Durbin Announces Over $1.8 Billion in Recovery Act Funding Now Available for Illinois Schools

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that $1,871,685,355 in Recovery Act funding is now available for states and schools to lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of teaching jobs around Illinois. "Investing in our children's future is an investment in our nation's future," said Durbin. "At a time when states face difficult choices about filling increasing budget gaps, today's funding will increase ac… Continue Reading

Durbin, Specter, Larson, Jones Introduce Bills to Reform Financing of Congressional Elections

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-CT) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation today to reform the way Congressional elections are financed. The Fair Elections Now Act would allow qualified, legitimate candidates to receive grants and matching funds to run competitive campaigns instead of relying on contributions from lobbyists and other special inter… Continue Reading

Durbin: Illinois to Receive $166 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Public Building Projects

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 10 Illinois public buildings will receive a total of $166,479,000 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the modernization and conversion of federal buildings and courthouses to high performance, energy-efficient buildings. "The General Services Administration owns roughly 1,500 federal buildings nationwide," said Durbin. "These buildings affect our natural environment, ou… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $99 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Argonne National Lab

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced on a conference call with the Director of Argonne National Laboratory, Eric Isaacs that the lab will receive $99 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate environmental cleanup work and create jobs. The Director of Fermilab, Pier Oddone, was also on today's call. "Last week, Congressman Foster and I announced forty-eight million dollars in Recovery Act funding fo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse Seek Additional Information Regarding Justice Department Investigation of Torture Authorizations

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter today to the Acting Assistant Attorney General, inquiring about an internal investigation of Justice Department attorneys who provided legal advice regarding waterboarding and other abusive interrogation techniques. Today's letter is in response to revelations that former Justice Department officials Jay Bybee, John Yoo, and Steven Bradbury, the targets of the internal… Continue Reading

Durbin Announes $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers prov… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $221 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Housing Agencies

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Housing Agencies will receive $221,498,521 in grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Public Housing Capital Fund grants, allocated through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provide funding for improvements to and the modernization of public housing. "Improvements to public housing will enhance the quality of life for individuals who rely on t… Continue Reading

Durbin Blasts CPSC Chair for Recent Comments Criticizing New Consumer Safety Laws

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to Nancy Nord, Acting Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today, expressing concern with her recent comments criticizing new legislation, and showing continued resistance to modernizing and reforming the much maligned agency she leads. "Recent comments you have made in the press and in letters to Congress regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) show your continue… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers provide a valuabl… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bipartisan DREAM Act to Help Students Earn a Path to Legal Residency

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) today introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act - a narrowly tailored, bipartisan measure which would permit undocumented students to become permanent residents if they came here as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years. "Our immigration laws prevent thousand… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Being Named Humane Senator of the Year by the US Humane Society

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after being named the Humane Senator of the Year but the Human Society of the United States: "I want to thank the Humane Society for their invaluable support as we fought to improve the safety of pet food, banned the importation of puppies from foreign mills, and ensuring that downed animals are kept out of our food supply. I appreciate the honor and look forward to continuing our part… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Congressional Approval of Legislation to Name Rockford Courthouse After Judge Roszkowski

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the passage of legislation by both the House and the Senate to name the United States District Courthouse in Rockford, Illinois after Stanley J. Roszkowski, former Federal Judge in the Northern District of Illinois. Roszkowski, who served in combat as a member of a bomber crew in World War II, played an integral role in bringing a new federal courthouse to Rockford. This legislation is the first bill authore… Continue Reading

Durbin Commends Amtrak Decision to Commit $80 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Illinois Rail

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended Amtrak's decision to commit $80 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Illinois to modernize Amtrak's repair shops and improve accessibility and security at Amtrak stations and facilities in the state. Earlier today, Amtrak announced the recipients of $1.3 billion in Recovery Act funding for rail projects nationwide. The announcement also includes $90.8 million to rehabilitate … Continue Reading

Supporting the President's Budget

Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate Next week the Senate will consider the Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2010. This will be a crucial debate. For 50 hours on the Senate floor we will make fundamental decisions about the shape of our economy - and the prosperity of our county - that will guide our nation for many years to come. We need to face facts -- we have inherited the worst economic crisis in generations. Passing the economic recovery package was the firs… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Drug Czar Nominee Kerlikowske

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Drug Czar nominee Gil Kerlikowske, today to discuss the role of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on the issues of Mexican drug cartels, crack-cocaine sentencing, and drug abuse prevention. In addition, Durbin expressed his hope that Kerlikowske will invigorate the agency under new leadership, implementing much-needed reforms including demand reduction, treatment, and prevention. "America's dru… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $38.5 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Defense Facilities in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois Department of Defense (DoD) facilities will receive a total of $38,542,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for construction projects and repairs, quality of life improvements and energy efficiency projects. Today's funding is expected to immediately generate additional employment in communities around the defense facilities. "The Recovery Act will put people to wo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Collins, Schakowsky Introduce Bill to Improve Mental Health Services on College Campuses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act creates a competitive grant program that would provide funding to colleges to focus on both outreach to identify students with mental health needs and treatment of students coming to counseling centers fo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Foster Praise $48 Million in DOE Funding for Fermilab and Argonne

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Science has awarded a total of $48 million in funding to Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory to protect jobs and support critical research. The funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was part of the $1.2 billion in funding that will be announced later today for national labs. "To continue leading the … Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $78.8 Million in Recovery Act Funding for VA Facilities in Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) facilities located in Illinois will receive $78,827,369 in funding for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding, allocated through the Veterans Health Administration, will be used for upgrades and repairs at six VA hospitals, construction at three VA extended care facilities and repairs and equipment purchases at seven VA cemeteries. "Building… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $1.5 Million FEMA Grant for Lake County

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Lake County will receive $1,577,922 in funding from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for flood control efforts. "This funding will support important flood control efforts in Lake County," said Durbin. "This federal funding will help reduce costs to local governments for emergency rescue, infrastructure repair, debris removal and emergency shelters. Dur… Continue Reading