Press Releases
Durbin Meets With American Business Immigration Coalition To Discuss Dreamers, DACA, And Essential Workers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with members of the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and impacted business leaders to discuss a variety of issues, including the Dream Act and the impact of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda on essential workers and the future of the economy. “Immigrants helped build our nation, and they contribute to our society and economy. They’re business … Continue Reading
October 22, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Higher Education Leaders To Discuss Impact Of “Operation Midway Blitz” And Meeting The Moment For Their Students
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with the University of Illinois (U of I) System President Tim Killeen and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda to discuss the impact of President Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” and militarized immigration enforcement efforts on student and school safety, as well as how UIC is continuing to step up for its students through the uncertainty and fear. The meeting follows reporting on a viral video … Continue Reading
October 22, 2025
Durbin Questions Andrew Duva To Be Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division, Two Judicial Nominees During A Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Andrew Tysen Duva, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, about the Public Integrity Section (PIN) at the Department of Justice (DOJ). PIN staff has been reduced from approximately 30 prosecutors at the end of the Biden Administration to now only two attorneys. Earlier this week, Durbin met with Mr. Duva, who reassured the Senator that … Continue Reading
October 22, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Nomination Of Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division, Two Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Andrew Tysen Duva, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division; William Jerrol Crain, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Alexander Coker Van Hook, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of … Continue Reading
October 22, 2025
Durbin Implores Colleagues To Reform The Centuries-Old Insurrection Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, encouraged his colleagues to support commonsense reforms to the outdated Insurrection Act. Introduced by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Insurrection Act of 2025 would reform centuries-old legislation that gives the President broad and vague authority to deploy troops—either with or without the … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin Meets With The Association of American Cancer Institutes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Association of American Cancer Institutes’ (AACI) President, Dr. Robert Winn, to discuss the Trump Administration’s devastating cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Trump Administration has frozen or cancelled billions in NIH grant funding; fired thousands of NIH staffers; and proposed a Fiscal Year 2026 budget that requests a 40 percent cut to medical research … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin Applauds Senate Ag Committee Passage Of His Shawnee National Forest Conservation Act; Legislation To Protect More Than 13,000 Acres Of Shawnee National Forest
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member Senate Agriculture Committee, applauded the Committee for advancing his Shawnee National Forest Conservation Act, legislation that would establish 12,700 acres of special management areas and 750 acres of wilderness in the Shawnee National Forest. Securing this designation for these acres would offer critical protections. Now that the bill has advanced out of the Agriculture Committee, it could now go to the Senate floor for … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin Presses Noem On Lax ICE Hiring Standards, Inflammatory Recruitment Messaging
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on recent changes to hiring practices at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Following a massive funding increase by Congress, ICE is recruiting new staff by employing polarizing and inflammatory recruitment messaging while also lowering age and training requirements with signing bonuses. In a letter to … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin On ACA Premium Crisis: No American Should Be Forced To Choose Between Their Home And Health Care
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor criticizing congressional Republicans for allowing the government shutdown to continue because their caucus refuses to negotiate with Senate Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans could lose their health coverage, and more than 20 … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin Statement On Forced Cutbacks For Federal Judiciary Due To Trump Shutdown
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement as today marks the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ reported trigger date forcing curtailed operations of the federal courts due to the Trump shutdown: “The impacts of the Trump government shutdown are now reaching our justice system. Because Republicans are choosing to put billionaire tax cuts ahead of affordable health care for all Americans, … Continue Reading
October 20, 2025
Durbin On “No Kings” Protest: Political Opposition & Peaceful Protests Are Not Rebellion, They Are The Bedrock Of Our Democracy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recounting the events of Chicago’s “No Kings” protest over the weekend. In his remarks, Durbin further spoke about the Trump Administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn lower-court rulings that have temporarily paused the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. “On Saturday, an estimated seven million Americans across … Continue Reading
October 20, 2025
Durbin Meets With Nominee For Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Andrew T. Duva, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division: “This Administration shows no willingness to abide by the rule of law. As DOJ leadership exhibits no remorse for weaponizing our justice system, the American people are louder than ever in demanding a Justice Department that puts … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
Durbin Statement On Trump Administration Urging Supreme Court To Green Light The Deployment Of National Guard Troops To Chicago
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Trump Administration filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn lower-court rulings that have temporarily blocked President Trump’s plans to deploy the National Guard to Chicago: “After federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties repeatedly ruled that President Trump cannot deploy service members as his … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
Durbin, Schumer, Reed, Coons, Duckworth Lead Senators In Requesting DOD Inspector General Inquiry Into Domestic Deployment Of Military In American Cities
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; and combat Veteran U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led 22 Senators in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense Acting Inspector General … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
As Trump Administration Pursues Deployment Of Military In American Cities, Durbin, Padilla, Schiff, Wyden, & Merkley Meet With NORTHCOM Leadership
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), spoke with NORTHCOM leadership about the Trump Administration’s unlawful deployment of troops to American cities for immigration and law enforcement support. During the call, the Senators requested additional information about how these domestic deployments will impact military readiness and stressed that the nation’s military … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Durbin Debunks Republican Falsehoods On ICE In Chicago, Calls For Secretary Noem To Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON - At an executive business meeting this morning, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, debunked previously-peddled falsehoods by Senate Judiciary Republicans about President Trump’s unlawful attempt to deploy the National Guard to Illinois, as well as re-upping Democrats’ months-long call for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to testify before the Committee. Durbin began by refuting U.S. Senator … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Durbin Praises Ceasefire Deal In Middle East, Calls On Congress To Pass Sanctions Bill Against Russia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recognizing the ceasefire deal for the war in Gaza. In his remarks, Durbin acknowledged that the return of hostages and halt to the fighting are only the first steps in bringing long-term stability to the region, and he called upon President Trump and the United States’ regional allies to continue pushing for an end to the conflict. “Over the long weekend, the world saw what is hopefully … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Durbin Highlights Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, María Corina Machado
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor honoring Nobel Peace Prize recipient, María Corina Machado. Yesterday, Durbin along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met virtually with Ms. Machado. “Last week, we learned that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado had won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. She did so for her steadfast and courageous fight for democracy … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Durbin Slams Senate Republicans For Failing To Address Rising Health Care Costs For American Families
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor criticizing congressional Republicans for allowing the government shutdown to continue because their caucus refuses to negotiate with Senate Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. If these tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans could lose their health coverage, and more than 20 million Americans … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Durbin, Warnock Statement On Voting Rights Supreme Court Case
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) issued the following statement on today’s oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais: “All Americans should have a fair say in who represents them in Congress. Led by a President who tried stealing an election, Republicans have lost all respect for election integrity. We’re now witnessing a never-before-seen political pressure campaign to … Continue Reading