Press Releases
Senate Confirms Kenneth Polite, Jr. To Be Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. to be Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Criminal Division. Ahead of the confirmation vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Mr. Polite, Jr.'s nomination. He was confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 56-44. "As an experienced prosecutor who has served his community throughout his career, … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Durbin Praises Expanded Child Tax Credit On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to emphasize the impact of the historic Child Tax Credit expansion included in the American Rescue Plan, which was made possible by the efforts of Democrats and President Biden. In his remarks, Durbin highlighted the importance of the automatic monthly payments and estimates that the expanded credit could cut child poverty by half this year. "Last week was an important day for literally millions of … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Durbin: Republicans Must Drop Opposition To Emergency Supplemental Bill To Pay National Guard, Capitol Police
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Senate Republicans to support an emergency supplemental appropriations bill, introduced by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), that would address the urgent security needs facing the Capitol and the country. The $3.7 billion bill would address the violent insurrection that took place on January 6, provide … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Durbin: Gun Violence Has Become As American As Baseball
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor decrying another weekend of mass gun violence across the country, including a shooting outside a Washington Nationals game and the shooting of more than 50 people in Chicago, including seven children. In his remarks, Durbin called out the continued normalization of gun violence in American life despite the unrelenting trauma and deaths caused by daily … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Senate Confirms Tiffany Cunningham To The Federal Circuit On Bipartisan Vote
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Tiffany P. Cunningham to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit by a bipartisan vote of 63-33. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Cunningham's confirmation: "This is a truly historic confirmation-Ms. Cunningham will serve as the first Black judge on the Federal Circuit. She will not only bring much-needed diversity to the … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Durbin: Senate Democrats Must Act On Permanent Legislative Solution For Dreamers
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and original author of the Dream Act, today slammed Friday's federal court ruling in Texas on the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and pressed the Senate to finally give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. "I cannot imagine what life would be like if I were a kid growing up in America, always wondering if something I said, something I did, some action that was taken by some … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Durbin Meets With U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan About Region 5 Priorities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to discuss Durbin's priorities for EPA's Region 5, which includes Illinois. On the call, Durbin followed up on his March request that EPA update the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) using the best available science and that any stakeholder outreach include Chicago or Illinois to ensure that all Illinoisans have access to clean, lead-free water. … Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Durbin Statement On Texas Court DACA Ruling
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and original author of the Dream Act, released the following statement regarding a federal court ruling in Texas on the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): "This cruel and misguided act of judicial fiat is the culmination of a longstanding Republican campaign to deport Dreamers. Congress will now act quickly - with or without the party of Donald Trump - to allow these … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Senate Judiciary Committee To Hold Oversight Hearing On FBI's Dereliction Of Duty In Larry Nassar Case
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) dereliction of duty in the Larry Nassar case, which enabled the continued abuse of dozens of victims. "The FBI's … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Durbin, Colleagues Unveil Bipartisan Resolution Reaffirming Congressional Support For Cuba's Pro-Democracy Movement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), and U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25), and Albio Sires (D-NJ-08) in unveiling a bicameral, bipartisan resolution condemning the Cuban government's violent response to the thousands of Cuban citizens who have taken to the streets to peacefully call for respect for basic human … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Durbin Urges Colleagues To Support Nomination Of Tiffany Cunningham To The Federal Circuit
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nomination of Tiffany P. Cunningham, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, ahead of her cloture vote on the Senate floor. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted that Ms. Cunningham will bring much-needed diversity to the bench as well as impeccable credentials. The Senate voted to advance Ms. Cunningham's nomination by a … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Bring Fairness To FEMA Disaster Declaration Process
WASHINGTON - Following a stretch of severe weather events in Illinois - such as flooding and tornadoes - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the introduction of the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois. Due to FEMA's … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Durbin Highlights American Rescue Plan's Impact, Blasts Republican Opposition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for referring to President Biden's American Rescue Plan as a 'grand socialist experiment.' In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin walked through the key components of the American Rescue Plan-which passed Congress in March without a single Republican vote-including funding for COVID-19 vaccines and distribution, small businesses, and working families. "So what was in this … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Latest Slate Of Circuit & District Court Nominations
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Eunice C. Lee, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; Veronica S. Rossman, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit; David G. Estudillo, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; Lauren J. King, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; and Tana Lin, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Following Meeting With Biden, Durbin Speaks On Protecting Voting Rights
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about defending the right to vote for every American. Durbin commended President Biden for speaking forcefully about protecting voting rights yesterday and urged Congress to step up to end the assault on voting rights in states across the country. "Sixty years later I'm afraid, Jim Crow is still around," Durbin said. "We are witnessing a coordinated, relentless, … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Following Meeting With Biden, Durbin Speaks On Protecting Voting Rights
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about defending the right to vote for every American. Durbin commended President Biden for speaking forcefully about protecting voting rights yesterday and urged Congress to step up to end the assault on voting rights in states across the country. "Sixty years later I'm afraid, Jim Crow is still around," Durbin said. "We are witnessing a coordinated, relentless, … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Durbin: We Need David Chipman, Nominee To Lead ATF, To Help Enforce Nation's Gun Laws & Reduce Crime
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voiced his strong support for David Chipman, President Biden's nominee to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin said Mr. Chipman would be essential in helping the nation enforce the gun laws already on the books and helping reduce gun crime. The ATF has been without a Senate-confirmed Director since … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Durbin, Grassley Announce Senate Judiciary Committee To Hold Hearing This Month On Ransomware Attacks
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 announced that on July 27, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the growing wave of ransomware attacks affecting businesses, non-profits, and local governments across the nation. Durbin and Grassley have asked the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Durbin Questions Latest Circuit & District Court Nominees To Come Before Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON - During today's Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Myrna Pérez, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit. Durbin asked Ms. Pérez about her thoughts on the right to vote, which has been under assault in recent years. "Speak to me, if you will though, about the right to vote. That is the central issue we are discussing in so many aspects. A group of … Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Allow Sexual Assault & Harassment Survivors To Seek Justice & Accountability
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), along with U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) to announce the bipartisan, bicameral Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault & Harassment Act to empower sexual assault and harassment survivors. The legislation would stop perpetrators from being able … Continue Reading