DURBIN AIDE TO SPEAK ABOUT CONSTITUENT SERVICES AT DECEMBER 13^TH MEETING

BIDEN DELEGATE TO SPEAK ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

As our senior U.S. Senator, one of Dick Durbin’s top goals is to ensure that federal government agencies and bureaus are accessible and responsive to the needs of all constituents. To help accomplish that goal, Senator Durbin has offices in Chicago, Springfield and Marion, Illinois that are staffed with aides trained to help resolve constituent problems.

Joining us at our meeting on Thursday, December 13^th will be Senate Aide Kathleen Rooney. Kathleen will talk about the many services available to Illinois citizens out of the constituent offices.

Our meeting will start at 7:30 PM with a time for socializing and refreshment and will be held at the Lombard Community Building, 433 E. St. Charles Road, Lombard. The presentations by our guest will start promptly at 8 PM. 

Kathleen Rooney was born in West Virginia and grew up in the Midwest. A graduate of Downers Grove North High School, she got her BA in English and Creative Writing with a minor in Political Science from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and her MFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston.

Of great importance to some struggling homeowners in Illinois is the news that Senator Durbin recently introduced a bill that would allow bankruptcy courts to modify repayment terms on mortgages for primary homes. That could keep an estimated 600,000 troubled borrowers in their homes, paying off their mortgages, albeit over longer terms, at lower interest rates or on lower principal balances.

The bill also undoes a longstanding injustice. Under current law, mortgages on primary homes are the only type of secured debt that is ineligible for bankruptcy protection. Owners of vacation homes, farms and commercial property can modify those debts in bankruptcy court. But not your everyday homeowner. Senator Durbin’s bill would rectify that double standard.

There are some signs that the White House will oppose the reform. Opponents will likely argue that modifying troubled mortgages in bankruptcy may pose a threat to the legal sanctity of other contracts.

Senator Durbin's reform bill must move through the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over bankruptcy issues.

BIDEN DELEGATE TO SPEAK

Also joining us at our December 13^th meeting will be Elmhurst resident and Biden delegate, James Caffrey. James will talk about Senator Biden’s presidential campaign in Illinois.

Senator Biden graduated from The University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School and served on the New Castle County Council. At age 29, against almost impossible odds, he became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate, beating an incumbent Republican.

For three decades, Senator Biden has served on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, becoming its Chairman in January. He immediately began holding high-profile hearings on Iraq, and the Committee passed a resolution to stop President Bush from sending more American troops to Iraq.

All DuPage Democratic Club meetings are open to the general public. We welcome and encourage attendance by individuals of all political views and affiliations.

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