Dick Durbin: “I am pleased that today the Senate passed two annual spending bills--Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and…”

“I am pleased that today the Senate passed two annual spending bills--Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs--and approved funding to combat the Zika virus. Senators Collins, Reed, Kirk, and Tester worked hard to craft good, bipartisan bills with no ideological, partisan policy riders. They have reminded us of the way we should do business here in the Senate. I was proud to support both bills when they were considered by the Appropriations Committee in recent weeks and proud to support them again today. I am pleased that the bill includes long-overdue funding to fight Zika. The bill does not provide the full amount of funding that our health and infectious disease experts say they need, but it does provide a good down payment of $1.1 billion. We must do more, and we must do it now, in order to protect pregnant women nationwide. This bill builds on the surface transportation bill, the FAST Act, that Congress passed last year that provides funding over 5 years for rail and highway infrastructure. Illinois rail lines are at the center of our national transportation network. In 2014, 5 million people boarded or exited trains in Illinois, giving residents a safe, affordable option when traveling. The bill supports rail options by providing strong funding for Amtrak, including $1.42 billion for the national network.…”