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Recent Legislative Accomplishments and Initiatives
- Secured language in the transportation appropriations bill to allow 24-hour pharmacies to have their name or logo posted on informational signs at interchanges on interstate highways, advising motorists that they can find pharmacy services nearby that are open to the public at all hours.
- Requested a GAO report of terrorism financing along with Senator Grassley, which resulted in a report that provided significant information on financing mechanisms used by terrorists to fund illegal activities and identified serious shortcomings in U.S. tracking and countering of these mechanisms.
- Helped lead an effort over three years with the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Federal Railroad Administration to address concerns about train whistles while improving rail-grade crossing safety, including more than $600,000 in funding for Illinois communities to implement and strengthen education and enforcement initiatives, culminatingin the announcement of an FRA rule in December 2003 that will allow communities in Illinois to continue to use quiet zones to preserve quality of life while maintaining education and enforcement initiatives to improve rail-grade crossing safety.
- Introduced legislation to establish the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois, the Senate companion to legislation introduced by Rep. Ray LaHood.
- Offered a successful amendment to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of the so-called “Senior Citizen Death Discount” – a cost-benefit analysis technique that lowered the value of saving senior citizens' lives compared to saving those of younger Americans when designing clean air and other public health protections.
- Proposed legislation to require that Sallie Mae provide student loan repayment data to all three major credit bureaus so that borrowers’ positive repayment records will be reflected in their credit ratings, leading Sallie Mae to voluntarily resume reporting this important information.
- Spoke up for Illinois’ small manufacturers by joining in seeking $106.6 million in funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to help combat the decline in U.S. manufacturing. Sadly, Republican leaders who wrote the omnibus appropriations conference report only provided $39.6 million for the program.
- Worked with Senator Murray to establish specific guidelines to integrate women’s programs into U.S. reconstruction activities in Afghanistan.
- Worked to clarify language in the FY2004 appropriations bills to ensure a continuation of the ban on U.S. governmental assistance for or promotion of tobacco.
- Secured adoption of language in the final statement of managers on the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to report on the status of department efforts to (1) promote interoperability between the computers and information technology systems of the department and those of other departments also involved in fighting terrorism and promoting homeland security, and (2) consolidate the government’s multiple overlapping and inconsistent terrorist watch lists.
- Secured Judiciary Committee adoption of an amendment to the asbestos bill to address the situation of employers such as John Crane, Inc., of Morton Grove, Illinois, to ensure that the payments into the asbestos victims’ trust fund that are based on historical lawsuit data focus on actual past outcomes and not disproportionately count lawsuits in which the company was found not to be liable.
- Wrote in support of a renewable energy grant application, subsequently funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, providing $438,000 to the Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative to help construct a 1.5 megawatt wind turbine in Pike County.
- Worked successfully to strengthen legislation subsequently passed by the Senate to curtail Internet sales of tobacco products that evade state tobacco taxes in order to offer cigarettes to children and adults at artificially low prices.
- Wrote in support of an Illinois grant application involving the Illinois State Geological Survey for the establishment of a carbon sequestration regional partnership, subsequently funded by the Department of Energy, which will serve as one of seven partnerships of state agencies, universities, and private companies that will form the core of a nationwide network to help determine the best approaches for capturing and permanently storing gases that can contribute to global climate change.
- Active member of the Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force.
- Recognizing the key role of women in international economic development, secured Senate approval of an amendment to legislation establishing the Millennium Challenge Account to create incentives for developing countries to invest in education and health care for women and girls and promote the integration of women into the national economies of those countries.
- Secured Senate approval of an amendment supporting investigations by the Inspectors General of the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department into the forged documents and flawed intelligence that led to the inclusion in the President’s State of the Union Address of a statement that gave the false impression that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa.
- Authored and secured passage of legislation to extend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission through 2010 (S. 858, P.L. 108-59)), which the President signed into law on July 14, 2003. The Commission, which Durbin co-chairs, was created to plan the bicentennial celebration of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth and other related activities.
- Secured $500,000 for an electric barrier to prevent Asian Carp, which can grow to over 100 pounds and 40 inches, from entering the Great Lakes via the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. Asian Carp present one of the most serious invasive species threats to the Great Lakes, the world's largest freshwater ecosystem. (FY 2003)
- Cosponsored successful legislation, "The Great Lakes Legacy Act," now enacted into law, that authorized $250 million over five years in grants to clean up areas in the Great Lakes contaminated with harmful sediments, such as PCBs. One of the areas of concern that will receive funding through this new program is in Waukegan, Illinois. (became public law 11/27/02)
- Publicly exposed and investigated a decision by Smithsonian officials to move an exhibit on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the main level of the National Museum of Natural History to the basement. This issue received national attention and resulted in a request from the Senate Rules Committee for the Smithsonian to have more clear policies regarding the screening of exhibits for "advocacy." (2003)
- Helped lead the fight to fully fund clean up of toxic waste sites through the Superfund program, and to complete cleanups in a timely manner. For his efforts, he was awarded a Public Interest Champion Award by U.S. PIRG. (2003)
- Co-sponsored an event with Congressman Costello that included government officials at all levels and private sector stakeholders, as well as corresponded with the White House and Department of Energy, to make the case that the $1.1 billion FutureGen project--a 250 megawatt clean coal plant that will be virtually emissions-free and produce hydrogen as well as electricity--should be sited in Illinois. (2003)
- Secured Senate passage (unanimous consent) of a provision to create a Conserve by Bicycling program, to promote bicycling in place of car rides to improve air quality and public health. (2003)
- Developed a comprehensive legislative package and led the fight on increasing the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. (2003)
- Secured Senate passage of the Consumer Energy Commission, which would create a bipartisan commission to study energy price spikes from the perspective of consumers, and provide recommendations on how to avert price spikes in consumer energy products. (2002--possibly 2003)
- Secured Senate passage of a provision to expand a residential wind energy credit, which would enable the credit to go toward the cost of wind energy property used for business purposes. (2002--possibly 2003)
- Temporarily blocked final consideration of the nomination of John Snow to be Secretary of the Treasury in order to meet with him (along with Senator Tom Harkin) to press him for assurances that he would emphasize fairness in reviewing a proposed rule to permit conversion of corporate pension plans to cash-balance plans, which can dramatically reduce the pensions of older workers.
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