Durbin Statement On President Joe Biden

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement on President Joe Biden: “Throughout his public career, Joe Biden always put country first. His four years as President made it clear that he was determined to put our country back on track and restore the soul of our nation. America will be forever grateful for all he has given to this country. “Now the Democratic Party must unite behind a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and keep America movin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Members Of The Illinois Congressional Delegation Urge Small Business Administration To Grant An Economic Injury Disaster Declaration For Jo Daviess County

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman urging her to grant Governor JB Pritzker’s request for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Declaration for Jo Daviess County, Illinois.  The letter comes after severe flooding in the area earlier this month. Led by Durbin and Duckworth, the letter was also signed by U.S. Representatives Jon… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Department Of Education To Support Students Left Out To Dry By For-Profit American Academy Of Arts And Northwestern College Closure

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to support students impacted by the unexpected closure of for-profit colleges American Academy of the Arts (Academy) in Chicago and Northwestern College (Northwestern) in Oak Lawn, Illinois, earlier this month.  The schools’ closures have left nearly 600 students with significant debt and no diploma. In their letter, the Senators called on Secretary Cardona to reach out … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Department Of Education To Support Students Left Out To Dry By For-Profit American Academy Of Arts And Northwestern College Closures

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to support students impacted by the unexpected closure of for-profit colleges American Academy of the Arts (Academy) in Chicago and Northwestern College (Northwestern) in Oak Lawn, Illinois, earlier this month.  The schools’ closures have left nearly 600 students with significant debt and no diploma. In their letter, the Senators called on Secretary Cardona to reach out … Continue Reading

Durbin Celebrates Quantum Innovation In Illinois

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) celebrated quantum technology innovation in Illinois with a visit to MxD to discuss integrating quantum technology into manufacturing processes. Earlier this week, Durbin joined Governor Pritzker, U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11), and other Illinois leaders to announce a new partnership between the federal government and Illinois—Quantum Proving Ground—to promote quantum computing research, development, … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Sonya Massey

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement in response to the announcement of charges in the death of Sonya Massey:  “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Sonya Massey during this difficult time.  Our law enforcement officers are called on to protect and serve their communities with honor and courage, but any who fail to follow the high standards they have sworn to uphold must be held accou… Continue Reading

Durbin, Underwood Discuss Maternal Health Care At UIC Maternal Health Research Center Of Excellence

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) for a roundtable discussion with health care professionals about UIC’s selection by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence to develop innovative approaches to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths. “Every year in the U.S. we lose approximately one thousand pregnant or postpartum women. I… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $2.27 Million In Medical Research Grants For Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,276,880 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions. A large portion of the funding will be put towards research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from cancer research to research related to deafness. “Serious federal investment in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us n… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $7 Million In Federal Funding For Community-Based Residency Programs For Doctors In Underserved Areas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $7,040,000 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support new community-based medical residency programs for doctors in underserved areas in Illinois.  Under the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program, physicians train primarily in outpatient community sites, such as community health centers, to build the pipeline of primary care providers… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $16.8 Million In HHS Grants For Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $16,894,039 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions.  Of this funding, $16,759,039 will be awarded to the Illinois Department of Public Health for its Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement and $135,000 will go to the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault to support the organization’s mission to provide sexual assa… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Senator Menendez To Resign After Guilty Conviction

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign after a jury of his peers found him guilty on all counts in a federal bribery case: “As Leader Schumer appropriately said, Senator Menendez should do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.” -30-… Continue Reading

Durbin Launches Inquiry Into Medical and Mental Health Care In ICE Detention Centers

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today launched an inquiry into medical and mental health care for people in custody in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, requesting information from ICE as well as requesting an audit of ICE’s mental health care services by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The inquiry follows a June report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Physicians for Hum… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With New Adjutant General Of The Illinois National Guard

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with new Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard Major General Rodney Boyd to discuss Illinois’ role in contributing to national military readiness.  Durbin and General Boyd spoke about Peoria’s 182nd Airlift Wing as a basing location for new C-130J aircraft and Durbin’s successful effort to secure $350 million in Fiscal Year 2023 funding for 12 new MQ-1C Gray eagle aircraft for the National Guard. Durbin also expresse… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Frequent Flyer Programs, Rail Grants With Secretary Buttigieg

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about federal oversight of airlines’ frequent flyers programs.  While these programs may have originated to incentivize and reward true “frequent flyers,” they have evolved to include co-branded credit cards and now often exclusively focus on dollars spent using these co-branded credit cards. Durbin received an update from Secretary Buttigieg about the Department … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Federal Judge Dismissing Classified Documents Case Against Donald Trump

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump on the grounds that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution: “This unprecedented decision goes far beyond this individual prosecution and undermines the entire system that our country has long relied on to protect the independence of… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Shooting At Former President Trump's Rally in Pennsylvania

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the shooting at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania: “Political violence is never acceptable. I’m keeping the former president, the bystander who was tragically killed, and all who were injured or whose safety was threatened in my thoughts. Sending my deepest thanks to law enforcement for helping keep those in attendance safe.” -30-… Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin, Duckworth

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced funding bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Legislative Branch for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).  Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these three appropriations bills, … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Nomination Of Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson-Bush To Railroad Retirement Board

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson-Bush’s nomination to serve as the Chair of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB): “At my urging, President Biden has made an excellent choice in nominating former Illinois Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson-Bush to serve as Chair of the Railroad Retirement Board.  Congresswoman Halvorson-Bush’s career is steeped in public service, from her time in Congress f… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cohen Introduce Bicameral Legislation To Crack Down On For-Profit College Industry

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) today introduced bicameral legislation that would help put an end to the for-profit college industry’s aggressive recruiting of veterans, service members, and their families.  The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act would reinstate the 85/15 rule, which would prohibit for-profit colleges from receiving more than 85 percent of their revenue from the federal government, including fr… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Federal Firearm Licensee Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced legislation to update federal laws governing licensed firearm dealers, cracking down on rogue firearm dealers who engage in unlawful practices that lead to gun trafficking and violence.  The Federal Firearm Licensee Act would establish new requirements for licensed firearm dealers to secure their business premises and conduct physical checks of their business inventories. It would… Continue Reading