Durbin Calls On President Trump To End Government Shutdown, Discusses Impact On Air Traffic Controllers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a speech on the Senate floor urged President Trump to end his senseless shutdown over his unrealistic campaign promise of a border wall. Today, the FAA delayed flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Durbin shared his experience meeting with air traffic controllers who continue to work six days a week for 10 hour shifts without pay, and how the President's shutdown has added unneeded stress to an… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Votes To End President Trump's Shutdown

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after voting for a two week Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the government while Congress debates smart and effective border security. The vote was defeated 52-44, with all Senate Democrats voting to reopen the government. Durbin voted against the White House's proposed legislation to end President Trump's government shutdown in exchange for $5.7 billion for President Trump's border wall and o… Continue Reading

Durbin: Federal Employees Don't Deserve To Be Punished While We Debate Border Security

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Republicans to put their constituents ahead of President Trump's unrealistic campaign promise of a border wall, and reopen the government by supporting a short-term spending bill. Over the past month, Durbin has traveled throughout Illinois to meet with federal employees who are reeling as President Trump's shutdown has forced them to work without pay. In a speech on the Senate f… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Crisis In Venezuela

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Juan Guaidó, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president of Venezuela: Last year I visited Venezuela and found a country on the verge of political, economic, and humanitarian collapse. I told then-President Maduro that if he went ahead with a sham election under absurdly rigged conditions he would find his regime even further isolated and i… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murphy, Lee Lead 20 Senators In Pressing State Department & DOJ For Information On Saudi-Led War In Yemen

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Lee (R-UT) today lead a group of 20 bipartisan Senators in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein pressing them on two recently reported aspects of the Saudi-led war in Yemen: reports that Saudi Arabia is paying poor Sudanese child soldiers to fight as mercenaries in its war in Yemen, and reports that the United Arab Emirates-a U.S. ally in the Gulf that is part of the Saud… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Representatives Question Corporation For National & Community Service's Reorganization Plan

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), sent a letter to the Corporation for National & Community S… Continue Reading

Durbin On White House Legislation To End Trump Shutdown: Even Worse Than Advertised

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans published text of the White House's proposed legislation to end President Trump's government shutdown in exchange for $5.7 billion for President Trump's border wall, temporary protection for some DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and significant new restrictions in asylum law: "The President's proposal last Saturday was reduced to writing and shared with… Continue Reading

Durbin Response To Reported White House Offer To End Trump Shutdown In Exchange For Border Wall And DACA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after reports that President Trump will offer to end the government shutdown in exchange for $5.7 billion for President Trump's border wall and temporary protection for some DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients: First, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader McConnell must open the government today. Second, I cannot support the proposed offer as reported and do not believe it ca… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Press President Trump On Shutdown Housing Crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined members of Congress in a letter to President Trump on the direct and immediate consequences of the shutdown on housing security for more than four million households across the country. Both the short-term operations and long-term viability of affordable housing programs are dependent on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) rental assistance initiatives. An estimated 2.2 million low-income househ… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On HHS OIG Report On Family Separation Policy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on the Trump Administration's family separation policy. The report comes after Durbin, and several of his colleagues, sent a letter to the HHS OIG last year requesting they conduct a comprehensive review of the operations of the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program, including the treatme… Continue Reading

Durbin And Duckworth Back Bill To Raise Federal Minimum Wage

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined fellow Senate Democrats in introducing a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024 to help more families make ends meet, expand economic opportunity, and help build an economy that works for all families, not just the wealthiest few. The Raise The Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 in 2024, index future minimum wage increases to median wage growth, and ensure all workers are paid at least the fu… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Trump Holding 250,000 Veterans' Paychecks Hostage For His Border Wall

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Republicans to reopen the government by passing the House-passed bipartisan bills - bills that earned the support of Senate Republicans just a few months ago. In his speech on the Senate floor, Durbin noted how veterans are some of the hardest hit by President Trump's shutdown. Today, as many as 250,000 veterans across the country - direct hire federal workers and contractors a… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Effective Border Security With CBP Commissioner

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to discuss border security and investments in screening technology including what are known as "Z-portals" that can help detect drugs and other illicit goods transported through legal ports of entry. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that currently only 18 percent of arriving cargo, passenger vehicles, and sea containers combined are scan… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions President Trump's AG Nominee On Immigration, Criminal Justice Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, William Barr, on his views regarding immigration and criminal justice during the first day of his confirmation hearings. Speaking to Mr. Barr about the Trump Administration's disastrous child separation policy, Durbin said, "Our government is shutdown now over the issues of border security and immigration, and the… Continue Reading

Durbin:Senator McConnell is Waiting For A Permission Slip From President Trump To Reopen The Government

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans to stop holding the government hostage over the President's demands for a medieval border wall. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to have a vote on the House-passed appropriations bills - bills that passed the Republican-led Senate on the floor or in committee with strong bipartisan support last year. Last week, … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Acting Defense Secretary On President Trump's Demand For A Southern Border Wall

WASHINGTON - In light of President Donald Trump's government shutdown and the potential for him to declare a national emergency in order to fund his southern border wall, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to warn him on how serious such a move would be, how legally dubious it would be, and to caution him that such an event will impact the Department of Defens… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Air Force Secretary To Urge For New, Additional Mission At 183rd Wing In Springfield

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to discuss operations at the Air National Guard 183rd Wing in Springfield, Illinois. During the meeting, Durbin urged the Secretary to consider the 183rd for new, additional missions, noting the capabilities of the facility and the expertise of the women and men who work at the Wing. "The 183rd Wing is more than capable to ta… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump's Address To The Nation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office on his demand for billions of dollars for a wall at the southern border: Tonight, what we heard from the Oval Office was a desperate attempt by the President to gain support for his medieval border wall. It won't work. Democrats support strong border security. And we can have a debate about effective border security, but we… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Background Check Expansion Act To Reduce Gun Violence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined 38 other Senators in reintroducing the Background Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. 97 percent of Americans support comprehensive background checks. Research indicates that as many as a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may o… Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights Critical Research Projects Threatened By Government Shutdown

PEORIA - As the government shutdown enters another week, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the impact the shutdown is having on the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research-also known as the Peoria Ag Lab. "Here in Peoria President Trump's shutdown impacts the lab's employees who are not able to work and are not getting paid. This means important research that could have significant impacts on our health and on agriculture in Illinois-including preliminary testing bui… Continue Reading