Durbin, Booker: We Should Not Force Individuals On Home Confinement To Return To Prison

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, today responded to reports that the Biden Administration has decided that thousands of nonviolent inmates who were released on home confinement to reduce the spread of COVID-19 will be required to return to prison one month after the official state of emergency for the pandemic… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Urge Forest Service To Review Shawnee National Forest For Wilderness Designation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service requesting that the lands of the Shawnee National Forest be reviewed to determine if areas of the forest meet the requirements to be considered for wilderness protection. U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) and U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT-03) introduced the Shawnee Wilderness … Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks On Bipartisan & Bicameral Legislation To Sustain Crime Victims Fund

WASHINGTON - Ahead of a vote on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the bipartisan, bicameral VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act, which strengthens the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) by fixing how the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) is funded. Specifically, the bill redirects monetary penalties from federal deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements into the CVF to increase funding for state… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Kenneth Polite, Jr. To Be Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. to be Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Criminal Division. Ahead of the confirmation vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Mr. Polite, Jr.'s nomination. He was confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 56-44. "As an experienced prosecutor who has served his community throughout his career, Mr… Continue Reading

Durbin Praises Expanded Child Tax Credit On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to emphasize the impact of the historic Child Tax Credit expansion included in the American Rescue Plan, which was made possible by the efforts of Democrats and President Biden. In his remarks, Durbin highlighted the importance of the automatic monthly payments and estimates that the expanded credit could cut child poverty by half this year. "Last week was an important day for literally millions of America… Continue Reading

Durbin: Republicans Must Drop Opposition To Emergency Supplemental Bill To Pay National Guard, Capitol Police

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Senate Republicans to support an emergency supplemental appropriations bill, introduced by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), that would address the urgent security needs facing the Capitol and the country. The $3.7 billion bill would address the violent insurrection that took place on January 6, provide fun… Continue Reading

Durbin: Gun Violence Has Become As American As Baseball

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor decrying another weekend of mass gun violence across the country, including a shooting outside a Washington Nationals game and the shooting of more than 50 people in Chicago, including seven children. In his remarks, Durbin called out the continued normalization of gun violence in American life despite the unrelenting trauma and deaths caused by daily s… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Tiffany Cunningham To The Federal Circuit On Bipartisan Vote

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Tiffany P. Cunningham to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit by a bipartisan vote of 63-33. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Cunningham's confirmation: "This is a truly historic confirmation-Ms. Cunningham will serve as the first Black judge on the Federal Circuit. She will not only bring much-needed diversity to the bench… Continue Reading

Durbin: Senate Democrats Must Act On Permanent Legislative Solution For Dreamers

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and original author of the Dream Act, today slammed Friday's federal court ruling in Texas on the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and pressed the Senate to finally give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. "I cannot imagine what life would be like if I were a kid growing up in America, always wondering if something I said, something I did, some action that was taken by some m… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan About Region 5 Priorities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to discuss Durbin's priorities for EPA's Region 5, which includes Illinois. On the call, Durbin followed up on his March request that EPA update the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) using the best available science and that any stakeholder outreach include Chicago or Illinois to ensure that all Illinoisans have access to clean, lead-free water. Durbi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Texas Court DACA Ruling

CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and original author of the Dream Act, released the following statement regarding a federal court ruling in Texas on the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): "This cruel and misguided act of judicial fiat is the culmination of a longstanding Republican campaign to deport Dreamers. Congress will now act quickly - with or without the party of Donald Trump - to allow these Americans … Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee To Hold Oversight Hearing On FBI's Dereliction Of Duty In Larry Nassar Case

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) dereliction of duty in the Larry Nassar case, which enabled the continued abuse of dozens of victims. "The FBI's failure … Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Unveil Bipartisan Resolution Reaffirming Congressional Support For Cuba's Pro-Democracy Movement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), and U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25), and Albio Sires (D-NJ-08) in unveiling a bicameral, bipartisan resolution condemning the Cuban government's violent response to the thousands of Cuban citizens who have taken to the streets to peacefully call for respect for basic human rights … Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues To Support Nomination Of Tiffany Cunningham To The Federal Circuit

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nomination of Tiffany P. Cunningham, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, ahead of her cloture vote on the Senate floor. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted that Ms. Cunningham will bring much-needed diversity to the bench as well as impeccable credentials. The Senate voted to advance Ms. Cunningham's nomination by a bipartisan … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Bring Fairness To FEMA Disaster Declaration Process

WASHINGTON - Following a stretch of severe weather events in Illinois - such as flooding and tornadoes - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the introduction of the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois. Due to FEMA's di… Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights American Rescue Plan's Impact, Blasts Republican Opposition

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for referring to President Biden's American Rescue Plan as a 'grand socialist experiment.' In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin walked through the key components of the American Rescue Plan-which passed Congress in March without a single Republican vote-including funding for COVID-19 vaccines and distribution, small businesses, and working families. "So what was in this 'soc… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Latest Slate Of Circuit & District Court Nominations

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Eunice C. Lee, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; Veronica S. Rossman, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit; David G. Estudillo, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; Lauren J. King, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; and Tana Lin, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washingt… Continue Reading

Following Meeting With Biden, Durbin Speaks On Protecting Voting Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about defending the right to vote for every American. Durbin commended President Biden for speaking forcefully about protecting voting rights yesterday and urged Congress to step up to end the assault on voting rights in states across the country. "Sixty years later I'm afraid, Jim Crow is still around," Durbin said. "We are witnessing a coordinated, relentless, na… Continue Reading

Following Meeting With Biden, Durbin Speaks On Protecting Voting Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about defending the right to vote for every American. Durbin commended President Biden for speaking forcefully about protecting voting rights yesterday and urged Congress to step up to end the assault on voting rights in states across the country. "Sixty years later I'm afraid, Jim Crow is still around," Durbin said. "We are witnessing a coordinated, relentless, na… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Need David Chipman, Nominee To Lead ATF, To Help Enforce Nation's Gun Laws & Reduce Crime

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voiced his strong support for David Chipman, President Biden's nominee to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin said Mr. Chipman would be essential in helping the nation enforce the gun laws already on the books and helping reduce gun crime. The ATF has been without a Senate-confirmed Director since 2015. "Da… Continue Reading