Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Rural and Agriculture
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Trump Administration To Improve Trade Assistance To Illinois Farmers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with 15 other Senators, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging USDA to improve its trade assistance program to better support farmers based on harm and pursue a focused trade policy to rebuild the markets American farmers have lost. Yesterday, Durbin, along with members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released a new report that details … Continue Reading
September 25, 2019
Durbin Discusses Immigrant Labor And Climate Change At Agriculture Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing, asked representatives of the poultry and livestock industry about the need and value of immigrant labor. Durbin made the case that mass deportations and dramatic cuts in legal immigration in America - as proposed by the Trump Administration - would devastate many livestock and poultry processing plants that depend on immigrant labor for operations. "When you go to meat … Continue Reading
September 24, 2019
Durbin Meets With Illinois Manufacturing Association To Discuss Trade And Workforce Development
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with representatives from the Illinois Manufacturing Association to discuss the impact of the President's trade war with China and improving workforce development programs. Durbin has supported increased funding for worker training and apprenticeship programs in order to train young workers to fill in-demand jobs in manufacturing and other skilled trades. "It was good to meet with representatives of the Illinois Manufacturing Association … Continue Reading
September 19, 2019
Durbin: Appropriations Bills Provide Critical Funding For Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced Illinois priorities included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; and Financial Services and General Government Appropriations funding bills. The legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee today and will now be sent to the Senate floor for final consideration. Durbin … Continue Reading
September 12, 2019
Durbin Meets With The Illinois Farm Bureau To Discuss Farming Conditions, Disaster Aid, & Trade Policy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, met with the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss financial difficulties with crop conditions in Illinois due to the wettest planting season in decades. During the meeting, farmers expressed concerns with the Trump Administration's uncertain trade approach with China, and the importance of more federal investments in infrastructure, like rural broadband. They also discussed the … Continue Reading
September 10, 2019
Durbin Meets With The Illinois Farmers Union To Discuss Farm Economy, Trade, And Biofuels
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Farmers Union to discuss financial difficulties with crop conditions in Illinois due to the wettest planting season in decades, the Trump Administration's uncertain trade approach with China, and damaging decisions to the biofuels industry. During the meeting, the Farmers Union presented Durbin with the Golden Triangle Award for his leadership in … Continue Reading
September 10, 2019
Durbin Introduces Bill To Boost Agricultural Research Funding
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today introduced new legislation that would authorize a five percent annual funding increase over the next five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With most domestic agriculture research on the decline, the America Grows Act would restore the United States' commitment to publically-funded agriculture research at USDA. Durbin announced the bill while visiting … Continue Reading
September 05, 2019
Durbin Highlights Bipartisan Legislation To Strengthen Rural Health Workforce
GRANITE CITY - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a news conference to highlight bipartisan legislation to address critical rural health workforce shortages. Introduced last month, the Rural America Health Corps Act would create a new program that builds upon the existing National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program by providing new, dedicated student loan forgiveness funding for health care providers that serve in rural communities. Twenty percent of Americans live in rural communities, yet … Continue Reading
September 04, 2019
Durbin Highlights Bipartisan Legislation To Strengthen Rural Health Workforce
CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a news conference to highlight bipartisan legislation to address critical rural health workforce shortages. Introduced last month, the Rural America Health Corps Act would create a new program that builds upon the existing National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program by providing new, dedicated student loan forgiveness funding for health care providers that serve in rural communities. Twenty percent of Americans live in rural communities, yet … Continue Reading
August 26, 2019
Durbin Calls For An End To Small Refinery Waivers And Restoring Integrity To The Renewable Fuel Standard
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), today urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end the harmful abuse of small refinery hardship waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, Durbin and his … Continue Reading
August 09, 2019
Durbin Holds Roundtable To Discuss How Trump's Tariffs Are Impacting Farmers
NIANTIC-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today held a roundtable discussion with local agricultural leaders to discuss issues impacting farmers, including the President's recent trade war with China that places tariffs on Chinese goods. China is Illinois' number one agriculture export market. "This has been a tough planting season - and when you combine it with the President's mystifying decisions like a reckless trade … Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
In Peoria, Durbin Announces Bill To Boost Agricultural Research Funding
PEORIA-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today unveiled new legislation that would authorize a five percent annual funding increase over the next five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With most domestic agriculture research on the decline, the America Grows Act would restore the United States' commitment to publically-funded agriculture research at USDA. Durbin announced the bill while visiting the … Continue Reading
August 06, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth, Stabenow, Peters Urge USDA To Delay Crop Insurance Premium Deadline
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and Gary Peters (D-MI) today urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help farmers by deferring penalties or postponing the crop insurance premium deadline to December 1, 2019, instead of October 1, 2019. In a letter to USDA Under … Continue Reading
July 24, 2019
Durbin Meets With Illinois Soybean Growers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, today met with the Illinois Soybean Association to discuss agriculture priorities in Illinois, including crop conditions, biodiesel markets, lock and dam upgrades, and the damage done by Chinese tariffs. "This has been a tough planting season - and when you combine it with the President's mystifying decisions like a reckless trade war and secret oil refinery waivers that … Continue Reading
July 08, 2019
Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges USDA To Support State's Request For Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON - The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for a disaster declaration from the USDA for eligible counties in Illinois impacted by significant damage done to crops by ongoing flooding since March 2019. This season has been the second-wettest spring on record for Illinois-and the wettest in 30 years-with the State receiving 16.36 inches through late … Continue Reading
June 17, 2019
Illinois Congressional Delegation To FCC: Improve Rural Broadband Maps
WASHINGTON - Today, the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and the four FCC Commissioners urging the FCC to improve the nation's broadband maps by reforming the mapping process for broadband services. The members noted that currently the mapping process lacks detail, accuracy, and granularity, meaning many underserved areas, including many rural communities in Illinois, could go without critical funding to improve … Continue Reading
June 13, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Work To Bring Fairness to FEMA Disaster Declaration Process
WASHINGTON - Following historic and severe flooding affecting one-third of Illinois, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the reintroduction of the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois. Due to FEMA's disaster declaration process, states like … Continue Reading
June 11, 2019
Durbin Meets With The Illinois Farm Bureau To Discuss Farming Conditions, Disaster Aid, & Trade Policy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss financial difficulties with crop conditions in Illinois due to the wettest planting season in decades. During the meeting, farmers expressed concerns with the Trump Administration's uncertain trade approach with Mexico, and the importance of more federal investments in infrastructure, like rural broadband. "As I saw over … Continue Reading
June 03, 2019
Durbin Discusses Historic Flooding With IEMA Acting Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau to get an update on how IEMA is responding to historic and ongoing flooding throughout Illinois. Durbin thanked first responders for their bravery and pledged to do everything he can in the Senate to ensure the federal government is being responsive to the needs of Illinois counties still at-risk of dangerous flooding. "It was good to speak with Acting … Continue Reading
May 31, 2019
Durbin Statement On E15 Gasoline Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule allowing the sale of E15 - gasoline containing as much as 15 percent ethanol-to be sold year-round. "Though I am pleased the EPA has finally issued this new rule for the sale of E15 gasoline, I remain concerned that the Trump Administration is issuing carve outs for … Continue Reading