Dick Durbin

Illinois Unemployment Rate Climbs To 11 Percent

Adam Doster — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:40:20 -0800

The state's unemployment troubles just keeps growing. Today, the Illinois Department of Employment Security released the October jobless rate. In just one month, it jumped from 10.5 to 11 percent, the highest level in 26 years. CBS 2 has more:

The state reported job losses in numerous industries. The trade and transportation sectors lost 1,400 jobs, and the manufacturing sector lost 800. But some sectors reported significant gains in jobs – 3,600 for educational and health services, 1,300 for professional and business services, and 1,000 for construction, according to the Department of Employment Security.

Here's our updated graph showing the comparison between the state and national unemployment figures, dating back to January 2008. It's not pretty:

For those trying to stay afloat, there is some good news to report from Washington. Roll Call (subscription required) notes that Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have been "quietly trying to write a jobs bill that the Senate can act on early next year." Durbin was a staunch advocate in the Senate fight to extend unemployment insurance through 2009, so his involvement probably increases the chances that jobless benefits will be factored into the new bill.

Durbin "Struggling" To Find 60 Votes On Health Care

Adam Doster — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:13:22 -0800

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to receive an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on his chamber's health care bill. Sources tell ABC's George Stephanopolous that the package will cost below $900 billion, will extend coverage to most Americans, and will reduce the deficit in both the short- and long-term. That report would clear the way for the leadership to bring the bill to the floor, perhaps by the end of the week.

One reason the legislation will score well is in the inclusion of a public option (with an opt-out clause for states), which the CBO predicts will hold down costs, even if the version eventually approved is weaker than liberals prefer. Last night, progressive senators met with Reid to reiterate the importance of the government-run plan, both as a check against insurance companies and as a testing ground for important insurance and delivery system reforms.

But both Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin aren't sure there's enough support in their chamber yet. With conservative Democrats and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman already hinting they would join Republicans in a filibuster, Reid estimates they are currently three votes short of passing the procedural hump. On MSNBC last night, Durbin said he was "struggling" to whip his members. Watch it, courtesy of TPM:

Perhaps the CBO score will provide Durbin with some key ammunition. Only time will tell.

Health Care Roundup: Final Bill By Christmas, Halvorson Commits, Costello And Lipinski Waffle

Adam Doster — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:50:46 -0800

The latest news from the health care reform battle -- both in D.C. and here on the homefront.

A Final Bill By Christmas?

Now that health care legislation has passed out of the five relevant committees on Capitol Hill, health care advocates are starting to wonder when both chambers of Congress will take up the bills in earnest. While House leaders are moving quickly, Illinois' own Dick Durbin says that progress might be slower in the Senate. The Hill has a quick story up today outlining the reasons for the possible delay:

Even while House leaders pressed forward for a vote on a House version this week, [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid and Durbin said their hands are tied until the CBO releases its cost estimate of the Senate bill. Then the document would be published online for public review, possibly revised and re-analyzed by the CBO, and then several weeks would be needed for House-Senate conference talks.

Despite months-old predictions of a bill before Christmas, with only six weeks of legislative time remaining in the year Durbin acknowledged a healthcare bill in 2009 “is certainly a challenge.”

Will Sen. Roland Burris join Durbin and vote in favor of health care reform when he's eventually presented with the final bill? In the past few weeks, Illinois' junior senator has received heaps of media attention for his principled stance in favor of a robust public option. But the vast majority of those media outlets have failed to ask him the most relevant question: Does he intend to filibuster a bill lacking a public option or just vote against its final passage. All indications are that he would stand with his party and approve cloture, undercutting the severity of his threat:

"It's certainly going to be tough, in terms of getting this done," [Burris] told WGN-TV. "I've let it be known unequivocally that I would not support any legislation -- now they may get the 60 votes to pass it. I'm not going to be an obstructionist. I'm not here for some ego trip. I'm here to speak out for the people who have spoken to me."

Unfortunately, Sen. Joe Lieberman's threat seems very real. Yesterday, Reid's office denied reports that the lawmakers agreed in private to vote for cloture on health care. If no Republicans cross the aisle, the Democrats will need Lieberman's support to break a filibuster, a obstructionist tactic he has previously called "unfair."

