Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Military and Veterans
Durbin Meets With Secretary Shinseki, Calls For Public Report On Illinois VA Facilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following a meeting today with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to discuss recent reports that facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - including Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital - used secret lists to conceal the amount of time veterans waited for healthcare, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called for a complete review of VA medical facilities, in Illinois and across the country. A photo of today's meeting is available here. "Today, I … Continue Reading
May 02, 2014
Durbin, Shock, Davis, Simon Celebrate Opening of Renovated 183rd Fighter Wing
[SPRINGFIELD] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representatives Aaron Schock (R-IL-18) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon today attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated 183rd Fighter Wing. Durbin is the chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees discretionary spending for our nation's military, including bases. "From defense exercises in South Korea to disaster response needs at home, the 183rd Fighter … Continue Reading
April 30, 2014
Durbin Commends Rock Island Arsenal Workforce While Chairing Hearing On U.S. Army
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Defense, today highlighted the accomplishments of the Rock Island Arsenal civilian workforce during a hearing reviewing the budget of the United States Army. "I see the value of our civilian workforce every day in Illinois at the Rock Island Arsenal," Durbin said. "When the private sector couldn't provide our troops with what they needed for the fight in Iraq, the civilian workers at Rock Island … Continue Reading
April 15, 2014
Durbin, Kirk, Simon Join Secretary of the Air Force at Scott Air Force Base
[SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon today joined newly confirmed Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James in a visit to Scott Air Force Base. Durbin is the chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees discretionary spending for our nation's military, including bases. "Scott Air Force Base is a crucial part of the region's economy and our nation's defense. Every time I … Continue Reading
March 21, 2014
Gen. Mark Welsh Visits Scott Air Force Base
[SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE] - U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh today visited Scott Air Force Base with members of Illinois' Congressional Delegation to discuss Scott's importance to our nation's military and meet with leaders of the surrounding community to hear about the strong local support for the base. Gen. Welsh agreed to visit Scott at the invitation of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees discretionary spending for our … Continue Reading
March 06, 2014
Durbin Announces Springfield's Tom Lamont Named to Commission on Military Monuments
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today congratulated Springfield native Tom Lamont, the former Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs within the Department of the Army, on his appointment to the American Battle Monuments Commission. The Commission is responsible for honoring American armed forces where they have served and for controlling the construction of military monuments and markers on foreign soil by others. "I had no doubt that when Tom Lamont retired as Assistant … Continue Reading
February 12, 2014
Durbin Introduces Bill to Support Military Families By Fixing Inconsistency in GI Bill Benefit Transfer Eligibility
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation that would support military families by extending Post-911 GI Bill education benefits to foster children and legal wards. The GI Education Benefits Fairness Act was introduced last year on a bipartisan basis in the House of Representations by U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). "The Post-9/11 GI Bill - the most comprehensive education benefits package for service … Continue Reading
February 07, 2014
Durbin Urges Expansion of VA Family Caregiver Program
[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Congress to expand the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Family Caregiver program which he created. Next week the Senate will consider a veterans bill which contains a provision extending eligibility for the program to caregivers of all veterans. Currently only the family members of those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan may participate. "I created the Family Caregiver Program in 2009 so that the caregivers of severely injured … Continue Reading
January 30, 2014
Durbin Applauds Effort to Better Track Military and Veterans Education Benefits
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced the launch of a new online complaint system designed to collect feedback from veterans, service members and their families who are experiencing problems with educational institutions that receive funding from federal military and veterans educational benefits programs. … Continue Reading
January 28, 2014
Durbin Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address
Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today following President Obama's State of the Union address: "Tonight the President gave an optimistic speech about opportunity for American families, an economy on the rise and leveled a call to action to ensure this is a year of progress for the middle class." "From programs to grow the economy and create jobs like the launching of new manufacturing institutes and infrastructure … Continue Reading
January 28, 2014
Durbin Meets with Illinois Servicemember Who Will Be His Guest for the State of the Union
