Press Releases
Durbin Statement on Fifth Circuit Ruling on DACA
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, released the following statement regarding the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to remand the case on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to the District Court for further consideration. For now, this decision maintains the status quo - current DACA recipients can continue to live and work under the protections of the … Continue Reading
October 05, 2022
Durbin, Stratton Join Local Officials to Cut Ribbon On Latest Completed Segment of Springfield Rail Improvements Project
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended the ribbon cutting for the new 5th and 6th Street Bridges, which are part of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. The 5th and 6th Street Bridges Project includes new double-track bridges for the Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific corridors at 5th and 6th Streets. It also includes grading, drainage, and trackwork from north of 6th Street to Stanford Avenue. This project improves rail safety and vehicle height restrictions on the … Continue Reading
October 05, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Department of Education to Strengthen Regulations Against Informal Removal of Students From Class as a Form of Discipline
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights calling for "informal removal" to be included in the final rulemaking for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As the Senators reiterate in their letter, including informal removal in Section 504 regulations would protect students, particularly those with disabilities, from the discriminatory use of informal … Continue Reading
October 04, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Join Menendez, Velazquez in Bicameral Effort Urging The Biden Administration to Extend Federal Cost Share Waiver and Unlock Federal Resources for Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07) in a bicameral effort urging the Biden Administration to direct more resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to all municipalities in Puerto Rico that need assistance following the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona. Specifically, the lawmakers asked President Biden to grant FEMA … Continue Reading
October 04, 2022
Durbin, Welch Statement on Federal Reserve's New Rule to Ensure Debit Card Competition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement after the Federal Reserve finalized updates to the Board's rule concerning debit card transactions: "For years we have worked to bring fairness and competition to debit and credit card swipe fees, and this is a big step forward. The Federal Reserve's rulemaking is a win for competition and good news for Main Street merchants and consumers who are tired of big … Continue Reading
October 03, 2022
Durbin Announces $200,000 For Lawndale Christian Legal Center Community-Based Legal Services
LAWNDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) to discuss the $200,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending-more commonly known as an earmark-in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill to support and enhance LCLC's ongoing community-based legal services. "Too many of our children have been exposed to tremendous amounts of trauma, which has long term consequences on their ability to succeed and … Continue Reading
September 30, 2022
Durbin, Marshall Introduce Amendment to NDAA to Address High Swipe Fees Affecting Our Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) introduced two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address excessively high credit and debit card swipe fees that burden American consumers, small businesses, and veterans. Their first amendment would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Treasury Department to issue a report about a current law, 10 USC 1065, that requires some veteran populations including … Continue Reading
September 30, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $58 Million for Variety of Illinois Health Care Programs and Initiatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $58,988,919 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "Illinois is home to a wide-range of programs and health care initiatives dedicated to keeping residents healthy," said Durbin. "With this robust federal funding, these programs and institutions can continue improving the well-being of all Illinoisans-whether that means helping … Continue Reading
September 30, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $31 Million for Health Care Research in Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $31,055,926 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) medical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from cancer prevention to vision research. "Federal investments in medical research equip Illinois' … Continue Reading
September 30, 2022
Durbin: The Senate Judiciary Committee Will Proceed With Previously-Scheduled Nominations Hearing on October 12
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the upcoming Committee schedule after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate will hold its next floor votes after November's midterm elections: "While the Senate will now be in recess, the Judiciary Committee will hold a previously-scheduled hearing on judicial nominations on Wednesday, October 12. "While it is my … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin Questions New BOP Director During Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Colette Peters, the new Director at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons." Durbin began his questioning by asking about solitary confinement. Research has shown that solitary confinement has severe physical and mental health consequences and that the practice has little effect on … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Continuing Resolution
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the federal government through December 16, 2022: "The CR that passed the Senate today is essential to keeping the government funded through December 16. I'm pleased it includes Democratic priorities, including roughly $12 billion toward Ukraine assistance, to help our Ukrainian … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Pritzker Announce More Than $21 Million for Illinois Highway Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with Governor JB Pritzker today announced $21,998,178 awarded to Illinois by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along the Illinois Interstate Highway System. "As Illinois becomes poised to play a nationally important role on electric vehicles, … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Senate Confirms Arianna Freeman to Third Circuit
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Arianna Freeman to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Freeman's confirmation: "Arianna Freeman is an accomplished appellate attorney who has dedicated her career to representing those seeking to vindicate their rights to due process, effective assistance of counsel, and other constitutional … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin, Padilla Introduce Legislation to Broaden Legal Pathway to Citizenship
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, introduced legislation to expand a pathway to legal permanent resident (LPR) status for millions of long-term U.S. residents. The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 would update the existing Registry statute so that an immigrant may qualify for … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $15 Million in DOJ Awards to Support Illinois Violence Prevention
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $15,009,020 in Department of Justice (DOJ) awards for violence prevention efforts across Illinois communities. "This federal funding will give communities around Illinois additional resources to not only respond to violence, but help prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place," said Durbin. "Senator Duckworth and I will continue working … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Bureau of Prisons Oversight
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons." Key Quotes: "It is no overstatement to say that in recent years, the Bureau has been riddled with mismanagement and scandal. Under the Bureau's previous leadership, we witnessed a lackluster response to the COVID-19 pandemic, rampant misconduct by BOP … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Judiciary Committe Advances Two Circuit Court and Four District Court Nominees
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Cindy K. Chung, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit; Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit; Kelley Brisbon Hodge, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; John Frank Murphy, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Mia Roberts Perez, to be United States District Judge for the … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.5 Million for Chicago Public Schools and Depaul University to Address Teacher Shortages
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a total of $2,504,602 to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and DePaul University through the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program. This program uses innovative ways to recruit, prepare, and retain more educators, especially teachers of color. "We must do more to support our nation's educators to ensure students across Illinois have … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Durbin Meets with New Director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) Director Dr. Brian King, to discuss FDA's long-standing failure to use its authority to effectively and efficiently regulate the e-cigarette and synthetic nicotine marketplace, which has led to dramatic increases in youth use of tobacco products. During the meeting, Durbin expressed hope that Dr. King, just a few months into his tenure at FDA, would bring a … Continue Reading