Abortion Funding

While the Senate moves forward cautiously, the House is barreling ahead, preparing to vote on a final bill Saturday at about 6 p.m ET. To secure the support of some moderate and conservative Democrats, including Illinois Reps. Jerry Costello and Dan Lipinski, House leadership is making several changes to the bill that would explicitly prevent public funding for abortion.

This compromise shouldn't be necessary. The House tri-committee bill does not threaten the Hyde Amendment, which forbids Medicaid from using any federal money to pay for an abortion procedure. And earlier this summer, Democratic leaders backed a provision prohibiting people from using the public subsidies provided under the bill to buy private insurance plans that cover abortion. That's part of the reason why pro-choice organizations consider the current law a disappointment.

But that bloc of 40 legislators could torpedo the final bill if their concerns aren't addressed, so the Democratic leadership is doing all they can to pacify their concerns.

What's the solution? Guaranteeing the availability of insurance plans on health insurance exchanges that do not cover abortions is one option. The Times reports that a deal is close. We'll know more details in the coming days.

Halvorson A Yes, Costello A Maybe

Even if a compromise on abortion is reached, Rep. Costello still won't say whether or not he will vote in favor of the bill. In an interview with the Belleville News-Democrat, a spokesperson refused to commit, saying his boss is "taking a look at it and considering everything."

Rep. Debbie Halvorson, on the other hand, has made up her mind. On Tuesday night, the Crete Democrat said she plans to support the newest health care bill unveiled this week, in part because this version includes a weaker public option:

The legislation also would reduce the deficit by roughly $30 billion over the next 10 years, she said.

"I needed to make sure the new bill was deficit neutral," she said. "My priority has been to bring together a bill that was going to work and wasn't going to be a job-killer."

Halvorson made health care one of the key issues in her congressional campaign last year, running ads highlighting her opponents' downplaying of the coverage crisis (first reported here).

Costello's Constituents

While it's still unclear where Costello stands on the issue, it is obvious that households in his district will continue to face perilous physical and economic choices if no action is taken on reform. A new report issued today by AFSCME Council 31 drives home that point. Using data compiled by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the public employees union estimates that 9,800 seniors from Rep. Costello’s district fall into the Medicare prescription drug donut hole and 40,000 lack insurance coverage. Nine thousand of those were denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. And just this past year, 1,700 families in the 12th district filed for medical bankruptcy.

Council 31 crunched the data for other Illinois Democrats who remain the fence, including Reps. Lipinski, Halvorson, Bill Foster, and Melissa Bean. Check out the full research below (click the "Fullscreen" link to expand):

AFSCME Health Care Report

Durbin: GOP's Obstruction Of Unemployment Benefits Extension "Fundamentally Unfair"

Adam Doster — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:22:59 -0700

Now that the Senate has overcome a procedural hump and voted by a wide margin in favor of cloture on H.R. 3548, an extension of federal unemployment insurance, Democratic Senators are laying into their Republican counterparts for the multiple delays they caused over the past few weeks. On the Senate floor today, Sen. Dick Durbin listed off the unemployment rate in the states represented by the 13 lawmakers who voted against the measure last night. "This Republican obstruction," he said, "when it comes to something this basic, is fundamentally unfair." Watch it:

The Washington Independent's Mike Lillis has a succinct primer on where the bill goes from here:

So what does that mean for those whose benefits have expired? Well, Senate rules dictate that, without an agreement, Democratic leaders must wait at least 30 hours after the cloture vote to proceed to stage the roll call vote to proceed — meaning the earliest they can do it is 12:26 a.m. Thursday. Such roll call votes are often scrapped with the consent of both parties — a move that might still happen, but hasn’t happened yet. Indeed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took to the chamber floor this morning and threatened to hold that roll call vote, if necessary, at that early hour.

“I hope we can work something out with the Republicans,” Reid said. “But we’re going to have that vote as soon as we can. I’m sorry that we might have to do it in the morning.”

