Durbin Visits Head Start Center to Discuss Federal Funding for Early Childhood Learning and Development

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center in Englewood to discuss federal funding he secured for Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Illinois, which provide free, high-quality child care for children from low-income families ages birth to five and wrap around services for these children and their families. The Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center is part of Brightpoint, a nonprofit organization that serve… Continue Reading

Durbin, Budzinski, Secretary Buttigieg Visit Metrolink Rail Facility to Highlight $196 Million In Federal Funding From FTA's Rail Vehicle Replacement Program

EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg today visited one of MetroLink’s rail facilities, the transit system serving St. Louis and Metro East, to highlight the $196 million in federal funding they recently received through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Rail Vehicle Replacement (RVR) Program to replace up to 48 of the system’s agi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bush, Budzinski Applaud More Than $28 Million From Emergency Relief Fund for MetroLink

EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Cori Bush (D-MO-01) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13),  today joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to announce $28 million in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) federal funding for MetroLink, the transit system servicing St. Louis and the Metro-East.  The federal funding, supplied through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) eme… Continue Reading

Durbin, Budzinski, Secretary Buttigieg Announce $22.6 Million for Village of Savoy's Curtis Road Grade Separation And Complete Streets Project

SAVOY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today joined local officials to announce that the Village of Savoy will receive more than $22.6 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for the Curtis Road Grade Separation and Complete Streets Project. … Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills with Illinois Priorities Secured by Durbin, Duckworth

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced four Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills last week for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Homeland Security; and Defense.  Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these appropriations… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Trump Indictment By the Justice Department in January 6 Case

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump by the Department of Justice for his alleged efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and foment the ensuing insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021: “No man, not even a former President, is above the law.  The anger and resentment Donald Trump stoked … Continue Reading

Senate Passes Durbin, Shaheen, Boozman, Coons, Cassidy Bipartisan Bill To Increase U.S. Exports To Africa And Latin America In NDAA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Boozman (R-AR), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today applauded last night's Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to improve America's competiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. Included in the Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization… Continue Reading

Durbin, Delauro Urge FDA Commissioner Califf To Provide An Update On Food Safety Reforms

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf requesting an update on its plans to reorganize the Human Foods Program and the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), which was announced on June 27, 2023. According to the announcement, the new Deputy Commissioner forHuman Foods will have authority over "all budget and resource allocations for the [Human Foods… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Applaud Senate Passage Of Legislation To Reauthorize Missing Children’s Assistance Act

WASHINGTON - This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. The bill renews funding for the Missing Children's Assistance Act (MCAA) through Fiscal Year 2028 and updates the statute concerning the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). As the bill's sponsors, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Sena… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Brown Urge Auto Companies To Include All Battery Plant Workers In National UAW Contract

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 25 of their Senate Democratic colleagues, called on the big three auto companies-General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company-to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair outcome that folds in workers at all joint venture electric vehicle battery facilities into the national UAW contract. They also underlined that the idling of the Belvidere Assem… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of NDAA

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes an authorization of more than $886 billion for national defense: "Today, the Senate passed the NDAA as a strong, bipartisan show of support for our national defense and for the commitment of our men and women in uniform. I'm ple… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Applaud Senate Passage Of Three Bills Supporting Law Enforcement And Public Safety

WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed three Senate Judiciary Committee bills to support law enforcement and public safety. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on their passage: "Our law enforcement officers are faced with physical, emotional, and mental challenges each day as they work to protect ou… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Urge Department Of Education To Address Student Loan Debt Barriers For Incarcerated Individuals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, alongside U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to take steps to provide assistance to incarcerated individuals burdened by student loan debt. Incarcerated borrowers face extraordinary barriers to managing and repaying student loans, … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Over $1 Million To Address Lead In Drinking Water At Illinois Schools And Child Care Facilities

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $1,192,000 to address lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which Duckworth authored, included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. "As a nation, we bear the responsibility of nurturing and protecting our youngest citizens," said Durbin."… Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin, Duckworth

JOLIET – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced three Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills this week for Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.  Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these appro… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse Statement On Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Supreme Court Ethics Reform Bill To Full Senate

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 to the full Senate. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, released the following statement on the vote: "Public support of the Supreme Court is at an all-time low fol… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement Ahead Of Supreme Court Ethics Reform Vote

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement ahead of an expected vote to advance Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI) Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act to the full Senate. The bill would require Supreme Court Justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws, improve disclosure and transparency when a… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Trends In Vertical Merger Enforcement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights hearing entitled, "Trends in Vertical Merger Enforcement." Durbin began by asking Mr. Makan Delrahim, Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP and Former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice, about clarifying or correcting court precedent i… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions SEC Chair On Crypto At An Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget, questioned U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler about the risks of cryptocurrency. In 2022 alone, fraud schemes involving cryptocurrencies totaled more than $9 billion. One in five Americans is estimated to have invested in or traded cryptocurrency. "This is an indus… Continue Reading

Durbin, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Retain International Graduates With Advanced Stem Degrees

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would streamline the path for advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) international graduates who studied at our nation's universities to remain in the United States. Today, nearly two-thirds of U.S. graduate students in key fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor-related programs were born abroad. "America sh… Continue Reading