Press Releases
Durbin Slams Republicans For Continuing To Hold Up The Bipartisan Deal To Fund Most Of DHS, Including TSA & FEMA
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed congressional Republicans for continuing to hold up a bipartisan deal that would fund every agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—except U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bipartisan deal that has passed the Senate … Continue Reading
April 15, 2026
Durbin Talks With Illinois Pork Producers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association who shared their top policy priorities in the pork industry. Durbin and the group spoke about the effects of California’s Proposition 12 on Illinois pork production, the critical role of foreign workers in keeping the Illinois pork industry strong, strengthening export markets like Mexico and Canada, and … Continue Reading
April 15, 2026
Durbin Releases Statement Following Failed Iran War Powers Resolution Vote
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against Senator Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) war powers resolution that would have removed United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states that the power to declare war is an explicit power of Congress and Congress overwhelmingly reaffirmed this constitutional provision when … Continue Reading
April 15, 2026
Durbin Presses Trump Loyalist Nominated To A Lifetime Judicial Position On The Outcome Of The 2020 Election
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned judicial nominees during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Durbin first questioned Justin Smith, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, about the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Smith is a President Trump loyalist and election denier. In 2020, he signed an amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania, seeking to overturn the results of the … Continue Reading
April 15, 2026
Durbin Denounces Trump Loyalist Nominated To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Eighth Circuit During Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Justin Smith, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; Jeffrey Kuhlman, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas; Anthony Mattivi, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas; and Anthony Powell to the U.S. District Court for the District of … Continue Reading
April 15, 2026
Durbin, Schakowsky, Mullin Introduce Bicameral Bill To Crack Down On Illegal Robocalls
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), and U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15) today reintroduced the Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act, a bill that would help end the plague of illegal robocalls in America. The legislation would give the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Do-Not-Call Registry teeth by providing all telephone subscribers, including small businesses, the ability to seek … Continue Reading
April 14, 2026
Durbin Slams Latest Unconstitutional Attempts By Trump To Restrict Voting
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, addressed the latest attempts by President Donald Trump and his Administration to restrict voters’ access to the ballot box, including his latest executive order targeting mail-in voting, as well as Senate Republican’s misguided SAVE America Act. “People should not be allowed to vote in an election illegally. Is that a radical idea? I think it’s a … Continue Reading
April 14, 2026
Durbin Delivers Floor Speech On Trump’s War Of Choice In Iran
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor today criticizing President Trump’s unclear strategy when it comes to his war of choice in Iran. Durbin began his speech by reflecting on legislation he co-led 20 years ago, the Iran Counter Proliferation Act, which included significant tightening of petroleum-related sanctions. Key parts of the bill eventually became law and helped push Iran to the negotiating table over its genuinely dangerous nuclear … Continue Reading
April 14, 2026
Durbin, Hawley, New Mexico Attorney General Demand Action To Protect Children Online
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), and New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez stood alongside child safety advocates to demand that Congress take decisive action to protect America’s children online by passing critical bipartisan legislation, including U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) and Durbin’s Sunset Section 230 Act, Durbin’s and Hawley’s STOP CSAM Act, and the Kids … Continue Reading
April 14, 2026
Republicans Reject Durbin’s Unanimous Consent Request To Pass Resolution In Honor Of Robert Mueller
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced that honors the life of the late former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller. During his speech, Durbin praised Director Mueller for his service to our country as a Marine during the Vietnam War, where he earned both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, as well as his many years of public service in the Department … Continue Reading
April 14, 2026
In Call With FAA, Durbin, Duckworth Advocate For More Resources For O’Hare Airport Amid FAA Process To Limit Daily Operations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday spoke by phone with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford amid the FAA’s process to limit daily operations at O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The Senators requested an update on this process and asked about the potential limit on daily operations to ensure it matches the level of the airport’s capabilities. Given that ORD is the busiest airport in the … Continue Reading
April 13, 2026
Durbin Speaks On Future Of Justice Department Following Pam Bondi’s Firing
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, addressed the future of the Department of Justice (DOJ) after President Trump’s firing of Pam Bondi and the beginning of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s temporary tenure. Durbin began by addressing Bondi’s firing, saying: “She transformed the Department from the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency into a political entity, and, … Continue Reading
April 10, 2026
Durbin Releases GAO Report Detailing FDA & DOJ’s Failure To Crack Down On The Thousands Of Kid-Friendly Flavored Vaping Products Illegally On The Market
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) newly-completed report examining the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) interagency enforcement activities related to the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes. In August 2024, Durbin requested the report from GAO as FDA neglected to complete its long-overdue review of pre-market tobacco product … Continue Reading
April 07, 2026
Durbin, Senate Democrats Slam Proposed DOJ Power Grab Targeting State Bar Associations’ Ethics Probes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of Senators—including all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats—in a written comment to the Department of Justice yesterday, denouncing a proposed rule overriding state bar authorities’ ethics probes. The proposed rule is in direct violation of the McDade Amendment, which was designed to confirm that the Attorney General did not have the authority to exempt Department … Continue Reading
April 06, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster Announce More Than $500k In Federal Funding For Rural Transportation Infrastructure
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today announced $592,469 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program. This award will support planning, design, and engineering activities for the replacement of three rural bridges that cross the Piscasaw Creek on Squaw Prairie Road, Marengo Road, and Lawrenceville Road in rural Bonus … Continue Reading
April 02, 2026
Durbin Statement On Trump Firing Attorney General Pam Bondi
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi: “Pam Bondi’s legacy will be the weaponization of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency for Donald Trump’s personal benefit, but apparently even she didn’t go far enough to appease him. “Donald Trump wants an unyielding loyalist who will cover up his crimes, prosecute his perceived … Continue Reading
April 02, 2026
Durbin, Marshall Urge FDA To Pre-Review Certain Direct-To-Consumer Drug Advertisements Prior To Being Aired
CARBONDALE - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) today sent a bipartisan letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to urge the agency to use its existing authority to require that certain direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertisements be submitted to FDA for pre-review, prior to being aired on TV. Currently, FDA does not require review of DTC ads prior to the airing of the commercials. In 2007, Congress provided FDA with the … Continue Reading
April 01, 2026
Durbin Announces Federal Funding For Springfield Improvement Projects
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a press conference at Springfield City Hall to announce a total of $1,350,000 in federal funding he secured for Springfield projects through Congressionally Directed Spending—more commonly known as earmarks —in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding bill. Durbin was joined by Mayor Misty Buscher and City Water Division Manager Todd LaFountain. $900,000 of the funding will go to the City of Springfield to replace a … Continue Reading
March 31, 2026
Durbin Celebrates New Pediatric Dental Surgery Center In Southern Illinois
MARION - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a press conference at the future home of Shawnee Health Children’s Dental Center to discuss the need for high-quality, accessible dental care in southern Illinois and how this new center will support the region. Thanks in part to the federal support and attention Durbin brought to this project, Shawnee Health was able to secure philanthropic funding from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation for this dental … Continue Reading
March 27, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $20 Million In Federal Funding For O’Hare Airport
CHICAGO — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $20 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for O’Hare International Airport. This grant will reimburse completed work to extend Runway 9R/27L to reduce delays, accommodate more passengers, and allow for more aircraft operations. “As the nation’s busiest airport, O’Hare keeps millions of Americans connected … Continue Reading