Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Jobs and the Economy
Durbin, Reed, Doggett Introduce Bill To Stop Tax-Dodging Corporate Inversion Schemes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), along with U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), today introduced the Stop Corporate Inversions Act, a bill to stop business practices known as inversions—corporate deals that allow U.S. companies to shift their corporate citizenship from the United States to a low-tax foreign jurisdiction, while keeping their executives and headquarters in the United States. This is accomplished by merging … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Durbin Commends Ruling That Upholds The Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act and the Durbin Amendment, released the following statement after a federal judge ruled against the banks in Illinois Bankers Association v. Raoul, a lawsuit brought by the banks to prevent the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) from taking effect. In the ruling, Chief Judge Virginia Kendall agreed with the arguments in … Continue Reading
February 09, 2026
Durbin, Reed, Delauro Introduce American Business For American Companies Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today reintroduced the bicameral American Business for American Companies Act, legislation that would extend the year-to-year government wide ban on federal contracts for inverted corporations by moving it out of the annual appropriations process and into permanent law. Corporate inversions allow U.S. companies to shift their corporate citizenship … Continue Reading
February 06, 2026
Durbin Secures Support For Illinois Priorities In Recently Passed Package Of Five Government Funding Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the various priorities for Illinois he secured in the recently passed package of five government funding bills for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Defense; Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; and State and Foreign Operations for Fiscal Year 2026. “With … Continue Reading
February 03, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster Introduce New Legislation To Boost Housing Stock Across The Country
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today introduced new legislation that would address the housing shortage in the United States, which has priced millions of Americans out of home ownership. To mitigate barriers to home ownership and incentivize builders to focus on constructing resilient and affordable homes, the Advancing Better Options for Dwellings Everywhere (ABODE) Act would … Continue Reading
January 30, 2026
Durbin Statement On President Trump Nominating Kevin Warsh To Be The Next Federal Reserve Chair
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding President Trump announcing Kevin Warsh as his pick to serve as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve: “The Federal Reserve, called by some our nation’s ‘central bank,’ has a straightforward mission: guide monetary policy to increase employment, corral inflation, and keep America’s economy on a stable, positive course. Key to the Fed’s effectiveness is its credibility and independence. … Continue Reading
January 29, 2026
Durbin Statement On Senate Agriculture Committee Advancing Partisan Crypto Market Structure Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the Committee advanced cryptocurrency market structure legislation along party lines. Republicans also voted to reject two amendments that Durbin offered in order to strengthen the bill. Durbin’s amendments attempted to crack down on crypto ATM fraud and ban some crypto intermediaries from receiving a federal bailout. “The 2008 financial crisis was … Continue Reading
January 21, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth Release Data On Rising Cost Of Living In Illinois Under Trump Administration
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared data from the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) showing that the average Illinois household has paid $1,781 in higher costs since President Trump took office one year ago. Despite numerous claims that the second Trump Administration will lower the cost of living for Americans, President Trump has instead focused his energy on slashing $1 trillion in Medicaid funds, pricing out … Continue Reading
January 20, 2026
Durbin Joins Small Business Owners In Springfield To Discuss Credit Card Competition Act
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined small business owners at Café Moxo in Springfield to discuss how his recently reintroduced bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act will increase competition in the credit card market and put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses—and, ultimately, consumers. Today, Visa and Mastercard control about 85 percent of the credit card market and refuse to negotiate fair terms with Main Street … Continue Reading
January 15, 2026
Durbin Urges Senate Colleagues To Support His Bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his Senate colleagues to support his bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), which would increase competition in the credit card market and put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses—and, ultimately, consumers. Durbin and Marshall re-introduced the legislation earlier this week, which was … Continue Reading
January 13, 2026
Durbin, Marshall Reintroduce The Credit Card Competition Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) reintroduced the Credit Card Competition Act, which will increase competition in the credit card market and put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses—and, ultimately, consumers. President Trump endorsed the legislation early this morning Today, Visa and Mastercard control about 85 percent of the credit card market and refuse to negotiate fair terms … Continue Reading
January 12, 2026
Durbin Warns Of Crypto Risks Ahead Of Senate Committee Markups
WASHINGTON - As the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees consider cryptocurrency market structure legislation this week, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Durbin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, urged the Committee Chairmans to work across the aisle to explore proper protections and regulations in the crypto market before moving forward. In his remarks, Durbin noted that crypto assets are a risky, volatile, and unpredictable investment. Durbin said, “While we await the release of … Continue Reading
January 08, 2026
Durbin Joins Cantwell, Young To Introduce Bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI.), Ted Budd (R-NC), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) to introduce the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act. The bipartisan legislation would accelerate quantum technology development and real-world applications that are vital to U.S. national security and … Continue Reading
December 02, 2025
Durbin On The Affordability Crisis: Costs Are Through The Roof Because Of President Trump And His MAGA Policies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor about the nation’s affordability crisis, which has been spurred by the Trump Administration’s short-sighted economic policies, including tariffs, billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP, and attacks on immigrant workers. Despite claims made by President Trump, Americans are seeing a sharp spike in the cost of groceries and household goods. “Last week, families gathered around the table to give … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin Statement Rejecting Proposed Settlement Between Visa, Mastercard & Merchants
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, released the following statement on a recent proposed settlement between Visa and Mastercard and the merchants. The settlement comes after two decades of class-action litigation over swipe fees that merchants pay to Visa, Mastercard, and the banks. “As Americans are trying to make ends meet, the biggest Wall Street banks, Visa, and … Continue Reading
November 17, 2025
Durbin Secures Support For Illinois Priorities In Newly Enacted Military Construction And Veterans Affairs And Agriculture Funding Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the various priorities for Illinois he secured in the newly enacted funding bills for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). “As the government reopens under a continuing resolution, Congress also passed appropriations bills that bolster our … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Three Resolutions To Terminate President Trump’s Harmful Tariffs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate passed three resolutions, all with bipartisan support, to terminate the President’s disastrous tariffs on Brazil and Canada, as well as his global “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every country: “The President has decided to gamble with our economy by recklessly implementing sky-high tariffs against our trading partners. These haphazard trade policies have threatened our nation’s … Continue Reading
October 10, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Air Traffic Controllers As They Continue To Work Without Pay During Shutdown
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met virtually with Toby Hauck, the President of Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and Illinois members from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) as they work to keep the aviation system travel is disrupted during the shutdown. During the shutdown, more than 10,000 air traffic controllers across the country are working without pay. The shutdown already has exacerbated dire air traffic controller … Continue Reading
October 09, 2025
As Republican Shutdown Continues, Durbin Speaks With American Federation Of Government Employees President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley to discuss the government shutdown as President Trump threatens to withhold back pay for furloughed federal workers. During the phone call, Durbin and Mr. Kelley spoke about the Trump Administration’s gutting of federal agencies and the impacts of the Trump shutdown on federal employees, who are forced to work without … Continue Reading
September 29, 2025
Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bill Allowing Victims To Sue AI Companies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a new bipartisan bill today to hold artificial intelligence (AI) companies accountable for harm caused by their systems while allowing companies to continue innovating and developing beneficial AI systems. “Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days, but we’ve struck a remarkable bipartisan note in protecting children … Continue Reading