FROM SEN DURBIN'S OFFICE
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was today re-elected to the Senate's second highest ranking leadership post -- Assistant Majority Leader, also known as Majority Whip. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) was elected as Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was elected as Vice Chair of the Democratic Conference and Patty Murray (D-WA) was elected Democratic Conference Secretary in today’s balloting.
“I am honored that my Senate colleagues have again entrusted me with this responsibility,” Durbin said. “Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois. Those lessons I have learned representing my state will help me to serve as Assistant Leader of this extraordinary Caucus.”
Durbin, 65, will be the lead person in the day-to-day action on the Senate floor. The modern day version of the whip, besides being the second ranking party leader in the Senate, is responsible for counting votes and monitoring legislation on the Senate floor.
Only four other Illinoisans have served as leaders for their parties in the Senate. Shelby Moore Cullom served as Republican Conference Chairman from 1911-1913; J. Hamilton Lewis became the first Democratic Whip of the Senate in 1913, and was again elected Whip in 1931; Scott Wike Lucas served as Democratic Whip from 1947 to 1949 and Majority Leader from 1949 to 1951; and Everett McKinley Dirksen was elected Republican Whip in 1957 and Minority Leader in 1959, a position he held for ten years.
Neither the position of whip nor majority leader is mentioned in the United States Constitution. The term "whip" comes from "whipper-in," a fox-hunting term for the person charged with keeping dogs from straying during a chase. According to the Senate historian’s office, it was not until the latter part of the 19th century that senators of each political party “organized and assembled separately for the purpose of electing certain members from among their own to act as agents in helping to run the legislative machine.” And it was not until the 20th century that the posts of majority and minority leaders and whips became official political positions.
Durbin said he believes that his role will continue to benefit his home state. “Illinois will always be at the table for any discussion of legislation involving the leadership,” Durbin noted.
Durbin said he believes that with House of Representative under Republican control and the Senate in the hands of the Democratic Party, Congress will continue to be the most important forum in America to debate the great issues and to address the challenges facing our country.
“I look forward to working with members of both parties and the President to improve the quality of life for the middle class and for all Americans,” he said. “We need to remember why the American people have elected us. They want a strong and prosperous America, but they want economic fairness as well and they want us to empower families and individuals to reach their maximum potential. That's our challenge; that's our responsibility.”
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Showing posts with label US Senate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Senate. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Scott Brown Victory Pays Off for GOP Today as US Senate Dems Fail to Cut Off Republican Filibuster of Financial Reform Bill
From the NY Times
Senate Republicans, united in opposition to the Democrats'
legislation to tighten regulation of the financial system,
voted on Monday to block the start of floor debate.
The vote was 57 to 41, as Democrats fell short of the 60
votes needed to cut off a filibuster of the motion to proceed
to the bill. One Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska,
sided with Republicans apparently out of concern over a
provision related to tightening the rules on derivatives
trading.
Senate Republicans, united in opposition to the Democrats'
legislation to tighten regulation of the financial system,
voted on Monday to block the start of floor debate.
The vote was 57 to 41, as Democrats fell short of the 60
votes needed to cut off a filibuster of the motion to proceed
to the bill. One Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska,
sided with Republicans apparently out of concern over a
provision related to tightening the rules on derivatives
trading.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Giannoulias Family's Broadway Bank Shut Down by Feds
from the Associated Press
CHICAGO – Regulators shut down the bank owned by Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ family on Friday, setting up an expected but daunting challenge in his bid to keep President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat in Democratic hands.
Broadway Bank, which was heavy into real estate loans and lost $75 million last year, had been given until Monday to raise about $85 million in new capital, but the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced at the close of business Friday that Broadway was among four banks, all in Illinois, that had failed.
Giannoulias, 34, worked at the bank as a senior loan officer until he ran for treasurer four years ago. He has tried to take some of the political and public relations sting out of a collapse, acknowledging the bank was likely to fail but blaming the bad economy. He also said it was financially healthy when he left four years ago.
Late Friday, Giannoulias voice broke as he talked about the collapse and vowed to work harder in his bid to win the Senate race. He said he knows first hand the impact that the economy has had on people and businesses in Illinois.
“There was no bailout for my father’s bank. It is an incredibly sad and heartbreaking day for me and for my family. This bank has helped thousands of people when no one else would give them a chance,” he said.
Giannoulias’ family could collect millions in tax refunds by writing off Broadway Bank’s losses. Giannoulias said he wouldn’t take advantage of a special provision made available in the stimulus bill for writing off businesses losses. He couldn’t say if others in his family would, but said his family “will be taking a massive financial loss.”
