Durbin, Feinstein Call on USDA OIG to Audit Oversight of Dog Breeders

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today led six Senators in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct a more in-depth audit to properly examine the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) oversight of dog breeders regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The request comes after the USDA OIG noted in a recent report that the COVID-19 pandemic hindered efforts to c… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Attorney General Garland During Hearing On Oversight Of The Department Of Justice

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Department of Justice." Durbin asked Garland what the Department is doing to respond to gun violence and gun trafficking operations in Chicago. "Hardly a day goes by in the City of Chicago where somebody isn't killed by a firearm. The cases are heartbreaking…The gun u… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Attorney General Garland During Hearing On Oversight Of The Department Of Justice

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Department of Justice." Durbin asked Garland what the Department is doing to respond to gun violence and gun trafficking operations in Chicago. "Hardly a day goes by in the City of Chicago where somebody isn't killed by a firearm. The cases are heartbreaking…The gun u… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Nomination of Gregory Harris to be Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the White House's nomination of Gregory Harris to be U.S. Attorney in the Central District of Illinois: "With more than 25 years of experience working in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District, Greg Harris will be ready to hit the ground running on day one. He is exceptionally well-qualified and… Continue Reading

Durbin: The Senate Must Follow the House's Lead & Eliminate the Federal Crack and Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today urged his colleagues to support bipartisan legislation that will finally eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. The Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act, introduced by Durbin and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), would eliminate the crack and powder cocaine sentencing d… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Federal Grants For Chicago And Quincy Police Departments To Support Mental Health Services

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the cities of Chicago and Quincy were awarded $233,893 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to support mental health and wellness services for law enforcement officers. The funding is part of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program, which supports suicide prevention programs, training and technic… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement in Senate Judiciary Committee's First Department of Justice Oversight Hearing Since 2017

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 entitled, "Oversight of the Department of Justice." Durbin spoke about the importance of returning the Senate Judiciary Committee to its traditional oversight role, including by holding annual oversight hearings for agencies within the Committee's jurisdiction. Durbin highlighted the importance of DOJ's role in investig… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of Six Judicial Nominees And Three U.S. Attorneys

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Lucy Haeran Koh, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Jane M. Beckering, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan; Shalina D. Kumar, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Armando O. Bonilla, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims; Carolyn N. Lerner, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims; and Jo… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues to Support Slate of District Court Nominees on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nominations of Jia M. Cobb, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia; Karen McGlashan Williams, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Patricia Tolliver Giles, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael S. Nachmanoff, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Opioid Quotas with DEA Administrator Milgram

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram about the ongoing opioid epidemic, and DEA's role in reining in the pharmaceutical industry's excessive opioid production. Durbin and Milgram discussed DEA's proposed opioid production quotas for 2022, which will help prevent opioid addiction and misuse. Milgram is the first Senate-confirmed DEA Administrator since 2… Continue Reading

Durbin urges Colleagues to Support Nomination of Myrna Pérez to the Second 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 Myrna Pérez to serve on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted Ms. Pérez's extensive experience. The Senate will proceed to a confirmation vote on Ms. Pérez's nomination tonight. "[Pérez has] dedicated her career to defending America's right to vote through her work at the B… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda Will Help Working Mothers Succeed

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda. During his speech, Durbin shared what the expanded Child Tax Credit has meant to Illinoisans. "A lady named Lydia in my home state of Illinois described what this means to her. She wrote to my office and she said, 'With the Child Tax Credit, I'll be able to buy my kids their school supplies, clothes, things they need to go back to … Continue Reading

Durbin To HHS And FDA: More Accessible And Affordable At-Home Rapid Tests Can Help Our Pandemic Response

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra and Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Janet Woodcock to help expand rapid at-home COVID-19 testing. Durbin highlighted that despite the dramatic expansion of vaccinations by the Biden Administration, the nation's testing infrastructure remains an important and under-developed aspect of our public health emergency response. "In Sept… Continue Reading

Durbin, King, Smith, And Sinema Secure $14 Million For Open Textbook Pilot Program In Senate Appropriations Committee Annual Spending Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ) today announced the inclusion of $14 million for the Open Textbook Pilot Program in the Senate Appropriations Committee's Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The funding includes more than $8.2 million in continuation awards to complete funding for the sec… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of Beth Robinson & Jennifer Sung

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Beth Robinson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; and Jennifer Sung, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Durbin delivered opening remarks highlighting the nominees' qualifications and experience. Robinson received a 10-9 vote and Sung received a 10-10 vote to advance out of Committee. Under the provisions of S. Res. 27, Leader Schumer may now file a discharge motion on Ms. Su… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill To Improve Concussion Safety In Youth Sports

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act to strengthen elementary and secondary school procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating student-athletes who suffer concussions. The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates that about 140,000 students playing high school sports suffer concussions every year, though many go unreported. Durbin's bill requires states to adopt "when in dou… Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Unveils Annual Spending Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee released nine draft Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills for Commerce, Justice, and Science; Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Interior; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Legislative Branch; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation; and Housing and Urban Development. Durbin… Continue Reading

Durbin: President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda Is The Blueprint For America To Win The 21st Century

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda. During his speech, Durbin argued that the cost of inaction far outweighs that of action. Durbin also argued that Congress must address climate change in the Build Back Better agenda, and that doing so has the potential to be the biggest job creator in a generation. "President Biden's Build Back Better agenda is an investment in o… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Republican Filibuster Of The Freedom To Vote Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement today after the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation that would protect the right to vote, reform our broken campaign finance system, and secure our democracy, failed to advance on the Senate floor due to a Republican filibuster: "The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy. By continuing to filibuster voting rights legislation, Senate Republicans are putting p… Continue Reading

Durbin: Biden's Vaccine Policy Is Our Path To Recovery

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about the promising developments stemming from President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine policy. Over the past month, coronavirus case numbers have fallen by more than 40 percent as the average number of daily vaccinations has increased by more than 25 percent. "Millions of American families have already suffered the consequences of vaccine denial, deception, and inaction. A report released earlier this month fou… Continue Reading