WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Amid Trump's Trade War, Durbin Meets With Illinois Pork Producers Association April 09, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association to discuss federal issues that affect the Illinois hog industry. Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in pork pro  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release: * * * Baldwin Leads Senators Demanding Answers from Trump Admin on Cuts to Partnership that Boosts American Manufacturing WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) are demanding answers from the Trump Administration on its decision to take away funding that has long helped boost domestic manufacturing and created thousands of jobs. The Manufacturing Extension Partne  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Duckworth Joins Durbin, Midwest Colleagues to Demand Answers on Closure of Chicago Head Start Office April 09, 2025 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) today in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary   more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Expressing Concern over Recent Firings at NSA, Call Out Trump Administration for Weakening Our National Security April 08, 2025 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)--a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Foreign Relations (SFRC) Committees--and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Hearing On Importance Of Freedom Of Information Act April 08, 2025 During his remarks, Durbin criticized unelected billionaire Elon Musk's refusal to comply with FOIA despite his efforts to gut federal agencies with little transparency in the process WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of th  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Hearing On Importance Of Freedom Of Information Act During his remarks, Durbin criticized unelected billionaire Elon Musk's refusal to comply with FOIA despite his efforts to gut federal agencies with little transparency in the process WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democr  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republicans Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research April 08, 2025 Durbin: I am pleading with my Republican colleagues: may your choices reflect your hope for new cures and treatments for patients, not your fears about what will happen if you cross Donald Trump WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) tod  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Leads Colleagues In Demanding Answers About Closure Of Head Start Office In Chicago April 09, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tina Smith (D-MN) in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Rober  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Pushes DHS Secretary Noem, FBI Director Patel To Reverse Course On Cuts To Domestic Terrorism PPRevention Efforts April 08, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to reverse course   more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Durbin Pushes DHS Secretary Noem, FBI Director Patel To Reverse Course On Cuts To Domestic Terrorism Prevention Efforts WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Federal Bureau of Investig  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Importance Of Transparency In Government Durbin questioned witnesses about the impact of firing federal workers who were tasked with responding to FOIA requests WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judic  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciay Committee Hearing On Importance Of Transparency In Government April 08, 2025 Durbin questioned witnesses about the impact of firing federal workers who were tasked with responding to FOIA requests WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Statement On President Trump's Tariff Pause April 09, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Trump announced he was temporarily dropping tariffs to 10 percent for 90 days. The President's chaos has caused the markets to plummet in the last few days. In the week after President Trump's tariff announcement,   more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Answers, Return Of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador April 08, 2025 "When the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citiz  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Answers, Return Of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and 22 Senators in wr  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Protect Employees When Businesses File For Bankruptcy April 09, 2025 The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act would ensure rank-and-file employees retain more of their earned wages, benefits, and retirement savings when their employer files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Protect Employees When Businesses File For Bankruptcy The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act would ensure rank-and-file employees retain more of their earned wages, benefits, and retirement savings when their employer files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy WASHIN  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Padilla Raskin, Jayapal Statement On SCOTUS Alien Enemies Act Ruling WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee; and U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08),  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Padilla, Raskin, Jayapal Statement On SCOTUS Alien Enemies Act Ruling April 08, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee; and U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judi  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin: If The Trump Tariff Tax Continues Unabated, It's Going To Destroy This Economy April 09, 2025 In speech on the Senate floor, Durbin slams Trump Administration for implementing damaging trade policy that harms Americans WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor about the Trump Administration's thoughtless and hazardous a  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin: The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Should Be Resumed And The Hostage Returned Immediately April 09, 2025 Durbin continues to speak for progress toward a second ceasefire phase and to address the significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza on the Senate floor WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor on the importance of ending the war in Gaza an  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 8, 2025: * * * Administrator Zeldin Releases Statement on POTUS' New Energy-Related EO Signed Today EPA has Already Begun Helping to Reinvigorate America's Clean Coal Industry to Help Power the Great American Comeback WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin released a statement today on the heels of President Trump's latest Executive Order, "Reinvigo  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration has released the following public communication dated March 19, 2025, from Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP on behalf of Long Grove Pharmaceuticals LLC, Rosemont, Illinois: * * * Re: Docket No. FDA-2015-N-3469, "Bulk Drug Substances That Can Be Used To Compound Drug Products in Accordance With Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; Establishment of a Public Docket" * * * We are writ  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 10 -- The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the following news on April 9, 2025: * * * IDPH Rolls Out New Measles Simulator Dashboard to Empower School Officials to Protect Students and Staff from Outbreaks New Measles Dashboard Makes it Easier for General Public to Look up Vaccination Rates School-by-school Throughout Illinois SPRINGFIELD - With cases of measles being reported in more than 20 jurisdictions around the United States, the Illinois Departm  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 10 -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Illinois EPA Provides Over $1.2 Million in Funding to the Village of Buda to Replace Lead Service Lines SPRINGFIELD --Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings announced the award of $1,240,882 in funding to the Village of Buda (Bureau County) to replace lead service lines within the community. The funding is thr  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 10 -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 9, 2025: * * * Illinois EPA Provides Over $2.3 Million in Funding to the Village of Forest Park to Replace Lead Service Lines SPRINGFIELD --Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings announced the award of $2,309,465 in funding to the Village of Forest Park (Cook County) to replace lead service lines within the community. The fu  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * In Meeting with Chicago Head Start Provider, Duckworth Underscores How Trump and Elon Musk are Exploding Costs for Illinois Children and Families April 09, 2025 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with leadership from Chicago Commons Association, Chicago's second-largest Early Head Start and Head Start provider to discuss how recent cuts to the Department of Healt  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12541) on April 8, 2025, by American national government analyst Barry J. McMillion. Here are excerpts: * * * Recommendation for New U.S. Circuit and District Court Judgeships by the Judicial Conference of the United States (119th Congress) Congress determines through legislative action both the size and structure of the federal judiciary, including the number of U.S. circuit and distric  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The U.S. Senate conducted 10 committee hearings on April 8, 2025: * * * NOMINATIONS Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Stephen Vaden, of Tennessee, to be Deputy Secretary, was introduced by Senators Blackburn and Hagerty, and Tyler Clarkson, of Virginia, to be General Counsel, both of the Department of Agriculture, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. * * *   more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the following public communication dated March 17, 2025, from Growmark Inc., Bloomington, Illinois: * * * To: William Hohenstein, Director Office of Energy and Environmental Policy U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 RE: Docket No. USDA-2024-0003-0262; Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks * * * Dear Director Hohenstein: GROWMARK   more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the following public communication dated March 18, 2025, from Illinois Corn Growers Association, Bloomington: * * * To: William Hohenstein, Director U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Energy and Environmental Policy 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250 Re: Docket No: USDA-2024-0003, FRN:2025-00975, CFR: 7 CFR Part 2100- Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstoc  more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the following public communication dated March 10, 2025, from Illinois Farm Bureau, Bloomington: * * * To: Mr. William Hohenstein Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Policy 1400 Independence Avenue Washington, DC 20250 RE: Docket No. USDA-2024-0003-0262; Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agricultural Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks * * * Dear Mr. Hohenstein, Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) appreciates the o  more

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the following public communication on March 20, 2025, from Verdova Inc.: * * * Comments on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks Docket No. USDA-2024-0003 * * * Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstock. We represent Verdova, Inc., a grower-focused agricultural data company that was founded   more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Warner, Kaine, & Colleagues Question HHS Secretary RFK Jr. on Decision to Fire Workers Tasked with Protecting Coal Miner Health and Safety WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushing back on his decision to gut the National Institute of Occupat  more