Durbin to McConnell: Stop Using The Filibuster To Obstruct Voting Rights

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called out Senate Republicans for their continued obstruction of voting rights legislation through the use of the filibuster. "The filibuster has been part of the profile of the Senate for a long, long time-for many decades. But what the Senate Republican Leader fails to note is that the use of the filibuster is out of control," Durbin said. "Nothing is… Continue Reading

Durbin: Putin Must End Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor against Russia's ongoing aggression and massive military build-up on Ukraine's border. During his speech, Durbin noted President Biden's swift condemnation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's actions. Durbin also called on his colleagues to support legislation to be introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which would impose crippling sanctions if Rus… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Senate Colleagues To Support Voting Rights Legislation

WASHINGTON - In the wake of the first anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on his colleagues to support important voting rights legislation that will come before the Senate next week. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also discussed the continued threat to our democracy posed by Donald Trump's "Big Lie." "Congress and our nation marked the first anniversary o… Continue Reading

Durbin, Markey, Bowman, Schakowsky Urge Biden Administration To Protect Consumers From Unfairly High Heating And Energy Prices This Winter

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) in a bicameral letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick urging the agency to use its authority to protect consumers from unfairly high energy costs. "We write to express our concern in regard to the effect that anticipated increases in heating and energy costs will have on our con… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks On The Senate Floor One Year After January 6 Insurrection At The U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON - On the first anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor regarding the anniversary of the insurrection and the continued threat to our democracy posed by Donald Trump's "Big Lie." During his speech, Durbin paid his respects to the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on that day. "The videos don't lie. The facts are the fact… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Justice Department Commitment To Holding Accountable All Perpetrators Of The January 6 Attack At U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after Attorney General Merrick Garland's confirmation that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will hold accountable all perpetrators, at any level, of the January 6, 2021 insurrection-whether they were present at the U.S. Capitol or not: "On January 6, 2021, a mob of politically-motivated violent extremists attacked and ransacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt … Continue Reading

Durbin: One Year After January 6 Insurrection, Trump's "Big Lie" Remains A Threat To The Nation

WASHINGTON - One day ahead of the first anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the anniversary of the insurrection and the continued threat to our democracy posed by Donald Trump's "Big Lie." "We came perilously close to losing our democracy… It survives today only because men and women of conscience, Democrats and Republicans, refused to cooperate with the former Presi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Resignation Of Director Carvajal From Federal Bureau Of Prisons

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement in light of news that Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal will resign: "For years, the Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by corruption, chronic understaffing, and mismanagement. In the nearly two years since Director Carvajal was handpicked by then-Attorney General Bill Barr, he has failed to address the mounting crises in our nation'… Continue Reading

In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Honors The Late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today honored the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) who passed away on December 28. During his speech, Durbin highlighted Senator Reid's leadership in passing the Affordable Care Act, as well as Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms, and his strong and unwavering support of Dreamers. "[Harry] was a man of extraordinary humility. He was the first to admit he wasn't much of an orator and he would… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Passing Of Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the passing of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "Harry was the best. A humble man who never forgot his Searchlight roots. A boxer who had a caring heart. A loyal friend who stood by you through thick and thin. A lucky man who found the love of his life in high school and lived his life with her. "He brought me into Senate leadership to be by his side nearly twenty years… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Announces First Year Accomplishments Under Chair Durbin

WASHINGTON - On February 2, 2021, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) took a new title: Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the following 11 months, the Committee has addressed key challenges confronting the country-including voting rights, gun violence prevention, immigration, and criminal justice reform-and confirmed highly qualified nominees who are bringing balance and impartiality back to our justice system. Key moments from the Senate Judiciary Committee's first sessi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Members Of Delegation Call On Amazon To Review Safety Procedures Following Collapse Of Edwardsville Warehouse

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Marie Newman (D-IL-03), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), and Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today sent a letter to Ama… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.2 Million For Kane County Diversion Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1.2 million in federal funding to the Kane County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, will support a new program designed to provide access to health care and other supportive services outside of the criminal legal system. "The opioid epidemic continues to be a major challenge for communities of every demographic," Durbin said. "Access to services out… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.3 Million For COVID-19 Telehealth Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4.3 million in federal funding to several Illinois health care providers for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, building on an initiative established as part of the CARES Act. The funding, awarded by the Federal Communications Commission, supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connec… Continue Reading

Durbin, Booker Applaud Justice Department Decision To Reconsider Trump-Era Opinion And Allow Thousands Of Individuals To Remain On Home Confinement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, today released the following joint statement after Attorney General Garland announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reconsidered a Trump-era Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that would have required individuals on CARES Act home confinement to return to prison a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Booker Applaud Justice Department Decision To Reconsider Trump-Era Opinion And Allow Thousands Of Individuals To Remain On Home Confinement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, today released the following joint statement after Attorney General Garland announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reconsidered a Trump-era Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that would have required individuals on CARES Act home confinement to return to prison a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4 Million For America's Central Port In Granite City

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4.1 million in federal funding to America's Central Port in Granite City, Illinois, one of the largest freight hubs in the Midwest. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, will support improvements to a berth and cargo transfer location at the port's Granite City Harbor facility. "America's Central Port is integral to the Metro East economy and our nation… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.4 Million In DOJ Funding To Strengthen Reentry Strategies And Reduce Recidivism

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $1,464,808 in Department of Justice (DOJ) awards for Illinois communities to help prevent recidivism, improve reentry strategies, and reduce crime. The funding, awarded by DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), will go to Heartland Alliance's READI Program in Chicago and Winnebago County's Resource Intervention Center in Rockford. "The funding announc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Mayor Lightfoot, Members Of Delegation, Urge Army Corps Of Engineers To Prioritize Funding For Chicago Shoreline Storm Damage Reduction Project

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, along with U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), and Marie Newman (D-IL-03), today sent a letter to the Army Corp of Engineers urging the Corps to use the funds provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to invest in the Chicago Shoreline Storm Da… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Federal Judge Rejecting Purdue Pharma's Bankruptcy Scheme

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after a federal judge rejected OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement, which would have provided the Sackler family with sweeping legal immunity from thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic: "For years, Purdue Pharma flooded America with painkillers and lies, profiting off the addiction epidemic they created. The Sacklers created enor… Continue Reading