Durbin Joins Colleagues in Introducing Resolution to Designate January as Muslim-American Heritage Month

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative André Carson (D-IN-07) in introducing a resolution recognizing January as Muslim-American Heritage Month and celebrating the achievements of Muslims living in the United States.  The resolution highlights the incredible contributions Muslim Americans have made across multiple sectors of society—from medical professionals to entrepreneurs, faith leaders, athletes, and pub… Continue Reading

Durbin Participates in Official Launch of Northwestern Settlement's New Community Mental Health Center

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in the launch event for Northwestern Settlement’s new Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), which will expand access to mental health assistance by building out a new, bilingual community hub for clinical services at a moment when the need for them is at an all-time high. “In an era where the demand for mental health services is at an all-time high, Northwestern Settlement’s dedication to fostering a resilient and inclusive community… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with NCAA President to Discuss Name, Image, Likeness Policy in Collegiate Sports

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with NCAA President Charlie Baker to discuss proposals to modernize Division I (D-I) athletics in the age of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for college athletes.  These proposals, including provisions to allow schools to enter into NIL contracts directly with college athletes and the ability to offer direct financial compensation, would require additional accountability as any sc… Continue Reading

Durbin Congratulates Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos on Confirmation to Amtrak Board of Directors

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor congratulating Mayor Chris Koos of Normal, Illinois, forhis confirmation to the Amtrak Board of Directors.  Mayor Koos, whose nomination was recommended by Durbin, was confirmed in the Senate on Tuesday with bipartisan support.  Durbin also spoke to former Macomb, Illinois, Mayor Tom Carper’s tenure on the Amtrak Board. “On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koo… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CDC Director Cohen

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Mandy Cohen, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to discuss several issues important to the public health and safety of children.  During the meeting, Durbin discussed the need to curb gun violence and the trauma that children face as a result, and the scarcity of access to pediatric dentistry services.  They also discussed issues important to Illinois such as the ongoing flooding in Ca… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Six 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 Susan M. Bazis, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska; Ernest Gonzalez, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas; Ann Marie McIff Allen, to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah; Kelly Harrison Rankin, to be United States Dist… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Over $1.2 Million for Illinois Central College to Develop High School Programs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,288,596 for Illinois Central College through the U.S. Department of Education’s Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) Grant Program to develop new high-quality work-based learning programs for high school students to gain experience in health care, construction, manufacturing, and information technology professions. “The CCHS Program aims… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Child Care Advocacy Groups

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with child care advocacy groups to discuss a path forward for legislation supporting children, working families, and child care providers.  During their meeting, Durbin spoke about his support for child care tax incentives to improve child care accessibility and support working families in covering the costs, as well as his support to provide increased wages for child care workers. Durbin has repeatedly pushed for increased fun… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Latest Nominees in Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, nominated to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah, and Ernest Gonzalez, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, about their legal experience and how, if confirmed, they would be impartial judges. “You spent a significant amount of time … Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Union Priorities with UAW Leaders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Region 4 leaders of United Auto Workers (UAW) to discuss the union’s priorities, including protecting workers and ensuring that union members are supported as automakers transition to electric vehicle production.  Durbin spoke about the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, that was secured in the historic labor contract signed by the UAW and the Big Three automakers—Ford, Stellantis, and General… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $25 Million Rail Safety Grant for Kane County

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $25,000,000 for Kane County through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program, otherwise known as the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, to construct a grade separation of Randall Road over the Canadian National Railroad and reconstruct an existing intersection at Hopps Road adjacent to t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Confirmation of Normal Mayor Chris Koos to Amtrak Board of Directors

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors: “Mayor Koos has a long history as a powerful, positive voice in Illinois’ transportation sector.  He understands the importance of passenger rail to communities in Illinois, the Midwest, and nationwide.  His nomination, which we strongly recommended to Pres… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Must Restore Order at Our Southern Border and Enforce Our Immigration Laws in a Fair and Humane Way

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on his colleagues to reach a deal on immigration reform to restore order at the southern border while also enforcing these laws in a humane and fair way.  During his remarks, Durbin slammed Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) for his continued inhumane practice when migrants reach the Texas border. Durbin said, “We must restore order at our southern border an… Continue Reading

Durbin Marks Sixth Annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week with Senate Floor Speech Sharing Constituent Stories on Gun Violence

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recognizing the sixth annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week.  During his remarks, Durbin spoke about the horror of mass shootings and shared stories about the emotional and physical toll that gun violence has on communities in Illinois.  “This week, we recognize the unbelievable toll of gun violence in America, and we offer our support to the sur… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse, Hawley Call on Supreme Court to Reject Georgia-Pacific's Bankruptcy Maneuver to Evade Accountability to Hundreds of Thousands of Asbestos Victims

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led fellow Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in Bestwall LLC v. Official Committee of Asbestos Claimants, supporting hundreds of thousands of victims of the company’s asbestos-linked products. To avoid facing the legal claims of victims in court, Georgia-Pacific “moved” to Texas fo… Continue Reading

On the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Durbin Recommits to Protecting Reproductive Rights

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recommitted to protecting reproductive rights on the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade.  During his speech, Durbin condemned the Supreme Court’s decision inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruled a nearly 50-year-old precedent that had been reaffirmed multiple times.  “Roe v. Wade enshrined into law something that should have been a given… Continue Reading

Durbin, Young, Senators Urge Bangladesh PM to End the Government's Harassment of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) along with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent the following letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging the Bangladeshi government to end the persistent harassment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Profe… Continue Reading

Durbin Celebrates Pace's First Electric Bus

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) todayparticipated in a celebration for the introduction of Pace’s first electric bus—the first step in its commitment to convert the entire fleet of 700+ buses to zero emission vehicles by 2040—coined Project Zero. “By embracing cutting-edge technology, Pace is not just transforming its fleet; it's catalyzing a broader conversation about the intersection of public transportation and environmental responsibility,” said Durbin. “Pace’s leadership in embra… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $6 Million to Enhance Electric Vehicle Charging Resiliency

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $5,994,441 through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s Ride and Drive Electric Program for UL Solutions North America to expand its Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Laboratory to increase commercial capacity for the testing and certification of high-power EV chargers. “As we electrify transportation across the country, we must strive to build smarter, faster charging infrastr… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Passage of Bill to Keep Government Funded

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund various federal agencies through March 1st and March 8th, respectively: “It’s disappointing that the best we can do is ‘keep the lights on’ when funding the government.  We should be addressing issues that are important to the American people, not kicking the can down the road once again.… Continue Reading