Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $13 Million For Pullman Junction Rail Improvements

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Cook County has been awarded $12.9 million in federal funding for the CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) Program's Pullman Junction project on Chicago's South Side. Today's investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, will support improvements to increase the effi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Humanitarian Crisis In Idlib, Syria

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement in regards to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Idlib, Syria: "The renewed violence directed at the civilians in Idlib by the Assad regime and its Russian enablers is an affront to our common humanity. It is long overdue that the Trump Administration step up, along with our European allies, to foster a credible ceasefire and sustained access to humanitarian aid. "President Trump … Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill To Expand Coverage For Seniors' Kidney Transplant Drugs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), introduced legislation to ensure that seniors who receive kidney transplants under the Medicare Part B program are able to access life-saving anti-rejection medications. U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Todd Young (R-IN) joined as cosponsors of the legislation. "Our bill ensures that kidney transplant patients can afford the medication they need … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Blast Facebook's Continued Failure To Monitor And Enforce Gun Sales Ban

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Ed Markey (D-MA), along with 10 of their Senate colleagues, in calling out Facebook for its continued failure to enforce and monitor its own ban on guns sales, pointing to a recent report that shows sellers and buyers have simply moved their transactions to private Facebook groups in order circumvent the social media giant's own ban. "[D]espite Facebook's ban of gun sales on its platforms, users are nonetheles… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos To DOD: Diverting Border Wall Funding From National Guard To President's Border Wall Is Shortsighted & Political, Hurts 182nd Wing In Peoria

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), today sent a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) expressing their dismay about the transfer of $1.3 billion appropriated for National Guard and Reserve Equipment and $169 million appropriated for Air Guard C-130Js for the construction of President Trump's wall on our southern border. This funding was part of the recent notification of the transfer of $3.8 billion… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Reverse & Restore Military Funding After President Trump Repeatedly Raids Defense Department For His Border Wall

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined 30 additional Senators to introduce the Restoring Military Priorities Act of 2020. The bill would reverse and restore the Department of Defense's (DoD) recent short sighted and dangerous transfer of $3.8 billion to be used to build part of President Donald Trump's ineffective border wall. The bill also reduces DoD's transfer authority so that DoD can… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Dems Introduce Bill To Reverse & Restore Military Funding After President Trump Repeatedly Raids Defense Department For His Border Wall

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, along with Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Doug Jones (D-AL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and 27 addition… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Detection Of PFAS Near Scott Air Force Base With Air Force Chief Of Staff

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today met with U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein to discuss the detection of the two main types of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - PFOS and PFOA - during site inspections at Scott Air Force Base (AFB), which may be impacting off-base water wells. The Air Force is now working to determine how many water wells might be impacted, whether people are consumin… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois Chapter Of The Postmasters And Managers Of America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the national and Illinois chapters of the United Postmasters and Managers of America, which represents current postmasters, managers, and supervisors, to discuss postal reforms and policies affecting federal employees. Durbin discussed critical postal issues including the Trump Administration's threat to privatize USPS service, and protecting 6-day delivery service. "USPS privatization would disproportionately hurt rural communities t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Illinois Director Of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Director Linda Chapa LaVia to discuss Veterans issues in Illinois, including disability claims, mental health, and the needs of women Veterans. They also discussed supporting operations at Illinois Veterans' Homes (IVH) and progress in the construction of the Chicago Veterans Home project. "Senator Duckworth and I remain committed from the federal side to provi… Continue Reading

Durbin: If You Want To Reduce Infant & Maternal Death Rates, Pass The MOMMA Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. Durbin's legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for moms and babies of color who are significantly more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy. On average, maternal mortality claims the lives of 700 Americ… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For Increased Federal Funding To Address Coronavirus

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Trump Administration to do more to address the coronavirus epidemic following the President's minimal and long overdue coronavirus funding request. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out President Trump's continued years-long efforts to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-two federal health agencies that our nation relies upon t… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses Secretary Azar On Administration's E-Cigarette Flavor Policy & Family Separation

WASHINGTON - During a Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to reconsider the Trump Administration's decision to allow cheap, disposable e-cigarette flavors to remain on the market. Over the past two years of this presidency, our nation has seen a 135 percent increase in the number of children … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Chicago Department Of Public Health Commissioner To Discuss Coronavirus Response

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Chicago Department Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady to discuss public health priorities in Chicago, including addressing the coronavirus in Illinois. This morning, Durbin attended a Congressional briefing from the Trump Administration about the ongoing response to the coronavirus. Last night, the Trump Administration requested an emergency supplemental funding request of $2.5 billion to combat the spread of coronavi… Continue Reading

Durbin Measure To Support Family Caregivers Poised To Become Law

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a press conference to highlight his legislation to support family caregivers, which is expected to pass the Senate in the next few weeks as part of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Durbin's bill will increase funding, training, and support for more than 34 million family caregivers in America. "On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came out with a new study, which found that one in five adults in America are unpaid caregiv… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Announce More Than $2.6 Million For Chicago Rockford International Airport

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today announced $2,699,192 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant funding to reconstruct a deicing containment facility at Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford. "Federal investments have helped improve operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport, and today's funding will ensure the deicing facility can be upgraded. I look forward to continuin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Help Fund Responses To Public Health Emergencies As Global Threat Of Coronavirus

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to introduce the Public Health Emergency Response and Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to create a permanent funding mechanism to ensure quick and effective responses to future public health emergencies. "When a public health emergency hits, we need immediate and sufficient funding to save lives," said Durbin. "With this legislation, our federal health agencies can get ahead of public … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators To Trump Administration: Don't Let Tobacco Companies Evade E-Cigarette Product Review

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 10 of his Democratic Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting clarification on his recent comments made on a radio program regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of vaping products. Secretary Azar hinted the Trump Administration could create a big loophole for tobacco companies by saying that "not all vaping products" are required to apply for prema… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Funding For Opportunity For Air Toxics Monitoring

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting applications for grants to fund air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. Durbin and Duckworth worked to include this funding in the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bill. "I urge communities throughout Illinois to take advantage of this funding opportunity, particularly those with concerns about ethylene oxide… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Vietnam Vet, Calls On Trump Administration To Stop Blocking Coverage For Agent Orange Diseases

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with a Vietnam Veteran who has battled bladder cancer and hypertension due to exposure to Agent Orange and called on the Trump Administration to stop stonewalling extending critical health benefits to Vietnam veterans whose service exposed them to Agent Orange. In recent years, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed expanding the list of Agent Orange presumptive diseases to include bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and Par… Continue Reading