Press Releases
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation Approved By Senate
[WASHINGTON, DC] - The United States Senate today approved a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The bill balances enforcement - stronger border security, tougher sanctions on employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants - with provisions allowing undocumented immigrants who work hard and play by the rules to earn their way to legal status. The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 62 to 36. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that while the bill was not perfect, it was a com… Continue Reading
03.16.06
Mine Safety Enforcement, Reporting, and Training Act
Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Mine Safety Enforcement, Reporting, and Training Act. This bill will raise the minimum fine for safety violations from $60 to $500, require coal mine operators to pay fines up front, require a public yearly report of fine payments, and double funding for education and training grants to States from $10 million to $20 million. The recent tragic events in West Virginia and Kentucky have captured the Nation's attention and exposed the serious dang… Continue Reading
11.21.05
Durbin, Hagel, Lugar: Congress Should Act Now to Help Students Gain Access to Higher Education
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) said today that Congress should act to help undocumented students by providing them with a pathway to legalize their immigration status and attend college. The senators have introduced S. 2075, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, legislation which would allow states to provide in-state college tuition to undocumented students who grew up in the United States, and would a… Continue Reading
11.10.05
2006 as the "Year of Study Abroad"
Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support a Senate resolution designating 2006 as the "Year of Study Abroad." This resolution encourages initiatives to promote and expand study abroad opportunities. Now more than ever, America needs citizens who can understand and communicate with people all over the world. However, fewer than 1 percent of all U.S. undergraduates participate in study abroad programs while nearly 600,000 international students from more than 200 countrie… Continue Reading
06.14.05
Treatment of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
Mr. President, there has been a lot of discussion in recent days about whether to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. This debate misses the point. It is not a question of whether detainees are held at Guantanamo Bay or some other location. The question is how we should treat those who have been detained there. Whether we treat them according to the law or not does not depend on their address. It depends on our policy as a nation. How should we treat them? This is not a new qu… Continue Reading