Prairie State Wire

[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) leaders and visited ones of its distribution sites, Chosen Bethel Family Ministries, in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

Attorney General Raoul Urges Fcc To Clarify Consent Rules For Telemarketing Robocalls And Texts

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 28 state attorneys general, filed comments calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify the federal rules requiring telemarketers to obtain consent between an individual consumer and one specific seller or business before making telemarketing robocalls and text messages.

Durbin Votes For Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Agreement To Avoid First Ever Default On Our Nation’s Debt No media found

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act—preventing the first-ever default on our national debt.

Durbin: Senate Must Quickly Pass Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Agreement To Avoid First Ever Default On Our Nation’s Debt

In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today urged his colleagues to perform their constitutional duties by quickly passing the Fiscal Responsibility Act and preventing a first-ever default on our national debt.

Gov. Pritzker Signs Fifth Balanced Budget

Building on four years of fiscally responsible leadership, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Fiscal Year 2024 budget into law today, delivering his fifth balanced budget while making transformative investments in early childhood, K-12 schools, higher education, workforce and economic development and efforts to fight violence and poverty.

Consumer Alert: Attorney General Raoul Urges Illinois Residents To Be Alert For Email And Text Message Scams

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today urged Illinois residents to be wary of scammers who use unsolicited email or text messages to trick consumers into sharing personal and financial information. Raoul encourages all consumers to stay aware of these unsolicited messages and to continue to report these incidents to his office.

Duckworth, Durbin, García, Ramirez Announce $8 Million for Rail Safety in Franklin Park

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4), and U.S. Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3) today announced $8 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program for Franklin Park, Illinois, to complete project development and final design for a grade separation of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) tracks through the Village while closing one or more at-grade crossings.

Duckworth, Durbin, Buszinski Announce $16 Million for Rail Safety in Decatur

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today announced $16 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program for Decatur, Illinois, to improve rail connectivity by supporting construction activities to upgrade 1.21 miles of Brush College Road.

Durbin Urges Military Leaders To Extend Recruitment Efforts To DACA Recipients

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today participated in a Subcommittee hearing entitled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserve.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Bipartisan Bill To Protect Children From Online Sexual Exploitation

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the REPORT Act, a bipartisan bill by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) that would strengthen the CyberTipline run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to report online child sexual exploitation, which received over 32 million reports last year.

Duckworth Underscores Her Efforts to Help Chicago Youth Experiencing Homelessness

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today visited Covenant House Illinois (CHIL), for which she secured $1 million through a Congressionally Directed Spending Request.

Attorney General Raoul Applauds Supreme Court Decision Preserving States’ Ability To Use False Claims Act In Medicaid Fraud Cases

Attorney General Kwame Raoul praised a unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court saying it affirmed a robust and fair reading of the False Claims Act (FCA).

Duckworth, Baldwin Reintroduce Bill to Ensure Real-Life Conditions Are Considered in Federal Aircraft Emergency Evacuation Standards

As the summer travel season ramps up and millions of Americans continue to board crowded flights, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today reintroduced the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does more to prioritize passenger safety by appropriately considering carry-on baggage, people with disabilities, seniors and children in its emergency evacuation standards.

Gov. Pritzker Visits Freeport and the Quad Cities to Highlight Transformative Education Investments in FY24 Budget

Governor JB Pritzker continued his state-wide tour amplifying investments in the FY24 budget with stops in Freeport and the Quad Cities. The events highlighted key investments in early childhood and higher education and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to fiscal responsibility.

Durbin Urges FDA To Address Shortage Of Life-Saving Drugs For Cancer Patients

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to use the Agency’s authority to immediately address the ongoing shortage of critical cancer drugs that are threatening the lives of patients nationwide.

Durbin: Putin’s Legacy Will Be A War Criminal And A Failed Leader Who Weakened Russia

Following Memorial Day, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor highlighting democratic nations’ commitment to defend peace and freedom as Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine continues.

Gov. Pritzker Visits Peoria and Quincy to Highlight FY24 Budget Investments in Poverty Prevention and Higher Education

Governor JB Pritzker continued his statewide budget amplification tour with stops to Peoria and Quincy. The FY24 budget is Illinois's fifth balanced budget under Governor Pritzker and is preceded by eight credit rating upgrades, a "rainy day" fund set to surpass $2 billion, the elimination of the bill backlog, and $1 trillion in GDP. The Governor was joined at the stops by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton and state and community leaders to highlight investments in poverty prevention, food security, and increased funding for higher education.

Duckworth Discusses National Guard Priorities with Bureau Chief General Hokanson

Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, met with General Dan Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to discuss the National Guard’s legislative priorities ahead of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

In Light of New Threats to Medication Abortion, Duckworth Joins Warren, Hirono and Smith in Expanding Investigation into Effects of State Abortion Bans

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tina Smith (D-MN) to expand their investigation on the effects of state abortion bans on women

Durbin: Not Paying Our Bills Will Result In A Loss Of Trust In The Stability In The United States