Durbin, Bill Gates: We Must Focus On Global Vaccine Equity

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, about global COVID-19 vaccination efforts and barriers to achieving the Global Vaccine Alliance's distribution goal of 1.9 billion shots, including supply shortages, vaccine hoarding, and inadequate health care infrastructure in many nations. In particular, Durbin and Gates discussed the importance of preparing for the next pandemic and establishing… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Police Reform Negotiations

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding bipartisan police reform negotiations: "Senator Booker, for nine months, exhausted every possible pathway to get to a bipartisan deal on policing reform. Even after Senator Booker secured the support of policing groups such as FOP and IACP for our proposals, we could not win GOP support for the effort. The challenge remains despite his extraor… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues To Support Nomination Of Florence Pan To District Court Of D.C.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nomination of Florence Pan to the District Court for the District of Columbia ahead of her cloture vote on the Senate floor. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted Judge Pan's professional experience and the historic nature of her nomination. "This week, the Senate will vote on Florence Pan's nomination for the District Court for the District of Columbi… Continue Reading

Durbin: If We Want This Pandemic To End, More Americans Have To Roll Up Their Sleeves And Get Vaccinated

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor highlighting the growing death toll from COVID-19 and the necessity of more Americans getting vaccinated in order to put the pandemic behind us. Durbin shared the story of Springfield, Illinois, resident Candace Ayers, who tragically passed away from COVID-19 this month. Ayers was fully vaccinated, but contracted a breakthrough infection in Mississippi. In her obituary, Ayers family wrote she "… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and a group of bipartisan Senators to welcome British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the U.S. Senate. The group discussed a host of bilateral and global issues, including climate change, the recent AUKUS security agreement, trade, and demonstrating a united front against global autocracy. "The United States has a special relationship with the United Kingdom," said Durbin. "Our… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Illinois Manufacturers' Association Members For Discussion On Industry Priorities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) for a discussion about workforce development, infrastructure legislation, trade, and immigration. Durbin provided an overview of proposed text in the upcoming reconciliation bill to implement key workforce provisions from President Biden's Build Back Better plan. Durbin went on to highlight the importance of immigration reform in building and maintaining the manufacturing workforc… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Health Priorities With President Preckwinkle, Cook County Health Leadership

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Health & Hospital System CEO Israel Rocha about their top health priorities in the upcoming budget reconciliation bill, including expanded Medicaid coverage for new moms, hospital infrastructure, and funding for public health. Durbin also received an update on efforts to increase vaccination rates in suburban Cook County. Heeding lessons from the COVID-19 pand… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau Members

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met virtually with Illinois Farm Bureau members. During the meeting, Durbin discussed agriculture priorities for Illinois' farmers, including the importance of enacting strong infrastructure investments like rural broadband, improving ethanol production, and strengthening the role of immigrant farmworkers in the agriculture sector. Durbin also listened to the… Continue Reading

Durbin: Instead Of Paying Their Tab, Senate Republicans Are Trying To Dine And Dash

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans-led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)-for their refusal to join Senate Democrats in voting to deal with the debt limit. During his speech, Durbin noted that raising or suspending the debt limit has nothing to do with approving new spending-it's about paying off the spending the government has already incurred. Much of the debt that Republicans are threateni… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Veronica Rossman To The Tenth Circuit Court Of Appeals

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Veronica Rossman's nomination to serve on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals by a bipartisan vote of 50-42. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Rossman's confirmation: "With her extensive appellate experience in both private practice and as a federal public defender, Ms. Rossman will be an outstanding addition to the Tenth Circuit. As I have said man… Continue Reading

Durbin: The Push For Immigration Reform Is Not Over

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead author of the Dream Act, today discussed the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling on Senate Democrats' proposal to allow Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers to apply for lawful permanent resident status via reconciliation. During his speech, Durbin argued that due to Congressional Republicans' continued refusal to pass meaningful, bipartisan immigratio… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cantwell Urge DOJ And FAA To Toughen Actions Against Dangerous Airline Passengers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today sent separate letters to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in light of an increase in incidents involving unruly airline passengers. Nearly three-fourths of these incidents have reportedly been related to federal mask mandates and have put passe… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Introduction Of Constitutional Amendment To Overturn Citizens United

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to announce the reintroduction of the Democracy for All Amendment. The constitutional amendment would overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision, as well as other alarming decisions around campaign finance that led to floods of corporate and dark money in politics and diminished the … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Biden Administration Refugee Admissions Goal For Fiscal Year 2022

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced its Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 refugee admissions target of 125,000. In April, Durbin led 33 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging him to set a target of at least 125,000 refugee admissions in FY 2022 and to set the refugee admissions target at 62,500 for this fiscal year. The Administration has p… Continue Reading

Durbin, Padilla Statement On Parliamentarian's Ruling Regarding Pathway To Legal Status Via Reconciliation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, today released the following statement regarding the Parliamentarian's ruling on Senate Democrats' proposal to allow Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers to apply for lawful permanent resident status via reconciliation: "We are deeply disappointed in the Parliam… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Announce Approval Of Retention Bonus For USP Thomson To Address Staffing Shortage

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today announced that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved a 25 percent retention bonus for nearly all staff at USP Thomson that the lawmakers have been advocating for since August 2020. The approval comes amid an understaffing crisis at the facility worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and additional strain placed on current staff to a… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1 Million To Support Mental Health Services In Chicago

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $1.02 million in federal funding for mental health awareness training and school-based mental health centers in the Chicago area. The funding, awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will go to seven schools, health centers, and community organizations in Chicago and the suburbs. "Too many kids in … Continue Reading

Durbin, Angelina Jolie: We Must Reauthorize The Violence Against Women Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, yesterday met with Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During their meeting, Durbin and Jolie discussed the future of the Violence Against Woman Act (VAWA) and the need to strengthen services and protections for survivors of domestic abuse. "The Violence Against Women Act is a lifeline for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault," said Du… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions FBI Director Wray And Inspector General Horowitz On FBI's Mishandling Of Nassar Abuse Case

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Dereliction of Duty: Examining the Inspector General's Report on the FBI's Handling of the Larry Nassar Investigation," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked FBI Director Christopher Wray to explain the FBI's abdication of responsibility and failure to investigate the Nassar case. "What strikes me here is there doesn't ever seem to be a sense of urgency or immediacy in… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions FBI Director Wray and Inspector General Horowitz on FBI's Mishandling of Nassar Abuse Case

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Dereliction of Duty: Examining the Inspector General's Report on the FBI's Handling of the Larry Nassar Investigation," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked FBI Director Christopher Wray to explain the FBI's abdication of responsibility and failure to investigate the Nassar case. "What strikes me here is there doesn't ever seem to be a sense of urgency or immediacy i… Continue Reading