WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Budzinski Bill to Improve VA Training for MST Claims Passes Committee WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs passed out of markup the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Act (H.R. 2201), a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Young Kim (CA-40), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06). Acco  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Chairman Bost Kicks Off First Markup of 119th Congress on GOP Agenda for Veterans and their Families Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the full committee's first markup of the 119th Congress on 18 bills, 14 of which are led by House   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Chairman Comer Announces Sanctuary Governors Will Testify on June 12 WASHINGTON--House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today announced that the governors of Illinois, Minnesota, and New York will testify on June 12, 2025, at a hearing on their states' sanctuary policies that shield   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Committee Reports out Bill to Protect Veterans' Second Amendment Rights Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Chairman Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), and Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), released the following statements after the Committee reported out H  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson Statement on Appeals Court Decision Protecting TPS Holders Today's ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is more than a legal decision--it is a moral vindication for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, friends, and fellow Americans in all but paperwork. I stand with the families protected under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and I celebr  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Congresswoman Ramirez Reintroduces Bill to Strengthen Immigrants' Right to Legal Representation Washington, DC -- Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez announced the reintroduction of the Securing Help for Immigrants Through Education and Legal Development (SHIELD) Act to ensure that immigrants have access to high-quality legal representation during immigration court proceedings. Ramirez is co-leadin  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republican Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research As Trump Freezes Funding May 05, 2025 Durbin: President Trump has cancelled hundreds of NIH-supported grants and clinical trials, placed gag orders on experts, eliminated programs that attract young people to the field, and fired nearly two thousand NIH scientists and health pr  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Meets With Metropolitan Water Reclamation District May 05, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Kari K. Steele, President of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to discuss the design and construction of Thornton Reservoir, which was built to reduce chronic flooding in the Great Lakes region. In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Meets With The Illinois Hospital Association To Discuss Republican Plans To Cut Medicaid May 05, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois hospital leaders to discuss their concerns over Republicans' plan to cut Medicaid in the reconciliation package, to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Congressional Republicans have proposed $880 billion i  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Eliminating AmeriCorps Funding May 06, 2025 In his remarks, Durbin emphasized the impact of eliminating the funding for AmeriCorps programs that help provide health care, education for children, and support after natural disasters WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor admonishing the Trump  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Gutting Global Health Programs May 05, 2025 In his remarks, Durbin criticized the Trump Administration for gutting PEPFAR, a program that has helped save 26 million lives from AIDS WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, whi  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Urges AG Bondi, FBI Director Patel To Investigate Threats Against Federal Judges As They Continue To Receive Anonymous Deliveries As An Intimidation Tactic May 06, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter today to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel urging them to investi  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Durbin Urges AG Bondi, FBI Director Patel To Investigate Threats Against Federal Judges As They Continue To Receive Anonymous Deliveries As An Intimidation Tactic WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter today to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi   more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Quigley Statement on Retirement of Representative Jan Schakowsky Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement regarding the announcement that U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky will not seek re-election: "It has been a privilege to serve in the House of Representatives alongside Congresswoman Schakowsky for sixteen years. She has always been a relentless champion   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Ranking Member Lauren Underwood Presses DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Trump Administration's Failure to Follow the Law WASHINGTON - This afternoon, Representative Lauren Underwood, Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem about the Trump Administration's failure to follow t  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Rep. Mary Miller Calls on Illinois County Sheriffs to Defy Sanctuary Law WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) called on Illinois sheriffs to defy Governor J.B. Pritzker's state sanctuary laws, uphold President Trump's federal immigration policies, and cooperate with ICE to deport illegal aliens. Read the Fox News exclusive HERE. "Governor JB Pritzker's sanctuary  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, posted the following statement in the extensions of remarks section of the Congressional Record on May 5, 2025: * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise with my esteemed colleague from Illinois, Representative Darin LaHood, to honor the life and legacy of David "Dave" Gerlach, a dedicated educator, loving husband, father, and grandfather, on the occasion of his passing on March 26, 2025, at the age of 62. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1962, Dave   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. President refers to the presiding officer of the Senate at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. President, on a separate topic, as I reflect on my time in public service, I have been thinking about the issues that have meant the most during my career. There are a few that stand out, including my steadfast belief that the promise of medical research fu  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. President refers to the presiding officer of the Senate at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. President, I didn't agree with former President George W. Bush on a lot of things, but I have repeatedly given him credit for making the United States the world's leader in stemming the HIV-AIDS epidemic in some of the poorest parts of the world. That was 2  more