Press Releases

June 28, 2022

Durbin Joins Shaheen, Tillis, Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Statement As Path Clears For Finland & Sweden's Accession Into NATO

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in a joint statement on the announcement that an agreement was reached and Turkey will drop its hold on Finland and Sweden's application to join the transatlantic Alliance. Durbin and the Senators are currently at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid to discuss … Continue Reading


June 28, 2022

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9.8 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $9,818,557 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support Head Start services for children under the age of five in receiving wrap-around support in early learning and development. The funding will go to Wabash Area Development, Inc. and Parent & Child Together for West Central Illinois, allocating $5,218,606 and $4,599,951 to the … Continue Reading


June 28, 2022

Durbin, Grassley, Blumenthal, Lee Seek Information About Antitrust And Minor League Baseball

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; U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chair of the Subcommittee on The Constitution; and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, today sent a bipartisan request for information regarding the impact of Major League Baseball's (MLB) … Continue Reading


June 27, 2022

Durbin, Grassley Seek Additional Clarity From DHS IG On Alleged Suppression And Delay Of Widespread Sexual Harassment And Misconduct Findings

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, are once again pressing the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) to address reports that it has delayed and downplayed reports of sexual harassment and misconduct at DHS. In an April 26 letter to DHS Inspector General (IG) Joseph Cuffari, the Senators cited documents … Continue Reading


June 27, 2022

Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador To Japan, Rahm Emanuel

WASHINGTON - Last week, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. During the meeting, they discussed the continued strong relationship between U.S. and Japan as well as President Biden's visit to Japan, where he launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity economic initiative. "Japan is an important strategic partner in Asia, particularly in light of continued challenges with North Korea and China," … Continue Reading


June 27, 2022

Durbin In Lithuania, Sweden, Spain To Discuss Support For NATO & Baltic States, Opposition To Russian Agression

VILNIUS-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Baltic Freedom Caucus and the Senate Ukraine Caucus, is in Vilnius, Lithuania, today as part of travel to three European nations to discuss congressional support for the transatlantic relationship and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as continued Russian aggression and interference in western democracies. In Vilnius, Durbin received the Aleksandras Stulginskis Star Award-only the second individual … Continue Reading


June 24, 2022

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Durbin also announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on July 12 that will examine a post-Roe America. "Today's decision eliminates a federally protected constitutional right that has been the law for nearly half a century. As a result, millions of … Continue Reading


June 23, 2022

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation to help keep America's children and communities safe from the gun violence epidemic: "This Senate just accomplished what hasn't been possible in decades-passing bipartisan legislation that makes our nation safer from gun violence. To be clear: this bill doesn't have everything … Continue Reading


June 23, 2022

Durbin Statement On Department Of Education Settlement In Sweet v. Cardona

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education reaching a settlement in Sweet v. Cardona, formerly Sweet v. DeVos, that will approve the borrower defense applications of roughly 200,000 students whose claims have been stalled, totaling $6 billion in relief: "Under the Trump Administration, former Secretary DeVos cruelly ignored the pleas of students defrauded by schools like Westwood College and left them … Continue Reading


June 23, 2022

Durbin Applauds FDA Decision To Remove All JUUL Products From The Market

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to remove all JUUL Lab Inc.'s products from the market, after finding these e-cigarettes fail to meet the agency's public health standard for authorization. "I'm happy to report that the Food and Drug Administration has announced this morning a dramatic, historic step forward to protect the children across America from e-cigarette and … Continue Reading


June 23, 2022

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision To Strike Down Longstanding Gun Law As Nation Grapples With Record-High Gun Violence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen: "Every day, parents across America are burying children they have lost to gun violence. And yet, as our nation still mourns the horrific massacres in Uvalde and Buffalo, and as we work to combat the daily toll of the gun violence epidemic in cities like Chicago, this … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin: Coming Together To Pass Common Sense Gun Legislation Will Make Our Nation Safer

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today highlighted his support for the legislation introduced yesterday by a bipartisan group of Senators that will help protect our children and communities from gun violence. "Let's be clear: this bill is a compromise," Durbin said. "In a 50-50 Senate, you expect nothing less… But the reforms and investments made in this bill represent an important step … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin, Portman Meet With U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink to discuss the latest events regarding Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. They also discussed how the Senate can continue to better support our ally through military, economic, and humanitarian assistance. "As Putin's military continues to attack, innocent Ukrainians are forced to flee and … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Rachel Bloomekatz, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, and Florence Y. Pan, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. Durbin centered his questions on Bloomekatz's and Pan's support from conservative organizations and leaders as a nominee chosen by the … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin Investigation Finds More Than 750,000 Kids Have Picked Up Vaping Since FDA's Missed Deadline To Regulate E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON - Following an investigation by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) of multiple health surveys and retail sales data, Durbin announced findings that more than 750,000 children have started to use e-cigarettes over the last nine months, in the period of time during which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defied a court order to regulate all e-cigarettes on the market. This examination was based upon data from the National Institute of Health's Monitoring the Future … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Latest Nominations Hearing

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 Rachel Bloomekatz, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Florence Y. Pan, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Elizabeth Wilson Hanes, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ana C. Reyes, to be United States … Continue Reading


June 22, 2022

Durbin: If We Want To Ease Inflation And Help Solve America's Worker Shortage, We Need To Drastically Increase The Number Of Immigrants We Welcome To America

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about the pressure inflation is putting on working American families and one way that Congress can help - drastically increasing the number of immigrants we welcome into the United States to help ease labor shortages. "Inflation is the word on everyone's mind. We see proof of it plastered on gas stations throughout the country and in the aisles of … Continue Reading


June 21, 2022

Durbin, Grassley, Whitehouse, Cornyn Bill To Help Small Businesses And Families In Bankruptcy Signed Into Law

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Cornyn (R-TX), today released the following statements after President Biden signed into law their bipartisan legislation to help small businesses and individuals stay afloat during bankruptcy. "Too many mom-and-pop shops are getting caught up in a … Continue Reading


June 21, 2022

Durbin Statement On Release Of Bipartisan Gun Safety Legislative Text

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the bipartisan group of Senators working on legislation to help keep America's children and communities safe from the gun violence epidemic released legislative text: "This bipartisan agreement will not end gun violence, but it is an important step towards making our nation safer. "I want to commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for … Continue Reading


June 21, 2022

Durbin: Amid Putin's War, NATO Is Stronger Than Ever

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, condemned Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine. Durbin highlighted the bipartisan meeting with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), also Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and members of the Ukrainian Parliament last week. They discussed how the U.S. Senate can continue to better support Ukraine through military, economic, and humanitarian … Continue Reading

Showing page
Showing Page
  of 464