Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Transportation and Infrastructure
Durbin Announces $1 Million For Chicago River Habitat Restoration And Conservation Efforts
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined officials from the Shedd Aquarium and Chicago Park District to announce $1 million in new federal funding he secured in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill to address habitat restoration and conservation needs in the polluted ecosystem on the South Branch of the Chicago River-commonly known as "Bubbly Creek." "For more than 100 years, this area was a dumping ground for animal waste, industrial waste, and sewage from the … Continue Reading
07.21.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Newman, Quigley Urge FRA To Consider Illinois For Location Of Future University Rail Research And Development Center Of Excellence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Marie Newman (D-IL-3) and Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) today sent a letter to Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) Amit Bose urging him to consider Illinois as a home for the future University Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence. The Members authored language in the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requiring FRA to establish the rail research … Continue Reading
07.19.22
Durbin Urges His Colleagues To Pass the CHIPS Act Without Delay
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his colleagues to pass the CHIPS Act of 2022, critical legislation for our economy and national security that provides billions to boost our domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. In 1990, the U.S. produced 37 percent of the world's semiconductors. Today, just 12 percent of semiconductors are manufactured in the United States. Durbin began his speech by highlighting the impacts thi… Continue Reading
07.18.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Casten, Quigley, Newman Urge Postmaster General DeJoy To Protect Letter Carriers After Uptick In Mail Carrier Robberies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-6), Mike Quigley (D-IL-5), and Marie Newman (D-IL-3) today sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging him to take action to protect letter carriers after crimes against U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees tripled since 2018. In their letter, the lawmakers call on Postmaster General DeJoy to implement an alerting policy to ensure that all USP… Continue Reading
06.17.22
Durbin, Schakowsky, Chicago Delegation Urge EPA To Expand Eligibility Guidelines For Clean School Bus Program
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) today led 12 of their Illinois colleagues in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging him to expand eligibility for the new EPA Clean School Bus Program (CSBP) to improve its accessibility to Chicago-area schools and correct additional oversights in the implementation process. The program, a $5 billion effort established under the bipartisan I… Continue Reading
06.16.22
Durbin, Illinois Congressional Delegation Meet With Census Bureau Director On Illinois Count
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today met virtually with U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos about the results of the 2020 Decennial Census after Illinois was found to likely have been undercounted at a rate of 1.97 percent. During their meeting, Durbin pressed Director Santos to correct the undercount by incorporating the Census Bureau's Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) data into the Bureau's annual Population … Continue Reading
06.13.22
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Illinois School District To Apply For EPA Clean School Bus Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to more than 300 Illinois school district administrators to inform them that their districts are eligible to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program (CSBP). The program, a $5 billion effort established under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, aims to convert the nation's school bus fleets to low- and zero-emission ve… Continue Reading
06.13.22
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Boeing CEO Following Decision To Move Headquarters From Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun to discuss Boeing's recent decision to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. The Senators wrote a letter urging Calhoun to maintain a strong presence in Chicago after the May 5th announcement. In the letter, the Senators emphasized the impact Boeing's relocation would have on Illinois' economy. Currently, Boeing's head… Continue Reading
06.03.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $6 Million For Runway Improvements At Springfield Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $6,020,767 in federal funding awarded to Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the airport's reconstruction of taxiway lighting and runway updates. "Today's funding is a significant federal investment in the service and safety of those who fly in and out of Springfield's airport, which is a critical element of Illinois e… Continue Reading
06.02.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Chicago Delegation Announce $12 Million In Funding For MWRD
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and members of the Chicago delegation today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fiscal Year 22 Work Plan included $12 million in funding for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). While the funding was awarded to reimburse MWRD for its work on the design and construction of Thornton Composite Reservoir, MWRD plans to use the reimbursed funds toward a ne… Continue Reading
06.01.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $500,000 In American Rescue Plan Funds For Metra
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $500,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding awarded to Metra by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through the Route Planning Restoration Program to help the transit agency continue to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Illinoisans in the Chicago area have relied on Metra's services to get to work and visit the city. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, public transit agencies were hit e… Continue Reading
05.27.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.7 Million Grant To Rebuild Rail Bridges In Quincy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,769,767 in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. This funding will be used to replace two bridge spans on the Burlington Junction Railroad in Quincy, Illinois. Both the Curtis Creek and Ghost Hollow Creek bridges are now more than 100 years old and pose a safety concern that would h… Continue Reading
05.26.22
Durbin, Rubio, Colleagues Applaud Senate Passage Of Resolution Condemning Arrest And Detention Of Russian Dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) applauded the Senate's passage of their bipartisan resolution honoring Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza and condemning his unjust detention. The bipartisan resolution pays tribute to Kara-Murza's advocacy for human rights in Russia and support for the anti-war movement. Additionally, it urges the U.S. and its allies to secure his release and that of Alexei Nava… Continue Reading
05.13.22
Durbin Calls On DOT To Prevent Cape Air From Terminating Passenger Flights To Quincy
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to ensure that Quincy Regional Airport maintains passenger air service through the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Essential Air Service (EAS) program. The letter follows Cape Air's recent filing with DOT notifying that the airline plans to halt passenger flights to Quincy Regional Airport. In his letter, Durbin emphasizes the ripple effect the decisio… Continue Reading
05.12.22
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Boeing CEO To Maintain Strong Presence In Chicago
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun requesting a meeting following Boeing's announcement on May 5 that the company will relocate its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. In the letter, the Senators emphasize the impact Boeing's relocation would have on Illinois' economy. Currently, Boeing's headquarters, which has been in Chicago since 2001, employs abo… Continue Reading
05.10.22
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With United Counties Council Of Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of the United Counties Council of Illinois to discuss how the American Rescue Plan is impacting communities in Illinois. During their conversation, the Senators received an update on the $14 billion allocated to Illinois through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLRF) Program to aid counties and municipalities in covering pandemic costs, replacing lost revenue, and investi… Continue Reading
05.10.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.8 Million For Runway Improvements At Quincy Regional Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4.85 million in federal funding awarded to Quincy Regional Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to support the airport's runway reconstruction project. "Today's funding will help improve service, safety, and efficiency at Quincy Regional Airport, which is a critical economic engine and transportation link for Western Illinois," Durbin said. "Senator Du… Continue Reading
05.09.22
In Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Highlights Impact Of American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law In Creating American Jobs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor praising the Biden Administration for the uptick in American jobs shown in the April 2022 jobs report and the unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, which reflects pre-pandemic levels. During his remarks, Durbin highlighted the efforts of Congressional Democrats and President Biden in passing the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to families and small businesses and Democrats' leadership succes… Continue Reading
05.05.22
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Boeing Decision To Move Headquarters From Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding Boeing's plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C.: "Boeing's decision to leave Illinois is incredibly disappointing-every level of government in our state has worked to make Chicago and Illinois the perfect home for Boeing's headquarters for the past 20 years. We are working together to ensure Boeing leadership both understand… Continue Reading
05.04.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Stabenow Secure Increase In Federal Cost Share For Brandon Road Project In The 2022 Water Resources Development Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced that they secured another increase to the federal cost share for the Brandon Road Project in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that was passed out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today. Under the provision, the federal government will fund 90 percent of the construction of the project designed to prevent As… Continue Reading