Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin Statement On One Year Anniversary Of Murder Of George Floyd
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd: "His name was George Floyd. He was a 46-year-old Black man. He was a father, a brother, a son, a friend. He died on the streets of Minneapolis with the knee of a police officer on his neck-an image that haunts me to this day. The injustice of his killing is undeniable. And so is the fact that … Continue Reading
May 25, 2021
Senate Confirms Kristen Clarke To Lead DOJ Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON - On the first anniversary of George Floyd's murder, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, by a bipartisan vote of 51-48. Ms. Clarke will be the first Senate-confirmed woman and woman of color to lead the Civil Rights Division. Ahead of her confirmation vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, … Continue Reading
May 24, 2021
Durbin, Padilla, Judiciary Democrats Press Department Of Justice To Support Immigration Judges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, today led a group of nine Judiciary Committee Democrats in urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reverse the Trump Administration's attacks on the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ) and the independence of immigration judges more broadly. In a … Continue Reading
May 24, 2021
Durbin, Klobuchar, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Ban Pre-Checked Recurring Donation Boxes
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, will introduce legislation to ban political campaigns from using pre-checked recurring donation boxes. The legislation follows the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) unanimous, bipartisan vote recommending that Congress ban political campaigns from automatically opting donors into recurring contributions … Continue Reading
May 20, 2021
Durbin Attends White House Signing Of COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after attending the White House signing ceremony of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation introduced by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). This legislation will improve the Justice Department's response to the appalling rise in hate incidents targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and provide state and … Continue Reading
May 20, 2021
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances President Biden's First Slate Of Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Zahid N. Quraishi, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; and Regina M. Rodriguez, to be United States District Judge for the … Continue Reading
May 19, 2021
Durbin Meets With Biden's Nominee To Lead Drug Enforcement Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met virtually with Anne Milgram, President Joe Biden's nominee to be the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). During their meeting, Durbin discussed reining in excessive opioid production, incorporating public health approaches into law enforcement policies, and combatting the opioid epidemic. "After years of absent leadership at DEA, I am pleased to see a … Continue Reading
May 19, 2021
Durbin Slams Republican Refusal To Support Bipartisan January 6th Commission
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today slammed Congressional Republicans' refusal to support the bipartisan January 6 Commission, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that the bipartisan Commission is necessary in order to prevent Trump loyalists from rewriting the reality of what happened on January 6, 2021. "We know President Trump and his followers have … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Ahead Of Motion To Discharge, Durbin Calls On Senate Republicans To Support Kristen Clarke's Nomination To Lead DOJ Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON - Ahead of the vote to discharge from the Judiciary Committee the nomination of Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on his Republican colleagues to support her nomination. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that Ms. Clarke is the ideal candidate to restore credibility at the … Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
Senate Judiciary Dems Press DOJ To Not Appeal Federal Court Decision Ordering Release Of Key Memo Related To Mueller Report
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights; today led Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressing serious concerns about the Trump-era Department of Justice's (DOJ) apparent misrepresentations to a federal court regarding an … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Judiciary Committee Advance Three Bipartisan Law Enforcement Bills During Police Week
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that the Committee advanced three bills, on a unanimous and bipartisan basis, that will help support law enforcement officers by providing resources they need to do their jobs safely and build trust within the communities they serve. In 1962, President Kennedy signed a law authorizing the President to proclaim May 15 as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week in which it … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Judiciary Committee Advance Nominations Of Kristen Clarke & Todd Kim
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nomination of Todd Kim to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) by a vote of 15-7 and the nomination of Kristen Clarke to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division by a vote of 11-11. Under the provisions of S. Res. 27, Leader Schumer may now file a discharge motion on Ms. Clarke's nomination to place her on the executive calendar. Ahead of the votes, … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Durbin Meets With Advocates From The Alliance For Criminal Justice Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met virtually with advocates from the Alliance for Criminal Justice Reform (ACJR) to discuss police reform. In their meeting, the group talked about the need to meet the moment with real change to bring about justice and accountability that Americans across the nation are calling for. "In 2018, Congress came together on a bipartisan basis to tackle one of the toughest political issues of our … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Durbin Questions AG Garland & DHS Secretary Mayorkas On Domestic Terrorism & Border Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked questions during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on domestic violent extremism with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Durbin asked Attorney General Garland how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is addressing the possibility that members of law enforcement were involved in the January 6 … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Durbin Meets With ATF Director Nominee David Chipman
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met virtually with David Chipman, nominee to be the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). During their meeting, Durbin and Chipman discussed efforts to address the gun violence epidemic and protect public safety, including the President's proposal to stop the proliferation of ghost guns, combatting illicit firearm trafficking, and tracing crime guns. … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Durbin: Donald Trump's 'Big Lie' Sowed Distrust In Our Election; We Must Pass The For The People Act To Defend Our Democratic Process
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of the For The People Act, a measure that will combat voter suppression and protect our democratic process. Durbin argued that Donald Trump's 'Big Lie' that the 2020 election was stolen from him presents an existential threat to our democracy, and that Congress needs to uphold its constitutional obligation to defend our democratic process by passing the For The People Act. Since … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Durbin Statement On Latest Slate Of White House Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the White House announced its latest slate of judicial nominations: Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpí, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Eunice Lee, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Veronica Rossman, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; Judge Angel Kelly, United States District Court for the … Continue Reading
May 11, 2021
Durbin Delivers Remarks In Hearing On Ghost Guns
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing entitled "Stop Gun Violence: Ghost Guns." Durbin expressed his support for taking action to rein in the proliferation of untraceable ghost guns, which are currently being sold without background checks and are increasingly being used in shootings and recovered at crime scenes. Last week, the … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Durbin, Grassley Press DOJ To Strengthen First Step Act Rule On Earned Time Credits To Incentivize Rehabilitation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to direct the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to expeditiously revise the proposed rule published on November 25, 2020, regarding earned time credits authorized by the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA). In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Senators highlighted … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Durbin Asks FBI To Explain Failure To Detect January 6 Threat From Proud Boys Sources
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray requesting answers to recent reports suggesting the FBI failed to use its sources in the Proud Boys to develop intelligence about the January 6, 2021 insurrection. In March, Director Wray appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which he testified that the January 6 insurrection was an act of … Continue Reading