Washington, D.C. — In response to today’s announcements from Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) released the following statements:

“Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky are tremendous leaders for our communities, our climate, our democracy, and so much more, and we are so grateful for their longtime leadership,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “A healthy environment and a healthy democracy go hand in hand, and we applaud Senator Durbin’s leadership protecting voting rights and confirming judges who work for the people, not Big Polluters. Additionally, we commend Durbin’s commitment to national monuments, including his support for the designation of the Springfield Race Riot National Monument to confront our nation’s violent history towards Black communities. We also applaud Representative Schakowsky’s leadership as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to advance clean energy, good-paying jobs, and the health and safety of our communities.”

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“Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky have anchored Illinois’ Congressional delegation and consistently represented the best interests of Illinoisans and our environment during their years of service and leadership,” said IEC Executive Director Jen Walling. “We have turned to them time and again for their partnership in our shared work to protect people and the environment from deep-pocketed oil and gas polluters’ anti-climate agenda. Senator Durbin’s support for the designation of the Springfield Race Riot National Monument, climate-smart agriculture programs and the inclusion of SNAP funding in the Farm Bill and Representative Schakowsky’s stalwart support for climate policies that create good jobs and healthier communities, among so many of their accomplishments, will leave a lasting legacy across the Prairie State for generations to come.”

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