News on Dick Durbin

Key dispute resolved in budget talks: Sen. Durbin

2011-04-08T18:30:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Richard Durbin said on Friday that a dispute over federal funding for family planning agencies has been resolved in the ongoing U.S. budget negotiations.

Durbin also urged Reuters) - Senate Democratic senators on Thursday said they were discussing putting forward a temporary government funding bill that also could pay for military activities through September 30.

But the measure likely would not have the $12 billion in additional spending cuts that the House...

Parties at odds over deal to avert government shutdown

2011-04-03T10:00:07Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers clashed on Sunday over where to slash spending to avoid a potential government shutdown next week while a bigger political battle loomed over next year's budget.

Republicans and Democrats have tentatively agreed to $33 billion in spending cuts for the rest of this year, which would be the largest domestic spending reduction in U.S. history, but l...

Richard Durbin

2010-11-30T13:55:23Z

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Politics should stop at the waters edge! Foreign Diplomacy and The Long War

2010-11-29T15:43:14Z

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POLITICAL INSIDER: Durbin wants ad backers probed

2010-10-13T00:30:18Z

POLITICAL INSIDER: Durbin asks IRS to investigate outside groups' tax status

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat is asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate spending by groups like Crossroads GPS, a third-party group backed by Republican operative ...

Aide says growth removed from Durbin not cancerous

2010-08-24T10:00:16Z

Aide: Growth removed from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin not cancerous

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin doesn't have cancer.

Joe Shoemaker, a spokesman for the Illinois senator, said Tuesday that a growth Durbin had removed from his stomach earlier this month was benign. Doctors had found no traces of cancer before Durbin's surgery but the type of tumor he...

Sen. Durbin of Ill. has stomach tumor removed

2010-08-12T10:16:31Z

Aides say no cancer found in tumor removed from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Ill.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois has had a stomach tumor removed and is recovering at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dur...

Senator seeks credit card fee plan in bank bill

2010-06-26T03:49:34Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Wednesday he will push to amend a massive Wall Street reform bill with a measure addressing credit card fees affecting retailers.

So-called "interchange" fees are charged to supermarkets, convenience stores and other merchants by firms such as...

Senior Senate Democrats named to deficit panel

2010-06-25T19:49:03Z

Conrad, Baucus and Durbin named to Obama's deficit panel

Three senior Senate Democrats have been named to a bipartisan panel established by President Barack Obama to find a plan to wrestle the budget deficit under control.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has named Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad...

Top US Senator: Health overhaul still critical

2010-06-25T18:45:57Z

The US Congress has not placed President Barack Obama's health care overhaul on the back burner in order to address election-year voter anger at the sour economy, a top lawmaker said Monday.

"We have more than one front burner," Democrat Dick Durbin, assistant Senate majority leader, told reporters. "And we understan...

No clear Obama pledge on stalled trade pacts: lawmaker

2010-06-25T19:23:51Z

President Barack Obama made no commitments to move forward on stalled free trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea during private talks with lawmakers this week, a top ally said Thursday.

"In terms of specific trade agreements, there was no discussion," the number two Democ...

US Senate gears up for key health vote

2010-06-25T19:40:30Z

President Barack Obama's health reform faces a landmark first test in the US Senate Saturday as Democratic leaders strive to lock down support for a vote that would allow them to launch a formal floor debate on the proposal.

Adding to their confidence, a wavering Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of President Barack Obama's health reform faces a landmark first test in the US Senate Saturday as Democratic leaders strive to lock down support for a vote that would allow them to launch a formal floor debate on the proposal.

Adding to their confidence, a wavering Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of the US Senate strove to lock down support to prevail in a landmark first test vote of President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, remaking the US health care system.

Adding to their confidence, a wavering Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, said he woul...

Guests for the Sunday TV news shows

2010-04-16T08:58:57Z

Guests for the Sunday TV news shows

Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:

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ABC's "This Week" — Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb.; Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Debbie Wasserman Schu...

Obama's Senate allies eye key health care victory

2010-06-25T19:40:47Z

President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in the Senate strove to lock down support to prevail in a landmark first test vote on his top domestic priority, remaking the US health care system.

Adding to their confidence, a wavering Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, said he would vote with his party on Saturday while warn...

Senate Dems moving ahead on crucial health vote

2010-06-25T19:41:34Z

Moderate Democrat commits on crucial health care vote as Senate Democrats move forward

With no margin for rebellion, Senate Democrats pushed toward a crucial weekend test vote on their sweeping health care bill Friday, and wavering moderates appeared to be falling in line on President Barack Obama's signature issue.

One of three uncommitted centrists, Sen....