Afterward, if there’s still no agreement, Reid would have to file a cloture motion on the actual bill — meaning, by Senate rules, that the cloture vote couldn’t come earlier than 25 hours after the motion is filed (again, unless an agreement is reached first). Now we’re looking at roughly 1 a.m. Friday morning, at the earliest.

After the cloture vote on the actual bill, then the 30-hour clock starts again, after which time lawmakers could hold their roll call vote on final passage of the bill. Now we’re approaching 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

Once those steps are taken, the House and Senate versions need to be merged. It's unknown at this point whether a compromise measure will be written or the House will just vote on the final Senate bill. So, while progress is gradually being made, it will likely be a matter of weeks -- not days -- before the checks go out in the mail.

To learn more about the issue, you can click the "unemployment" tag below for our full coverage.

Durbin Says Immigration Reform Will Have To Wait Until Next Year

Adam Doster — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:11:23 -0700

Hoping to add some urgency to the debate in Washington, Rep. Luis Gutierrez recently said he will introduce a comprehensive immigration reform package as early as next month. But Sen. Dick Durbin isn't as optimistic that Congress will approve such a measure in 2009. "We won't do it this year, I don't want to mislead you," he told the crowd assembled for DePaul University's Perspectiveson Immigration conference this afternoon. "We have too much to do with health care reform and so many other things. But Sen. Charles Schumer of New York ... has promised that the bill will come forward next year." And Durbin's DREAM ACT, which would grant undocumented youth conditional permanent residency if they meet a set of education or military service criteria, will be central to that effort. "[W]e can do this," Durbin added. "And I know we can do it in the right way."

Watch this clip of the Senate Majority Whip's remarks, in which he describes his inspiration for the DREAM ACT, emphasizes the importance of a fair and equitable immigration system, and expresses his hope that it will be passed "in the first part of next year":

Durbin On Unemployment Benefits Extension: "Republicans Had Better Step Aside"

Angela Caputo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:33:01 -0700

As we've repeatedly highlighted in the past week, Republicans in the Senate have been holding up efforts to extend federal unemployment benefits, attributing the delays to an internal debate over how best to fund an extension. But it turns out that the mysterious yet-to-be-released amendments that they've purportedly been working on are anything but a good-faith effort to pass H.R. 3548, which would extend an additional 14 weeks of unemployment insurance to the 1.3 million Americans who are on pace to exhaust their benefits by year's end. The Washington Independent reports:

Republicans are hoping to attach a number of amendments related to ACORN and immigration — provisions that have delayed floor action on the UI bill indefinitely, according to the offices of both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The Republican amendments include at least two provisions related to ACORN; one related to the E-Verify program; one to pay for the UI benefits with unspent stimulus money; and one providing tax relief.

At a press conference yesterday morning, a group of Senate Democrats blasted the GOP's shameless politicking at a time when jobless Americans are growing increasingly desperate for financial security. (Download the full transcript of the presser here.) "I would say tothe Republicans, it's time to wake up to reality," Illinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin added from the Senate floor. "We're going to stand up for these people who have become victims of this recession. Or we're going to see more people show up to the breadlines, show up at the soup kitchens, show up at the homeless shelters." He concluded: "It's time for us to pass these benefits now. And the Republicans had better step aside."

It was a great speech. Watch it in full:

A few transcribed excerpts:

DURBIN: The people who are hurting out there aren't all Democrats or all Republicans. They're all Americans. And they're from all over this country. Unfortunately, we've now drifted into a status where even this has become a political issue. And I would just say to my colleagues on the Republican side of the isle who are blocking unemployment benefits for the millions of unemployed people in this county, go out and meet some of these people. [...]

I wish my Republican colleagues would sit down and meet some of these people who are unemployed. They might actually learn something. These are not lazy people. These are not people who enjoy being unemployed. These are people who are now desperate. Desperate people. [...]

What are they waiting for?... I can tell you what this comes down to. We're going to stand up for these people who have become victims of this recession. Or we're going to see more people show up to the breadlines, show up at the soup kitchens, show up at the homeless shelters.

I would say to the Republicans, it's time to wake up to reality. Don't talk about family values and rewarding work and standing up for people when you believe in them and turn down these unemployment benefits. It's time to for us to pass these benefits now. And the Republicans better step aside.

