Durbin, Lee Introduce Smarter Sentencing Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation that would modernize federal drug sentencing polices by lowering certain mandatory drug sentences. "Mandatory minimum penalties have played a large role in the explosion of the U.S. prison population. These mandatory minimums have too often led to sentences that are unfair, fiscally irresponsible, and a threat to public safety," Durbin said. "The First Step… Continue Reading

Durbin, Booker, Harris Introduce New Legislation To Combat Overuse Of Solitary Confinement In Immigration Detention

WASHINGTON - Following reports from the Project on Government Oversight, The Washington Post, NBC News, and others that illustrated that solitary confinement is significantly overused in federal immigration detention, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) today introduced legislation to combat the rampant and unnecessary overuse of solitary confinement in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operated and ICE contract facilities. "Research shows… Continue Reading

Illinois Congressional Delegation Presses USDA To End Hostility Toward State's Food Stamp Program At Senior Living Facilities

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of Illinois Congressional Delegation members today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the Department to continue its decades-long practice of authorizing and re-authorizing supportive living facilities (SLFs) as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to ensure consistent nutritional support for 8,000 low-income elderly and disabled individuals in Illinois. The members, in their letter, cite … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Director Of Bureau Of Prisons, Dr. Hawk Sawyer, To Discuss Criminal Justice Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer to discuss the Trump Administration's implementation of the recently-enacted Grassley-Durbin First Step Act, inadequate BOP staffing, and the overuse of solitary confinement. Durbin also received an update on the activation of the Federal penitentiary in Thomson, Illinois. "BOP plays a critical role in implementing the objectives … Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Statement On DOD OIG Decision To Not Investigate Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative Funding Delay

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, along with Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced that it would not investigate DoD's d… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Congress To Pass Legislation To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his bipartisan Drug-price Transparency in Communications (DTC) Act, a bill he introduced in May with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that would require pharmaceutical companies to disclose the prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. Durbin's bipartisan legislation would e… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes Against President Trump's Nominee For DHS, Chad Wolf

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today spoke against the nomination of Chad Wolf to be the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Under Secretary for Policy. Reports indicate that President Donald Trump will appoint Mr. Wolf as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security if he is confirmed as Under Secretary. Mr. Wolf was confirmed by a vote of 54-41. "So is Chad Wolf the r… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Urge Trump Administration To Improve Trade Assistance To Illinois Farmers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with 15 other Senators, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging USDA to improve its trade assistance program to better support farmers based on harm and pursue a focused trade policy to rebuild the markets American farmers have lost. Yesterday, Durbin, along with members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released a new report that details h… Continue Reading

On Day Of Supreme Court Oral Arguments, Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass Dream & Promise Act

WASHINGTON-Following today's oral argument in the Supreme Court on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today came to the Senate floor to make a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With DACA Students From Loyola Chicago

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today met with Cesar Montelongo and Fernanda Herrera Vera, who have temporary protection from deportation under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Cesar and Fernanda are students enrolled in the MD-PhD program at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and the Loyola University School of Law, respectively. Cesar was Durbin's guest at last year's State of the Union address. … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On DACA Supreme Court Oral Arguments

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after attending the oral arguments in the Supreme Court on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In April 2010, Durbin and then-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) were the first members of Congress to call for the establishment of the DACA program. "Today, the Court is considering an issue of fundamental human rights - the fate of Dreamers, hundreds of thousands of young immigrant… Continue Reading

Durbin To Devos: Illinois Institute Of Art Students Deserve Full Loan Discharges After Accreditation Misrepresentation By Dream Center

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced it would cancel loans taken out between January 20, 2018, and December 31, 2018, for students who attended Dream Center Education Holding's (DCEH) Illinois Institute of Art and Colorado Art Institute. "Today's loan cancellation will only relieve harmed Illinois Institute of Art students of part of the debt they incurred at these worthless institutions. I renew my c… Continue Reading

Durbin, Menendez, Cardin Introduce Resolution Recognizing Sikh Americans

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a resolution recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of Sikh Americans and their contributions to the United States. The resolution is being introduced ahead of the 550th birthday of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, which is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. The day recognizes the teachings of Guru Nanak on equality and service, serving as an inspir… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill To Lower Price Of Insulin & Ensure Americans Pay No More Than Patients In Other Countries

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), introduced the End Price Gouging for Insulin Act, legislation that would tackle drug companies' exorbitant price hikes on insulin that have made it difficult for millions of Americans to afford the drug. Americans pay drastically higher prices for insulin than patients in other similar, developed countries. Americans who drive across the border to Canada can buy some brands of insulin for one tenth of the pri… Continue Reading

Ahead Of President Trump's Meeting With Erdogan, Durbin & Senate Democrats Press President Trump For Comprehensive Plan That Addresses Unanswered Questions About Admin's Efforts To Counter ISIS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), today joined top Senate Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that the President develop and submit a comprehensive strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Senators' letter comes amid ongoing tensions in Northeast Syria, including the escape of at least one hundred ISIS detainees-a direct result of President Trump's decision to greenlight Turkey's military invasion of northern Syria-and ongoing threat… Continue Reading

Durbin Shares Support For Venezuelan President Juan Guiado, Receives Update On Current Situation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó about the ongoing violent repression and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the discredited regime of Nicolás Maduro. During today's call, Durbin reiterated his support for Guaidó and his constitutional role to help Venezuela return to the community of democracies, and to do so with a thoughtful and timely transition and credible election process in wh… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Poland's Entry Into Visa Waiver Program

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today on the Department of Homeland Security's announcement regarding Poland's entry into the Visa Waiver Program. Starting November 11, 2019, citizens of Poland will be able to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without obtaining a U.S. visa. "For years, I have worked in Congress for visa waivers for our Polish visitors. I know so many Polish Americans who simply w… Continue Reading

Durbin To Leader McConnell: Protect Dreamers & Call A Vote On The Dream And Promise Act

WASHINGTON-Ahead of next week's oral argument in the Supreme Court on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today came to the Senate floor to once again call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to call a vote on the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immig… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $13 Million Grant for New Underpass in Normal

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Town of Normal has been awarded $13 million in federal funding for the final design and construction of an underpass under Union Pacific's tracks next to Uptown Station. Today's investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) BUILD grant program, will help establish a better connection between Uptown Normal and homes on the south side of the railroad tracks. "I'm plea… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $14 Million Grant for Carbondale Station

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Carbondale has been awarded $14 million in federal funding for the Carbondale Station Multimodal Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) BUILD grant program. "This federal investment will be a tremendous boost to Carbondale and Southern Illinois. A new multimodal transportation center will help better connect the families, businesses, and students of Carbondale to both local a… Continue Reading