December 19, 2019

Durbin Statement On Bipartisan Government Funding Bills

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for the bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills, which secure funding for important priorities for American families and our national security:

“These funding bills include important investments for Illinoisans and Americans across the country, including increased funding for our troops, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – including funding for CDC and NIH to conduct gun violence research for the first time in 25 years.  The bills also provide critical funding for our veterans and their caregivers, for protecting the Great Lakes region, and for infrastructure programs such as BUILD grants, Capital Investment Grants, and Amtrak. 

“Importantly, these funding bills will prevent another disastrous government shutdown.  While not perfect, these bills reject many of the terrible cuts President Trump proposed in his budget and invest in the programs that Americans rely on.”

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