Durbin Discusses Citizenship and DACA Loan Programs at Second Federal Credit Union

[CHICAGO] - With an estimated 370,000 lawful permanent residents in Illinois eligible to naturalize but who have yet to do so, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited Second Federal Credit Union's Brighton Park location to discuss the citizenship loans the institution has started to offer. The citizenship fee, now $680, has nearly tripled since 1999 and has become one of the main deterrents to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) taking the final step to become U.S. citizens. "Too many immig… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Approves Bill to Fund Department of Veterans Affairs & Military Construction

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that, earlier this week, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and support military construction projects in Illinois and around the country. Differences between the Senate-passed version and the House-passed version must now be reconciled before the legislation is sent to President Obama for his signature. "The Senate came together this week to pass legislation that will deliver on the … Continue Reading

Durbin, Dixon Leaders Discuss Initiatives to Combat Heroin Epidemic

[DIXON, IL] - As heroin overdose deaths rise in Illinois and across the country, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dixon Police Chief Danny Langloss and Lee County Sheriff John Simonton to learn more about the Safe Passage Initiative that encourages addicts to seek out treatment for addiction. The innovative program has helped connect 25 people with addiction treatment in its first two months. Durbin also discussed recently co-sponsored bills to expand treatment for heroin addiction… Continue Reading

President Obama Calls on Congress to Take Action on Durbin Legislation to Protect Veterans from For-Profit Schools

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following an announcement of new measures to make certain that veterans are receiving the education they deserve, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded President Obama's commitment to honoring the sacrifice and service of America's veterans. Earlier today the President called on Congress to pass Durbin's Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act which would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities from receiving more than 85% of their revenue from the federa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Reed, Blumenthal, Warren: Congress Should End Loophole That Encourages For-Profit Colleges to Target Veterans & Servicemembers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today introduced legislation in the Senate that would help put an end to the for-profit industry's predatory marketing campaigns and aggressive recruiting of veterans, servicemembers and their families. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities from receiving more than 85% of their revenue from the federal g… Continue Reading

Grassley, Durbin Push for H-1B, L-1 Visa Reforms

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Dick Durbin, Assistant Democratic Leader, today are introducing bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B visa program, consistent with Congress's original intent, by ensuring that qualified American workers are given the first opportunity at high-skilled job opportunities. The legislation makes reforms to increase enforcement, modify wage requirements and ensure protection for American workers as w… Continue Reading

Durbin Honors Illinois World War II Veteran & POW on the Senate Floor

[WASHINGON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate Floor to honor a Skokie, Illinois veteran, Tony Gargano, who served with the United States Navy during World War II and spent three years as a prisoner of war. Tony and his family connected with Durbin's office after he visited Washington, DC, with Honor Flight Chicago last month. During that trip, Tony also shared his story with the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress, a program that collects the personal a… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on 5th Circuit Ruling Against Immigrant Children & Families

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling to uphold an injunction against President Obama's executive actions for immigration last year: Republicans, who have a majority in the House and Senate, refuse to even consider legislation to fix our broken immigration system. Instead, they file lawsuits to stop the President from using his authority to make these limited reforms. The Supreme Court has been… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $443,000 in Federal Funding to Assist Homeless Veterans in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have awarded a total of $443,453 in grants and vouchers to communities in Illinois that will be used to expand supportive services and housing for Illinois veterans. "Last night, in Illinois alone, more than 1,200 homeless veterans were on the street. This country can do better-and must do better-for the brave men a… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Rejection of Keystone XL Pipeline Permit

CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that it would reject the permit for the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline project: "The Senate spent a great deal of time looking at this project, and by every measure it came up short. While the project would have been a boon to one well-connected company in Canada, it wouldn't have moved our country one step closer to energy independence. On top of that, the pipeline posed a t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Madigan Call for Federal Debt Relief for Former Everest College Students

[CHICAGO] - At the invitation of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Joseph Smith, Special Master appointed by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to oversee the federal student debt relief process for former Corinthian students, met today with several students who attended the school's Illinois campuses and remain buried in federal student loan debt. Smith is responsible for advising ED on issues related to Corinthian and will help develop a broader system to… Continue Reading

Durbin: Improving Air Quality at Union Station Must be Top Priority

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new study showing dangerously high levels of air pollution on train platforms at Union Station "The results of the EPA's air quality study are alarming and unacceptable. I will be calling on the EPA to install 24-hour monitoring equipment, which will improve our ability to assess the scope of the problem and possible remedies," Durbin said.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Casey Introduce Senate Bill to Increase Congenital Heart Defect Research

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bob Casey (D-PA) today introduced legislation to reauthorize Durbin's Congenital Heart Futures Act, which expired earlier this year. The bipartisan legislation - introduced in the House today by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) - raises awareness of the continuing impact congenital heart defects have throughout patients' lifespans, promotes more research at NIH, and encourages the development of lifelong, speci… Continue Reading

Durbin: The For-Profit College Model Not Sustainable

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the decline of the for-profit college industry over the last five years has shown that Wall Street is downgrading these for-profit colleges and universities because they believe this model is flawed and can't be sustained. Durbin joined his colleagues - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) - in dis… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Booker, Senators in Calling on CFPB to Protect Formerly Incarcerated from Predatory Prison Prepaid Cards

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and sixteen other Senators in sending a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) urging them to address the predatory behavior in the prepaid card market that impacts formerly incarcerated people. Other Senators signing on to today's letter include: U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Blume… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $67 Million in HUD Funding for Illinois Housing and Community Development

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that communities in Illinois will receive a total of $67,050,654 in grant funding through four programs administered by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help develop urban communities. "This federal investment will give local development agencies across Illinois the ability to offer affordable housing and homeless assistance to the people in their community who need it most," said Durbin. Community… Continue Reading

Illinois Congressional Delegation Backs Chicago Medical Network as Regional Treatment Center for Ebola Virus

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN) - a network of high-quality volunteer healthcare leaders, practitioners and first responders - as a regional treatment center for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to enable them to better support the national response to Ebola and access resources for emergency preparedness and biocontamination. "Throughout the Ebola v… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $754K in Federal Funding for UIS Innocence Project

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the University of Illinois Springfield's Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) has been awarded a $753,958 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. IIP will use the grant funds to perform investigations and DNA testing in additional cases where inmates have a credible claim of innocence, with a particular focus on Latino inmates who have often faced additional barriers to pursuing innocence claims due to language and o… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Senators Calling for Expanded Availability of Life-Saving Drug on School Campuses

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Nearly one-quarter of high school students have used, sold, or been offered drugs on a school property, and reports of students overdosing on campus are growing in frequency. To better equip emergency personnel on the front lines of this crisis, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) led a group of nine Senators in writing to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell urging the agency to expand the availability of naloxone on school campuses. Today's le… Continue Reading

Durbin & Kirk: Gilmore Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Marshal for Illinois' Northern District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today announced that the Senate has unanimously confirmed Edward Gilmore to serve as U.S. Marshal in the Northern District of Illinois. "Through many years of service to Illinois, Edward Gilmore has established a reputation for responsibility and professionalism in the law enforcement community," said Durbin. "He will bring a wealth of knowledge and managerial experience to the position of U.S. Marshal in… Continue Reading