Press Releases
Durbin Discusses Trump Cuts To AmeriCorps Programs With Program Alumni
CHICAGO ? U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from Public Allies Chicago and North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) , as well as AmeriCorps alumni, to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s elimination of federal funding for AmeriCorps programs. “From rebuilding homes and providing rural health care, to tutoring kids after school and cleaning up after natural disasters, AmeriCorps supports our most under-resourced communities,” said Durbin. … Continue Reading
May 09, 2025
Durbin, Blumenthal, Senators Pen Letter To HHS Secretary Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Makary Urging Them To Halt Efforts To Weaken Food Oversight
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and three of their Senate Democratic colleagues today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary raising concerns about recent changes to the FDA that will weaken the Human Foods Program, which spearheads all food safety and nutrition efforts at FDA. The Senators’ letter comes as Secretary … Continue Reading
May 08, 2025
Durbin, Smith, Schneider, Stevens Introduce Bill To Address Teaching Shortages In High-Need Schools
WASHINGTON - During Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), along with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), today introduced bicameral legislation, the RETAIN Act, that would address the severe nationwide shortage of early childhood and K-12 teachers that disproportionately impacts students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and students from rural … Continue Reading
May 08, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump Withdrawing Ed Martin's Nomination To Be U.S. Attorney For D.C.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement that he will withdraw Ed Martin’s nomination to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia: “Ed Martin’s commentary and affiliations left no doubt that he was not qualified to serve as the top law enforcement official for our nation’s capital. Nearly every day, new disqualifying information … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Durbin, Luján Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve AI Testing, Safeguarding Americans Against Risks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced the Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence (TEST) AI Act of 2025, legislation to improve the federal government’s capacity to test and evaluate Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to drive innovation, protect national security, and build trust and confidence for Americans utilizing AI … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Durbin Requests Probe Into Justice Department Use Of Aircraft For Personal Or Political Purposes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today requested a review of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) use of government-owned aircraft by senior executives, in light of concerns about compliance with federal regulations that restrict nonmission-related travel and require reimbursement for personal or political use. In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Durbin began by asserting his request, writing: “I … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth, Klobuchar Raise Privacy Concerns About New DOGE Scrutiny of Farmer Finances With USDA Loans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more information about reports that farm loans and loan guarantees must be inspected and cleared by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees. “We write to express concern about a reported memorandum … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Durbin, Shaheen, Wicker Meet With Belarusian Opposition Leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) yesterday met with Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to discuss efforts to bring democracy to her country. In 2020, Tsikhanouskaya likely won the disputed election against Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko after filling in for her … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Members Of Rail Labor Unions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members from Illinois’ rail labor unions and leaders from the Railroad Retirement Board to discuss ensuring adequate and timely retirement benefits for workers. During their meeting, Durbin and the rail leaders spoke about delays in processing benefits due to staffing shortages and the uncertainty caused by the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) move to shutter federal building across the country. Durbin … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Durbin In Spotlight Forum: We Need The Department Of Education
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a spotlight forum entitled “Abandoning America’s Promise: The Real Cost of Dismantling the Department of Education (ED),” which examined the disastrous impacts of the Trump Administration’s promise to gut ED and roll back oversight, civil rights enforcement, and funding for Title I, IDEA, Pell Grants, and student aid. Durbin began his speaking time in the forum by reflecting on ED’s work in offering equitable … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Durbin Urges AG Bondi, FBI Director Patel To Investigate Threats Against Federal Judges As They Continue To Receive Anonymous Deliveries As An Intimidation Tactic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter today to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel urging them to investigate the ongoing and increasing threats against federal judges. Recently, federal judges and their family members have received anonymous deliveries to their homes intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Eliminating AmeriCorps Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor admonishing the Trump Administration’s decision to cruelly eliminate funding forAmeriCorps, a widely-supported program that has strengthened American communities for more than three decades. “From rebuilding homes, to providing rural health care, tutoring kids after school, cleaning up after natural disasters, AmeriCorps supports our most under-resourced communities. My Republican … Continue Reading
May 05, 2025
Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republican Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research As Trump Freezes Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor slamming the Trump Administration for freezing medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. Durbin has been a fierce advocate for NIH funding and worked with his colleagues—both Republicans and Democrats—over the years to increase NIH funding by 60 percent. NIH funding appropriated by Congress and secured by Durbin, is used for … Continue Reading
May 05, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Gutting Global Health Programs
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which guts programs for foreign aid that have historically had bipartisan support. Durbin spoke specifically about the dangers of defunding programs that have dramatically curtailed the devastating impact of AIDS across the globe. “I didn’t agree with former President George W. Bush on a lot of things, but I have … Continue Reading
May 05, 2025
Durbin Meets With Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Kari K. Steele, President of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to discuss the design and construction of Thornton Reservoir, which was built to reduce chronic flooding in the Great Lakes region. In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), Durbin secured a $20 million earmark for MWRD to address excessive flooding in historically underserved communities in the Chicagoland area, including Harvey, South … Continue Reading
May 05, 2025
Durbin Meets With The Illinois Hospital Association To Discuss Republican Plans To Cut Medicaid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois hospital leaders to discuss their concerns over Republicans’ plan to cut Medicaid in the reconciliation package, to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Congressional Republicans have proposed $880 billion in potential Medicaid cuts, which would lead to nurses losing their jobs, mental health and obstetrics units being shuttered, hospital closures, and millions of people losing their health insurance coverage. In … Continue Reading
May 02, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Budget Proposal
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on President Trump’s abysmal budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 that cuts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by nearly half: “It’s no surprise that President Trump proposed a federal budget that reflects his true priority - funding tax breaks for billionaires by betraying … Continue Reading
May 02, 2025
Durbin Discusses Impact Of Trump's Tariffs On Chicago Small Businesses Owners
CHICAGO— U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined small business owners in Lincoln Park to discuss the impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. “The Trump Tariffs are already driving up costs for manufacturers, disrupting our supply chains, and inspiring retaliatory tariffs, which will hurt small businesses like Lori’s Shoes, Art Effect, and Lost Soul Found, as well as their customers,” said Durbin. “President Trump has doubled down on these tariffs with nothing to show for … Continue Reading
May 02, 2025
Durbin Demands Attorney General Bondi To Recuse Herself From Any Work Benefitting Private Prison Company Due To Conflicts Of Interest
CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from any Justice Department (DOJ)-related work that could benefit her former lobbying client, the GEO Group, a major private prison contractor whose largest source of revenue is from contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Durbin raises serious ethical concerns due … Continue Reading
May 02, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Executive Order To End Federal Funds For NPR And PBS
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to prohibit federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): “The ruthless cuts and attacks on our federal government was not enough for President Trump—now he is going after public broadcasting, which has been providing unbiased, informative, and … Continue Reading