Press Releases
Durbin On The Affordability Crisis: Costs Are Through The Roof Because Of President Trump And His MAGA Policies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor about the nation’s affordability crisis, which has been spurred by the Trump Administration’s short-sighted economic policies, including tariffs, billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP, and attacks on immigrant workers. Despite claims made by President Trump, Americans are seeing a sharp spike in the cost of groceries and household goods. “Last week, families gathered around the table to give … Continue Reading
December 02, 2025
Durbin Statement On New Report Regarding Kash Patel’s Leadership Of The FBI
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding reports of a 115-page assessment compiled by a national alliance of retired and active-duty Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents and analysts that describes the FBI under Director Kash Patel’s leadership as a “rudderless ship.” Detailed in the assessment is how Patel stopped the work of several agents because he refused … Continue Reading
December 01, 2025
In A Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Honors The Two National Guard Members Who Were Shot In DC Before Thanksgiving
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor to honor the two National Guard members who were shot in Washington, DC, last week. During his speech, Durbin remembered 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom who tragically passed away on Thanksgiving Day. He also prayed for 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe’s recovery. Staff Sergeant Wolfe remains in critical condition. “We pray for his [Staff Sergeant Wolfe’s] recovery and—as one nation—send our … Continue Reading
November 21, 2025
Ranking Members Raskin, Jayapal, Durbin, and Padilla: Secretaries Noem, Rubio, and Kennedy Too Cowardly to Defend Shocking Decision to Abandon Refugees, Unlawfully Dispatch Deputies Instead
Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2025)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Sen. Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, issued the following statement after Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, … Continue Reading
November 21, 2025
Durbin, Fischer’s Protecting Children With Food Allergies Bill Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, applauded the Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which included their bipartisan Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act as an amendment. Durbin and Fischer’s legislation would ensure school food service staff receive essential training about food allergies, so that they are better equipped to … Continue Reading
November 20, 2025
Durbin Again Condemns Trump Administration’s Extreme “Operation Midway Blitz” After ICE Agents Pepper Spray U.S. Citizen And His One-Year-Old Daughter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to call out the Trump Administration’s extreme and unlawful actions during the so-called “Operation Midway Blitz,” in which hundreds of residents of Illinois and immigrants without a criminal record have been detained. Today, Durbin shared the story of Rafael Veraza and his one-year-old daughter Arianna, who are both U.S. citizens, being pepper sprayed at … Continue Reading
November 20, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez Introduce Bill to Expand Student Loan Refinancing For Service Members
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) today introduced the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act, bicameral legislation that would amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to allow service members to consolidate or refinance student loan debt they had when they entered the military and continue to benefit from the six percent interest rate cap to which they are entitled … Continue Reading
November 20, 2025
Durbin Introduces New Bill To Support FDA’s Efforts To Prevent Foodborne Illness
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation, the FSMA Fee Technical Corrections Act, to make it easier for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct food safety inspections and recalls by collecting fees from food manufacturers and importers in order to better support the agency’s efforts to prevent foodborne illnesses. In 2010, Durbin led Congress in passing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to expand FDA’s mission to prevent … Continue Reading
November 20, 2025
Durbin Condemns President Trump’s January 6 Pardons As More Rioters Continue To Commit Heinous Crimes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. He began by commenting on the Trump Administration’s judicial nominees who received a “Not Qualified” rating from the American Bar Association (ABA). Durbin then condemned President Trump’s blanket pardon of the January 6 rioters, some of whom have gone on to commit additional heinous … Continue Reading
November 20, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Heinrich, Kelly To Introduce Anti-Cash Grab Act To Repeal ‘Arctic Frost’ Provision
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in leading 24 Senate colleagues to introduce the Anti-Cash Grab Act, legislation that will repeal a provision — quietly added into the Senate government funding bill by U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) at the last minute — that allows Senators to collect $500,000 for … Continue Reading
November 19, 2025
Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees During A Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned three judicial nominees at a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. Durbin first questioned Nicholas Jon Ganjei, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, about whether his statements condemning those who assault law enforcement apply to the January 6 offenders who attacked law enforcement during the January 6 insurrection. Mr. … Continue Reading
November 19, 2025
Durbin Calls Out Recent Uptick In Threats Against Federal Judges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the judicial nominations of David Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas; Nicholas Jon Ganjei, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas; and Aaron Christian Peterson, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. During his … Continue Reading
November 19, 2025
Durbin Statement On Senate Passing Bill To Release The Epstein Files
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House of Representatives in a 427-1 vote and now heads to the President’s desk: “First and foremost, this vote is in tribute to and honor of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific crimes—and any victim or survivor of sexual abuse. Never in … Continue Reading
November 18, 2025
Durbin Shares Story Of ‘Miss Diana,’ A Chicago-Area Teacher Who Was Pulled Out Of A Daycare & Unlawfully Detained For More Than A Week During ‘Operation Midway Blitz’
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered another scathing rebuke of the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago. Since the operation launched nearly three months ago, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have used extreme tactics to unlawfully detain residents of Illinois or … Continue Reading
November 18, 2025
Durbin Joins Senate Democrats In Calling For Senate Vote On Epstein Files Transparency Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in leading their Senate Democratic colleagues in calling on Leader John Thune (R-SD) to immediately bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to the Senate floor for a vote, without delay or unnecessary process distractions. The Senators’ call follows the U.S. House of Representatives’ overwhelming … Continue Reading
November 18, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Air Traffic Controllers Following 43 Day Government Shutdown
CHICAGO - Today U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with air traffic controllers at O’Hare International Airport to thank them for their work throughout the longest government shutdown in American history. During the shutdown, roughly 10,800 air traffic controllers continued to work 10-hour days, six days per week, without pay as essential employees. Air traffic controllers missed a partial paycheck and two full paychecks, as 90 percent of ATC towers across the country were … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Help Introduce Bicameral Bill To Ensure DHS Detainees Can Speak To A Lawyer, Contact Their Families
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03) in introducing the Restoring Access to Detainees Act, a bill to ensure the Department of Homeland Security allows noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families. The bill comes after months of credible reporting that ICE and … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin Statement Rejecting Proposed Settlement Between Visa, Mastercard & Merchants
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, released the following statement on a recent proposed settlement between Visa and Mastercard and the merchants. The settlement comes after two decades of class-action litigation over swipe fees that merchants pay to Visa, Mastercard, and the banks. “As Americans are trying to make ends meet, the biggest Wall Street banks, Visa, and … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin, Schiff To Introduce Bill To Block Trump From Getting $230 Million Taxpayer Payout From DOJ
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) in announcing that they will be introducing the No Torts for Trump Act, legislation to prohibit sitting presidents from seeking taxpayer-funded payouts under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). This follows recent reporting that President Trump is pressing the Justice Department to pay him roughly $230 million as a settlement for proper … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin Secures Support For Illinois Priorities In Newly Enacted Military Construction And Veterans Affairs And Agriculture Funding Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the various priorities for Illinois he secured in the newly enacted funding bills for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). “As the government reopens under a continuing resolution, Congress also passed appropriations bills that bolster our … Continue Reading