Durbin Joins Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association To Discuss The Importance Of Legal Aid Services During COVID-19 Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association, the Federal Bar Association's Chicago chapter, and the Chicago Inn of Court for a virtual conversation about current legal topics including the importance of pro bono and legal aid services, civil rights, policing reform, and voting rights. "Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a season of uncertainty in America as we confront a pandemic and its accompanying recession, a reckoning with thi… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Illinois Stewardship Alliance To Discuss Relief For Local Farmers During COVID-19 Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a conference call with members of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance to discuss issues faced by small and local farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin highlighted his support for increasing financial assistance that is tailored to local farmers who sell directly to consumers, schools, institutions, food hubs, regional distribution centers, retail markets, farmers markets, and restaurants. Congress provided $16 billion within the C… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $11 Million For Community Health Centers Throughout Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $11.5 million in federal grants to support 44 Community Health Centers (CHCs) throughout the state. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services health center cluster grant program. "Community Health Centers are a critical resource for millions of Americans - particularly in racially diverse and medically underserved communities that have been dispr… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Start Of New School Year During COVID-19 Pandemic With Teach For America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Teach for America (TFA) Chicago-Northwest Indiana Executive Director Aneesh Sohoni about how TFA is helping Illinois school districts meet the challenges of educating during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin and Sohoni discussed the teacher shortage in Illinois that disproportionally impacts students from low-income backgrounds and students of color and TFA's instrumental efforts in filling these open positions to ensure… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Start Of New School Year During COVID-19 Pandemic With Teach For America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Teach for America (TFA) Chicago-Northwest Indiana Executive Director Aneesh Sohoni about how TFA is helping Illinois school districts meet the challenges of educating during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin and Sohoni discussed the teacher shortage in Illinois that disproportionally impacts students from low-income backgrounds and students of color and TFA's instrumental efforts in filling these open positions to ensure… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges DOD To Adopt Wider Use Of University Of Illinois' COVID-19 Saliva-Based Testing Initiative

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today urged the Department of Defense (DOD) to adopt SHIELD T3, an innovative system of COVID-19 testing and tracing developed by the University of Illinois to help monitor the health of students as they return to class this fall. In letters to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite, and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, Durbin high… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Democratic Colleagues In Blasting Trump Administration's Constant, Dangerous Political Interference In COVID-19 Response

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 29 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in writing to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar criticizing the Trump Administration for their continued political interference in the COVID-19 response. The Senators warned that decisions to pressure and overrule public health experts will erode public trust and hamper efforts to respond to t… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Credit Union League

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today with members of the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) about negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief package and the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to ensure Illinois small businesses can maintain their operations and pay their employees as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the economy. Durbin also discussed simplifying the Small Business Administration's loan forgiveness application, especially for borrowe… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) Chair Jerome Cataldo and American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) CEO Chip Rodgers about the next COVID-19 relief package and how to provide additional relief to better meet the needs of the hospitality industry and the greater economy. On the call, Durbin discussed his continued support for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including the Prioritized Paycheck Prote… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $3 Million In FEMA Reimbursement Funding For COVID-19 Emergency Response In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offset costs related to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal funding was awarded to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) as reimbursement for implementing training and other safety measures at assisted-living, nursing, and rehabilitation facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Throughout the… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Exelon Decision To Close Byron & Dresden Generating Stations

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding Exelon's announcement to close its Byron Generating Station in Byron, Illinois, and Dresden Generating Station in Morris, Illinois, in fall 2021: "The closure of Byron and Dresden Generating Stations will have significant impacts on the local economy and Illinois workers. In the days and months ahead, I am committed to fighting for these jobs and helping to create additional good paying jobs in these… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Call On FCC To Bolster Lifeline Program To Keep Students Connected As The School Year Begins

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in leading a group of 22 other Senators in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to boost its Lifeline program to keep students connected as millions return to school both virtually and in person. Since 1985, the FCC's Lifeline program has made basic internet and telephone service more affordable for low-income Americans and has had bipartisan support. "As mil… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.4 Million In FEMA Reimbursement Funding For Flooding Recovery

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois has been awarded a total of $2,414,009 in federal funding to offset costs related to the historic flooding that occurred from February 24 to July 3, 2019. The funding, awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will go to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to supplement local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe … Continue Reading

Durbin, Garcia, Kelly Call On Trump Admin To Immediately Facilitate Access To Legal Orientation Program To All ICE Detainees In Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, along with U.S. Representatives Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04) and Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today called on the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to work together to immediately facilitate access to the Legal Orientation Program (LOP), including meaningful remote access, to all ICE detainees in Illinois. LOP see… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Urge USPS To Prioritize Election Mail Ahead Of November General Election

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Illinois State Board of Elections (SBOE) leaders following their call last week to discuss constituent concerns about voting by mail. In the letter, Durbin and Duckworth urged officials to ensure that election mail is processed expeditiously and to immediately enact an official policy to ensure that all vote-by-mail applications and ballots are treated as First-Class Mail. … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins AIDS Foundation Of Chicago To Discuss Importance Of Protecting Access To Health Care

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's virtual breakfast about the inequities in health care for the LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS communities and about the Trump Administration's continued attempts to dismantle and invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In his remarks, Durbin also spoke about the need to improve the United States' COVID-19 pandemic response and the importance of protecting people's access to health care. "The ACA has provided mil… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With General Perna, COO Of Operation Warp Speed, About COVID-19 Vaccine Development

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer for Operation Warp Speed, about the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates. On the call, Durbin pressed General Perna about maintaining the integrity of any vaccine candidate's safety and efficacy, and to not cut corners or permit political interference in the effort to quickly develop a vaccine. Durbin's call came on the same day as Food… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cardin, Rubio, Young Call For Justice & Accountability On Third Anniversary Of Rohingya Genocide

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Todd Young (R-IN) today issued the following statement commemorating the third anniversary of the Burmese military's genocide against the Rohingya minority in Burma's Rakhine State: "Today, August 25, marks three years since the Burmese military undertook a campaign of systemic violence against the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State, forcing more than 740,000 people to flee their homes and cross into… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse, Hirono Lead Call For GAO Investigation Of Trump Politicization And Mismanagement Of Immigration Courts As COVID-19 Crisis Rages

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to lead a request from all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats to the top congressional watchdog to investigate the practices of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) under President Trump, including its management of immigration courts during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to the Government Acc… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses His Provider Relief Fund With Lurie Children's Hospital CEO

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Lurie Children's Hospital CEO Dr. Tom Shanley about the inclusion of independent children's hospitals in COVID-19 relief funding as hospitals face significant revenue shortfalls as many procedures and patient visits have been scaled back and the cost of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing kits have risen. After hearing that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) funding allocations left out safety net… Continue Reading