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (HM3) Joseph Marcinkowski from Batavia, Illinois who will be his guest for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address later this evening. Durbin has invited Illinois servicemembers who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as his guests to the State of the Union since 2005 when he hosted Army Major Tammy Duckworth. HM3 Marcinkowski will also attend the Secretary of the Senate's … Continue Reading
January 17, 2014
Durbin, Bustos: Omnibus Appropriations Bill Helps Ensure Strong Future for Thompson Prison, Rock Island Arsenal
[ROCK ISLAND] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today said that the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which both houses of Congress passed this week on bipartisan votes and now heads to President Obama's desk, contains funding to activate Thomson Correctional Center and secure a strong future for the Rock Island Arsenal. Durbin and Bustos also announced they have written federal Bureau of Prisons Director Charles Samuels requesting the agency … Continue Reading
January 13, 2014
Durbin, Bustos: Omnibus Appropriations Bill Improves Rock Island Arsenal Competativeness, Ensures Steady Workload in Future
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) today announced that the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, which was filed in the House and Senate earlier today includes two provisions that will help solidify the future of Rock Island Arsenal. The bill, which reflects a budget agreement between the House and Senate, must now be voted on by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by President Obama. "As a result of the … Continue Reading
November 06, 2013
Durbin, Harkin, Cohen: Congress Should End Loophole That Encourages For-Profit Colleges To Target Veterans & Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP), today introduced legislation in the Senate that would help put an end to the for-profit industry's predatory marketing campaigns and aggressive recruiting of veterans, servicemembers and their families. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act, which U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) will introduce in the … Continue Reading
October 30, 2013
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Advances Durbin-Sponsored Legislation to Expan Student Loan and Housing Assistance for Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A hearing today of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee made legislative advances on three bills to provide additional assistance to servicemembers and military families sponsored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL): the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act, the Servicemember Housing Protection Act, and the Benefits Fairness for Filipino Veterans Act. The bills must receive a vote by the full Committee before proceeding to a vote on the Senate floor. "Our … Continue Reading
August 30, 2013
Durbin Marks 2-Year Anniversary of Veteran Caregiver Program by Meeting with Participating Families
[HINES, IL] - In recognition of the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Family Caregiver Program, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the Hines VA Hospital today to meet with veterans and their family caregivers and hear how their lives have changed as a result of the program. The Family Caregiver Program provides technical, financial and practical support to family caregivers of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seriously injured in the line of duty. It was … Continue Reading
August 29, 2013
Durbin Awards Four Medals to Highland Park World War II Veteran
[HIGHLAND PARK] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today presented Dr. Irving Distelheim, a veteran and retired physician, with four medals he earned during his service in France during World War II. Staff in the Senator's Chicago office worked with Dr. Distelheim and the Army to obtain the medals earlier this year. "Dr. Irving Distelheim is a true American hero, and it gives me great honor to recognize him with these decorations," Durbin said. "Today I presented him with four medals … Continue Reading
August 02, 2013
Durbin and Kirk: Defense Appropriations Bill Will Help Ensure Rock Island Arsenal's Long-Term Strength
[ROCK ISLAND, IL] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) said today that the Department of Defense appropriations bill which passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday will give the Rock Island Arsenal the support it needs to remain strong while transitioning into peacetime operations. The legislation, the first which Durbin has passed through the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee since being named chairman earlier this year, contains several provisions to ensure … Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Durbin, Reed, Udall Call on Defense Department to Protect Servicemembers by Plugging Payday Loan Loophole
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In an effort to protect soldiers and their families from abusive financial practices, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-CT), Mark Udall (D-CO) joined with twenty of their colleagues today in calling on Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Chuck Hagel to close a loophole that allows lenders to restructure their traditional loans to avoid a DOD rule limiting the amount of interest on consumer credit products sold to servicemembers. The Military Lending Act … Continue Reading
July 30, 2013
Durbin, Duckworth: Change Needed to Help Servicemembers with Student Loan Assistance Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With average student loan debt for active-duty servicemembers at more than $25,000, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill that would fix a provision in the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) - created in 1940 - that unintentionally discourages servicemembers from consolidating or refinancing pre-service student loans. For servicemembers with Perkins or Federal Family Education Loans, consolidation of … Continue Reading