Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Military and Veterans
Durbin, Collins, Wenstrup, Rice Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill To Make The VA Smoke-Free
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH-02) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to prohibit smoking at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would repeal an antiquated 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas. Supported by the VA, the bill would br… Continue Reading
06.28.19
Durbin Statement On Senate Vote To Prohibit Funds For Military Operation Against Iran
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for a bipartisan measure to prohibit funds from being used for military operations against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. Durbin is a cosponsor of this measure. It failed to pass the Senate by a final vote of 50-40. "President Trump's policy, at the direction of Mr. Bolton and Secretary Pompeo, se… Continue Reading
06.28.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Davis, Bustos, LaHood, Bost Urge Air National Guard To Assign Flying Mission To 183d Wing In Springfield
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Darin LaHood (R-IL-18), and Mike Bost (R-IL-12), today sent a letter to the National Guard urging for a flying mission for the 183d Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard in Springfield. In their letter, the members stated that transitioning the 183d back to flying status could be a key component towards reaching the Air Force's goals of incr… Continue Reading
06.27.19
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of NDAA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included a Durbin amendment to speed up the long process that the U.S. Department of Defense has for developing and fielding new weapons systems, as well as proposals to extend lease authorities at Arsenal's, and a streamlining of the honorary… Continue Reading
06.27.19
Durbin Warns Against Another Reckless War In The Middle East
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today warned the Trump Administration against another reckless war in the Middle East. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that the U.S. Constitution is clear that the power to declare war is an explicit power of the Congress. Durbin is a cosponsor of a bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which would prohibit … Continue Reading
06.25.19
Durbin Meets With Officials From Springfield & Sangamon County in Washington
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with officials from Springfield, Illinois, and Sangamon County to discuss local priorities including the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Wing and transportation and infrastructure improvements. Durbin discussed progress on the Springfield Rail Improvement Program (SRIP) and various road and highway improvement projects the city is hoping to get federal support for. "Springfield is my hometown, and it's always great to welcome Mayor La… Continue Reading
06.10.19
Durbin, Cohen: Congress Must Close Loophole That Encourages For-Profit Colleges To Target Veterans & Service Members
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) today introduced bicameral legislation that would help put an end to the for-profit college industry's aggressive recruiting of veterans, service members, and their families. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities from receiving more than 85 percent of their revenue from the federal government and change the calculation of federal revenue t… Continue Reading
05.03.19
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support Wounded Warriors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced a bill to help wounded warriors by expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act would support colleges and universities seeking to establish or expand degree programs to train orthotics and prosthetics specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer serious injuries should expect nothing less than the highest standard of care whe… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin Votes To Override President Trump's Veto Of The Bipartisan Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In March, the resolution passed the Senate by a vote of 54-46, and on April 4, it passed the House by a vote of 247-175, but today it did not garner enough votes in the Senate to override the President's veto. "Not only was this war never authorized as required b… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin, Murphy, Cartwright Introduce Bills To Support Wounded Warriors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), today introduced two bicameral bills to support wounded warriors by improving orthotics and prosthetics care, and expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The bills would enhance research in best practices and support colleges and universities seeking to establish degree programs to train specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer ser… Continue Reading
04.09.19
Durbin, Reed Press Trump Administration On Use Of OCO/GWOT Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today pressed acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on the Trump Administration's increasing use of overseas contingency operations/global war on terrorism (OCO/GWOT) funding for matters that have nothing to do with military deployments abroad. As a member of Congress, Mulvany professed concern a… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Durbin: President Trump Is Building His Wall At The Expense Of The Military
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned Mark Esper, Secretary of the U.S. Army, and General Mark Milley, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, about President Trump's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget request. In today's hearing, Durbin pressed the Defense Department about President Donald Trump's efforts to divert defense funds to the border wall so that he can fulfill a campaign promise. On Monday, Congress… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Durbin Questions Trump Administration's Commitment to Air Safety
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development hearing, questioned Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao about the Trump Administration's commitment to air safety, asking why President Donald Trump waited 14 months to nominate a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator. In the wake of two deadly plane crashes, and heightened attention surrounding FAA's safety measures a… Continue Reading
03.26.19
Durbin And Hassan Introduce Comprehensive Legislation To Protect Students And Taxpayers From Predatory Higher Education Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today introduced the Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students Act of 2019, also known as the PROTECT Students Act. The bill will help safeguard students, including servicemembers and veterans, and taxpayers from predatory and anti-student higher education practices and ensure that higher education meets the needs of hard-working students. As the Senate HELP Committee wo… Continue Reading
03.26.19
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Illinois Auditor General Report: Cover-Up And Delay Endangered Vets And Staff At IVH Quincy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after a report from Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino was released detailing serious lapses in the State's handling of the Legionnaires' outbreaks at Illinois Veterans' Home (IVH) Quincy from 2015 to 2018: "The Auditor General's report on Legionnaires' disease at IVH Quincy found: 'cover-up and delay that endangered our Veterans and staff.'" The Senators went on to say: "When mi… Continue Reading
03.26.19
Senators Press Defense Department For Answers Following Transfer of $1 Billion In Military Personnel Funding To Pay For President Trump's Wall
WASHINGTON - Following notification from the Department of Defense that it transferred $1 billion in military personnel funding to the Drug Interdiction and Counter-narcotics Activities account to be used to build part of President Donald Trump's wall on the Southwest border, even though it was not approved by Congress, every Democratic member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Ag… Continue Reading
03.21.19
Durbin On Marine Corps Memo: President Trump Is Endangering Our Troops To Build His Wall
PEORIA - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the Los Angeles Times published a memo from the Marine Corps regarding the danger being created by diverting excess Department of Defense funding to President Trump's border wall rather than Marine Corps priorities, such as repairs at Camp Lejeune and training. Last week, the Senate voted to reject President Trump's emergency declaration… Continue Reading
03.19.19
Durbin, Leahy, Schatz Statement On DOD List Of Military Projects On The Chopping Block For President Trump's Wall
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Defense sent Congress a list of military construction projects that could be delayed in order to pay for Presiden… Continue Reading
03.14.19
Durbin Votes For Bipartisan Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted for the bipartisan joint war powers resolution, of which he is a cosponsor, to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The resolution passed the Senate 54-46. It will go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before heading to the White House. The White House had issued a veto threat ahead of today's Senate vote. "Not only was this war never authorized by the elected representativ… Continue Reading
03.13.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, McMorris Rodgers Introduce Bicameral Bill To Support Military Families By Fixing Inconsistency In GI Bill Benefit
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05), today introduced bicameral legislation - the GI Education Benefits Fairness Act - that would support military families by extending Post-911 GI Bill education benefits to foster children and legal wards. "The Post-9/11 GI Bill gives service members the ability to transfer some or all of their unused benefits to family members, but… Continue Reading