Press Releases
Durbin Joins All Agriculture Committee Democrats To Press USDA On Indiscriminate Layoffs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, this week joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in leading all Committee Democrats in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to explain recent mass layoffs at the Department. The Senators asked how many USDA employees were fired and for a breakdown by state, agency, job position, and veteran status—all details the Administration has not provided to … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Discusses Illinois' Leadership In Quantum Computing With IBM
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum, to discuss Illinois’ position as a leader in quantum computing. During their meeting, Durbin received an update on IBM’s plans to join the Illinois Quantum Microelectronics Park (IQMP) on the South Side of Chicago. IBM plans to build a commercial quantum computer at the park and train the needed quantum workforce through the National Quantum Algorithms Center. Illinois … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Exposes Trump's Phony "Energy Emergency," Which Will Only Cut American Jobs And Enrich Big Oil Billionaires
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) disparaged the Trump Administration’s fabricated “energy emergency,” which President Trump declared in a vile effort to use additional presidential authority to fast-track the construction of oil pipelines and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, among many other pro-fossil fuel projects. The false emergency is a thinly veiled effort to appease President Trump’s wealthy donors at the expense of the … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Announces Murkowski As New Cosponsor Of Bill To Grant Ukrainians Already In The U.S. Temporary Guest Status
WASHINGTON - Following the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, announced U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is a cosponsor of his Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Talks Transformers, Clean Energy With IMEA/IMUA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Municipal Electric/Utilities Association (IMEA/IMUA) to discuss clean energy tax credits and addressing the supply chain issues that have led to a shortage of transformers, which are an essential component of electrical infrastructure that adjusts the voltage of currents moving through electrical wires. Due to a sluggish supply chain, building sectors and utilities are grappling with an … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Meets With Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Nominee For NIH Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate NIH Caucus, today met with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During the meeting, Durbin questioned Dr. Bhattacharya about President Trump and Elon Musk’s illegal funding cuts at NIH. President Trump and Musk are attempting to cap “indirect costs” at 15 percent for lab capacity, which would be … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin, King, Smith, Wyden Introduce Legislation To Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) today introduced legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. The legislation, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would authorize a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks—textbooks that are … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Questions Justice Department Executive Nominees At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Justice Department executive nominees at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today. Durbin first questioned Aaron Reitz, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy (OLP), if he has ever supported the idea that an elected official may defy a federal court order. In his questioning, Durbin recalled that on March 30, 2020, U.S. District Judge … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For Justice Department Executive Nominees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Harmeet Dhillon, to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Aaron Reitz, to be Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy (OLP); and D. John Sauer, to be Solicitor General of the United States. During his opening remarks, Durbin condemned President … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Announces Resolution With Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, Other Senate Democrats To Support Critical Work At NIH As Elon Musk, President Trump Continue To Slash Funding
WASHINGTON - Today, 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 with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as President Trump and Elon Musk continue to illegally cut funding and resources at NIH. The resolution simply says that the work of NIH should not be … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
Durbin, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Democrats Oppose Use Of Federal Prisons As Part Of President Trump's Mass Deportation Efforts
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a group of Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi stating opposition to the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities to detain immigrants. The move is a policy revival from President Trump’s first Administration, where detained immigrants described allegations of … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
Following The Third Anniversary Of Russia's War In Ukraine, Durbin Meets With Members Of The Illinois Ukrainian American Community To Offer Support
WASHINGTON - Following the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with members of the Illinois Ukrainian American community to offer support as President Trump continues his affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin and harmful rhetoric toward Ukraine and President Zelenskyy. During the meeting, Durbin condemned President Trump’s appeasement to Putin—with Trump … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
Durbin Meets With Harmeet Dhillon, President Trump's Nominee For Assistant Attorney General For Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Harmeet Dhillon, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division: “We’re witnessing an unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department right now, at the direction of President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel. Ms. Dhillon’s record as a … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Announces Introduction Of Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act To Crack Down On Crypto Scams That They Prey On Seniors
WASHINGTON - Today, in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced the introduction of the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act to help prevent scammers from stealing Americans’ savings through cryptocurrency schemes. Each year, Americans, especially seniors, lose tens of millions of dollars to scams involving cryptocurrency ATMs. The largely unregulated nature of these machines, coupled with the … Continue Reading
February 25, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Pritzker And Illinois Congressional Delegation In Pressing White House On Withholding $1.8 Billion From Taxpayers
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and members of the Illinois congressional delegation in issuing a joint letter to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought demanding action and accountability from OMB on the approximately $1.88 billion in funding that is illegally being withheld from Illinois taxpayers despite the funding being appropriated by Congress … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
Durbin, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Bipartisan Resolution To Designate February As American Heart Month
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, today celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to designate February 2025 as American Heart Month. The resolution reaffirms the government’s commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by supporting research and improving access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality. “As the leading cause … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
On Third Anniversary Of Russia's Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine, Durbin Reiterates Bipartisan Congressional Support For Ukraine
WASHINGTON - On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Ukraine. During his speech, Durbin condemned President Trump’s appeasement to Russian President Vladimir Putin—where Trump announced key concessions to Putin regarding Ukraine, while apparently ignoring Ukraine’s key demands. Durbin began his speech by reflecting on President Reagan’s … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
On The Third Anniversary Of Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, Durbin Introduces Bill To Grant Ukrainians Already In The U.S. Temporary Guest Status
WASHINGTON - On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today introduced the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. The bill … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
Durbin, Senate Judiciary, Approps Democratic Leaders Denounce President Trump's Unlawful Transfer Of Immigrants To Guantánamo
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led Democratic leaders of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees in a letter to President Trump denouncing his transfer of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo as unlawful and asking for answers to basic questions yet to be provided to Congress. The Senators begin by denouncing the transfers, writing: “We write to object to your illegal and unjustified … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
Durbin Reintroduced Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Rural Postal Processing Facilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to protect mail processing centers in rural communities by mandating a study on the consequences of downsizing or closing these facilities, which is already required before the closure of a storefront post office, but not forProcessing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs). The Postal Processing Protection Act … Continue Reading