Chicago – Flanked by a broad coalition of female lawmakers, community leaders and activists, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said he will continue to be a leader in the fight to protect women’s rights, provide for women’s unique healthcare needs, help women advance in business and public office and advance public education for our children.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, was in Chicago Tuesday to headline a fundraising luncheon for Durbin. Murray joined the coalition in calling for Durbin’s reelection.

"Besides the 10 Democratic women in the senate we have no greater champion on these issues than Dick Durbin," Murray said. "Whether we are working on issues like women's rights, the Family and Medical Leave Act, or reproductive rights – he actively supports each issue as it moves through the halls of Congress."

Durbin has consistently supported increasing funding for medical research and fighting diseases affecting women in the National Instituted of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense research programs. He has supported Medicare coverage of preventative care for women, such as mammograms and pap smears.

Durbin successfully fought for maternal and child health care programs that have increased childhood immunizations and combated asthma in children. He’s worked to reinstate funding for pediatric teaching hospitals, whose budgets were cut by the GOP White House. While serving in the House of Representatives, Durbin successfully passed legislation to outlaw smoking on commercial air flights. Today, he continues to fight Big Tobacco’s anti-child marketing ploys.

"We need to assure that our kids stay healthy and have a good foundation for solid health later in life," Durbin said. "Our kids are our future and keeping them well-insured and cared for is one of my top priorities in Congress."

In addition to getting more kids enrolled in the State-Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), Durbin favors expanding the current S-CHIP Program to cover parents of eligible children. We also could allow states to cover other groups of individuals through either S-CHIP or the Medicaid program.

Durbin is also a champion of food safety in America, working to restructure the current bureaucracy of oversight of the nation’s food supply.

"After meeting with a mom from Chicago whose six-year-old child died after eating contaminated hamburger, I worked to improve the safety of the nation's food supply and I recently led a successful fight against the Bush Administration's proposed end to Salmonella testing of ground beef served to children through the federal school lunch program," Durbin said.

Durbin is supportive of a woman’s right to choose, and has advocated for family planning both in America and abroad. "I think the way a country treats women can be indicative of government-led oppression and abuse. I believe strongly that empowering and upgrading the role of women in developing countries is key to fighting the AIDS epidemic, lowering birth rates and raising economic growth," Durbin said.

The Illinois senator said he will continue to push for a greater focus on education, health, microcredit and economic empowerment programs for women in US development aid efforts. Durbin also supported the McGovern-Dole international school feeding program, which will likely encourage more girls to go to school in developing countries since it will guarantee a daily balanced meal.

Illinois AFL-CIO President Margaret Blackshere lauded Durbin for his 96 percent lifetime approval rating from labor. Durbin has co-sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage by $1.50 over the next three years, raising it to $6.65 per hour. He has stood up for Illinois jobs through his support for domestic steel and coal companies and his work to expand O’Hare International Airport – a project which will generate approximately 195,000 new Illinois jobs.

"During a time of unprecedented corporate corruption, Dick Durbin is standing up for working families. He voted for the corporate accountability bill and is working to protect worker pensions so corporate scandal doesn’t cause workers to lose their nest eggs," Blackshere said.

Joining Durbin at the press conference were:

Ruth Rothstein CEO, Cook County Bureau of Health Services

Joanne Alter Founder, Working in the Schools

Melissa Joseph Senior Policy Associate, Women Employed

Shelly Ebbert Associate Director, AIDS Foundation Chicago

Marcy Moore Program Manager, AIDS Foundation Chicago Virginia Ojeda McDonald’s franchise owner

Diana Palomar Director of Community Services, WLS Ch. 7

Rebecca Holbrooke Director of Education, Planned Parenthood

Michelle Dewlen NOW/ Illinois Democratic Party Women’s Advisory Board

Maria Pesqueira Executive Director, Latin Women in Action

Margaret Blackshere President, IL AFL-CIO

Judy Gold Chair, Gov. George Ryan’s Commission on Women; Partner, Altheimer and Grey

Susan Kezios Executive Director, National Franchise Association Billie Paige Illinois Women in Leadership

Lobbyist: Shea, Paige & Rogal

Hon. Iris Martinez Democratic Nominee for State Senate

Democratic State Committeewoman

Hon. Dawn Clark Netsch Former State Comproller

Former State Senator

First Female Gubernatorial Candidate in IL

Hon. Monique Davis Illinois State Representative

Hon. Susana Mendoza Illinois State Representative

Date: August 6, 2002
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