Press Releases
Durbin Leads Judiciary Committee Colleagues In Speaking Out Against Pam Bondi's Nomination To Be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke out against Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee, ahead of her confirmation vote. In his remarks, Durbin cited concerns over Ms. Bondi’s ability to act as an independent Attorney General. These concerns are especially pertinent as the Trump Administration purges dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Leads Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats In Letter To Chairman Grassley On Kash Patel's Dangerous Nomination To Lead The FBI
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) regarding Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Senators’ letter urges Chairman Grassley to: Schedule an additional hearing for Mr. Patel to answer questions under oath about the recent removals and reassignments of FBI career … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Ramifications Of Federal Funding Freeze, Highlights Global Necessity Of USAID
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed the Trump Administration for their decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo last week to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement” of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance, which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Meets With Dan Driscoll, Nominee For Secretary Of The Army
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Dan Driscoll, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Secretary of the Army. During their meeting, Durbin spoke about the importance of maintaining an apolitical military during the Trump Administration, as well as making use of Rock Island Arsenal as a manufacturing hub. Durbin also urged Mr. Driscoll, if confirmed, to field new Gray Eagle … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Questions Witnesses At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Fentanyl Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” Durbin began by talking about the need to hold social media companies accountable for peddling fentanyl to our nation’s kids, as well as the related action the Committee took last Congress with Durbin as Chair to … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Fentanyl Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” During today’s hearing, Democratic Senators will speak to the negative impact that the Justice Department purges of senior law enforcement officials will have on combating the fentanyl crisis, how … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Ahead Of Pam Bondi's Nomination Vote This Week, Durbin Outlines His Concerns About Bondi's Ability To Serve As An Independent AG
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlined his concerns about Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee. In his remarks, he cited concerns over her ability to act as an independent Attorney General, refusal to acknowledge President Biden won the 2020 election, and echoing President Trump’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents. Durbin’s remarks also highlighted the … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Grassley, Durbin Announce Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Assignments For The 119th Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today announced the establishment, leadership, and membership of Senate Judiciary Subcommittees for the 119th Congress. “The Senate Judiciary Committee is arguably the workhorse of Senate committees. The list of historic hearings held before it is long and filled with memorable testimony,” Durbin said. “These are … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Durbin Denounces Trump Tariffs In Senate Floor Speech, Emphasizes That This Will Hurt American Families
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China that he announced on Friday. As of today, President Trump has now delayed for one month the 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada as their governments negotiate with the Trump Administration. In his remarks, Durbin underscored that the Trump tariffs would not lower prices, as President Trump promised during his campaign, … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Durbin Leads All Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats In Letters Demanding Answers From FBI, DOJ Nominees, Acting Attorney General, And Acting FBI Director On Trump Administration Forcing Out DOJ And FBI Officials
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in letters to President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi; nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel; nominee to be Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche; as well as the Acting Attorney General, James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director, … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Durbin, Castro Introduce Bill To Curb Firearms Trafficking From The United States To Mexican Drug Cartels
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, led the bicameral introduction of the Stop Arming Cartels Act. The legislation is introduced as an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 American-made guns are trafficked into Mexico annually, largely attributable to unlicensed gun dealers, straw … Continue Reading
January 31, 2025
Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Forcing Out Multiple DOJ And FBI Officials
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Trump Administration reportedly purged multiple Justice Department and FBI officials involved in Donald Trump’s prosecution and the prosecution of January 6 rioters: “The Trump Administration’s purge of dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in investigating Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters is a major blow to the FBI and Justice … Continue Reading
January 31, 2025
Durbin Visits El Valor Children And Family Center
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited El Valor Cantu Children & Family Center in Little Village to meet with staff members and families impacted by recent overreaching executive orders from the Trump Administration. El Valor serves more than 4,000 children, adults with disabilities, and their families annually. Durbin met with leadership staff at the center to discuss the recently announced federal grant funding freeze, the impact of U.S. Immigration and … Continue Reading
January 31, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Urge PhRMA To Embrace Their Bill To End Price Secrecy In Prescription Drug Advertisements
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today sent a letter to the President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) urging them to embrace their bipartisan legislation, the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, to empower patients and providers and commit to voluntarily disclosing list prices in DTC advertisements. The … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Durbin Questions FBI Director Nominee, Kash Patel, About His Involvement With The "J6 Choir" And His Conspiracy Theory That The FBI Planned The January 6 Attack
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today again questioned Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during his nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Mr. Patel about political violence and his promotion of the “J6 choir.” Mr. Patel co-produced, promoted, and sold a record recorded by the so-called “J6 prison choir” - a group of January 6 rioters who were incarcerated in … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Durbin Shares Constituent Concerns About Trump's Federal Funding Freeze
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) shared stories of constituent calls his office received over the last two days in reaction to the Trump Administration’s decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement” of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance, which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Durbin Questions FBI Director Nominee, Kash Patel, About Trump Pardoning The Dangerous January 6 Rioters, Connections To Radical Extremist
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during his nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Mr. Patel about President Trump’s decision to pardon the violent January 6 insurrections—several of whom have already been rearrested or are wanted for vile crimes committed prior to January 6, 2021, including soliciting a sexual … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President Trump's Pick To Be FBI Director, Kash Patel
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Key Quotes: “Mr. Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead an agency of 38,000 [people] and 400 field offices around the globe. During the time I’ve served on this … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Kash Patel Disparages Public Figures On A Regular Basis
Kash Patel has frequently posted or reposted attacks on prominent public figures, both Republican and Democratic. The attacks go beyond mere policy disagreements and veer into personal attacks and suggestions of criminality. Among others, Kash Patel has publicly disparaged: Public servants, who he threatened with a “constitutional guillotine.” Journalists, including calling for specific reporters to be stripped of their credentials. Members of Congress, who he chainsawed in an … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Kash Patel Praises Radical Extremists
Kash Patel has frequently associated with—and sometimes praised—extremist figures with well-documented histories of racist, antisemitic, conspiratorial, or violent statements or beliefs. This history is extremely concerning for someone who may be a top law enforcement officer. Ted Nugent is a radical political activist who referred to President Obama as a “subhuman mongrel,” as well as referring to Jewish people who supported gun safety laws as “Nazis in disguise” and crudely disparaging the … Continue Reading