Senators Call on ITT Tech to Halt Use of Mandatory Arbitration Clauses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called on ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech) to follow the lead of the University of Phoenix and DeVry and halt the use of mandatory arbitration clauses in college enrollment agreements. In a letter to the CEO, the Senators wrote, "ITT Tech, under your leadership, has long been an advocate in the for-profit college industry for the continued use of mandator… Continue Reading

Durbin: Defense Appropriations Bill Invests in Groundbreaking Research & Protects Illinois Priorities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill - which provides $574.6 billion in funding for the military and intelligence community, our national security requirements and the daily needs of over two million active duty and reserve servicemembers - funds Illinois defense installations and protects important Illinois priorities. The legislation was … Continue Reading

On Bill to Fund Homeland Security Department, Durbin Includes Amendments Zeroing in on TSA Security at Chicago Airports

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that two of his amendments to help reduce wait times at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in airports around the country were approved as part of the FY2017 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Specifically, Durbin's amendments would: · Direct TSA to make PreCheck more accessible by expanding the number of office hours available (including the possibility of weekend hours… Continue Reading

Durbin & Kelly: Resolution Establishing “National Gun Violence Awareness Day" Introduced in House & Senate

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At least sixteen U.S. Senators and eleven U.S. Representatives joined together to introduce a resolution in the House & Senate establishing June 2nd as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and designating June as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." Every day in America, an average of 297 men, women and children are shot, 91 of them fatally. Establishing a day to bring attention to the issue of gun violence honors the thousands of Americans who are victims of gun … Continue Reading

Summary of Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON-The Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act, 2017 provides $574.6 billion in base and Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funding, compared to $572.9 billion enacted in fiscal year 2016 and $576.5 billion in the President's budget request. The base budget appropriation is $516 billion with $58.6 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations of the Department of Defense. The Subcommittee's allocation conforms to the spending levels set by the Bipartisan Budget Act and provide… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Officials from Springfield & Sangamon County in Washington

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with officials from Springfield, Illinois, and Sangamon County to discuss local priorities including economic development, the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Fighter Wing and transportation and infrastructure improvements. "My hometown of Springfield is well positioned to take advantage of the long-term transportation bill that Congress passed last year," said Durbin. "I will continue working to fully fund the grant programs in… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $1.6 Million in Federal Funding for Illinois First-Responders

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded $1,635,535 in grants to fire departments and municipalities throughout Illinois. "This federal funding will ensure that when fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation's firefighters and first-responders have access to the best resources and the equipment necessary to help protect them as they… Continue Reading

Senators Urge HHS Inspector General to Conduct Study to Determine Amount of Federal Waste from One-Size-Fits-All Drug Vials

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) in urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General today to conduct a study to determine the amount of waste from inappropriately sized drug vials. Drug manufacturers are distributing expensive cancer drugs in vials that contain larger dosages than needed by the average patient. According to a recent report published in BMJ and reported ab… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Apollo Announcement That Universiry of Phoenix Will No Longer Use Mandatory Arbitration Clauses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today expressed cautious optimism about the University of Phoenix's commitment to eliminate the use of mandatory arbitration clauses in its student enrollment agreements. Durbin has long opposed the use of mandatory arbitration clauses by for-profit colleges, including in a recent op-ed for The Hill in which Durbin urged the Department of Education to protect the interests of students by implementing a full ban of mandatory arbitration clause… Continue Reading

Durbin: More Needs to be Done to Fix Massive Delays at Airports in Chicago, Across America

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor today about the urgent need to address the massive delays at airports in Chicago and around the country. Durbin will bring Transportation Security Administrator (TSA) Peter Neffenger to Chicago Friday to discuss ways to bring wait times down while protecting passenger safety. "We've all seen the footage of people waiting in line to go through security screening at major airports, particularly in the city of Chicago, both O… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos Meet with Acting Director of Bureau of Prisons to Discuss Thomson Prison Activation

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following a meeting with the Acting Director of the Department of Justice's Bureau of Prisons, Tom Kane, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) today said the activation of Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois remains on track. Photos of the meeting are available here. "We are happy to report that the Obama Administration is making progress toward its goal of opening and operating Thomson prison in a responsible and humane m… Continue Reading

Durbin: TSA Administrator to Come to Chicago to Discuss Airport Security Delays

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will bring the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Peter Neffenger to Chicago on Friday to meet with airport officials and local stakeholders to discuss new measures to address the delays at airport security lines in Chicago and across the country. "I'm convening this meeting in Chicago for TSA Administrator Neffenger to get a firsthand look at what airline passengers are experiencing, and to ensure that state a… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Call for Major Airlines to "Do Their Part" to Reduce Airport Security Lines

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to the trade group representing the major U.S. airlines, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called for an immediate suspension of checked baggage fees for the summer travel season to help reduce alarmingly high wait times at security checkpoints across major U.S. airports. "According to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, baggage fees have contributed to increasing the number of carryon-on luggage that must be screened at security che… Continue Reading

CBO Announces Three Quarters of a Billion Dollars in Savings to Taxpayers for Grassley-Durbin Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-authors of the bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act released the following statement after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced that the legislation would save taxpayers $318 million over five years and $722 million over ten: "The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act represents years of work on an issue that has the ability to change lives. We have an obligation to change the way w… Continue Reading

Durbin, Klobuchar, Senators Call on President to Fulfill Commitment to Resettle 10,000 Syrian Refugees in America

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today led a group of 27 senators calling on the President to fulfill the Administration's commitment to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States this fiscal year. He recently reiterated this commitment, but so far in the first seven months of FY 2016, only 1,736 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States. "We write to express our strong support for resettling Syrian refugees in the Unite… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses Homeland Security Secretary to Address Long Lines at Airport Security Stations

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after speaking with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson about massive delays at airport security lines in Chicago and across the country: "As summer approaches, the number of people traveling increases dramatically-that means long lines at airport security checkpoints. Protecting the safety of passengers remains priority number one, but poor planning and inadequate funding have led… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Measures to Address Massive Delays at Chicago Airport Security Lines

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today taped a video statement after announcing that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will commit 58 additional security officers and 4 additional canine units to Chicago O'Hare International Airport to address massive delays at airport security lines. Video of Durbin's statement can be accessed on YouTube HERE. Audio of Durbin's statement can be accessed HERE. Televisions stations using FTP can access his remarks in in high definiti… Continue Reading

Illinois Delegation Members Continue Questioning of NGA Director Over Security of NGA Site

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Delegation representing Southwestern Illinois today questioned the security of the North St. Louis site which was recently announced to be the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)'s preferred location for its West Campus (NGA-West). The additional questions were raised following a meeting last week between the Illinois delegation members and NGA Director Robert Cardillo. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Deportation Raids Targeting Central American Refugees

[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today regarding reports of a new series of nationwide immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement: "I'm concerned by reports that the Administration has restarted deportation efforts, targeting women and children from Central America. We are in the midst of the worst refugee crisis in recent history, with more than 60 million people worldwide forcibly displaced from their homes. The children an… Continue Reading

Illinois Members Demand Answers in Meeting with NGA Director Cardillo

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a meeting with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Director Robert Cardillo, the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Delegation representing Southwestern Illinois today demanded to know how a number of factual inaccuracies were missed and risks underestimated in a report which served as the basis for determining North St. Louis as the preferred new site for NGA-West rather than St. Clair County. At the conclusion of today's meeting, U.S. Senators Dick Durb… Continue Reading