Dick Durbin

Half of Chicago Homicides Linked to Gangs

August 11, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today applauded the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s decision to include Chicago - where half of all homicides are gang-related - in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, a move that the Senators requested in April. Through this initiative, $2 million will be made available for Chicago area law enforcement agencies to assist in developing plans to combat gang violence and implementing anti-gang strategies using three components of prevention, enforcement, and prisoner reentry.    » read more »

August 4, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that a number of the largest American internet companies, human rights organizations and other stakeholders have reached agreement on a voluntary code of conduct that would govern internet companies operating in countries where internet freedom is restricted, like China. The participants are now reviewing the agreement for final approval.    » read more »

August 4, 2008 -- HAZEL CREST, IL – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with local small business owners and realtors to discuss breakthrough legislation he authored with support from business and labor groups, designed to make insurance more available and affordable for the 1.8 million employees of Illinois' 250,000 small businesses and for half a million people who are self-employed in Illinois.

The bi-partisan legislation was introduced in partnership with Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). Nationwide, there are 47.1 million employees in 5.8 million small businesses and 14.1 million self-employed individuals.    » read more »

June 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) joined members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today in sending a letter to the President in support of Governor Rod Blagojevich's request for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for the 21 Illinois counties affected by severe flooding.

Illinois flooding, June 2008: Photo by Jim Simonson (CC)    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Jim Nussle, asking his support for the inclusion of emergency funds in the 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill to ensure critical relief is provided to the areas affected by the recent storms and subsequent flooding of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued the following statement after reviewing a report issued by the Veterans Affairs Office of Resolution Management (ORM) which assessed the work environment at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Illinois.

“This new report from the VA confirms many of our suspicions about the problem that existed at the Marion VA Medical Center. The report paints a disturbing picture -- a management culture that compounded problems at the facility; management at the regional level that did not serve as a quality check on the Marion facility; and no way for employees to complain or make meaningful suggestions about problems when they arose.”    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today, after hearing the testimony of Walter Lukken, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC), before a joint hearing of Durbin’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“Increasing evidence shows that the run-up in crude oil prices and gasoline is being driven by larger trader banks, pension and hedge funds. Speculation may have as much, if not more, to do with high gas prices than any Saudi Sheik."    » read more »