats with jurisdiction over the government's handling of migrant children, today pressed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar for information following last week's acknowledgment that a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador died in the agency's custody on September 29, 2018. This was the first death of a migrant child in federal custody since 2010, and the … Continue Reading
05.29.19
Durbin To FDA Commissioner: Don't Be A Spectator To Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless to get off the sidelines and address the public health epidemic of youth use of e-cigarettes with strong enforcement action from his agency. In a letter to Sharpless, Durbin said the face-to-face meeting this month with him was, "one of the most disappointing and alarming meetings," during his time in public service. Durbin also cited specific actions t… Continue Reading
05.28.19
Durbin And Davis Announce Bipartisan Legislation To Address Childhood Trauma, Reduce Violence
CHICAGO - Building off sweeping federal legislation they passed in 2018 to help children exposed to trauma, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-IL-07) announced new bipartisan legislation to increase support for children who have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma, such as witnessing violence, parental addiction, or abuse. The RISE from Trauma Act (Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion) expands upon a GAO report released las… Continue Reading
05.24.19
Durbin, Duckworth statement On Army Corps Approval Of Brandon Road Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Army Corps of Engineers approved and sent to Congress their plan for the Brandon Road project to prevent Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes. Last month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a letter of intent for the State of Illinois to move forward as the local sponsor of the project. "We applaud today's announcement from the Corps signing off on the Brandon Road p… Continue Reading
05.23.19
Senate Passes Durbin Legislation To Help Combat Robocalls
WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate passed the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, known as the TRACED Act. The legislation, of which U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) cosponsored, would address the scourge of robocalls by increasing fines on violators of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and directing phone service providers to implement call authentication technology, which can reasonably predict whether an inbound call is from a spoofed number. "This is a … Continue Reading
05.23.19
As Tensions With Iran Escalate, Durbin Meets With Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who President Donald Trump nominated to be Defense Secretary earlier this month. During the meeting, Durbin pressed Acting Secretary Shanahan on the Trump Administration's escalating tensions with Iran, continued military presence at the southwest border, and the reprogramming of $2.5 billion for President Trum… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Durbin: President Trump Has Gone Fishing - Refuses To Work With Congress During Investigation
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today recounted the meeting at the White House, which was originally scheduled to discuss transportation infrastructure, but was instead used as a press opportunity for President Donald Trump to express his frustration with Congressional investigations and oversight. Durbin noted that in light of Congress's role in appropriating funding for the government, Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversi… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Durbin: Trump Admin Should Think Twice About Starting Another Middle Eastern War
WASHINGTON - Following yesterday's briefing by Trump Administration officials about Iran, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called President Donald Trump's policy in Iran "provocative" and "incomprehensible," and warned against another reckless war in the Middle East. "President Trump's policy, at the direction of Mr. Bolton, seems to have only increased regional tensions, incentivized Iran to restart its nuclear program, and fomented a pretext for another Middle Eastern war… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Resolution Establishing "National Gun Violence Awareness Month"
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) introduced a resolution in the House and Senate establishing the weekend of June 7-9, 2019, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend" and designating June as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." Every day in America, an average of around 300 men, women, and children are shot, nearly one-third of them fatally. Establishing a month to bring attention to the issue of gun v… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Durbin, Duckworth Help Introduce Maternal Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) to introduce the Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies (Maternal CARE) Act, legislation to address persistent biases and shortcomings in our nation's medical system that have contributed to the ongoing maternal mortality crisis impacting Black women. The United States is one of only thirteen countries in the world where the rate of maternal mortality is now worse than it wa… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Durbin, Davis Call For Increased Support For Children Traumatized By Violence Following Gao Report Findings
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-IL-07) today called for increased support, workforce training, and services for children who have experienced trauma after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study they requested revealed that states face challenges in identifying and supporting children who experience trauma. Next month, Durbin and Davis will introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that seeks to address the challenges in today's study… Continue Reading
05.22.19
In Aftermath Of Child Migrant Deaths, Durbin, Senators Call For Investigating Detention Facilities At Southwest Border
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, today led 24 Senators in calling on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Inspector General to immediately investigate DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention facilities at the southwest border, in particular the conditions for minors, family units, and other vulnerable individuals. The … Continue Reading
05.21.19
Durbin Statement On Iran Briefing By Trump Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving a classified briefing on the latest regarding Iran: "The Trump Administration's confrontational policy with Iran runs the risk of escalation to deadly levels. Talking tough on a tweet is easy. Living with the grim reality of war is not."… Continue Reading
05.21.19
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Treasury To Issue Carbon Capture Tax Credit Guidance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have joined a bipartisan group of Senators in requesting guidance from the Department of Treasury for the implementation of the carbon capture utilization and storage tax credit program under the FUTURE Act. In a letter to Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the Senators requested that Treasury issue an interim rule to allow carbon capture projects, which often have a long lead-time, to get underway and assign more staff to the develo… Continue Reading
05.21.19
Durbin Shares Story Of Good Samaritan In Chicago
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) shared the story of Robert King, a Chicagoan who helped save the lives of two people awaiting organ donation. The Saturday before Easter, King was driving on Lake Shore Drive when he saw a van on the side of the road, and noticed another vehicle had T-boned the van at a stoplight. As other cars passed by, King pulled over and stopped to see if he could help, and he noticed that the man in the van held a cooler. … Continue Reading