His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, has made the bank’s finances a central issue in the Senate race.
“While years of risky lending schemes, hot money investments and loans to organized crime led to today’s failure, it’s a sad day for Broadway Bank employees who may lose their jobs due to Mr. Giannoulias’ reckless business practices,” Kirk spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said in a statement Friday night.
Regulators planned to work through the night to close out Broadway’s books and the branches would open normally on Saturday, said FDIC ombudsman’s office spokesman Rickey McCullough.
Some leading Republicans seemed reticent to score political points over the closure immediately after the announcement. Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady declined to comment, as did former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson.
“I know Alexi,” Thompson said. “I’m sure this is not an easy time for him.”
Giannoulias’ campaign and Democratic insiders have maintained he can still beat Kirk, a moderate Republican and an officer in the Naval Reserves. Democrats outnumber Republicans in Illinois, and Obama remains a popular figure in the state.
And on Friday, the White House said Obama intends to help Illinois Democrats “up and down the ballot.” Giannoulias campaign chairman, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, said Friday before the bank failure that the White House has asked about the state of Giannoulias’ campaign. A spokeswoman contacted Friday evening said Durbin would not comment further.
Joey O’Neill, a Broadway customer for 20 years said Friday that he won’t hold the bank’s failure against Giannoulias.
“They’ve always been good to me,” O’Neill said before the bank closure was announced.
Giannoulias’ family could walk away with millions in tax refunds after writing off Broadway Bank’s losses — giving Kirk the chance to paint him as a fat cat.
Kirk — who raised $2.2 million in the first quarter of the year compared to $1.2 million for Giannoulias — also has criticized some decisions made while Giannoulias worked at the bank, including revelations that it had loaned $20 million to two convicted felons.
The campaign portrayed the loans as old news that Giannoulias has addressed before. He has said the bank’s relationship with one man started before he worked there.
But with the election nearly seven months away, the campaign has time on its side to try to repair any damage and change the focus of the race — and help Democrats avoid the embarrassing loss of another high-profile Senate seat.
“When I decided to run, I knew it was going to be tough,” Giannoulias said this month in a speech to a Chicago civic club. “Examining my record is one thing, but putting your family in the line of fire is quite another. Believe me, it’s not easy. But I didn’t get into this race because I thought it was going to be easy.”
Giannoulias’ campaign has not talked specifically about the strategy for dealing with a bank failure. Spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said this week he will focus on the economy and creating jobs, arguing that the bank’s problems are not major issue for some people.
All of Broadway’s deposit accounts, excluding certain brokered deposits, were transferred to MB Financial. Former Broadway employees would become employees of MB Financial Bank, McCullough said.
Demetris Giannoulias, Alexi Giannoulias’ brother and the bank’s chief financial officer, issued a statement that said the family “fought to carry out the vision my father had when he founded Broadway Bank 30 years ago, but our bank — like many businesses — has struggled during these challenging times.”
Six other banks also were closed in Illinois, the FDIC announced. Customer accounts are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000.
CHICAGO – Regulators shut down the bank owned by Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ family on Friday, setting up an expected but daunting challenge in his bid to keep President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat in Democratic hands.
Broadway Bank, which was heavy into real estate loans and lost $75 million last year, had been given until Monday to raise about $85 million in new capital, but the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced at the close of business Friday that Broadway was among four banks, all in Illinois, that had failed.
Giannoulias, 34, worked at the bank as a senior loan officer until he ran for treasurer four years ago. He has tried to take some of the political and public relations sting out of a collapse, acknowledging the bank was likely to fail but blaming the bad economy. He also said it was financially healthy when he left four years ago.
Late Friday, Giannoulias voice broke as he talked about the collapse and vowed to work harder in his bid to win the Senate race. He said he knows first hand the impact that the economy has had on people and businesses in Illinois.
“There was no bailout for my father’s bank. It is an incredibly sad and heartbreaking day for me and for my family. This bank has helped thousands of people when no one else would give them a chance,” he said.
Giannoulias’ family could collect millions in tax refunds by writing off Broadway Bank’s losses. Giannoulias said he wouldn’t take advantage of a special provision made available in the stimulus bill for writing off businesses losses. He couldn’t say if others in his family would, but said his family “will be taking a massive financial loss.”
His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, has made the bank’s finances a central issue in the Senate race.
“While years of risky lending schemes, hot money investments and loans to organized crime led to today’s failure, it’s a sad day for Broadway Bank employees who may lose their jobs due to Mr. Giannoulias’ reckless business practices,” Kirk spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said in a statement Friday night.
