Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Today's Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Nancy Maldonado, nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Georgia Alexakis, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Krissa Lanham, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona; Angela Martinez, nominated to be U.S. District Ju… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky Introduce Bicameral Bill to Stop Illegal Robocalls

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today reintroduced the Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act, a bill that would help end the plague of illegal robocalls in America.  The legislation would give the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Do-Not-Call Registry teeth by providing all telephone subscribers, including small businesses, the ability to seek damages for all unconsented-to telemarketing calls im… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Remarks Honoring Dr. Fauci as he Receives the Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks honoring Dr. Anthony Fauci, this year’s recipient for the University of Illinois System’s Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government.  During his remarks, Durbin praised Dr. Fauci for his many contributions to public health and medical research, his role as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, his role in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, for guiding the nation through… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Discuss Chicago Hub Improvement Project with Canadian National

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) who joined by phone, today met with Canadian National (CN) CEO Tracy Robinson to discuss the railroad’s involvement in the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP), Amtrak’s multi-phased project to revitalize Chicago Union Station (CUS) and revolutionize Midwest passenger rail.  Critical to the region’s infrastructure, CHIP will improve connectivi… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Congress to Find a Permanent Pathway for Dreamers and Pass His Dream Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor highlighting his Dream Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence.  These young people, known as Dreamers, have lived in America since they were children, built their lives here, and are American in every … Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Establish National Monument to Julius Rosenwald

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to employ his authority under the Antiquities Act to create a national monument in honor of Julius Rosenwald.  Son of German Jewish immigrants, Julius Rosenwald made Sears, Roebuck and Company the retail powerhouse of the 20th century, but he used his wealth to fund his philanthropic efforts.… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Federal Judiciary Clarifying that Justices and Judges Must Disclose the Value of Free Trips

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the federal judiciary’s updated guidance clarifying that justices and judges must disclose the value of free trips: “While I applaud this decision by the federal judiciary to clarify its financial disclosure rules to properly reflect federal law and ensure justices and judges disclose the value of free trips, the Senate and the American people deserve to… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Pork Producers Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association to discuss the effects of California’s Proposition 12 on the economics of the pork industry.  Director Chad Lehman, a third-generation farmer from Woodford County, spoke with Durbin about business operations, technologies, and the state of market dynamics for producers, suppliers, and consumers.  Illinois ranks… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Confirmation of Nicole Berner to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nicole Berner to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Berner’s confirmation: “Ms. Berner is a highly experienced litigator who will bring an underrepresented perspective to the bench. She’s a steadfast advocate forworkers’ rights, reproductive rights, and civil rights for all. And now, she is the first LG… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Sorensen, Budzinski Demand Answers from Postmaster General on Plans to Eliminate Mail Processing Centers in Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) in a letter to Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy urging him to reconsider his decision to eliminate mail processing at Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs) located in Champaign, Peoria, Milan, and Springfield, Illinois.  In their letter, the lawmakers noted that any move to alt… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Trade Groups to Take Action Against Tianeptine, an "Opioid-Like" Ingredient Found in Some Products Marketed As Dietary Supplements

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the American Herbal Products Association, and the United Natural Products Alliance to act against the inclusion of dangerous or illegal ingredients in products marketed as dietary supplements in the United States, such as tianeptine.  Tianeptine can be found in certain retail outlets, and can create “opioid-like effects,” which can lead to rapid heartb… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $750,000 for National Louis University School of Nursing

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited National Louis University (NLU) to discuss the $750,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) omnibus appropriations bill to establish a new School of Nursing that will provide statewide capacity to educate more nurses and address the current nursing workforce shortage. “As we confront the challenges posed by evolving health care needs, the s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez, Underwood Introduce Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim identity in Plainfield, Illinois on October 14th.  In addition to Durbin and Duckworth, the resolution is cosigne… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan SAFE Act to Reform FISA Section 702

WASHINGTON – With the April 19 sunset of Section 702 of theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaching in just a few weeks, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the bipartisan Security and Freedom Enhancement(SAFE) Act, a compromise bill that protects Americans from foreign threats and from warrantless government surveillance.  This legislation reflects a carefully crafted, pragmatic … Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Illinois Water Infrastructure Projects With Rock Island Army Corps District Commander

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District Commander Colonel Jesse T. Curry to receive an update on several Illinois infrastructure projects, including the Brandon Road project to protect the Great Lakes from the spread of invasive Carp.  Durbin secured nearly $226 million in funding for the project in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in addition to $47.2 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus bill.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider Applaud New EPA Rule Restricting Dangerous Ethylene Oxide Emissions

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ethylene Oxide Task Force, today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for finalizing its new rule, Final Amendments to Strengthen Air Toxics Standards for Ethylene Oxide Co… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Bipartisan Legislation To Reform FISA Section 702 On The Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – With the April 19 sunset of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaching in just a few weeks, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced new, bipartisan compromise legislation that protects Americans from foreign threats and from warrantless government surveillance in a speech on the Senate floor.  The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act reflects a carefully crafted, pragmatic approach… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Bangladesh Ambassador to the U.S. to Urge an End to the Government's Troubling Harassment of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Bangladesh Ambassador to the U.S., Muhammad Imran, to discuss the persistent harassment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.  For more than a decade, Professor Yunus has faced more than 100 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in Bangladesh.  The harassment campaign against Professor Yunus has been denounced by more than 100 Nobel Prize winners, including former President Obama.  Durbin led the effor… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Condemning Attack on Navalny's Former Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON – Following the seemingly targeted attack against Alexei Navalny’s former Chief of Staff, Leonid Volkov, in Lithuania, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement: “Lithuania has been a resolute and important safe haven fordemocratic leaders facing repression in their home countries, including those from Belarus and Russia.  While yesterday’s attack on Leonid Volkov was despicable, I am encouraged by the forcef… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Corn Growers Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, met with the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) who shared priorities of Illinois’ agricultural sector for the upcoming year.  During their meeting, ICGA spoke about the importance of crop insurance, increased trade dollars, and the farm conservation incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.  ICGA also highlighted the importance of expanding high-octan… Continue Reading