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

Durbin Announces $3 Million To Support Business Development In Illinois

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $3 million in federal funding to support business development efforts in Illinois, primarily in manufacturing and minority-owned businesses. This funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce, will help support product development, innovation, and technical assistance. "Illinois is home to some of the world's leading businesses and manufacturing companies, which support thousands of jobs and generate tremendous economic activit… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $4 Million In Federal Funding To Strengthen Manufacturing Job Skills Of Illinois Workers

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $4 million to Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center to help develop and grow regional partnerships between workforce agencies, education and training providers and employers in manufacturing. This funding is provided through DOL's H-1B America's Promise Grants, which are funded through fees paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the U.S. under the H-1B temporary visa program.… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $4 Million In Federal Funding To Support Health And Well-Being Of Illinoisans

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Illinois institutions with $4,026,032 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Administration for Children and Families. This funding will go to support children's hospitals, Head Start programs, and HIV emergency relief programs throughout Illinois."This infusion of federal dollars will strengthen our state's health and early education… Continue Reading

Senate Resolution Honors 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs

WASHINGTON-The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution congratulating the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. The resolution, introduced by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), is cosponsored by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Dan Coats (R-IN). "In the early morning hours of November 3rd-in the 10th inning of the final game against the resurgent Cleveland Indians-the Chicago Cubs made the final out and won the 2016 World Series. The city of Chicago and baseba… Continue Reading

Durbin Vows To Fight Reinstatement Of Federal ‘Muslim Database’

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding reports that President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is considering a reinstatement of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program, a post-9/11 program which required travelers to the United States from specified Muslim-majority countries to immediately register with the federal government or face deportation. "Reinstating failed programs that target Arabs and Muslims in our cou… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $620 Million In Federal Funding For Economic And Community Development

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $620 million in federal funding to spur economic and community development in distressed and low-income communities across Illinois. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), will provide resources for local jobs, community facilities, and safe and affordable housing. "Investing in economic and community development in some of Illinois' hardest hit c… Continue Reading

Durbin: Gainful Employment Rule Helps Students And Parents Make Smarter College Choices

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised the U.S. Department of Education's release of graduate earnings data for thousands of career training programs as part of the Department's implementation of the Gainful Employment rule. The data confirms that public undergraduate certificate programs outperform for-profit certificate programs when it comes to new graduate income. The average earnings of graduates of public certificate programs surpass those of for-profit graduates by nea… Continue Reading

Durbin Collects On Bet With Brown Following Cubs’ Game Seven World Series Win

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Indians) made good on his bet with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Cubs) after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in Game 7. Brown wagered beer from Cleveland's Platform Brewing Company. "The Cleveland Indians proved themselves a great and gutsy ball club with young talent that will keep them competitive for years to come. Ultimately, the heart and grit of the Chicago Cubs carried them through the final three games of the series to bring the World… Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk Resolution Honors 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today introduced a resolution in the Senate congratulating the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Dan Coats (R-IN). "In the early morning hours of November 3rd-in the 10th inning of the final game against the resurgent Cleveland Indians-the Chicago Cubs made the final out and won the 2016 World Series. The city of Chicago and baseball fans around the world erup… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On President-Elect Trump To Protect Dreamers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is calling on President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that his Administration shield the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. In a speech on the floor of the Senate, Durbin appealed to their shared immigrant roots, urging Trump to protect beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants temporary reprieve from deportation to certain young undocumented immigrants. "As a first step in bringing our n… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Democratic Senators-Elect

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Democratic Senators-elect Tammy Duckworth (IL), Maggie Hassan (NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Kamala Harris (CA), and Chris Van Hollen (MD) to congratulate them and discuss their goals for the 115th Congress. "It's an honor to welcome these newly-elected Senators to Washington. They each bring a unique experience in public work and new energy to our efforts to address the issues facing our nation. The arrival of four new women Senators… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $16.8 Million For Rural Development Projects In Illinois

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson. "This funding will help boost small agricultural busine… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Outcome of 2016 Election

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: I now know the range of human emotions-in six days to go from the heights of the Cubs' victory in the World Series to last night's election. But the bedrock principle of America is that we select our leaders and then come together as a country to find common ground and move forward. I congratulate both Secretary Clinton and President-elect Trump on a hard-fought campaign. While the Administration will change in January, ou… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges U.S. Attorney General To Investigate Unprocessed Absentee Ballot Requests In Rock Island County

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to look into reports that a third party organization failed to deliver more than 1,500 vote-by-mail applications to the Rock Island County Clerk's Office. The ballot requests were discovered in a Rock Island post office box last week after voters began contacting the clerk's office to inquire about the status of their applications. "Voting is, as the Supreme Court has said, a right 'preservat… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Over $13 Million In Federal Funding To Help Expand Access To Primary Health Care Across Illinois

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $13,429,032.80 in federal funding across Illinois to build the state's primary care workforce and support students to reduce their educational debt in exchange for their service in underserved communities. This funding, provided through the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) National Health Service Corps (NHSC), will help remove financial barriers for health professionals interested in practicing a primary care discipli… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Agricultural Value-Added Producer Grants

PEORIA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson. "This funding will help boost small agricultural busine… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Bill To Strengthen Servicemember Employment And Reemployment Protections

PEORIA-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in introducing legislation to better protect military personnel and veterans from potentially unfair employment disadvantages caused by any extended absence from work while on active duty. Passage of the USERRA Improvement Act, as well as the Justice for Servicemembers Act, are especially critical after a federal court ruled this month that a Navy reservist could … Continue Reading