Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin Announces a More Than $115,000 Investment in Illinois First-Responder Capabilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded $115,552 in grants to two fire departments and municipalities in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of the departments to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "When fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation's firefighters and first-responders sta… Continue Reading
08.01.13
Durbin, Bustos Meet with Federal Bureau of Prisons Director to Discuss Activation of Thomson Prison
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today met with the Director of the Department of Justice's Bureau of Prisons, Charles Samuels, to discuss the activation of Thomson Correctional Center. On July 18, Durbin and Bustos announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Durbin is a member, had approved funding for the activation of Thomson at the level that was requested by President Obama in his fiscal year 2014 budget propo… Continue Reading
08.01.13
Durbin: THUD Bill Is the Latest Casualty of the Failed GOP Budget
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke at a press conference today following a failed vote on the spending bill to fund the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2014 fiscal year. Despite being passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 22-8, the measure failed to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold by a vote of 54-43. "Standing behind us are some men and women in the buildi… Continue Reading
07.30.13
Durbin Announces More Than $1.6 Million at Chicagoland Airports
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $1,643,138 in funding to the state of Illinois for infrastructure improvements and upgrades at two airports in the Chicagoland region. "Today's funding will help these airports continue serving their users safely and efficiently by making needed improvements and upgrades," Durbin said. The following investments in Illinois' transportation infrastructure were made und… Continue Reading
07.26.13
Durbin Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Student Loan Interest Rates Bill
[URBANA] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the Senate's passage of a bipartisan bill to lower the interest rates of federal student loans this year for all borrowers who have taken out, or will take out, a new loan after July 1, 2013. The legislation passed on an 81-18 vote on Wednesday. "This week, an overwhelming majority of Senators from both parties came together to lower interest rates on all student loans," Durbin said. "The 380,000 Illinois undergrads getting ready t… Continue Reading
07.25.13
Durbin Announces $1.7 Million for Rural Development Project in Sangamon County
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded a loan of $1,700,000 to the Round Prairie Water Coop in Sangamon County, Illinois under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan Program. The project will construct extensions to the new water distribution system in Capital and Cotton Hill Townships that, when complete, will serve approximately 388 rural residents. The extensions will handle ex… Continue Reading
07.24.13
Durbin Meets with Former Macomb Mayor to Discuss His Re-Nomination to Amtrak Board
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with former Mayor of Macomb, Illinois and current member of the Amtrak Board of Directors, Thomas Carper who was recently re-nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the Amtrak Board. Carper's re-nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In the meeting, Durbin and Carper discussed the Senate's bill - which is currently being debated - to fund the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban… Continue Reading
07.24.13
Durbin Meets with Mayor of Macomb
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Macomb, Illinois Mayor Mike Inman. In today's meeting Durbin and Inman discussed the importance of continued federal transportation investment to stimulate economic growth and the need to repair aging infrastructure to revitalize communities. "I was pleased to welcome Macomb Mayor Mike Inman to Washington today to discuss the city's transportation priorities," Durbin said. "This week, I am working in the Senate to protect… Continue Reading
07.24.13
Durbin Announces a More Than $1.1 Million Investment in Chicagoland First-Responder Capabilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded $1,125,195 in grants to fire departments and communities across Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department and community to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin … Continue Reading
06.27.13
Senator Meets with Argonne Board Chairman Following Committee Approval of Appropriations Bill That Preserves Essential Funding for Fermilab and Argonne National Lab
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Argonne National Laboratory Chairman of the Board and University of Chicago President, Robert Zimmer, following the Senate Appropriations Committee's approval a bill that preserves essential federal funding for scientific research and development programs that will support work at both Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab. The two labs together employ roughly 4,725 Illinoisans. A photo of today's meeting is available here. … Continue Reading
06.27.13
