Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $225.8 Million In Funding For Brandon Road Project
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $225.8 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for the Brandon Road Project to prevent invasive Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes. "The threat of invasive Asian Carp to the economic and environmental resources of the Great Lakes is serious. It's vital that we protect one of the Midwest's greatest … Continue Reading
January 19, 2022
Following Hostage Situation At Texas Synagogue, Durbin Moves To Close Gun Loophole In Visa Waiver Program
WASHINGTON - Following the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced his intention to reintroduce legislation to close a loophole in federal law that permits foreign nationals who have entered the United States through the Visa Waiver Program to purchase firearms. Current law prohibits visa holders from other countries from purchasing guns, but excludes travelers … Continue Reading
January 18, 2022
Durbin To Senate Republicans: Join Us In Defending American Democracy
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 on his colleagues to support important voting rights legislation that will come before the Senate tomorrow. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act combines the bipartisan John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act with the Freedom to Vote Act. "Today, our democracy needs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 restored to its full power and potential. In the … Continue Reading
January 16, 2022
Durbin Statement On Hostage Situation At Texas Synagogue
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas: "I'm relieved that the Texas Synagogue hostage taking ended with innocent victims unharmed, but the warning is clear. Terrorism-both foreign and domestic-is a danger to targets of hate. "To our Jewish brothers and sisters: we owe you a special effort to protect you … Continue Reading
January 14, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Markey Introduce Legislation To Improve, Assess, And Inform Federal Air Quality Management Strategies
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) to introduce the Technology Assessment for Air Quality Management Act, legislation to authorize $55 million over five years for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to annually update and expand its online air quality toolbox with best-available monitoring technologies and associated uses of data, connect the toolbox with environmental … Continue Reading
January 13, 2022
Durbin, Grassley: New Justice Department Rule Will Implements First Step Act's Earned Time Credits Program And Incentive Rehabilitation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following joint statement in light of news that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a new earned time credit rule that will encourage the dispersal of credits earned by inmates to reduce risks of recidivism, which is a crucial component of the landmark First Step Act: … Continue Reading
January 13, 2022
Ahead Of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Durbin Calls On Senate Republicans To Support Voting Rights Of All Americans
WASHINGTON - Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 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 this week - the bipartisan John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as well as the Freedom to Vote Act. "For some of us, Martin Luther King [Jr.] Day will be a day of reflection, a chance to envision in America what it truly means to be free at … Continue Reading
January 13, 2022
Durbin, Meeks Statement On New GAO Report On U.S. Firearms Trafficking To Central America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following joint statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an update of its April 2021 report on efforts to combat firearms trafficking from the United States across the southern border. According to this new report, of the approximately 27,000 firearms that … Continue Reading
January 13, 2022
Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of One Circuit Court Judge, Four District Court Judges, And Four U.S. Attorneys
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Leonard Philip Stark, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit; Bridget Meehan Brennan, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; Jacqueline Scott Corley, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California; Charles Esque Fleming, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; and David Augustin Ruiz, to be United States … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Senate Confirms Gabriel Sanchez To Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Gabriel Sanchez's nomination to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 52-47. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Judge Sanchez's confirmation: "Judge Sanchez brings years of experience both as a civil litigator in private practice and as a policy expert working in state government to advance criminal justice reform. Since his … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Durbin To Senate Republicans: Join us In Protecting the Right To Vote
WASHINGTON - During a speech on the Senate floor, 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 this week - the bipartisan John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as well as the Freedom to Vote Act. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also discussed the continued threat to our democracy posed by Donald Trump's "Big Lie." "We staged a … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In First Nominations Hearing Of 2022
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Andre B. Mathis, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Jessica G.L. Clarke, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Hector Gonzalez, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Fred W. Slaughter, to be United States … Continue Reading
January 11, 2022
Durbin Continues Calling For Closure Of Guantanamo Bay On 20th Anniversary Of The Arrival Of The First Detainees
WASHINGTON - On the 20th anniversary of the first detainees arriving at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about the importance of closing this detention facility. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called on the Biden Administration to do more to accelerate the closure of the facility once and for all. "For 20 years, Guantanamo Bay has defied our constitutional values and the rule of law. … Continue Reading
January 11, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $3 Million For Illinois Communities To Advance School Safety And 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 $3,048,982 in U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grants for Illinois communities to improve school safety and support school violence prevention efforts. The grants, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), provide funding for safety measures in and around primary and secondary … Continue Reading
January 11, 2022
Durbin Questions Witnesses In Judiciary Committee Hearing On Domestic Terrorism
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice (DOJ) National Security Division; and Jill Sanborn, Executive Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Branch at today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "The Domestic Terrorism Threat One Year After January 6." Durbin discussed research by Robert Pape, a professor of … Continue Reading
January 11, 2022
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Judiciary Committee Hearing On Domestic Terrorism
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "The Domestic Terrorism Threat One Year After January 6." Today's hearing follows the Committee's domestic terrorism oversight hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray in March 2021, where Durbin emphasized his longstanding concern over the rise of violent white supremacists and other far-right extremists … Continue Reading
January 10, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
January 10, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
January 07, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
January 07, 2022
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 … Continue Reading