US Senate to unveil health care bill

2010-04-16T09:02:57Z

The US Senate could hold a key test vote as early as this weekend on a sweeping bill to remake health care, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, a senior Democratic aide said Wednesday.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was expected to unveil the legislation later on Wednesday and set the stage for a ...

Obama foes lash out at 9/11 trial plans

2010-04-16T09:08:12Z

Prominent Republicans on Sunday lashed out at the administration's decision to try five alleged plotters of the 9/11 attacks in a New York civilian court, saying it would harm efforts to fight terrorism.

While President Barack Obama's team defended the move, his political foes said the men, including allege...

ON THE PROWL

2010-10-22T11:11:55Z

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Capitol Hill Offers Muted Reaction to Burris Transcript

2010-10-24T09:56:11Z

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UPDATE 2-US Senate rejects easing mortgages in bankruptcy

2010-10-21T09:58:24Z

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Capitol Hill goes gaga over Brad Pitt

2010-06-26T01:52:30Z

Pitt patter changes business as usual on Capitol Hill as the star meets lawmakers, wows aides

First of all, no, Brad Pitt is not short. Yes, he's handsome enough to stand out in any crowd. And, sorry, Angie wasn't with him.

From the moment he stepped into the Capitol on Thursday, sunglassed and goateed, Pitt's star power transformed congressional busines...

Burris rejects call for his resignation

2010-06-25T23:53:54Z

Burris says he's staying in Senate, rejects top Democrat's suggestion that he resign

Roland Burris is finding the Senate a lonely place.

As senators walked two-by-two from the Senate chamber to the House on Tuesday night for President Barack Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress, Burris stood out — he walked alone.

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Fight building over judges redoing mortgages

2010-06-26T01:00:03Z

Turning to bankruptcy judges to stem foreclosures faces stiff resistance from lenders

Most congressional Democrats say the quickest way to save homeowners like Troy Butler of Saginaw, Mich., is to let them declare bankruptcy and allow judges to dictate new mortgage terms....

No. 2 Senate Democrat hopes deal near on Burris

2010-06-25T18:26:03Z

No. 2 Senate Democrat hopes deal is near on seating Burris as Obama's successor

The Senate's second-in-command, Sen. Dick Durbin, said Sunday that he is moving away from resisting former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's successor and hopes a resolution to the...

Citigroup backs Congress plan on home loans: lawmakers

2010-12-14T07:36:49Z

Congressional leaders said Thursday they have reached agreement with Citigroup on legislation to provide relief to cash-strapped homeowners at risk of losing their homes.

Lawmakers want to include the legislation, which would allow bankruptcy judges to alter home loans to prevent foreclosures, in US president-elect US Senate Democrats Wednesday unveiled an agenda topped by economy, health and the environment for the new Congress, set to tackle the worst economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression.

"First of all, it is very important to know that we have to talk about the economy and let the American people know that we know how very serious it is, and we will do s...

Ill. lawmakers hope to set vote on Obama successor

2010-06-25T23:41:37Z

Illinois lawmakers planning session to prevent embattled governor from picking Obama successor

Top Illinois lawmakers said Tuesday that they are preparing to call the Legislature into session as early as next week to set a special election, hoping to avert the possibility of their embattled governor picking the state's next U.S. senator.

House Senate Appropriations Panel Refuses to Fund $4.8M in Cheney's Budget Request

Senate Democrats moved Tuesday to cut off funding for Vice President Dick Cheney's office in a continuing battle over whether he must comply with national security disclosure rules.

A Senate appropriations panel chaired by Bush Hopes to Revive Immigration Bill by Emphasizing Border Security, Say Officials

President Bush is not giving up on his plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants and will seek to convince skeptical GOP senators that it secures the nation's borders, administration officials said Sunday.

But the Senate's No. 2 Democrat...

Legislating Integrity

2010-10-15T10:52:05Z

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Immigration Students

2010-12-18T20:01:43Z

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a news conference about the DREAM Act during an unusual Saturday session on Capitol Hill in Washington Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. Senate Republicans on Saturday doomed an effort that would have given hundreds of thousands of young illeg...

Tax Cuts

2010-12-16T15:00:54Z

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., walks through the Rotunda to the House side on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Deficit Commission

2010-12-03T11:17:04Z

Debt Commission member Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and fellow members, from left, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Alice Rivlin, and co-chairs, Erskine Bowles and

Obama

2010-10-30T18:30:27Z

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill, addresses the crowd during a Moving America Forward rally for Democratic candidates Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Gays Military

2010-09-23T15:15:43Z

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010, on the upcoming vote on the Defense Authorization bill. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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