Durbin Statement On Trump Admin Attempt To Strip Disaster Aid Funds From Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the natural disasters aid package, in which the Trump Administration and Senate Republicans modified the House-passed version to strip away funds that Puerto Rico desperately needs as they continue to recover from Hurricane Maria: "It has been 18 months since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, yet our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico … Continue Reading

Durbin, Schatz, Feinstein, Gillibrand Introduce Constitutional Amendment To End Undemocratic Electoral College

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College system and restore democracy by allowing the direct election of presidents through popular vote alone. "Before the 2000 election, I introduced a bipartisan resolution to amend the Constitution and create a system of direct election for presidents. And I still believe today as I did then that the El… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Make Child Care More Affordable

WASHINGTON - In order to help reduce the burden placed on working families from high child care costs, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with 19 Senate colleagues, introduced the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act, legislation to make child care accessible and more affordable for working families. In Illinois, the average annual cost of child care for a toddler is $11,982 and $13,474 for infants. This amount exceeds what many families pay annual… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, Lipinski, Schneider, Casten, Underwood Call On EPA To Use Its Authority & Prevent Use Of Ethylene Oxide At Sterigenics

WASHINGTON - In response to an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) report that detailed evidence that residents of Willowbrook, Illinois, have higher incidences of certain cancers associated with exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO) in comparison to the rest of the state, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today urge… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Group Of Senators To Urge Trump Admin To Withdraw Proposed SNAP Rule

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in a bipartisan letter that opposed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's proposed rule to make harmful changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to withdraw the draft regulation. The Trump Administration's proposal would restrict access to SNAP benefits for an estimated 400,000 people in… Continue Reading

Durbin Slams Devos For Cut To Special Olympics, Delayed Relief For Defrauded For-Profit College Students, And Public Service Loan Forgiveness Elimination

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing, pressed U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about her proposed $18 million cut in annual federal funding to the Special Olympics, slammed her delay of borrower defense relief to tens of thousands of student borrowers defrauded by for-profit colleges, and questioned the effect that the proposed eliminat… Continue Reading

Durbin Fights To Reduce Maternal And Infant Mortality Rates

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged his Senate colleagues to pass the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act, which he introduced in the Senate yesterday. The 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 Amer… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kelly, Duckworth Introduce MOMMA Act To Reduce Maternal And Infant Mortality Rates

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL02) today introduced the bicameral Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. The 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 American moms each year,… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets Federal Railroad Administrator To Discuss Amtrak On Time Performance, Chicago To Quad Cities Passenger Rail, And Blocked Crossings

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Ron Batory, the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), to discuss Amtrak on-time performance (OTP), increasing access to passenger rail service in Illinois including from Chicago to the Quad Cities, and the need for the FRA to take a more active role in preventing blocked crossings by freight trains. "While Illinois' economy benefits from being the nation's freight rail hub, my constituents deserve more accountability f… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Venezuelan First Lady

WASHINGTON - In light of the ongoing violence, deteriorating security situation, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Fabiana Rosales, Venezuelan First Lady and wife to interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó. She is in Washington, D.C. advocating for support for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela. "Ms. Rosales deeply understands how much the Venezuelan p… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kelly, Duckworth Introduce MOMMA Act To Reduce Matenal And Infant Mortality Rates

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL02) today introduced the bicameral Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. The 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 American moms each year,… Continue Reading

Durbin Continues Fight For The Passage Of The Dream Act

WASHINGTON - Following yesterday's introduction of the bipartisan Dream Act of 2019, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in the Senate to pass this important legislation. Introduced with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the bipartisan Dream Act would allow immigrant students who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Entire Senate Democratic Caucus To Introduce For The People Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus to introduce the For the People Act - a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would fix our broken politics and make government work for the people. The landmark legislation, a companion to H.R. 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to restore the promise of American democracy by making it easi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schneider Introduce Legislation To Combat White Supremacist Terrorist Threat

WASHINGTON - Following the massacre at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today introduced bicameral legislation to address the growing threat of white supremacists and other violent right-wing extremists. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regu… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Trump Is Building His Wall At The Expense Of The Military

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned Mark Esper, Secretary of the U.S. Army, and General Mark Milley, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, about President Trump's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget request. In today's hearing, Durbin pressed the Defense Department about President Donald Trump's efforts to divert defense funds to the border wall so that he can fulfill a campaign promise. On Monday, Congress… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Trump Administration's Commitment to Air Safety

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development hearing, questioned Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao about the Trump Administration's commitment to air safety, asking why President Donald Trump waited 14 months to nominate a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator. In the wake of two deadly plane crashes, and heightened attention surrounding FAA's safety measures a… Continue Reading

Durbin: Republicans Need To Drop The Stunts And Work With Democrats To Address Climate Change

WASHINGTON - Ahead of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) sham vote in the Senate on a bill that he does not support - the Green New Deal, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out his Republican colleagues for continuing to deny the science behind climate change and refusing to work with Democrats on a bipartisan basis to tackle this mounting crisis. "You either believe it or you don't believe it - is there such a thing as climate change? Are we going thr… Continue Reading

Durbin And Hassan Introduce Comprehensive Legislation To Protect Students And Taxpayers From Predatory Higher Education Practices

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today introduced the Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students Act of 2019, also known as the PROTECT Students Act. The bill will help safeguard students, including servicemembers and veterans, and taxpayers from predatory and anti-student higher education practices and ensure that higher education meets the needs of hard-working students. As the Senate HELP Committee wo… Continue Reading

Graham, Durbin Reintroduce Dream Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Dream Act of 2019, which would allow immigrant students who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Graham and Durbin introduced identical legislation in the last session of Congress. These young people, known as Dreamers, have lived in America since they were children, built their lives here, and are America… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Illinois Auditor General Report: Cover-Up And Delay Endangered Vets And Staff At IVH Quincy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after a report from Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino was released detailing serious lapses in the State's handling of the Legionnaires' outbreaks at Illinois Veterans' Home (IVH) Quincy from 2015 to 2018: "The Auditor General's report on Legionnaires' disease at IVH Quincy found: 'cover-up and delay that endangered our Veterans and staff.'" The Senators went on to say: "When mi… Continue Reading