Bean Temporarily Drops Questionable CFPA Amendment

Angela Caputo — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:14:27 -0700

Big banks have been doling out wads of cash and stepping up political pressure on Capitol Hill in an effort to kill a package of new consumer protections. But following the latest surge in profits, along with a series of decisions to hand out historic bonuses at a time when consumers are being saddled with exorbitant fees and arbitrary rate hikes, they are losing sympathy in Washington. Even Illinois' own Rep. Melissa Bean, who agreed to introduce an amendment that would weaken the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) as the lead negotiator for the "New Democrats," appears to be taking the side of the consumers advocates who've been giving her an earful lately. The Washington Post has the details:

Large banks are on the verge of losing a key legislative battle over the shape of financial reform, an unusual setback that reflects the continued political backlash over their role in creating the financial crisis [...]

The debate came to a head last week. Bean's group said it would propose an amendment to retain the current [preemption] law. Liberals warned that if the amendment drew enough Republican support to pass, they would oppose the broader legislation to create the new agency. House leaders and the White House pressured Bean and the moderates to fall in line.

Despite tremendous pressure from the banking industry, Bean ultimately agreed.

We put out a call to Bean's office and her spokesman said only that "it's unclear" what will transpire in the House Financial Service Committee tomorrow. However, The Hill reports that Bean plans to introduce her amendment then withdraw it with the understanding that the issue will be discussed if and when the measure makes it to the House floor. The Woodstock Institute's Tom Feltner tells us that the latest developments are a step in the right direction but the battle over consumer protection is far from over. From a statement:

We appreciate Congresswoman Bean’s commitment to meaningful consumer protections, and we believe that a CFPA that sets minimum, not maximum, standards is the best way to ensure that consumers and small businesses are treated fairly...

Preempting state consumer protections is lucrative business, and we expect the financial services industry to push for preemption whenever and wherever possible.

Sen. Dick Durbin agrees. "The banking industry hates [the CFPA] like the devil hates holy water," he told Bill Cameron during a WLS interview yesterday. Durbin says he's bracing for a bitter fight until the end. Listen (the entire interview is available here):

Internal mp3

The House Financial Services Committee has already made a series of concessions to the banking industry, the most recent being a decision last week to exempt 98 percent of the nation's banks from the stricter rules that would accompany the creation of the CFPA. These small establishments control about 20 percent of the assets held by commercial banks. The rest is managed by 150 large banks, institutions which the American Bankers Association are still fighting vigorously to insulate from any reforms.

Encouragingly, the pushback from consumer advocates appears to be making an impact. And next week the pressure will mount as demonstrators are planning "a showdown" with the financial services sector at the American Bankers Association's three-day annual convention here in Chicago (October 25-27). We'll be there.

Durbin Pushes GOP On Unemployment Benefit Extension

Adam Doster — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:18:02 -0700

Republicans in the Senate have consistently said that they do not intend to defeat an unemployment extension this fall. Instead, they just want the Democratic leadership to consider some amendments they've drafted about the bills' funding mechanism. But if really want to provide more assistance to the nation's jobless, they don't seem urgent to get it done.

In an interview with the New York Times' Carl Huse today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said that his caucus is "getting ready to clear the way" for H.R. 3548, but he offered no exact details about when that might occur. Same goes for Sen. Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire), the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who told the AP that procedural differences will be ironed out soon without providing any specific timeline.

With thousands exhausting their benefits daily, Sen. Dick Durbin continues to insist that action needs to be taken quickly. On WLS' Connected to Chicago with Bill Cameron yesterday, the Majority Whip explained why the extra insurance is so crucial in this economic climate (You can listen to the entire interview here):

Internal mp3

Looking for a way to get involved? A reader passed along this petition he created in support of the legislation. Follow the link above to sign it.

Durbin Slams GOP For Delaying Unemployment Benefits Extension (UPDATED)

Adam Doster — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:01:44 -0700

While the number of Americans filing first-time claims forunemployment benefits dipped last week to the lowest level in ninemonths, hiring is still very sluggish.The Federal Reserve thinks that the nation's recovery is still"restrained" and national unemployment could hover above 9 percentthrough 2010.

