DURBIN, DUCKWORTH SEND LETTERS URGING MEDICAID HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES IN ILLINOIS TO ADDRESS LEAD POISONING RISK TO CHILDREN

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the Erikson Institute today to announce letters he and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent to five Medicaid managed care companies (MCOs) in Illinois, urging them to address lead poisoning risks to children in Chicago by preemptively sending drinking water test kits, water filters, home visitors, and educational materials to all enrolled children in the city. The letters are being sent to: Aetna, BlueCross, CountyCare, Meridian,… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky, IL AG Raoul Discuss Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today held a press conference to discuss the Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act. This federal legislation would give the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Do-Not-Call Registry teeth by providing all telephone subscribers—including small businesses—the ability to seek damages for all unconsented-to telemarketing calls immediately after suc… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Federal Funding and DEFIANCE Act at Connections for Abused Women and Their Children

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) to discuss the DEFIANCE Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation he introduced that creates a civil remedy for victims of nonconsensual, sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos. Durbin also discussed the $500,000 in federal funding he secured for CAWC through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) “minibus” appropri… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Democrats Urge President Biden to Take Executive Action to Provide Relief for Undocumented Immigrants

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of 19 Senate Democrats in a letter requesting administrative relief forundocumented immigrants. As the Biden Administration considers executive actions on the border after Senate Republicans balked at a bipartisan border deal in February at the whim of former President Trump, this letter outlines recommendations for executive actions to streamline immigration relief for the undocumented … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Visa & Mastercard Settlement with U.S. Merchants to Address Excessive Swipe Fees

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, today released the following statement regarding the news that Visa and Mastercard reached a settlement with U.S. merchants to lower credit interchange rates and cap those rates into 2030: “At a time when hard-working Americans and small business owners are struggling with higher costs of everyday essentials like gas and groceries, reducing the… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Visa & Mastercard to Settlement with U.S. Merchants to Address Excessive Swipe Fees

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, today released the following statement regarding the news that Visa and Mastercard reached a settlement with U.S. merchants to lower credit interchange rates and cap those rates into 2030: “At a time when hard-working Americans and small business owners are struggling with higher costs of everyday essentials like gas and groceries, reducing the… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Informational Picket to Voice Objections to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's "Delivering for America" Plan

DOWNERS GROVE – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in an informational picket during U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s visit to voice objections to DeJoy’s “Delivering for America” plan. USPS is conducting a Mail Processing Facility Review on facilities in Champaign, Peoria, the Quad Cities, and Springfield, as well as a number of other facilities across the country. These reviews are conducted before downsizing, expanding, or closing facilities. By dow… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Illinois Priorities Secured in Second "Minibus" Government Funding Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the Illinois priorities they helped secure in the second “minibus” of government funding bills, which follows passage of the first “minibus” of six funding bills earlier this month.  The package includes funding bills for Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Normal Mayor Chris Koos to Highlight Recent Improvements on Amtrak's Lincoln Service

NORMAL – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Normal Mayor Chris Koos to highlight recent improvements on Amtrak’s Lincoln Service and discuss his recent confirmation to the Amtrak Board of Directors. Mayor Koos was first nominated to the Amtrak Board of Directors in 2020, but never confirmed. As a result of Durbin’s recommendation, President Biden nominated Mayor Koos to the Amtrak Board again in 2022. Mayor Koos has served the longest-running term of any mayor in Normal’s history. Dur… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Passage of Second "Minibus" of Six Government Funding Bills

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the Senate passed six funding bills—a second “minibus” following the passage of the initial “minibus” of six funding bills earlier this month.  Today’s package includes funding bills forDefense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and State… Continue Reading

Ahead of ACA Anniversary, Durbin, Duckworth Highlight Record Enrollment and Slam Donald Trump and Republicans for Continuing to Push ACA Repeal

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act(ACA) this Saturday, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined their Senate Democratic colleagues to tout record-breaking ACA enrollment, highlighting how Democrats have built on the successes of the ACA, and speaking out against Donald Trump threatening to repeal the ACA in a potential second term.  Trump recently vowed that he would “never give up” on repealing theAffordable … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $7 Million for Rockford's Whitman Street Interchange Project

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $7,148,000 for the City of Rockford’s Whitman Street Interchange Reconfiguration Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Grant Program to remove the urban interchange constructed in the early 1960's and re-establish the grid roadway system. “For too long, the Whitman Street interchange has stood as a bottleneck, inhibiting t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2 Million to Reconnect Chicago's West Side

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,000,000 for the City of Chicago through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program to improve community safety, cohesion, and quality of life through a plan for enhanced connectivity over and around I-290 that serves the needs of residents living and working in Chicago’s West Side. “Historically, Chicago’s West Side has been separat… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Superintendent of Education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Tony Sanders, Illinois Superintendent of Education, to discuss the future of assessments for students in Illinois and the importance of preparing students for postsecondary education. Durbin and Dr. Sanders also spoke about securing resources to support schools that are taking on more students as migrants arrive in Illinois.  Durbin has repeatedly urged congressional appropriators to steadily increase funding to suppor… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CDC Injury Center Director, Dr. Arwady

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Allison Arwady, the new Director for the Injury Center within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to discuss legislative efforts to better address trauma and violence, mental health, suicide, and drug overdose.  During their meeting, Durbin and Dr. Arwady spoke about Durbin’s bipartisan RISE from Trauma Act, which would reauthorize CDC’s activities and dramatically increase funding for community-based … Continue Reading

In Speech on Senate Floor, Durbin Calls Out CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United & American Airlines for Balking at Invitation to Testify Before Judiciary Committee on Credit Card Competition

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called out the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United Airlines, and American Airlines forbalking at his invitation to testify at a public hearing regarding competition in the credit card market and Durbin’s Credit Card Competition Act.  During his speech, Durbin made clear that if the CEOs are willing to discuss the Credit Card Competition Act—legislation that woul… Continue Reading

Durbin Blasts Leader McConnell, Senate Republicans' Peddling of Baseless Islamophobic Accusations Against Historic Muslim American Nominee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, responded to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Republicans’ latest attacks against Mr. Adeel Mangi, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. The remarks by Leader McConnell on the Senate floor this morning are part of a series of baseless, Islamophobic attacks hurled against Mr. Mangi. “In recent weeks, we've heard an amazing number of attacks… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in Post-Dobbs America

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in a Post-Dobbs America.”  The hearing examined the continued and devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.  Durbin first questioned Lourdes Rivera, the President of Pregnancy Justi… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in Post-Dobbs America

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in a Post-Dobbs America.”  The hearing will examine the continued and devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Key Quotes: “In the years leading up to Dobbs, we were wa… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CEO of Lurie Children's Hospital, Dr. Shanley

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago CEO, Dr. Tom Shanley, to discuss a variety of priorities including the Senator’s violence prevention work under the HEAL Initiative, strategies to address health care workforce shortages, and expanding access to pediatric dentistry care.  They also discussed the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program, which provides federal funding for residenc… Continue Reading