Press Releases
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Improve Accountability Of Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority 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. Currently, some overseas medical schools are exempt from meeting the … Continue Reading
September 06, 2022
Durbin: The Confirmation Of Highly Qualified Judges Is One Of The Great, Shared Successes Of President Biden And Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about the upcoming vote on Seventh Circuit nominee John Lee, and Senate Democrats' continued commitment to confirming highly qualified judges to the federal bench. "President Biden and Senate Democrats have made it a priority to elevate judicial nominees from demographically and professionally diverse backgrounds," Durbin said. "And during the 117th … Continue Reading
September 05, 2022
Durbin Leads Colleagues In Calling For Update From Inter-American Commission On Human Rights On Investigation Into Death Of Cuban Political Reformer Oswaldo Payá
WASHINGTON - With this summer marking the eleventh year since Cuban political reformer Oswaldo Payá's suspicious death, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Mark Warner (D-VA), urged the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to provide an update on this case without further delay. In 2013, Durbin sent his first letter to previous … Continue Reading
September 02, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Nomination Of Colleen Lawless To Serve As District Court Judge For The Central District Of Ilinois
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the White House announced the nomination of Judge Colleen Lawless to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois: "We are pleased that President Biden is nominating Judge Colleen Lawless to serve as a District Court Judge for the Central District of Illinois. … Continue Reading
September 02, 2022
Durbin Visits Local Farm To Discuss Impact Of Inflation Reduction Act On Illinois Agriculture Industry
CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today visited a local farm to discuss the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on the Illinois agriculture industry. "Illinois' agriculture industry is not immune to climate change, with droughts in some parts of the state and flooding in others," said Durbin. "These weather changes are not exclusive to Illinois-they're a global issue. Congress designed the Inflation … Continue Reading
August 31, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Delegation Urge President Biden To Grant FEMA Individual Assistance To Metro East Following Flash Floods
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with the entire Illinois Congressional delegation, sent a letter to President Biden requesting that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide federal assistance to the State of Illinois to help St. Clair County respond to significant damage from the flash floods on July 26. "We write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for federal assistance for the State of … Continue Reading
August 30, 2022
Durbin Statement On Department Of Education's Move To Approve $1.5 Billion Borrower Defense Group Discharge For Former Westwood College Students
SPRINGFIELD - U.S Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's announcement that the Department has approved $1.5 billion in full loan discharges for 79,000 borrowers regardless of whether the borrower submitted an individual borrower defense application. Of the 79,000 claims discharged, 12,650 belonged to Illinois student borrowers, amounting to $228.2 million in relief. "After almost ten years of urging multiple … Continue Reading
August 24, 2022
Durbin Statement On DHS Regulation To Preserve And Fortify DACA
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead author of the Dream Act, today released the following statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issuing a final rule that aims to preserve and fortify Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for certain eligible noncitizens who arrived in the United States as children, deferring their removal and allowing them an opportunity to access a renewable, two-year work … Continue Reading
August 24, 2022
Durbin, Grassley Announce Judiciary Committee Hearing On Whistleblower Disclosure Of Widespread Security Failures At Twitter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 13, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a full Committee hearing to examine allegations of widespread security failures at Twitter. The hearing will feature testimony by Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, who will appear pursuant to a subpoena and whose … Continue Reading
August 24, 2022
Durbin Releases Statement On President Biden's Announcement To Eliminate $10,000 In Student Loans
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his Administration's plan to eliminate $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year and to extend the student loan payment freeze until December 31: "Tens of millions of Americans are plagued by student loan debt in pursuit of a quality education. Today's announcement by President Biden is a crucial step to enable low- and … Continue Reading
August 23, 2022
Durbin Statement On Claims Of Widespread Security Failures At Twitter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding reports by a former senior security employee at Twitter who is alleging widespread security failures at the company: "The whistleblower's allegations of widespread security failures at Twitter, willful misrepresentations by top executives to government agencies, and penetration of the company by foreign intelligence raise serious concerns. If … Continue Reading
August 18, 2022
Durbin Hosts Rural Health Summit To Discuss Workforce Challenges, Federal Assistance
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today convened a Rural Health Summit to discuss workforce challenges with local health leaders and educators. Durbin also discussed the federal government's role in addressing these challenges, including $1 billion in funding he secured in the American Rescue Plan for the National Health Service Corps and the Nurse Corps to place more providers in underserved communities. "For more than two years, health care workers have provided care for us in … Continue Reading
August 17, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Lightfoot Announce $3 Million FRA Grant For Chicago Union Station
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that Chicago Union Station will receive $3,000,000 in federal funding, awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration, to complete the design process for planned renovations to the train station's concourse level, which serves Amtrak and Metra passengers. "Chicago Union Station has been a central transportation hub in the Midwest since its original construction in 1925. … Continue Reading
August 16, 2022
Durbin Releases Statement On Department Of Education's Group Discharge Of Student Borrowers Who Attended ITT Technical Institute
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Department of Education announced the widespread discharge of all remaining federal student loans, totaling $3.9 billion in relief, for those who attended ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech) from January 2005 through the for-profit college's closure in September 2016: "It's been almost six years since the disastrous collapse of the infamous for-profit college chain, ITT Tech. When the … Continue Reading
August 16, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4 Million For Medical Research In Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4,063,637 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) medical research grant funding for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, from drug addiction research to vascular disease research. "Federal investments allow the United States to continue discovering key breakthroughs … Continue Reading
August 15, 2022
Durbin Addresses Impact Of Flooding In Cahokia Heights And East St. Louis
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a news conference with local officials to discuss the impact of flooding in the region after record-breaking storms late last month displaced residents with more than nine inches of rain falling in two days-an amount that would normally fall in a 75-day span. Prior to today's new conference, Senator Durbin met with residents impacted by chronic flooding in Cahokia Heights and also visited sites in East St. Louis damaged by recent … Continue Reading
August 12, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $71 Million In Funding For Illinois Transit Systems From Department Of Transportation's Low-No And Buses And Bus Facilities Grant Programs
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $71,009,648 in grant funding awarded to Illinois transit systems by the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Low-No and Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Programs. The Low-No Program will support the transition of the nation's transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles by providing funding to state and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of … Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $83.5 Million In Funding For Illinois From Department Of Transportation's RAISE Grant Program
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $83,500,000 in grant funding awarded to Illinois communities by the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program to help communities around the country carry out infrastructure and transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. "Investments in rebuilding and modernizing Illinois' … Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Secure Key Illinois Priorities In Senate-Passed Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured key provisions for Illinois in the Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act. These priorities include investing in domestic energy production and manufacturing right here in the U.S., reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030, investing in clean energy tax credits, lowering prescription drugs, extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies, and more. "The Inflation Reduction Act … Continue Reading
August 07, 2022
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of The Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, groundbreaking legislation that will fight inflation, make drug prices more affordable, reduce costs, and make the nation's largest investment in our share of the climate fight ever: "Senate Democrats have heard the American people: do something to fight inflation, lower prescription drug prices, and combat the climate crisis. Today's … Continue Reading