Durbin Statement on Lifting of Ban on Transgender People Serving in U.S. Military

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the lifting of the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military: Today's announcement perfects the bedrock principle of our all-volunteer military, which is to evaluate every individual on the basis of their willingness and ability to serve. Transgender service members serve our nation honorably right now. Secretary Carter's decision permits th… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $37.8 Million for Head Start & Early Head Start

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start providers grants totaling $37,874,534 to support early education and comprehensive services for low-income children and families. Today's funding, in addition to more than $20.5 million earlier this month, total more than $58 million for the month of June. "The Head Start program is the sourc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Call for Vote on Export-Import Bank Nominee

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a group of 41 other senators today - on the one year anniversary of the Export-Import Bank being unable to fully function - in calling on the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee to hold a vote on the nominee to the Export-Import Bank Board. In a letter to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), the senators reinforced the negative impact the lack of a committee vote on the nominee, Mark McWatters, on the Export… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $3.5 Million to Detect & Defend Against Radioactive Threats

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $3.5 million in federal funding to build the Chicago Fire Department's capabilities to identify and protect against nuclear and other radioactive threats. Today's funding was made available through the Department of Homeland Security's Securing the Cities Program, under which CFD stands to receive up to $30 million over five years. "Chicago is a world-class city that attracts millions of visitors each year - to our lakefront, Magnific… Continue Reading

Edwardsville Farmer Mike Campbell Joins Durbin for Senate Rural Summit

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was joined by Edwardsville, IL farmer Mike Campbell for the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee's Rural Summit. At Senator Durbin's invitation, Campbell is in Washington, D.C., to discuss the economic challenges and opportunities facing rural communities in Illinois and across the country. Campbell currently sits on the board of the Madison County Farm Bureau, and he previously served in the USDA's Office of Advocacy and Outreach Small a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Leaders Call for New Round of Talks on Zika to Produce Bipartisan Bill Free of Ideological Poison Pills Riders

WASHINGTON-Ahead of today's scheduled Senate vote on the Military Construction Veterans Affairs and Zika Appropriations conference report, Senate Democratic leadership released a new letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan labeling the report as both extreme and insufficient and calling for an immediate new round of talks to produce a bipartisan bill free of ideological poison pill riders. The letter, which was signed by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Dick Durbi… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $20.5 Million for Head Start and Early Head Start

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced more than $20.5 million in federal funding for Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Illinois. Since the beginning of June, the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded Illinois providers grants totaling $20,501,838 for early education and comprehensive services for low-income children and families. "The Head Start program is the source of countless success stories in Illino… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks Out Against Anti-Muslim Bigotry in Cruz Hearing on ‘Radical Islam'

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today condemned the rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric and bigotry in the United States during a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights, and Federal Courts, entitled: "Willful Blindness: Consequences of Agency Efforts to Deemphasize Radical Islam in Combating Terrorism." Durbin chaired the first ever congressional hearing on the Civil Rights of American Muslims in 2011. "Instead of dealing with suspected terrorists… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in Whole Woman's Health V. Hellerstedt

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down abortion restrictions passed by the Texas legislature in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. "More than forty years after Roe v. Wade‎ established a woman's right to choose, American women still face attempts to restrict their access to abortion. Texas' law was another such measure - passed under the guise of protecting women's health, it placed an undue burden on low-income and … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators in Calling on EPA to Establish a Strong Renewable Fuel Standard

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in calling for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares to finalize its proposed rule on biofuels volume requirements for 2017 under the RFS. In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the senators urged the agency for a strong RFS that will support U.S. jobs and the economy, reduce the environmental impact of the transportation and … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Decision to More Closely Monitor CSX's Use of Elsdon Rail Line

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after learning of the Surface Transportation Board's decision to impose enhanced reporting requirements on CSX's Elsdon Rail Line so that it can better monitor and mitigate the increased amount of blocked grade crossings. "Since CSX acquired the Elsdon Rail Line in 2013, the increased frequency of rail traffic blocked crossings has led to significant traffic delays and threats to pedestrian safety," said Durbin. "The … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court upheld race-conscious college admissions in Fisher v. University of Texas. "Affirmative action has helped generations of well-qualified minority students - often first-generation college students - access higher education and new career opportunities," said Durbin. "Affirmative action is constitutional and will allow universities to continue taking steps to make their student bodies as diverse a… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $17 Million for HIV Care & Support in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $17,300,456 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for HIV assistance programs in Illinois. Today's funding, awarded through the Ryan White Care Act Part B, will allow the Illinois Department of Health to provide comprehensive medical care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. "This critical investment supports valuable patient care and is key for improving health outcomes in medically underse… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks on Senate Floor About Supreme Court Ruling on Immigration

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the floor of the Senate after the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision in the legal challenge to Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The result of this deadlock is that the lower court decisions blocking the implementation of DAPA and DACA remain in place for now. These programs were established as part of President Obama's immigration announcement on November … Continue Reading

Durbin and Cardin Applaud OAS Special Session on Venezuela Crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) issued the following statement after the Organization of American States (OAS) affirmatively voted today to review the OAS Secretary General's report on the deteriorating political and economic situation in Venezuela. "Secretary General Almagro's leadership in invoking the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter is a much-needed step toward diffusing Venezuela's urgent and deepening political, economic, and humanitarian crise… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in United States V. Texas

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision in the legal challenge to Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This result of this deadlock is that the lower court decisions blocking the implementation of DAPA and DACA remain in place for now. These programs were established as part of President Obama's immigration announcement on November… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President's Nomination of Chicago Native to Lead Railroad Retirement Board

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the decision by President Obama to nominate Chicago, Illinois native, Thomas Kotarac, as the Chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board - an independent agency that administers comprehensive retirement-survivor and unemployment-sickness benefit programs for the nation's railroad workers and their families. "There are few people I have met in my career that are more committed to our transportation systems than Tom Kotarac,… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins House Sit-In to Demand Action on Gun Reform

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA) in support of a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives to protest Congressional Republicans' inaction on gun violence legislation: "I was proud to join my House colleagues from Illinois and around the country to say enough is enough-this Congress can no longer ignore the will of the American people for common sense gun reform. Too many guns are getting in the hands of dangerous people and… Continue Reading

Durbin Warns of Consequences of Inaction on Emergency Funding for Zika Crisis

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Citing a recent New York Times article showing that the rising number of Zika infections in Puerto Rico is surprising public health officials, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today warned of the consequences of inaction by Congress. Highlighting this recent public health development, as well as earlier findings that the disease can be transmitted sexually and is linked to serious neurological birth disorders, Durbin called upon Congressional Republicans to act quickly and c… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Total of $500,000 for Public Housing Safety in East St. Louis & Hardin County

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $500,000 in federal funding for Illinois public housing agencies to help pay for security systems, deter crime and address resident safety concerns. "‎Our public housing agencies offer critically-needed affordable housing options to Illinoisans all across the state. This funding will help keep those residents, their families, and their communities safe," said Durbin. Today's funding is made available through languag… Continue Reading