Durbin Meets With Mayor-Elect Lightfoot

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot to discuss Chicago priorities and how he can assist her in the Senate. Durbin and Lightfoot talked about reducing gun violence, the Chicago HEAL Initiative, the 2020 Census, public housing, and transportation infrastructure funding. "I want to thank Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot for coming by and meeting with the Illinois Congressional Delegation. We spoke about the issues she'll face in her new adminis… Continue Reading

Durbin Opposes Jeffrey Rosen, President Trump's Deputy AG Nominee

WASHINGTON - In today's Senate Judiciary Committee markup, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) voted against President Donald Trump's nominee to be Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Jeffrey Rosen. Durbin argued that Mr. Rosen does not have the qualifications to be Deputy Attorney General given his lack of experience in the Department of Justice (DOJ) and lack of understanding of its basic law enforcement components. "I sat down with Mr. Rosen - a blank slate, I knew nothing about him. … Continue Reading

Durbin: President Trump's Anti-Immigrant Policies Have Made Our Border Less Secure

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, today slammed the Trump Administration for their failure to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. During today's hearing, Durbin called out the Administration's failed border security efforts - including the family separation policy, government shutdown, cutting off foreign assistance to the Northern Triangle countries, shutting down the Central Am… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Must Improve Health Outcomes For New Moms And Babies

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor ahead of Mother's Day this Sunday, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged his Senate colleagues to pass the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act, which he introduced in March, along with U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for moms and babies of color who are significantly more l… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Defense Secretary On DOD Involvement At The Southwest Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned Patrick Shanahan, Acting Secretary of Defense, and General Joseph Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the continued use of Department of Defense (DoD) funding and personnel at our southern border. In today's hearing, Durbin pressed Acting Secretary Shanahan on why there is no money appropriated in the fiscal year 2020 budget when i… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Statement On HHS Rule To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today issued the following statement following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the issuance of final regulations requiring pharmaceutical companies to list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements: "Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements are everywhere, and they tell you just about everything imaginable about the drug, other than … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Labor Groups

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with a large group of labor organizations to discuss trade, transportation infrastructure, and support for federal employees. Durbin also discussed his support for strengthening workers' rights to join unions and bargain collectively. "Our country was built on foundational labor rights - like fair wages, safe working conditions, and access to health care. As someone who grew up in a union household, I will always have their back in Congres… Continue Reading

Durbin, Warren, Reed Reintroduce Bill Creating Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Jack Reed (D-RI) today reintroduced legislation to ensure struggling student loan borrowers are treated fairly and understand the full range of repayment options and resources available to them. The Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights Act of 2019 creates consistent servicing and disclosure standards across private and federal student loans by amending the Truth In Lending Act. More than 40 million Americans hold $1.5 … Continue Reading

Durbin: Special Counsel Report Is Far From "Case Closed"

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pushed back on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's argument that the Mueller report is a "closed case" and renewed his call for U.S. Attorney General Barr to recuse himself from the 14 ongoing referred criminal investigations identified in Special Counsel Mueller's report. Durbin also argued that as Senate Republican Leader, Senator McConnell did little to nothing to acknowledge the threat of… Continue Reading

Durbin Slams Big Pharma On High Cost Of Prescription Drugs In America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned James Stansel, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on the high price of prescription drugs in America. In today's hearing, Durbin slammed PhRMA for the pharmaceutical industry's egregious tactics that leads to dramatic price increases for Americans, including patent manipulation to block generic compet… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Reintroduce Bipartisan Election Interference Bill

WASHINGTON-Following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today reintroduced the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which will prevent foreign governments from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill will make "improper interference in U.S. elections" a violation of U.S. immig… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support Wounded Warriors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced a bill to help wounded warriors by expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act would support colleges and universities seeking to establish or expand degree programs to train orthotics and prosthetics specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer serious injuries should expect nothing less than the highest standard of care whe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Booker, Senators Call Out Trump Admin For Inadequate Effort To Combat White Supremacist Violence

WASHINGTON-Following last week's deadly shooting at Chabad of Poway synagogue, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) today called out the Trump Administration for shifting its approach to tracking domestic terrorism incidents to obfuscate the white supremacist threat. In a letter to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Senators … Continue Reading

Durbin Votes To Override President Trump's Veto Of The Bipartisan Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In March, the resolution passed the Senate by a vote of 54-46, and on April 4, it passed the House by a vote of 247-175, but today it did not garner enough votes in the Senate to override the President's veto. "Not only was this war never authorized as required b… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murphy, Cartwright Introduce Bills To Support Wounded Warriors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), today introduced two bicameral bills to support wounded warriors by improving orthotics and prosthetics care, and expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The bills would enhance research in best practices and support colleges and universities seeking to establish degree programs to train specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer ser… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses Senate Judiciary Committee To Bring In Mueller And McGahn To Testify On The Mueller Report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today pressed the Senate Judiciary Committee to call Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Don McGahn, President Trump's former White House Counsel, to testify about Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "Time and again it appears that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which used to be the leader on Capitol Hill on these issues, is stepping back and out of the picture if… Continue Reading

Durbin, Quigley, Rubio, Duckworth, Rooney Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Map Urban Flooding & Help FEMA Better Assess Risks

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Francis Rooney (R-FL-19) today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2019 to enhance the mapping of urban flooding to prevent associated damage. The legislation will help give cities and towns the tools they need to address flooding in a local context and then encourage the Fed… Continue Reading

Durbin, Capito Urge HHS To Implement Childhood Trauma Force

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accelerate implementation of the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care, a provision authored by both Senators that was passed into law last October as part of the federal opioid response. The bipartisan provision established a Task Force of federal agencies to set a national strategy to address childhood trauma and to promote trauma-informed care… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Senators Introduce Choose Medicare Act To Make Medicare Available To Everyone

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), today introduced the Choose Medicare Act to give every individual who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare. The Choose Medicare Act also gives every employer the ability to purchase Medicare for their employees. "This boils down to whether you believe health care is a privilege for t… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions AG Barr On His Handling Of The Mueller Report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Attorney General William Barr on his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. "I find, Attorney General Barr, that some of the things you've engaged in really leave me wondering what you believe your role is as Attorney General," Durbin said. "I would hope that we can get to the bottom of this with… Continue Reading