Durbin Questions Secretary Of The Army And Chief Of Staff Of The Army At Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff of the Army General James McConville at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing about the Army's Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget request. Durbin began his questioning asking about the importance of keeping our military nonpartisan. "There's always been an effort to keep a bright line between our mi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.8 Million For Runway Improvements At Quincy Regional Airport

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4.85 million in federal funding awarded to Quincy Regional Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to support the airport's runway reconstruction project. "Today's funding will help improve service, safety, and efficiency at Quincy Regional Airport, which is a critical economic engine and transportation link for Western Illinois," Durbin said. "Senator Du… Continue Reading

In Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Highlights Impact Of American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law In Creating American Jobs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor praising the Biden Administration for the uptick in American jobs shown in the April 2022 jobs report and the unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, which reflects pre-pandemic levels. During his remarks, Durbin highlighted the efforts of Congressional Democrats and President Biden in passing the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to families and small businesses and Democrats' leadership succes… Continue Reading

Durbin: There Will Be A Victory Day Parade In Ukraine To Honor The Valiant Ukrainians

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor to condemn Vladimir Putin's cynical Victory Day speech, in which Putin tried to justify the heinous war crimes he has committed against Ukraine. Durbin also praised First Lady Dr. Jill Biden's visit with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in Ukraine on Mother's Day. The visit further strengthened relations between the U.S. and Ukraine. Durbin said, "Putin disgraced hims… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley, Cardin Press DOJ On Egregious Conditions At Prison Facility In Nation's Capitol

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) are pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the egregiously bad conditions at the District of Columbia Central Detention Facility (CDF), which is operated by the D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC). A surprise October 2021 inspection of CDF by the U.S. Marshals Service (USM… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky Call For Passage Of Bipartisan INFORM Consumers Act

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today joined consumer protection advocates and local business leaders to call for the passage of their bipartisan Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act. This legislation would combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ensuring transparency and verification of high-volume third-party sellers in online r… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown Introduce Legislation To Clarify Critical Tool For Holding Human Rights Violators Accountable

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today introduced the Alien Tort Statute Clarification Act, legislation which will expressly state that the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) applies extraterritorially. This clarification will ensure that foreign national victims can hold perpetrators within the jurisdiction of the United States accountable for human rights violations that occur abroad. "It is impe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Boeing Decision To Move Headquarters From Chicago

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding Boeing's plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C.: "Boeing's decision to leave Illinois is incredibly disappointing-every level of government in our state has worked to make Chicago and Illinois the perfect home for Boeing's headquarters for the past 20 years. We are working together to ensure Boeing leadership both understand… Continue Reading

On Senate Floor, Durbin Proposes Solutions To Cut Costs For Working Americans

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted solutions Congress can implement to help American families save money. Due to inflation caused by Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine and rising COVID cases in China, every day Americans are feeling the brunt of rising prices for gas, groceries, and housing. During his speech, Durbin highlighted ways to cut gas prices, including implementing President Biden's emergency fuel waiver allowing… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Advances U.S. Attorney, Bipartisan Competition Legislation

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nomination of S. Lane Tucker, to be United States Attorney for the District of Alaska, by voice vote. The Committee also advanced S. 977, No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2021, by a vote of 17-4. Ahead of votes, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke to the recently leaked draft opinion which, if adopted as is by the Supreme Court's conservative majority, would over… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce New Federal Funding To Expand Services At School-Based Health Centers In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that four Illinois community health centers have been awarded a total of $800,000 in federal funding to support school-based services in the Chicagoland area, Rockford, and in Southern Illinois. The funding, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA), will support local partnerships between schools and health centers to provide students and families with comprehensive physical and m… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Chinese Ambassador To The U.S.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today met with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang to discuss Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine. Although China claims to oppose the war and support international law and territorial sovereignty, China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion. Durbin also reiterated his support for Lithuania as the nation faces economic pressure from the Chinese government for improving diplomatic ties… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Stabenow Secure Increase In Federal Cost Share For Brandon Road Project In The 2022 Water Resources Development Act

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced that they secured another increase to the federal cost share for the Brandon Road Project in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that was passed out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today. Under the provision, the federal government will fund 90 percent of the construction of the project designed to prevent As… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Must Pass Supplemental Aid Package To Help Ukraine And Prevent Widening Of Putin's War

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass a supplemental aid package to help Ukraine and prevent Russia's war from spreading to neighboring nations. Durbin also highlighted legislation he plans to introduce - the War Crimes Accountability Act - to ensure the United States has the tools to hold accountable the perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities. Durbin, also Co-Chair of … Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Visa And Mastercard Witnesses At Hearing On Credit And Debit Card Swipe Fees

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Excessive Swipe Fees and Barriers to Competition in the Credit and Debit Card Systems," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked Bill Sheedy, Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of Visa Inc., about a statement on a January earnings call by Visa Chief Financial Officer Visant Prabhu, that Visa benefitted from inflation. "On a January 27th earnings call, [Visa CFO Visan… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Credit And Debit Card Interchange Fees

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Excessive Swipe Fees and Barriers to Competition in the Credit and Debit Card Systems." This hearing will examine interchange fees and other anticompetitive practices in the credit and debit card industries, and how rising interchange fees lead to higher consumer prices for goods and services and add to in… Continue Reading

Durbin: Will We Allow Our Children To Inherit A Nation That Is Less Free Than The One Their Parents Grew Up In?

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor on the future of Roe v. Wade following the leak of the Supreme Court's draft majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. "Americans across the country today woke up to a rare occurrence in the history of our American democracy. The highest court in our land is preparing to eliminate a federally protected constitutional right, a woman's right … Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Secretary Of Defense And Chairman Of Joint Chiefs Of Staff At Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing about the Department of Defense's Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget request. Durbin, Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, began his questioning asking about Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine. "I can recall the … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On The Future Of Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke to the alleged leak of the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing entitled, "An Ethical Judiciary: Transparency and Accountability for 21st Century Courts." "I don't condone the leaking of internal Supreme Court documents… I don't know who lea… Continue Reading

Durbin: Congress Must Address Gun Violence In America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on the need to address gun violence in America through steps like cracking down on straw purchases of firearms and ensuring members of law enforcement have the right tools and resources to protect our communities. As part of that comprehensive approach, Durbin also highlighted his Chicago Hospital Engagement, Action, and Leadership (HEAL) Initiative, which was launched in… Continue Reading