Until employers start to expand their payrolls, millions ofAmericans will remain reliant on unemployment insurance, benefits whichSenate Democrats are trying to extend this week. But Republicans keep mucking up the process, introducing semi-related amendments and calling for more debate about the bill's (H.R. 3548) funding source. As a result, workers who exhausted their benefits in September, including an estimated 20,000 in Illinois, may have to wait weeks for additional income.

Sen. Dick Durbin is not pleased with this development. On the Senatefloor last night, the majority whip scolded the GOP for effectivelyblocking the bill. "They want to drag it out," he said. "They have nosensitivity to these people who lost their job or are struggling tokeep their families together under the most difficult circumstances."Watch it:

UPDATE (1:15 p.m.): Here's some more video of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) on the Senate floor today emphasizing the need to extend jobless benefits:

Solving The College Cost Problem

Angela Caputo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:09:12 -0700

While the souring economy has left many industries struggling, that's just not the case for private education lenders and textbook publishers. The desolate job market has spurred an ongoing spike in college enrollment and -- with tuition and fees rising twice as fast as inflation -- banks have generated enormous earnings by lending to strapped students. At the same time, publishers have jacked up the cost of textbooks, which now rival the tab for a semester of community college. As we've pointed out repeatedly, Congress' history of putting bankers before students coupled with Illinois officials' recent cuts to state-subsidized financial aid has left a growing number of students buried under a heap of debt. Over the weekend, the Peoria Journal-Star's editorial board identified these disturbing trends in higher education and wondered if "Illinois colleges are to be for the privileged only."

A few members of Illinois' congressional delegation are trying to ensure that's not the case. Regular readers know that this year is shaping up as one with historic potential for reform. Just last month, the House passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221), which would free up $87 billion over the next decade by pulling the plug on the Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) program that has allowed bankers to siphon away federal education money at the expense of students. The measure would in turn use that money to raise Pell grants to $6,900 from $5,350 and guarantee their future funding. On a swing through Northern Illinois University on Monday, Rep. Bill Foster urged Illinois' college students to push back against lenders who are fighting the reforms in the Senate. If the bill passes, it will amount to the largest increase in student aid in the nation's history. More from the Northwest Herald:

“You need to get involved, and call your senators,” Foster told a crowd of students gathered in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center. “This issue is too important to let sit.”

Foster is also joining Sen. Dick Durbin in his ongoing effort to drive down the cost of college textbooks. Last week, Durbin introduced the Open College Textbook Act (S. 1714), which would create some competition against publishing companies who have found a way to profit by slipping costly supplemental materials -- such as online guides and CDs -- into textbook packages. As a result, the Public Interest Research Group estimates that the average student will spend between $800 and $1,200 on books alone this year. Durbin's proposal would create a grant program that rewards universities who create books that are accessible on the Web. Foster's bill -- the Learning Opportunities With Creation of Open Source Textbooks (LOW COST) Act of 2009 (H.R. 1464) -- would require federal agencies that spend upwards of $10 million a year on scientific outreach to set aside at least 2 percent of their budgets to create their own open-source materials. During an interview with WGIL, Durbin explained his frustration regarding this issue:

"I've been in a battle for years now with the textbook publishers who've been ripping off kids and their families, I think, with outrageous charges for textbooks," Durbin says. "Now, we've got to find ways to deliver the information that young people need to learn in the most cost-effective way. I think this is it."

As for Illinois officials, we're still waiting to see how they'll address the $220 million shortfall in the Monetary Award Program (MAP) that's left 138,000 college students in the lurch this spring. Today and tomorrow, Gov. Pat Quinn will rally with students at the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University and once again push his proposal to fill the shortfall by adopting a $1 per-pack cigarette tax. Hundreds more students will take that message to the General Assembly on October 15 when the veto session begins.

Well give the PJ-Star editorial board the last word: "[L]awmakers would do well to keep in mind that for the modern economy, a college diploma is no longer the luxury it once was. It's a necessity, if Illinois is to keep up with the rest of the world. Find a way."

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Amin Tabrizi.