Press Releases
Following Yesterday’s Cruel DHS Operation At A Preschool In Illinois, Durbin Again Calls For Secretary Noem To Testify In Front Of The Senate Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting, in which he condemned the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in Illinois. Just yesterday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents arrested a preschool teacher inside the school where she worked. Durbin has repeatedly called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to … Continue Reading
November 06, 2025
Durbin Slams Congressional Republicans For Refusing To Address Health Care Costs As Tuesday’s Elections Prove Americans Are Rejecting President Trump’s Policies
WASHINGTON - As open enrollment has begun and Americans across the country are seeing the rise in their monthly premiums, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about the health care affordability crisis, which has been manufactured by congressional Republicans as they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and end the government shutdown. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, … Continue Reading
November 06, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Armed Services Conferees To Include Provisions To Support Rock Island Arsenal
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and combat Veteran U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth led U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), as well as U.S. Representatives Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-02), in sending a letter to the four Senate and House leaders of the Armed Services Committees to urge them to include provisions that support Rock Island Arsenal in … Continue Reading
November 05, 2025
Durbin Calls Out The Trump Administration For Their Efforts To Undermine Voting Rights Across The Country
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senate Democrats in speaking on the floor condemning the Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine the right to vote. The floor speech comes after a successful election night for Democrats—where the American people overwhelmingly rejected the Trump Administration’s disastrous policies. During his remarks, Durbin highlighted the numerous ways the Trump Administration is … Continue Reading
November 05, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Throwing Parties, Remodeling The White House While Negating Its Responsibility To Pay Out Snap Benefits For 42 Million Americans
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) criticized the Trump Administration for attempting to abandon its responsibility to pay out SNAP benefits after two courts ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does have the authority to use emergency funds to provide SNAP benefits to the 42 million Americans who rely on the program. As Durbin makes clear in his remarks, the President is halting SNAP benefits and harming the … Continue Reading
November 05, 2025
Durbin Shares Story Of Green Card Holder Who Went Missing For Two Weeks After Being Unlawfully Detained By DHS Agents During So-Called “Operation Midway Blitz”
WASHINGTON - Two months after President Trump launched his so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor to again denounce the extreme tactics of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they routinely and unlawfully detain residents of Illinois. In his … Continue Reading
November 05, 2025
Durbin Presses ICE Acting Director On Denying Members Of Congress Access To Facilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons on denials of Members of Congress to visit ICE facilities and meet with detainees, including multiple attempts by Durbin to visit the Broadview ICE Facility in Illinois. In a letter to the Acting ICE Director, Durbin began by admonishing the Trump Administration for impeding on Congress’s oversight … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Slams Congressional Republicans For Refusing To Address Health Care Costs As Americans Are Notified Of Rising Premiums
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senate Democrats in speaking on the floor about the health care affordability crisis, which has been manufactured by congressional Republicans as they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and end the government shutdown. If these credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans are expected to lose their health care coverage, including more … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Three Resolutions To Terminate President Trump’s Harmful Tariffs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate passed three resolutions, all with bipartisan support, to terminate the President’s disastrous tariffs on Brazil and Canada, as well as his global “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every country: “The President has decided to gamble with our economy by recklessly implementing sky-high tariffs against our trading partners. These haphazard trade policies have threatened our nation’s … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Reprimands DHS Agents For Cruel Treatment Of U.S. Citizen And Chicagoan Who Was Ripped From Her Car, Aggressively Arrested And Detained For Hours Without Cause
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor to criticize the Trump Administration’s cruel so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in the Chicago area, which has sown fear among communities in the city. In his remarks, Durbin denounced the aggressive immigration enforcement actions taken by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Condemns ICE Activity During Halloween Weekend In Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement actions during Halloween weekend in the Chicagoland area. During his speech, Durbin also reflected on his visit to Little Village on Friday, where he met with high school students who organized a walk out to protest the Administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz.” Durbin has … Continue Reading
November 03, 2025
Durbin Commends Chicago-Area Businesses For Feeding Illinoisans As Trump Administration Refuses To Process Full Snap Benefits During Republicans’ Shutdown
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) commended Chicago-area businesses for offering meals to Illinoisans as the Trump Administration reluctantly provides minimal SNAP benefits to 42 million Americans during the Republican-led government shutdown. Last month, the Trump Administration claimed that it did not have the authority to process SNAP benefits in November despite the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) having between $8 and … Continue Reading
November 03, 2025
Durbin Exposes Trump Administration's Extreme Conduct in Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a powerful video exposing the abuses committed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under orders from the Trump Administration. In the video, Durbin shows misconduct committed by immigration agents that impacted innocent children and families, shares Ofelia Torres’s traumatic … Continue Reading
October 31, 2025
Durbin, Welch Lead Letter To DOJ Demanding Answers About The Legality Of Trump Administration’s Recent Boat Strikes Killing 57 People In The Caribbean Sea & Pacific Ocean
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in sending a letter to Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi to demand answers about the legality of military actions ordered by President Trump that have already killed 57 individuals in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. In their letter, the … Continue Reading
October 31, 2025
Durbin Statement On Trump Administration’s Decision To Withhold SNAP Benefits From 42 Million Americans During Republican-Led Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to not process SNAP benefits in November as congressional Republicans keep the government shut down: “First, the Republicans cut almost $200 billion from the SNAP program in their so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Now, the Republican shutdown and President Trump’s USDA will stop next month’s SNAP benefits … Continue Reading
October 31, 2025
Durbin Calls Out Republicans For Health Care Premium Spikes, Shares Constituent Stories
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a news conference at Access Living of Metro Chicago in response to the announcement that Affordable Care Act premiums for 2026 will skyrocket an average of nearly 80 percent across Illinois, due to Republicans in Congress refusing to extend a crucial tax credit policy that helps people nationwide afford health coverage. If these tax credits are allowed to expire, Illinoisans who purchase ACA plans in the northern part of the … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Department Of Insurance Director To Discuss Skyrocketing Aca Premiums As Republicans Fail To Work With Democrats To Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met virtually with the Illinois Department of Insurance Director, Ann Gillespie, to discuss the skyrocketing premium increase for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans. Instead of meeting with Democrats to address this health care crisis, Republicans have shut down the federal government. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans are expected to lose their … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Senate Republicans, Trump USDA For Blocking SNAP Funds For 42 Million Americans
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, criticized congressional Republicans for continuing their shutdown as 42 million Americans are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits. Despite the Trump Administration’s recent claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has between $8 and $9 billion in funds to pay out SNAP benefits to Americans for the month of November. “Forty-two million … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Durbin Leads Judiciary Democrats In Calling On Chairman Grassley To Allow Former Special Counsel Jack Smith To Testify Publicly Before Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Democrats in sending a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) calling on him to allow former Special Counsel Jack Smith to testify before the Committee. In their letter, the Senators also urged Chairman Grassley to request the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) release Volume II of the unredacted “Final Report of the Special … Continue Reading
October 29, 2025
Durbin Applauds The Hundreds Of High School Students In Little Village Who Walked Out Of School To Protest Ice
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor praising the hundreds of high school students in Little Village who walked out of class yesterday to protest the Trump Administration’s cruel “Operation Midway Blitz” in the Chicagoland area. Durbin has continuously gone to the Senate floor and made clear that the increased presence and enforcement actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs … Continue Reading