Durbin: VA Disqualifies Three Westwood College Campuses From GI Bill Program

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has withdrawn education benefits from Westwood College's Houston South, Dallas and Fort Worth campuses. This announcement by the VA comes in the response to a February 14 letter to the Secretary of the VA, Eric Shinseki, in which Durbin requested a list of colleges and universities where the VA has suspended or withdrawn GI Bill and education benefits after discovering questionable … Continue Reading

Durbin, Kirk and Delegation Call on President to Provide Federal Relief for 74 Illinois Counties

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) were joined by the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation late last night in requesting that President Obama declare 74 Illinois counties - affected by a severe winter storm and snowstorm that began on January 31, 2011, and continued through February 11, 2011 - federal disaster areas. A Presidential disaster declaration would allow cities and counties to apply for federal reimbursements to help pay for storm damag… Continue Reading

Illinois Lawmakers Introduce House and Senate Resolutions Condemning Iran's Continued Persecution of Baha'i Minority

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), U.S. Rep. Robert Dold (R-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) today introduced bipartisan resolutions in the House and Senate calling attention to the continued plight of Baha'is in Iran. Baha'is comprise the largest religious minority in Iran, where the Baha'i religion was founded in the 19th century. According to the 2010 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report, "Since the 1979 Isla… Continue Reading

Durbin: House Republican Cuts to Great Lakes Funding Would Hurt Asian Carp Prevention Efforts

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a meeting with the President's Special Assistant for the Great Lakes, Cam Davis, and Chairman of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, John Goss, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today vowed to work to protect funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Continuing Resolution (H.R.1) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, passed by the House of Representatives cuts funding for the Initiative by $250 million - from $475 million to $225 million - which, according t… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $120,000 in Recovery Act Funding for Community Facility Improvements in Alexis

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded a total of $120,000 in Community Facility grant and loan funding to the Village of Alexis in Warren County. The Village of Alexis will use this funding to make improvements to important utilities and community buildings. "Community facilities and services are an important part of everyday life for millions of rural Illinoisans," said Durbin … Continue Reading

Durbin: House Cuts Stifle American Innovation

[ARGONNE, IL] - Drastic cuts to federal spending for important scientific research would jeopardize America's role as a global leader in research and innovation, as well as 1,450 high-paying jobs in Illinois, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today after meeting with lead researchers at Argonne National Laboratory. The federal spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House of Representatives last Saturday morning, included a $1.1 billion cut to the Departmen… Continue Reading

Durbin and Quinn Statement on Announcement that Morgan County Will Host FutureGen 2.0

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today made the following statement after the FutureGen Alliance announced that Morgan County has been chosen to host the FutureGen 2.0 carbon dioxide (CO2) storage site, visitor center, research, and training facilities. The FutureGen 2.0 project and pipeline network is expected to bring 1,000 jobs to downstate Illinois and another 1,000 jobs for suppliers across the state. "Bringing together all the component… Continue Reading

Durbin: House Cuts to Medical Research Funding Put Illinois Jobs at Risk and Jeopardize America's Leading Role in Bio-Medical Research

[CHICAGO, IL] - Thousands of medical research jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity are at risk as the result of drastic federal spending cuts proposed by the House of Representatives to the National Institute of Health's budget, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today at Northwestern University's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. The federal spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House early Saturday morning, included a $1.6 billion… Continue Reading

Durbin Vows to Fight House Republican Prohibition on CPSC Database ‘Putting Children and Consumers at Risk'

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today vowed to fight a House Budget provision which prohibits the Consumer Product Safety Commission from providing American families with timely information on dangerous toys and products. The Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) passed by the Republicans in the House of Representatives last week would remove funding for a publicly accessible database where consumers can report and research potential hazards in toys, cribs and other products. Dur… Continue Reading

