Press Releases
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Agriculture, Rural Development, & FDA Spending Bill With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin, Duckworth
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in this appropriations bill, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic appropriations … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Durbin, Kelly, Padilla, Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration on Weaponizing Immigration Court Hearings to Trap, Arrest, Deport Immigrants
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) led a group of 21 Senate Democrats in pressing the Trump Administration on its recent initiatives to weaponize immigration court hearings as an inhumane trap to arrest immigrants who are just trying to follow the law by terminating their immigration court cases and deporting them without adequate due process. In a letter to … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Durbin Speaks Against President Trump's Efforts To Strip Public Broadcasting Of Federal Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led Senators in speeches on the Senate floor against President Trump’s $9.4 billion rescissions request to cut funding already appropriated by Congress—specifically the $1.1 billion cut to federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), including $700 million that provides critical funding for local public media. Should Republicans pass the President’s rescissions package, it would devastate more than 1,500 … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Durbin Releases Documents Corroborating Justice Department Whistleblower's Allegations Against Embattled Trump Judicial Pick Emil Bove
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released text messages, email exchanges, and documents further corroborating the whistleblower disclosures of Mr. Erez Reuveni, formerly the Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Department of Justice, on Emil Bove’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. On the disclosures and the status of Mr. Bove’s judicial nomination, … Continue Reading
July 09, 2025
In Appropriations Hearing, Durbin Calls Out Trump Administration For Halting Grants That Fund Research For Diabetes Treatment And Prevention
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today participated in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing entitled “A Future Without Type 1 Diabetes: Accelerating Breakthroughs and Creating Hope.” During the hearing, Durbin advocated for robust federal funding for medical research institutions, particularly for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that have been critical in studying and developing treatments for … Continue Reading
July 08, 2025
Durbin Slams Republicans' So-Called "One Big, Beautiful Bill" Which Slashes Health Care Coverage For 17 Million Americans To Provide Massive Tax Breaks For Billionaires
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will slash Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, and Medicare coverage for 17 million Americans to provide massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. During his speech, Durbin underscored the dangers of this Republican bill, which was signed into law by President Trump on the Fourth of July. “Americans across this nation … Continue Reading
July 08, 2025
Durbin Expresses Condolences For The Lives Lost And Those Impacted By The Flooding In Central Texas
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today shared his condolences for the lives lost and those impacted by the flash floods that devastated Central Texas this past weekend and thanked the first responders and volunteers who have worked around the clock to save lives. “I know I speak for millions of Americans when I say we are heartbroken over the flash floods that devastated Central Texas this past weekend. Early Friday morning, while … Continue Reading
July 04, 2025
Durbin Statement Marking Three Years Since The Highland Park Shooting
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement marking three years since the shooting in Highland Park, Illinois: “Today, we remember Katherine Goldstein, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo, who we lost in an unspeakable act of violence three years ago. I join the Highland Park community in continuing to grieve the loss of these seven lives. “As we remember this … Continue Reading
July 01, 2025
Senate Judiciary Democrats Investigate the Justice, Defense, And Homeland Security Departments About DOJ's Defiance Of Court Orders After Whistleblower Disclosure
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in further investigatingwhistleblower accusations made by Mr. Erez Reuveni, formerly the Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ), against Principal Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and senior DOJ leadership. In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Department of Homeland … Continue Reading
July 01, 2025
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Republicans' So-Called "One Big, Beautiful Bill"
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against Senate Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed 50-50 with Vice President Vance breaking the tie vote. Every Senate Democrat voted against the measure. “Let’s make one thing clear - there is nothing ‘beautiful’ about slashing health care coverage for 17 million Americans all so President Trump can deliver a shiny tax cut to the wealthiest individuals and corporations. … Continue Reading
June 30, 2025
Durbin Files Amendments To Republicans' Reconciliation Bill To Protect Rural Hospitals And Medical Research
WASHINGTON - Ahead of an upcoming vote-a-rama, where Senate Democrats will expose the truth about Republicans’ harmful scheme to cut health care and food assistance to provide billionaires with tax breaks, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) filed two motions to commit the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee and make revisions to protect against cuts to rural hospitals and medical research. Under the Senate Republican bill, $930 billion will be cut from Medicaid—in addition to … Continue Reading
June 29, 2025
Ahead of Vote-a-rama, Durbin Sounds The Alarm On Republicans' So-Called "One Big, Beautiful Bill"
WASHINGTON - Ahead of an upcoming vote-a-rama, where Senate Democrats will expose the truth about Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will slash Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, and Medicare coverage for more than 16 million Americans to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor where he underscored the dangers of this Republican proposal and called on four of his Senate Republican … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Outlines Harmful Judiciary Committee Provisions Included In Republicans' Reconciliation Bill
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about some of the harmful Judiciary provisions included in Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which aims to slash Medicaid and Medicare coverage for hardworking Americans in order to pay for significant tax breaks forbillionaires. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, 16 million Americans will lose their … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Votes For War Powers Resolution Requiring Congressional Authority For Further U.S. Military Action Against Iran
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate failed to pass Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) war powers resolution, which would require a prompt debate and vote prior to using additional U.S. military force against Iran. Kaine introduced the resolution on June 16 as violence was escalating in the Middle East. His resolution became even more important after President Trump bombed three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend without … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Honors Fallen Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today entered a tribute to fallen Chicago Police Department Officer Krystal Rivera into the congressional record. Officer Rivera was killed in the line of duty on June 5, 2025. She served at the Chicago Police Department for four years, and she was a mother to a 10-year-old daughter, Bella. “We know that our men and women in uniform are vital public servants. They shoulder an immense responsibility when protecting and safeguarding … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Statement On Successfully Removing Some Harmful Immigration Provisions From Republincans' Reconciliation Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats successfully removed several harmful Judiciary immigration provisions from Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including imposing a punitive fee on asylum seekers fleeing persecution, imposing a fee on litigants in immigration court simply for seeking a continuance, which would undermine access … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision Allowing For LGBTQ+ Discrimination In Public Schools
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against freedom of speech, public education, and LGBTQ+ rights in Mahmoud v. Taylor: “This is a loss for public education, freedom of speech, and LGBTQ+ rights. “LGBTQ+ stories matter. Kids deserve to see themselves in the books they read. Tragically, the same zealots who try to ban books from libraries are now trying … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin, Murphy, Coons, Welch, & Schiff Introduce Resolution Recognizing Tunisia's Leadership In The Arab Spring & Calling Out Troubling Democratic Backsliding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) today introduced a resolution recognizing Tunisia’s leadership in the Arab Spring and expressing support for upholding its democratic principles and norms. Under the country’s current President Kais Saied, Tunisia has seen a recent backslide of the democratic gains made in the years following the Arab Spring. This includes a … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision To Limit Judges' Power To Issue A Nationwide Injunctions, Allowing The Trump Administration's Executive Order To End Birthright Citizenship To Move Forward
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled against district courts’ nationwide preliminary injunctions blocking the Trump Administration’s executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship in Trump v. CASA: “The Supreme Court just issued a devastating blow to the separation of powers that is enshrined in our Constitution. Federal judges in multiple states … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth: Republicans' So-Called 'Big Beautiful Bill' Could Shutter 93 Nursing Homes in Illinois Alone
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today highlighted new findings that show President Trump’s and Republicans’ reconciliation bill puts 579 nursing homes across the country at risk of closure. Based on this data compiled by Brown University’s School of Public Health, and released by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill … Continue Reading