Regulators planned to work through the night to close out Broadway’s books and the branches would open normally on Saturday, said FDIC ombudsman’s office spokesman Rickey McCullough.
Some leading Republicans seemed reticent to score political points over the closure immediately after the announcement. Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady declined to comment, as did former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson.
“I know Alexi,” Thompson said. “I’m sure this is not an easy time for him.”
Giannoulias’ campaign and Democratic insiders have maintained he can still beat Kirk, a moderate Republican and an officer in the Naval Reserves. Democrats outnumber Republicans in Illinois, and Obama remains a popular figure in the state.
And on Friday, the White House said Obama intends to help Illinois Democrats “up and down the ballot.” Giannoulias campaign chairman, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, said Friday before the bank failure that the White House has asked about the state of Giannoulias’ campaign. A spokeswoman contacted Friday evening said Durbin would not comment further.
Joey O’Neill, a Broadway customer for 20 years said Friday that he won’t hold the bank’s failure against Giannoulias.
“They’ve always been good to me,” O’Neill said before the bank closure was announced.
Giannoulias’ family could walk away with millions in tax refunds after writing off Broadway Bank’s losses — giving Kirk the chance to paint him as a fat cat.
Kirk — who raised $2.2 million in the first quarter of the year compared to $1.2 million for Giannoulias — also has criticized some decisions made while Giannoulias worked at the bank, including revelations that it had loaned $20 million to two convicted felons.
The campaign portrayed the loans as old news that Giannoulias has addressed before. He has said the bank’s relationship with one man started before he worked there.
But with the election nearly seven months away, the campaign has time on its side to try to repair any damage and change the focus of the race — and help Democrats avoid the embarrassing loss of another high-profile Senate seat.
“When I decided to run, I knew it was going to be tough,” Giannoulias said this month in a speech to a Chicago civic club. “Examining my record is one thing, but putting your family in the line of fire is quite another. Believe me, it’s not easy. But I didn’t get into this race because I thought it was going to be easy.”
Giannoulias’ campaign has not talked specifically about the strategy for dealing with a bank failure. Spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said this week he will focus on the economy and creating jobs, arguing that the bank’s problems are not major issue for some people.
All of Broadway’s deposit accounts, excluding certain brokered deposits, were transferred to MB Financial. Former Broadway employees would become employees of MB Financial Bank, McCullough said.
Demetris Giannoulias, Alexi Giannoulias’ brother and the bank’s chief financial officer, issued a statement that said the family “fought to carry out the vision my father had when he founded Broadway Bank 30 years ago, but our bank — like many businesses — has struggled during these challenging times.”
Six other banks also were closed in Illinois, the FDIC announced. Customer accounts are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
PANTAGRAPH: Federal Judge Refuses to Delay Blagojevich Trial
FROM THE PANTAGRAPH
CHICAGO -- A federal judge refused Wednesday to postpone the June start of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, brushing aside defense attorneys' claims that they won't have enough time to prepare.
U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel also dismissed defense attorneys' concerns that U.S. Supreme Court decisions expected by the end of June could unfairly complicate the trial.
Zagel said he saw no reason to delay the trial's June 3 start date.
If the date holds, voters will likely hear months of testimony about the former Democratic governor's alleged misdeeds as the party tries to retain his former seat and the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.
Prosecutors say Blagojevich schemed to sell or trade that Senate seat and used his power to illegally pressure political campaign donors.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other charges.
Prosecutors estimate the trial will last three to four months.
FULL STORY: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_10b71ac0-31ff-11df-924c-001cc4c002e0.html
CHICAGO -- A federal judge refused Wednesday to postpone the June start of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, brushing aside defense attorneys' claims that they won't have enough time to prepare.
U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel also dismissed defense attorneys' concerns that U.S. Supreme Court decisions expected by the end of June could unfairly complicate the trial.
Zagel said he saw no reason to delay the trial's June 3 start date.
If the date holds, voters will likely hear months of testimony about the former Democratic governor's alleged misdeeds as the party tries to retain his former seat and the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.
Prosecutors say Blagojevich schemed to sell or trade that Senate seat and used his power to illegally pressure political campaign donors.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other charges.
Prosecutors estimate the trial will last three to four months.
FULL STORY: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_10b71ac0-31ff-11df-924c-001cc4c002e0.html
Monday, February 1, 2010
Jacob Meister Drops from Senate Race & Endorses Giannoulias
LETTER JACOB MEISER SENT TO HIS SUPPORTERS TODAY, FEB 1, 2010
Dear supporters,
Thank you!
Thank you for your unselfishness.
Thank you for knocking on doors, making phone calls, getting your families and friends involved, and for all your encouraging voicemails, emails, tweets and Facebook comments.
