Durbin Statement On USDA Third Round Of Trade Aid Payments

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement of the final installment of 2019 Market Facilitation Program payments to help American farmers hurt by the Trump Administration's trade policies: "Illinois soybean farmers need this trade aid because of the financial losses they've incurred. But once again, USDA has overcompens… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators To EPA: Protect Communities In Region Five

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today urged the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator, Kurt Thiede, to prioritize protecting public health and safety and supporting the hard-working career professionals within Region 5 - which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesot… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Bipartisan Senate ALS Caucus

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Mike Braun (R-IN), announced the creation of the bipartisan Senate ALS Caucus. Founding members also include: U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Boozman (R-AR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Martha McSally (R-AZ). "I'm proud to join my c… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nominations Of David Dugan, Iain Johnston, Franklin Valderrama To Serve As U.S. District Judges

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the White House announced the nominations of David Dugan to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Iain Johnston to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and Franklin Valderrama to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. "We are p… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes Guilty On Both Articles Of Impeachment Against President Trump

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted guilty on both Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Shortly before the votes on the Articles of Impeachment, Durbin gave a speech on the Senate floor where he implored his colleagues to think carefully about what the acquittal of this President will mean for our democracy. "So let us open our eyes to the morning after a judgment of acquittal. Facing a well-es… Continue Reading

Durbin Briefed On U.S. Response To Coronavirus Outbreak

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration briefed U.S. Senators about the ongoing response to the outbreak of coronavirus. There have been two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois and eleven confirmed cases in the United States: "This morning, our nation's public health agencies briefed Senators about the ongoing response to the coronavirus outbreak in China. I am thankful to the Centers for Disease Control and Prev… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump's State Of The Union Address

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on President Donald Trump's State of the Union address: "He brought us to the brink of war with Iran. He continues to sow deep divisions by inciting violence, hate, and mistrust in our democracy. He has put Dreamers on notice for deportation. He continues to threaten health care for millions of people with pre-existing conditions. He diverts money from our service members and their families in o… Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Westinghouse College Prep Student, Guest For President Trump's State Of The Union Address

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) hosted De'Andre Wilborn, who is his guest for President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address. De'Andre, a native of the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, is a senior at George Westinghouse College Prep Academy. In October, Durbin held a roundtable event at Westinghouse College Prep to discuss strategies to support economic opportunity and improve health, where he heard directly from students, including De'Andre, about their experienc… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois State Police And Illinois Drug Enforcement Officers Association

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan Kelly and other representatives of the Illinois Drug Enforcement Officers Association (IDEOA). Durbin and the group discussed the importance of funding for the Byrne-JAG federal grant program, which supports state and local drug enforcement and public safety efforts. Durbin also discussed his bipartisan effort to make significant reductions in Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) opioid pr… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Credit Companies To Discuss Farm And Rural Economy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with Illinois representatives of the farm credit system. The group thanked Durbin for his support of the U.S. Mexico Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), and discussed the nationwide increase in farm bankruptcies, the importance of federal support for crop insurance during a tough 2019 crop year, and the need for more infrastructure investments in rural communities. "Buil… Continue Reading

Durbin To Host Westinghouse College Prep Student For President Trump's State Of The Union Address

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) will host De'Andre Wilborn as his guest for President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address. De'Andre, a native of the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, is a senior at George Westinghouse College Prep Academy. In October, Durbin held a roundtable event at Westinghouse College Prep to discuss strategies to support economic opportunity and improve health, where he heard directly from students, including De'Andre, about their experience … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Expansion Of President Trump's Travel Ban

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced that citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Burma, and Kyrgyzstan will not be allowed to apply for visas to immigrate to the United States, and citizens of Sudan and Tanzania will be prohibited from seeking diversity visas. These countries join a list of seven other nations, most of them Muslim-majo… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Failed Vote To Allow Witnesses And Documents In President Trump's Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the vote on the question of whether or not to allow witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump failed by a vote of 49-51: "Senate Republicans are afraid of a trial and afraid of the truth. Turning the lights off in this impeachment proceeding is an admission by the White House that the President's phone conversation with the President of Ukraine was far from pe… Continue Reading

Durbin: Why Did President Trump Continue Holding Ukraine Military Aid Amid Warnings About Legality?

WASHINGTON-During the question and answer portion of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today asked both the House managers and the President's counsel why the President continued withholding $250 million in military aid to Ukraine when Department of Defense (DoD) officials were sounding the alarm that the hold would violate the law and short-change our ally of much-need… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Confirmation Of Second Case Of Coronavirus In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the second case of novel coronavirus in Illinois, the sixth confirmed case in the United States: "Despite the risk to Americans remaining low, the CDC expected that the novel coronavirus could spread from one person to another in this country, as it has in other countries. Federal and state officials have been close… Continue Reading

Durbin Raises Question of Executive Privilege In Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON-During the question and answer portion of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the House managers a question regarding the President's threats to invoke executive privilege during the impeachment proceedings. The President has not yet actually invoked executive privilege during the impeachment inquiry or trial, instead claiming that the Administration's blanket refusal to comply with House subpoenas was justified … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Call On ArcelorMittal To Clean Up Its Act Following Pollution Violations

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged ArcelorMittal to take responsibility for its Burns Harbor facility's attempt to cover up the leaking of toxic chemicals into the Little Calumet River and Lake Michigan. In a letter to ArcelorMittal President and CEO John Brett, Durbin and Duckworth slammed the company for "a recurring, objectionable pattern of environmental and public health violations." "By misleading regulators about the results, ArcelorMitt… Continue Reading

Durbin Honored By Head Start Association As Champion For Children And Families

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was recognized today by the National Head Start Association for his continued support of Head Start and children who have experienced trauma with the PROMISE (Protecting Our Most Important Students Early) Award. This year, Durbin, along with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08), introduced the Resilience Investment, Support, and… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Receive Update On Coronavirus From The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today received an update on the novel coronavirus outbreak from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat. On a call with Dr. Schuchat, the Senators asked about the agency's response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, and asked for information on the steps being taken to keep Illinois families safe. This week, the CDC recommended that tra… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bicameral Congressional Leaders Call On Ninth Circuit To Uphold Protections For Migrant Children In Flores Amicus Brief

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12); U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), today led 113 of their colleagues in submitting an Amicus Brief… Continue Reading