Bipartisan Senators Call On Pres.-Elect Trump To Stand Against Russian Aggression, Support NATO, Ukrainian Sovereignty

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today led a bipartisan group of 27 senators to call on President-elect Donald Trump to continue America's tradition of support for the people of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. "In light of Russia's continued aggression and repeated refusal to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereign right to choose its own destiny, we also renew our call for the United States to i… Continue Reading

Durbin Pays Tribute To Vice President Joe Biden On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON-In a Senate floor speech Wednesday, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) paid tribute to Vice President Joe Biden, with whom he served in the Senate for 12 years: "Mr. Vice President, for more than 40 years you have taken all the strength and wisdom you learned from your family, and all of your own experiences with loss and hardship, and you have used those lessons to give countless millions of people in Chicago, in America, and around the world, reasons to hope and ways to heal. You are a… Continue Reading

Durbin Thanks Education Secretary King, Pushes For Relief For Corinthian, Westwood, And Other Defrauded Students

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. to thank him for his dedication and service to students at the U.S. Department of Education. They also discussed high-priority issues that still need to be addressed by the Department before the end of the Obama Administration, including student loan debt relief for Corinthian, Westwood, and other defrauded students. "For the past year, I have had the honor of working with Secretary King to bring a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Statement on Trump Comments on DREAMers

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released the following statement on comments made to Time magazine by President-elect Donald Trump, who said, "We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud. They got brought here at a very young age, they've worked here, they've gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they're in never-never land because they don't know what's going to happen." "We're encourag… Continue Reading

Democratic Senators Urge Education Department To Protect Students And Taxpayers Should For-Profit Accreditor Lose Federal Recognition

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called on the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to take steps to protect students and taxpayers in the event that the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), currently the nation's largest accreditor of for-profit colleges, loses federal recognition. ACICS losing federal recognition would require the approximately 250 sch… Continue Reading

Durbin Thanks Attorney General Lynch, Discusses Need For Action On High-Priority Issues

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to thank her for her dedication and service in the Department of Justice. They also discussed high-priority issues that still need to be addressed by Congress and the Department of Justice, like reforms to federal sentencing law. "I want to thank Loretta Lynch for her outstanding service as our nation's 83rd Attorney General. She has been a dedicated advocate for the civil and constitutional rights of al… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Education Department Decision To End Federal Student Aid For Two More ACICS-Accredited Schools

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced it would terminate the participation of Globe University and Minnesota School of Business in the Title IV federal student loan program. The announcement comes after a Minnesota judge ruled in September that the for-profit colleges defrauded and misled students. "It's no surprise that Globe University and Minnesota School of Business, found guilty in Minnesota court of… Continue Reading

Durbin Thanks Transportation Secretary, Pushes For Critical Illinois Priorities

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called United States Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to thank him for his dedication and service in leading the Department of Transportation (DOT). They also discussed the need for DOT to fund priority Illinois projects as the Obama Administration draws to a close, including a full funding agreement for the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Red and Purple Modernization Program, FASTLANE grants, Chicago Union Station Emerging Projects Agre… Continue Reading

Durbin: protecting dreamers is the right thing to do

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today returned to floor of the U.S. Senate to share the story of Chicago lawyer Laura Alvarado, another young undocumented immigrant at risk of deportation if President-elect Donald Trump discontinues the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He also called on his Senate colleagues to work in a bipartisan manner to keep DREAMers from being deported to countries where they haven't lived since childhood. Last week, Durbin announced that… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On 21st Century Cures Vote

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 85-13 to advance the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill represents the promise of an investment we should be making-a down payment in the future for medical research. Its success depends on the support of Republican majorities in the years to come. However, we cannot overlook the fact that this bill is paid for in large part by cuts in the Prevention Fund-money we currently use for reducing the prev… Continue Reading

Durbin Pushes to Protect DREAMers from Deportation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today continued his push to ensure that the young immigrants known as DREAMers remain shielded from deportation under a Trump Administration. Every day this week, Durbin has gone to the floor of the United States Senate and shared the stories of DREAMers at risk of deportation if the President-elect does not continue President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Durbin also announced that he is working with Republican Sena… Continue Reading

Durbin Pushes To Protect DREAMers From Deportation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today continued his push to ensure that the young immigrants known as DREAMers remain shielded from deportation under a Trump Administration. Every day this week, Durbin has gone to the floor of the United States Senate and shared the stories of DREAMers at risk of deportation if the President-elect does not continue President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Durbin also announced that he is working with Republican Senato… Continue Reading

Durbin Pays Tribute To U.S. Senator Mark Kirk On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) paid tribute today to U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), on the United States Senate Floor: "For the last six years, Senator Mark Kirk and I have had a very positive and professional relationship. I thank him for his service to our state, the service he's given our nation as an officer in the Navy Reserve, for the years that he put in as a staff member to Congressman John Porter, for the work that he did in the House of Representatives representing the 10… Continue Reading

Durbin Cosponsors Resolution Urging Trump To Comply With Emoluments Clause

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and a group of 22 Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution calling on President-elect Trump to follow the precedent established by previous presidents and convert his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustee, or take other equivalent measures in order to ensure compliance with the United States Constitution. The resolution notes that in the absence of such actio… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With National Breast Cancer Coalition President To Discuss Biomedical Research Funding

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with National Breast Cancer Coalition President Fran Visco to discuss efforts to protect and increase funding for innovative, breakthrough research at the Department of Defense - funding that has led to discoveries and treatments for cancer and other diseases. They also talked about Durbin's American Cures Act, a bill that would increase funding at our nation's top four biomedical research agencies, as well as the Accelerating the End of Bre… Continue Reading

Durbin: DREAMers Should Not Be Deported

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is once again calling on President-elect Donald Trump to pledge to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary reprieve from deportation to young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that by saving DACA, Trump could begin to bind the divisions that characterized this year's presidential election. Senator Durbin also highlighted … Continue Reading

Durbin Praises EPA’s “Top 10” List For Study Under TSCA Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first ten chemicals it will evaluate for potential risks to human health and the environment under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which reforms the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Among the chemicals selected for study are asbestos and flame retardant Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (HBCD). In September, Durbin calle… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For Sessions’ Nomination Hearings To Be Thorough, Transparent, And Fair

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee to call for an objective and thorough confirmation hearing for U.S. Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III of Alabama to be Attorney General of the United States. Given Senator Sessions' extensive record on critical issues within the Committee's jurisdiction, the senators requested testimony from outside witnesses on each of the following issues, at a minimum: immigration; violence against women; c… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $1.3 Million In HUD Grants To Reduce Homelessness Among Chicago Veterans

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) will receive a total of $1,366,200 in grant funding for rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. This funding, provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, will assist homeless veterans around Chicago with affordable housing and an array of suppor… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bipartisan Senators Call For Immediate Passage Of Miners Protection Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined 21 bipartisan Senators in a letter to Senate and House leadership calling for the passage of the Miners Protection Act by the end of this year. Without a change to current law, 12,500 of the country's retired coal miners will lose their healthcare on December 31, 2016. "During the month of October, approximately 12,500 of our nation's retired coal miners received notices informing them that their healthcare benefits will be terminated at the… Continue Reading