Durbin Questions Nominees at Latest Judiciary Committee Judicial Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Kevin Gafford Ritz, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Brian Edward Murphy, nominated to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts; Rebecca L. Pennell, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; and Jeannette A. Vargas, nominate… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes to Dismiss Unjustified Articles of Impeachment Against Secretary Mayorkas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting to dismiss the two impeachment articles filed against U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: “This charade was nothing more than an attempt to politicize this solemn constitutional tool to distract from the very real fact that House Republicans are struggling to govern.  Neither article that we received from the… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Judiciary Committee Hearing on Four Judicial Nominations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Kevin Gafford Ritz, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Brian Edward Murphy, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts; Rebecca L. Pennell, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; and Jeannette A. Vargas, to be Unite… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois DACA Recipient Alyssandra Abrenica

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Alyssandra Abrenica, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient from Illinois who moved to America from the Philippines when she was four years old. Ms. Abrenica is currently pursuing a career in psychiatry as a resident at the University of Wisconsin, and she is a passionate advocate for DACA. The pair discussed Durbin’s Dream Act, bipartisan legislation that would… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Community, Business, & Labor Advocates at Briefing on Tax Contributions of Immigrant Spouses of U.S. Citizens

WASHINGTON – Following Tax Day, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined American Families United, American Business Immigration Coalition, FWD.us, and UNITE HERE Local 1 for a briefing on why President Biden should use his administrative authority to grant work permits to immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens.  In March, Durbin led a lettersigned by 18 other Senators calling on the Biden Administration to extend work permits to undocumented immi… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Eliminating the Abuse of Solitary Confinement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Legacy of Harm: Eliminating the Abuse of Solitary Confinement.”  The hearing examined the frequent abuse of solitary confinement in federal custody, including members of vulnerable populations and those suffering from mental illness. Durbin first questioned Gretta Goodwin, the Director of Homeland Security and Justic… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Eliminating the Abuse of Solitary Confinement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Legacy of Harm: Eliminating the Abuse of Solitary Confinement.” The hearing will examine the frequent abuse of solitary confinement in federal custody, including members of vulnerable populations and those suffering from mental illness. The hearing follows the introduction of two bills—the Solitary Confinem… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Remarks at American Hospital Association Annual Meeting

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks at the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Meeting.  In his speech, Durbin thanked the health care workers in attendance for tirelessly caring for their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic while putting their own health and safety on the line.  Durbin acknowledged the workforce shortages of critical hospital personnel that place extra stress on those in the medical field, and exacerbate challenges forpa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schatz Introduce Legislation to Combat Overuse of Solitary Confinement in Immigration Detention

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) today introduced legislation to combat the rampant and unnecessary overuse of solitary confinement in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-operated and ICE contract facilities.  Today’s bill introduction comes before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s full committee hearing tomorrow entitled “Legacy of Harm: Eliminating the Abuse of Solitary Confinement… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Must Uphold The Constitution, Respect The Framers’ Intentions, And Quickly Dispose Of Unjustified Articles Of Impeachment Against Secretary Mayorkas

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about the partisan charade House Republicans have made of the impeachment process.  During his speech, Durbin called the two impeachment articles filed against U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, “nothing more than an attempt to politicize this solemn constitutional tool to distract from the very real fact that the H… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Fermilab Director

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Fermilab Director Dr. Lia Merminga to receive an update on the lab’s research projects, particularly the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF/DUNE).  Durbin secured $251 million in funding for the project in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) government funding bill passed by Congress in March.  “National labs, like Illinois’ own Fermilab, have pushed the boundaries of scientific discovery wi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Coons Introduce Bill To Limit Use Of Solitary Confinement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) today introduced legislation to reduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) and the U.S. Marshals Service’s use of solitary confinement and improve conditions for adults in custody separated from the general prison population.  Today’s bill introduction comes before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s full committee hearing tomorrow entitled “Legacy of Harm: Eliminating… Continue Reading

Following Iran’s Attack On Israel, Durbin Urges House Republicans To Finally Pass The National Security Supplemental

WASHINGTON – Following Iran’s attack on Israel this weekend, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged House Republicans to finally pass the national security supplemental, which passed the Senate in February on a bipartisan basis and would provide aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan.  During his speech, Durbin reflected on the ongoing threats that Iran posed prior to the attack on Israel. “I had the privilege of visiting our American service members stationed with the U.S.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Pingree Send Letter To Va Requesting Details On Produce Prescription Programs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) today sent a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough requesting information about the implementation of “produce prescription” initiatives at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).  In 2022, President Biden called on VHA to begin the implementation of “produce prescriptions,” which allow patients who have diet-related chronic health conditions to be “prescribed” vouchers to purchas… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges OMB, Army Corps To Include $71.5 Million In Funding To Support Morgan Shoal Shoreline Restoration Project In Army Corps Of Engineers Fy24 Work Plan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and Johnathan Jackson (D-IL-01) today sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army Michael Connor and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young calling for $71.5 million for the Chicago Shoreline Morgan Shoal Project to be included … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Iran's Attack on Israel

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding reports that Iran launched attacks on Israel: “Putin’s ally Iran has been a destabilizing regional spoiler, arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis foryears, using proxies to attack U.S. interests, and inching ever closer to a nuclear weapon—a situation made worse since Trump petulantly withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear agreement that had constrained that dangerous program.  I hope wise… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls FDA and DOJ Officials into Washington Office to Receive Briefing on Lack of Enforcement Against Unauthorized E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center forTobacco Products Director, Dr. Brian King, and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Brian Boynton, to his Washington office yesterday to brief him on the lack of enforcement against unauthorized e-cigarettes that are addicting millions of children across America. Durbin convened this meeting after repe… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Federal Funding Headed to Illinois to Help Address Migrant Crisis

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on today’s announcement that the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency are releasing the first installment of congressionally-approved federal funds as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) “minibus” to help cities and states address the migrant crisis, of which $19.3 million will go to Illinois and be split equally between the state an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $9 Million to Protect and Rebuild Illinois' Infrastructure Impacted by Severe Weather Events

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $9,026,212 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant program to study and improve infrastructure across the state of Illinois. “Through the PROTECT grant program, we are embarking on a crucial endeavor to study and address the vulnerabilities of our transportation sy… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Send Recommendations for Federal District Court Judge in the Central District of Illinois to the White House

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a list of names for the White House to consider for a forthcoming Peoria-based federal district court judicial vacancy in the Central District of Illinois.  Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Central District, Durbin and Duckworth have forwarded the names of the following individuals to Preside… Continue Reading