Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin Announces More Than $650,000 in Recovery Act Funding for Impact Aid in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $654,425 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the repair and modernization of two Illinois school districts. Today's funding is part of an announcement by the Department of Education making $39.6 million in Impact Aid Construction grants available nationwide for communities with military bases, Indian reservations and other federal property that do not generate local tax revenues… Continue Reading
04.09.09
Durbin Announces $82 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Children's Health Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $82,238,025 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for crucial health and human services programs that help to provide care for children and prevent disease. Today's funding is part of a $2.3 billion nationwide announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services to support child care for working families and ensure that more underserved Americans rece… Continue Reading
04.09.09
Durbin Announces $4.7 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Provide Emergency Food and Shelter
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $4,735,727 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to supplement and expand efforts to provide shelter, food and supportive services to the hungry, homeless and people in economic crisis. The funds will be distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program and used for supplemental food, shelt… Continue Reading
04.09.09
Durbin and Illinois Delegation Ask DOT to Support Revival of Illinois Train Car Industry
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led the Illinois Congressional Delegation in asking the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, to support their effort to revive the passenger rail car manufacturing industry in Illinois. The Department of Transportation recently announced that $90.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been committed to rehabilitating train cars in the United States and returning them to service - the ave… Continue Reading
04.08.09
Durbin Announces $7.4 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Environmental Cleanup
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the state of Illinois will receive $7,402,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assess and clean up underground storage tank petroleum leaks. Today's funding is part of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement of $197 million nationwide for environmental cleanup which the EPA estimates will create or retain a significant number of jobs and contribute to at least … Continue Reading
04.07.09
81st Annual Spring Dinner of the Economic Club of Chicago
Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Senator Richard J. Durbin Economic Club and "practical economics" Grace Barry sent me a copy of the Club's 75th anniversary book. I enjoyed reading the remarks of Mr. Melvin Traylor, president of the First National Bank of Chicago, who spoke at the very first meeting of this distinguished group, back in 1927. The topic of Mr. Traylor's remarks was, "[W]hy the hell another club in Chicago?" This is how he answered his own question: He said th… Continue Reading
04.03.09
Durbin and Midwest Senators Urge President to Consider Recovery Act Funding for Midwest Rail
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a group of Senators from Midwestern states in urging President Barack Obama to consider investing funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in rail corridors in the Midwest. The Recovery Act designates $8 billion to high speed passenger rail - a significant investment which is 17 times more funding than the federal government has invested over the last 10 years combined. "We believe the Midwest r… Continue Reading
04.03.09
Durbin Announces Over $4 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Airports
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded $4,238,655 in grants to Illinois airports. Today's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs in Illinois and strengthen the region's infrastructure to serve passengers safely and efficiently. • Springfield Airport Authority: $2,448,855 in funding to reconstruct a ramp at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. This project wil… Continue Reading
04.01.09
Durbin Announces Over $1.8 Billion in Recovery Act Funding Now Available for Illinois Schools
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that $1,871,685,355 in Recovery Act funding is now available for states and schools to lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of teaching jobs around Illinois. "Investing in our children's future is an investment in our nation's future," said Durbin. "At a time when states face difficult choices about filling increasing budget gaps, today's funding will increase ac… Continue Reading
03.31.09
Durbin: Illinois to Receive $166 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Public Building Projects
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 10 Illinois public buildings will receive a total of $166,479,000 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the modernization and conversion of federal buildings and courthouses to high performance, energy-efficient buildings. "The General Services Administration owns roughly 1,500 federal buildings nationwide," said Durbin. "These buildings affect our natural environment, ou… Continue Reading
03.31.09
Durbin Announces $99 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Argonne National Lab
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced on a conference call with the Director of Argonne National Laboratory, Eric Isaacs that the lab will receive $99 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate environmental cleanup work and create jobs. The Director of Fermilab, Pier Oddone, was also on today's call. "Last week, Congressman Foster and I announced forty-eight million dollars in Recovery Act funding fo… Continue Reading
03.27.09
Durbin Announes $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers prov… Continue Reading
03.27.09
Durbin Announces $221 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Housing Agencies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Housing Agencies will receive $221,498,521 in grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Public Housing Capital Fund grants, allocated through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provide funding for improvements to and the modernization of public housing. "Improvements to public housing will enhance the quality of life for individuals who rely on t… Continue Reading
03.27.09
Durbin Announces $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers provide a valuabl… Continue Reading
03.25.09
Durbin Commends Amtrak Decision to Commit $80 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Illinois Rail
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended Amtrak's decision to commit $80 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Illinois to modernize Amtrak's repair shops and improve accessibility and security at Amtrak stations and facilities in the state. Earlier today, Amtrak announced the recipients of $1.3 billion in Recovery Act funding for rail projects nationwide. The announcement also includes $90.8 million to rehabilitate … Continue Reading
03.24.09
Supporting the President's Budget
Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate Next week the Senate will consider the Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2010. This will be a crucial debate. For 50 hours on the Senate floor we will make fundamental decisions about the shape of our economy - and the prosperity of our county - that will guide our nation for many years to come. We need to face facts -- we have inherited the worst economic crisis in generations. Passing the economic recovery package was the firs… Continue Reading
03.24.09
Durbin Announces $38.5 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Defense Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Department of Defense (DoD) facilities will receive a total of $38,542,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for construction projects and repairs, quality of life improvements and energy efficiency projects. Today's funding is expected to immediately generate additional employment in communities around the defense facilities. "The Recovery Act will put people to wo… Continue Reading
03.23.09
Durbin Announces $78.8 Million in Recovery Act Funding for VA Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) facilities located in Illinois will receive $78,827,369 in funding for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding, allocated through the Veterans Health Administration, will be used for upgrades and repairs at six VA hospitals, construction at three VA extended care facilities and repairs and equipment purchases at seven VA cemeteries. "Building… Continue Reading
03.23.09
Durbin, Foster Praise $48 Million in DOE Funding for Fermilab and Argonne
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Science has awarded a total of $48 million in funding to Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory to protect jobs and support critical research. The funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was part of the $1.2 billion in funding that will be announced later today for national labs. "To continue leading the … Continue Reading
03.19.09
Durbin Announces Nearly $10 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Airports
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded $9,731,580 in grants to airports in Rockford, Decatur and the Quad Cities. Today's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs in Illinois and strengthen the region's infrastructure to serve passengers safely and efficiently. • Greater Rockford Airport Authority: $1,052,632 in funding to expand a terminal building at the … Continue Reading