Durbin: Bill to Fund Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Protects Illinois Priorities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, has approved a bill to fund the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2014 fiscal year that will protect Illinois priorities, promote infrastructure investment and create jobs. TIGER Grant Program Created by Congress in 2009, the TIGER grant program directs the Department of Transportation to invest in a … Continue Reading
06.18.13
Thanking Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood For His Service to America and Illinois
When President Obama was elected four years ago, I urged him to appoint Ray LaHood to be America's Secretary of Transportation. I was confident that Ray would serve our nation with the same integrity and inexhaustible energy he had shown while serving his Congressional district in central Illinois. As Secretary LaHood prepares to leave his cabinet post, I am pleased but not a bit surprised to say that I was right. Ray LaHood is a proud Republican. Yet, when President Obama asked him --… Continue Reading
06.13.13
Durbin, Kirk Applaud Decision to Make Public Assistance Available to Fifteen Additional Illinois Counties
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today applauded the decision by President Obama to make Public Assistance funding available to fifteen additional Illinois counties - Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Greene, Hancock, Lawrence, McDonough, Monroe, Morgan, Peoria, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell and Will - that were affected by flash and river flooding that occurred in April. Public Assistance eligibility allows the State of Illinois, local governme… Continue Reading
06.12.13
Durbin Praises Northern Illinois University at Senate Hearing Examining For-Profit Colleges & DOD Education Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - While chairing a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the work that Northern Illinois University has done to make serving veterans and servicemembers a priority. During an April 3, 2013 visit to Northern Illinois University, Durbin sat down with several student veterans and program administrators to discuss their experience and hear how the Military Student Services office has improved their life on campus… Continue Reading
06.10.13
Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Farm Bill That Provides Certainty for American Farmers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced passage of the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S.954) which will save roughly $24 billion over the next 10 years compared to pre-sequestration budget levels. The farm bill, which passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 66-27, makes significant reforms to American agriculture policy by ending four different commodity subsidy programs and replacing them with more market-driven programs that make payments when … Continue Reading
06.04.13
Durbin and Kelly Meet to Discuss Transportation, Economic Development Priorities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL) to discuss constituent services and economic development priorities in Illinois's 2nd congressional district, including job-creating infrastructure projects and efforts to train and educate workers in advanced manufacturing. "I am pleased to welcome Congresswoman Kelly to Illinois' congressional delegation. In her first few weeks in office, Congresswoman Kelly has already proven hersel… Continue Reading
06.04.13
Durbin Meets with New Energy Secretary
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss the Department of Energy's commitment to moving forward with FutureGen 2.0 in Meredosia, Illinois and the importance of continued federal funding for scientific research and development programs that support work at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab. Prior to being confirmed last month by a vote of 97 to 0 in the U.S. Senate, Moniz was the Director of the Energy Initiative at t… Continue Reading
05.15.13
Durbin Announces Senate Approval of His Legislation to Improve Mississippi River Management and Extreme Weather Response
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that his legislation to bolster efforts to maintain commercial river traffic during droughts and floods was approved by the U.S. Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2013. Specifically, the legislation would authorize a study of the entire Mississippi River Basin, for the first time ever, in order to help better understand how the Basin functions as a system and how it can best be managed in order to mainta… Continue Reading
05.15.13
Durbin, Senators Introduce Fully Paid for Legislation to Prevent Student Loan Rate Hike
[WASHINGTON, DC] - In an effort to protect taxpayers and shield college students from a sharp increase in federal Stafford loan interest rates, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and eight other Senators in introducing a fully paid for bill to ensure student loan interest rates for more than 7 million undergraduate st… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Durbin Meets with Secretary of Commerce Nominee Penny Pritzker
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, to discuss her nomination and the importance of supporting U.S. businesses and job creation through this economic recovery. "Penny Pritzker is an excellent choice to head the Department of Commerce," Durbin said after meeting with her this afternoon. "She has risen to the highest ranks of corporate America, understands the challenges American bus… Continue Reading