Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
Durbin, Hirono, Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Recognizing National Assistant Principals Week
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) today introduced a resolution designating the week of April 6, 2026, as “National Assistant Principals Week.” Amid a national educator shortage, the resolution expresses support for assistant principals’ commitment to instructional leadership and the role they play in addressing student and staff needs while establishing positive school learning … Continue Reading
March 11, 2026
Durbin Introduces Bill To Create Interagency Committee To Expand Oversight On For-Profit College Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), today reintroduced the Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act, legislation that will establish an interagency committee tasked with improving coordination of federal oversight of for-profit colleges to ensure that students are not scammed out of an education and into a mountain of debt. … Continue Reading
March 02, 2026
Durbin Introduces Resolution Designating National Social And Emotional Learning Week
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a resolution designating the week of March 2, 2026, as National Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Week. SEL is centered on developing the self-awareness, ability to manage emotions, and interpersonal skills necessary for school, the workplace, and life. Research shows that SEL promotes student academic outcomes, self-efficacy, and positive mental health, especially for students who have experienced trauma, by helping … Continue Reading
February 10, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Illinois Community Colleges To Talk Job Training Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with leaders and members of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) to discuss their efforts to ensure higher education remains accessible and affordable as the Trump Administration attempts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and the programs that support students in attending college. The Senators also discussed job training programs provided at … Continue Reading
February 10, 2026
Durbin Celebrates $61 Million In Federal Funding Secured Over The Course Of Eight Years For His Open Textbook Pilot Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the inclusion of $7 million for the Open Textbook Pilot Program in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Since 2018 when Durbin helped create the Open Textbook Pilot Program, he has secured $61 million in total federal funding to support college students across the country in accessing textbooks … Continue Reading
February 02, 2026
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Improve Accountability For Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation that would protect students and taxpayers by closing a loophole that gives special treatment to a small number of overseas medical schools. The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act would require all medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to receive Title IV student aid dollars. U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) plans to introduce companion … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin Delivers Remarks As He Is Presented National Head Start Association Lifetime Achievement Award
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today received the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) Robert E. Cooke Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of support for the early childhood education program. In his remarks, Durbin spoke about the importance of early childhood development support and the integral role that Head Start plays in supporting children and families from underserved communities. Durbin denounced the Trump Administration’s … Continue Reading
January 14, 2026
Durbin, Fischer’s Protecting Children With Food Allergies Bill Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today celebrated that their bipartisan Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act became law through an amendment in the newly signed Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. Durbin and Fischer’s legislation will ensure school food service staff receive essential training about food allergies, so that they are better equipped to … Continue Reading
January 09, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth, Casten Announce $4 Million In Federal Funding For College Of DuPage
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) today announced $4,000,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education for College of DuPage. This grant comes from the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Special Projects, which provides grants to institutions of higher education to support innovative projects concerning one or more areas of … Continue Reading
December 19, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $13.5 Million In Federal Funding To Support Illinois Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $13,467,325 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education for mental health and literacy support for students in Illinois. “There is a growing mental health and literacy crisis amongst today’s youth that must be addressed,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced federal funding for programs that build the pipeline of mental health professionals, connect professionals to … Continue Reading
December 18, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth, Casten Introduce Resolution Honoring Illinois’ Blue Ribbon Schools After Trump Administration Ends Program
WASHINGTON— After the Trump Administration ended the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) today introduced a resolution to recognize the 28 Illinois schools that were selected to receive the designation of Blue Ribbon Schools this year. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program was a national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education given to public, charter, and private … Continue Reading
December 16, 2025
Durbin Speaks At Spotlight Forum Raising Alarm About President Trump’s Crusade To Dismantle The Department Of Education
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a spotlight forum entitled “Dismantling Education: What the Trump Administration’s Illegal Attacks on Federal Programs Mean for Students, Families, and Educators.” The forum, convened by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), focused on the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for the nation’s students, families, and schools. “The creation of … Continue Reading
December 04, 2025
Durbin Accepts Lifetime Achievement Award For Decades Of Work Protecting Students From Predatory For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) and the Protect Students and Taxpayers Coalition at their annual meeting, which brings together more than 30 organizations representing veterans, consumers, civil rights organizations, and state attorneys general. Durbin was presented the award in recognition of his decades of work protecting students from the predatory and deceptive … Continue Reading
November 21, 2025
Durbin, Fischer’s Protecting Children With Food Allergies Bill Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, applauded the Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which included their bipartisan Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act as an amendment. Durbin and Fischer’s legislation would ensure school food service staff receive essential training about food allergies, so that they are better equipped to … Continue Reading
September 09, 2025
Durbin Talks Youth Mental Health, Education Funding With Illinois Association Of School Boards
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) to discuss federal education funding as the Trump Administration aims to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and cut off local school districts from federal resources. During their meeting, Durbin and IASB members addressed the importance of pushing back against the Trump Administration’s cuts by securing strong funding for Title I schools and increasing … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Durbin Meets With NIU President As Trump Administration Slashes Research Funding, Restricts Financial Support For Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Lisa Freeman, President of Northern Illinois University (NIU), to discuss the harmful impacts of congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which caps graduate student and Parent PLUS loans and institutes a lifetime borrowing limit that makes higher education increasingly more inaccessible for low and middle-income students. The legislation also places new limitations on Pell … Continue Reading
August 26, 2025
Durbin Joins Ribbon Cutting For National Science Foundation Institutes Hosted By Northwestern University
CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a ribbon cutting ceremony for the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI), two new institutes hosted by Northwestern University with support from NSF and in partnership with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. “Today’s ribbon cutting is an example of the incredible things we can achieve when … Continue Reading
July 28, 2025
Durbin, Hirono, Padilla, Wyden And Booker Introduce Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act To Expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness To Adjunct Professors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today reintroduced the Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act of 2025 to allow part-time faculty at colleges and universities - who are often have high student debt loads and are paid low wages with few benefits - to be eligible to participate in the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The Adjunct Faculty Loan … Continue Reading
July 25, 2025
Durbin Calls Out Cuts To Medicaid, Student Loan Caps For Medical Students At SIU Medical School
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined educators and health care professionals at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine to discuss the Trump Administration’s cuts to Medicaid and medical research, and the impact recent caps to student loans will have on medical students. “Earlier this month, President Trump and Republicans in Congress slashed health care to provide tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans in our nation,” said Durbin. “The … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Durbin Statement On Trump Executive Order To Demolish The Department Of Education
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order to demolish the U.S. Department of Education: “President Trump’s dangerous demagoguery knows no bounds. Shredding the Department of Education, a federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation, is depraved and deeply damaging to the future of this country. “Trump’s formula for American greatness: Eliminate federal aid to … Continue Reading