Thank you for your financial contributions, particularly the determined 4-year-old girl who gave her mom $1.12 from her piggy bank with the directive: “Give this to Jacob Meister.”
Thank you for validating and affirming my decision to enter into the race for United States Senate. I will be eternally grateful for your support.
This morning, I will take the stage at the Teamsters Hall on the West Side of Chicago. The Teamsters was the first union that I worked for when I was 18 years old when I drove a truck for our family bottling company. The experience instilled in me a work ethic and pride of ownership, virtues I have carried throughout my career.
A teamster is someone who leads the team for the long haul. This morning, I will change my course, take one for the team and officially withdraw from the race to support Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate.
This is not a decision that I entered into without weighing your interests and our purpose and mission in making this run. Putting your street first, keeping jobs at the front of the discussion and civil rights as a constant, will all be embraced by Alexi.
That doesn’t mean in words only, either. As I have said before, you need to be willing to burn political capital for the things that do matter, and Alexi has assured that he will take up the mantle of my 20/20 Vision and fight for the issues that have been the cornerstone of my platform.
So today I ask you to join me in the race for the next 10 months and support Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate.
We must work together to keep Illinois blue if we want to move America forward in the direction in which the country needs to go. As I take my hat out the ring today, please join me in throwing our support behind what is in the best interest of the country.
I know I have handed my reins, my supporters and my policies to someone who knows that a democracy that discriminates against one, discriminates against all. I know my candidacy was not in vain because it kept the issues at the forefront and mobilized a colorless base of people whose rights have been denied for far too long.
What an incredible experience these past four months have been. Please join me for the exciting future that lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Jacob Meister
Dear supporters,
Thank you!
Thank you for your unselfishness.
Thank you for knocking on doors, making phone calls, getting your families and friends involved, and for all your encouraging voicemails, emails, tweets and Facebook comments.
Thank you for your financial contributions, particularly the determined 4-year-old girl who gave her mom $1.12 from her piggy bank with the directive: “Give this to Jacob Meister.”
Thank you for validating and affirming my decision to enter into the race for United States Senate. I will be eternally grateful for your support.
This morning, I will take the stage at the Teamsters Hall on the West Side of Chicago. The Teamsters was the first union that I worked for when I was 18 years old when I drove a truck for our family bottling company. The experience instilled in me a work ethic and pride of ownership, virtues I have carried throughout my career.
A teamster is someone who leads the team for the long haul. This morning, I will change my course, take one for the team and officially withdraw from the race to support Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate.
This is not a decision that I entered into without weighing your interests and our purpose and mission in making this run. Putting your street first, keeping jobs at the front of the discussion and civil rights as a constant, will all be embraced by Alexi.
That doesn’t mean in words only, either. As I have said before, you need to be willing to burn political capital for the things that do matter, and Alexi has assured that he will take up the mantle of my 20/20 Vision and fight for the issues that have been the cornerstone of my platform.
So today I ask you to join me in the race for the next 10 months and support Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate.
We must work together to keep Illinois blue if we want to move America forward in the direction in which the country needs to go. As I take my hat out the ring today, please join me in throwing our support behind what is in the best interest of the country.
I know I have handed my reins, my supporters and my policies to someone who knows that a democracy that discriminates against one, discriminates against all. I know my candidacy was not in vain because it kept the issues at the forefront and mobilized a colorless base of people whose rights have been denied for far too long.
What an incredible experience these past four months have been. Please join me for the exciting future that lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Jacob Meister
Saturday, November 21, 2009
US Senate Votes to Move Forward on Health Reform
The US Senate tonight voted to allow debate on the Healthcare Reform bill to proceed. This vote, known as Invoking Cloture, takes 60 votes to pass -- which ends debate. The debate that ended was the debate on WHETHER to allow the healthcare bill to come to the floor for consideration. IT WAS NOT A VOTE ON PASSING THE BILL.
By Invoking Cloture -- the Senate voted to cut off a Fillibuster -- which is endless debate, and is used as a tactic to keep some legislation from every being voted upon.
Now, the Senate will take the bill up in debate on the floor after Thanksgiving break.
But there remains MAJOR oppostion to the bill -- even among Democratic Senators --- and the chances of the bill passing the Senate remains very questionable.
By Invoking Cloture -- the Senate voted to cut off a Fillibuster -- which is endless debate, and is used as a tactic to keep some legislation from every being voted upon.
Now, the Senate will take the bill up in debate on the floor after Thanksgiving break.
But there remains MAJOR oppostion to the bill -- even among Democratic Senators --- and the chances of the bill passing the Senate remains very questionable.
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