Durbin: Now is Not The Time to Cut Programs That Help Get People Back to Work

[WOODSTOCK, IL] - Displaced workers will lose access to job retraining, career counseling and job listings as the result of drastic federal spending cuts proposed by the House of Representatives to programs funded through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. WIA funds are substantially cut in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved along party lines by the House early Saturday morning. The legisl… Continue Reading

Durbin Will Fight for Federal Funding Promised to Barrington for EJ&E Mitigation, But Taken Back by House Bill

[BARRINGTON, IL] - A $2.8 million federal grant to the City of Barrington to fund the planning, designing and engineering of a grade separation at the U.S. Route 14 and Eastern Joliet & Elgin (EJ&E) Railway crossing is now at risk after the House of Representatives passed its spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The project's funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIGER II program is eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Decline in For-Profit College Enrollment

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after reading reports that new enrollments in Kaplan University declined by 47% in the fourth quarter of last year. In January, the University of Phoenix reported a 42% decline over the same period. "Despite spending millions of dollars on advertising and securing a favorable vote by House Republicans to shield their industry from oversight, for-profit schools across America are facing a wholesale exodus of … Continue Reading

Durbin, Lipinski, and Rush Pledge to Fight for Federal Funding Promised to Englewood Flyover

[CHICAGO, IL] - A $133 million federal grant to fund the Englewood Flyover, a linchpin of the job-creating CREATE rail modernization program, is now at risk as a result of the House Republican spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. Representatives Dan Lipinski and Bobby Rush said today. The project's funding is immediately eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved along party lines by the House early Saturday morning. … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $1.4 Million in FEMA Grants to Illinois Fire Departments

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded nine grants totaling $1,423,322 to fire departments and municipalities throughout Illinois. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we must ensure that they are equipped with the best tools poss… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Business Community to Discuss Efforts to Get America Back on Stable Financial Footing

[COLLINSVILLE, IL] - Main Street businesses in Metro East and across the country should no longer be at a disadvantage against companies that exclusively sell their products online, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) told area business owners and retailers today. Durbin met with members from the Southwest Leadership Council and other local chambers of commerce to discuss legislation he intends to introduce in the coming weeks called the Main Street Fairness Act which aims to level the playing fiel… Continue Reading

Durbin and Kirk Support City's Plans to Appeal FERC Decision

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today sent at letter to the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Jon Wellinghoff, urging him to carefully review any appeal by the City of Quincy as to the facts surrounding the decision to dismiss the permit application. "As you can imagine, FERC's sudden decision has left the City with the impression that the application was not given serious consideration on its merits. We urge your careful … Continue Reading

Durbin: Illinois Families Leaving More Than $1 Billion Unclaimed in College Tuition Tax Credit

[CARBONDALE] - Illinois families left more than $1 billion on the table by not claiming a tax credit for college tuition on their 2009 income tax return, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The American Opportunity Tax Credit would allow families to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 per student on their 2009 and 2010 tax returns. The college tuition tax credit was originally part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A two-year extension of the tax credit was included in t… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces More Than $950,000 In FEMA Grants to Illinois Fire Departments

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded nine grants totaling $970,658 to fire departments and municipalities throughout Illinois. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we must ensure that they are equipped with the best tools possible t… Continue Reading

Durbin Stands Against House Efforts to Take Back More Than $240 Million in Federal Funding Already Promised to Quad Cities

[MOLINE, IL] - A $230 million federal grant to build a new rail line connecting Chicago to the Quad Cities and a $10 million federal grant to the City of Moline for a new, energy efficient, multimodal station are now both at risk after House Republicans passed their spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Both projects' funding is immediately eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House early Satu… Continue Reading

Durbin Vows to Fight for Federal Funding Promised to Peoria Warehouse District, But Taken Back by House Bill

[PEORIA, IL] - A $10 million federal grant to the City of Peoria to revitalize the city's Warehouse District is now at risk after House Republicans passed their spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The project's funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIGER II program is immediately eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House early Saturday morning. The bill cuts more than $6.… Continue Reading