Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Transportation and Infrastructure
Durbin, Duckworth Press Metra, Amtrak, Freight Rail for Update on Positive Train Control Safety Technology
WASHINGTON-Following the tragic Amtrak derailment in Washington this week that left at least three people dead and about 100 others injured, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed Metra, Amtrak, and the American Association of Railroads (AAR) to provide the Illinois Delegation with an update on their ongoing efforts to implement positive train control (PTC) safety technology in Illinois by the December 31, 2018 statutory deadline. PTC is a federally mandated c… Continue Reading
11.14.17
Durbin Meets With Chicago Rockford International Airport Director, Discusses Continued Federal Investment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Mike Dunn, director of the Chicago Rockford International Airport Authority to discuss continued expansion of cargo operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport, which is creating thousands of local jobs. "Northern Illinois' economic growth depends on our airports, and Chicago Rockford International Airport is no exception. Thanks to continued federal investment, the ongoing cargo expansion and upgrades at RFD are creating jo… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $3.8 Million In HUD funding To Support Northern Illinois Housing And Community Development
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Northern Illinois communities will receive $3,880,550 in federal grant funding through three programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In total, Northern Illinois communities were awarded $2,957,019 through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program, $182,521 through the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program, and $741,010 through the HOME Investment P… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.5 Million In HUD Funding To Support Peoria Area Housing And Community Development
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Peoria area communities will receive $2,575,764 in federal grant funding through three programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In total, Peoria area communities were awarded $1,932,441 through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program, $137,451 through the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program, and $505,872 through the HOME Investment Partnerships p… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $3.4 Million In HUD funding To Support Central Illinois Housing And Community Development
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Central Illinois communities will receive $3,436,353 in federal grant funding through two programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In total, Central Illinois communities were awarded $2,679,744 through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program and $756,609 through the HOME Investment Partnerships program. In addition to this funding, the Illinois Hou… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $7.4 Million In HUD Funding To Support Metro East Housing And Community Development
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Metro East communities will receive $7,429,063 in federal grant funding through two programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In total, Metro East communities were awarded $5,895,762 through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program and $1,533,301 through the HOME Investment Partnerships program. In addition to this funding, the Illinois Housing Devel… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $138.9 Million In HUD Funding To Support Chicagoland Housing And Community Decelopment
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Chicagoland communities will receive $138,961,000 in federal grant funding through four programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In total, Chicagoland communities were awarded $99,228,739 through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program, $8,773,255 through the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program, $23,005,466 through the HOME Investment Partnership… Continue Reading
09.20.17
Durbin, Scott, Menendez, Young, Donnelly, Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Children In Federally-Assisted Housing From Lead Exposure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Todd Young (R-IN), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2017, which would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to adopt prevention measures and update its lead regulations to protect children from the risk of lead exposure. Since the enactment of federal lead policies in the 1990's, lead poisoning rates have fallen dramati… Continue Reading
09.13.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce 188,000 In Federal Funding To Support Safety And Security In Peoria Public Housing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a total of $188,032 to the Peoria Housing Authority. This funding is provided through HUD's Capital Fund Emergency Safety and Security Program, which supports local housing authorities as they address safety and security emergencies including sudden increases in violent or property-related crimes within their public housing communit… Continue Reading
08.29.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $1.5 Million In Federal Funding For Roadway Improvements In Jefferson County
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,507,478 in federal funding through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the construction of roadway improvements for industrial expansion in Jefferson County, Illinois. The project will improve access to allow current industries to ship and receive goods more efficiently, which will result in new higher paying jobs and additional employment throughout the region. The project is expected t… Continue Reading
08.21.17
Durbin, Bustos: Federal Investment In Rockford Airport Is Creating Jobs And Growing Local Economy
ROCKFORD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today toured construction of the Chicago Rockford International Airport passenger terminal, which will provide an additional 30,000 square feet for passenger check-in and additional Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) inspection lanes. Since 2015, Sen. Durbin and Rep. Bustos have helped to secure $18.2 million in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the terminal expansion … Continue Reading
07.28.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Release Of $16 Million In Funding For Springfield Rail Improvement Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that an agreement has been finalized between local, state, and federal officials to release $16 million in previously awarded federal funding for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project. "This agreement allows projects that will create good-paying jobs, improve safety, and increase service reliability to go forward," Durbin said. "I was proud to support this improvement project, and I will continue advocating fo… Continue Reading
07.13.17
Durbin, Duckworth: Plainfield Tank Car Derailment A Wake-UP Call For DOT
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao to do more to prevent railroad tank car accidents like the one in Plainfield, Illinois on June 30, 2017, in which multiple rail cars on a Canadian National (CN) train carrying crude oil derailed, causing an estimated 45,000 gallons of oil to leak out of the tank cars. "We are extremely grateful for the hard work of Plainfield's first responders, … Continue Reading
07.06.17
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats Urge HUD Secretary Ben Carson To Restore Resources That Protect LGBTQ From Housing Discrimination
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and 26 of their colleagues in a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, urging him to reinstate resources that protect LGBTQ people from housing discrimination. These resources, designed to help housing providers comply with HUD's nondiscrimination rules, were removed from HUD's website in recent months. "It is concerning that HUD apparently removed … Continue Reading
06.29.17
Durbin, Duckworth Press Trump To Fully Fund Fastlane Grants
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on President Trump to fully fund the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) fiscal year 2017 FASTLANE grants after the Administration announced that DOT will hold funding for large project awardees and call for new and separate applications with "updated" criteria. This latest delay of much needed transportation grant funding by the Trump Administration will directly impact transportation infrastructure proje… Continue Reading
06.22.17
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues to Trump: Act On Russian Cyber Intrusions to U.S. Energy Infrastructure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth, along with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senate colleagues today sent a letter to President Trump urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct an analysis of Russian capabilities with respect to cyber-attacks on U.S. energy infrastructure. In the letter, the members request that President Trump, "direct the Department of Energy, in consultation with other relevant agencies, to within 60 days conduct a thorough … Continue Reading
06.21.17
Durbin, Duckworth Warn of Illinois Transportation Shut Down if State Budget Agreement Isn't Reached
WASHINGTON - As Illinois rapidly approaches the end of the state's fiscal year, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed Governor Bruce Rauner and Illinois state legislative leaders to reach a budget agreement in order to avoid an unnecessary transportation shut down that could cost tens of thousands of jobs across the state. In a letter to Governor Bruce Rauner, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Illinois Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, Illinoi… Continue Reading
06.07.17
Durbin Pushes HUD Secretary Carson for His Support for the Families Impacted by Cairo Housing Crisis
WASHINGTON-During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to commit to ensuring that the 183 affected households living at Elmwood and McBride housing complexes in Cairo, Illinois, will have the full support of HUD as they transition to new housing. "Cairo is Exhibit A in mismanagement in Wa… Continue Reading
05.31.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $900,000 in Federal Funding for Firefighter Resources
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a total of $939,214 to ten communities across Illinois through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Each department awarded will use the funds for operations and safety including professional training, wellness and fitness programs equipment, personal protective equipment, modifications to facilities, and supplies that support firefighting a… Continue Reading
05.25.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $18 Million in Federal Funding to IDOT for Safety Technology Implementation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will receive $18,869,888 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology on the Terminal Railroad in St. Louis, Missouri. PTC is a federally mandated computerized system that prevents certain types of train-to-train collisions, helps avoid derailments and other accidents caused by exce… Continue Reading