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

Durbin Once Again Calls On Congress To Pass Legislation To Increase Number Of Green Cards Available, Eliminating The Backlog

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 once again made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families (RELIEF) Act, which would eliminate the family and employment green card backlog by increasing the number of green cards. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) objected. Along with eliminating the family and e… Continue Reading

Durbin Pushes For 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 highlighted plans to seek Senate passage for 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 list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. Durbin's bipartisan legislation would empower patients and l… Continue Reading

Durbin: NAFTA 2.0 Is A Trojan Horse Giveaway To Big Pharma

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor, as part of his "Pharma Fleece Awards" series of floor speeches highlighting egregious cases of pharmaceutical industry greed, slammed PhRMA and the Trump Administration for a giveaway tucked into NAFTA 2.0 that will keep drug prices high for Americans. Durbin highlighted provisions in the NAFTA 2.0 trade agreement that cement monopoly protections for pharmaceutical corporations by blocking generic competition, resulting in … Continue Reading