Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Ahead of Oversight Hearing Next Week, Durbin Speaks with FBI Director Wray About Domestic Terrorism Threat
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray on how the Bureau is allocating its resources to respond to and address the threat of violence by white supremacists and other far-right-wing extremists following the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. Today's call comes ahead of an FBI oversight hearing next Tuesday, March 2, in the Senate Judiciary … Continue Reading
February 24, 2021
Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Inspector General Access Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced bipartisan legislation to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General to include alleged DOJ attorney misconduct. Currently, the DOJ Inspector General (IG) has no authority to investigate professional misconduct by DOJ lawyers. DOJ is the only agency whose IG has such a jurisdictional … Continue Reading
February 23, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Justice Department's Decision to Retain U.S. Attorney John Lausch
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Biden Justice Department will retain John Lausch as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois until his successor is confirmed. Durbin and Duckworth first voiced their desire to retain Mr. Lausch until his successor is confirmed in November 2020. On February 9, they wrote a letter to the President renewing this request. "We are … Continue Reading
February 23, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Justice Department Decision to Retain U.S. Attorney John Lausch
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Biden Justice Department will retain John Lausch as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois until his successor is confirmed. Durbin and Duckworth first voiced their desire to retain Mr. Lausch until his successor is confirmed in November 2020. On February 9, they wrote a letter to the President renewing this request. "We are … Continue Reading
February 23, 2021
Durbin Questions Outside Witnesses For Judge Garland's Nomination to be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked questions to the outside witness panel for the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin posed a question to Andrea Tucker, who is a parent of students Judge Garland has tutored. "How have your kids taken to Judge Garland in a personal way?" Durbin asked. Tucker answered by stating her son and daughter seem to love Judge Garland, and that he has … Continue Reading
February 22, 2021
Durbin Questions AG Nominee Garland on First Step Act, State of Federal Prisons in America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked his second round of questions during the nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin posed several questions to Judge Garland on implementing the First Step Act, the spread of COVID-19 in federal prisons, and the use of solitary confinement. "I introduced a bill several years ago, the Fair Sentencing Act, which … Continue Reading
February 22, 2021
Durbin Questions AG Nominee Garland on Domestic Terrorism and Family Separation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked his first round of questions during the nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin posed several questions to Judge Garland on domestic terrorism and the previous administration's cruel zero-tolerance family separation policy. "If you are confirmed as Attorney General, which I believe you will be, you will face … Continue Reading
February 22, 2021
Durbin to Garland: You Can Restore the Faith of the American People in the Rule of the Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered his opening statement during the nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin argued that Judge Garland is the right leader to restore integrity and the rule of law in the Justice Department and combat domestic terrorism and systemic racism following four tumultuous years under the previous administration. Key … Continue Reading
February 21, 2021
Durbin Releases Opening Remarks Ahead of Garland Hearing to be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released his opening statement ahead of the nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General. In it, Durbin argues that Judge Garland is the right leader to restore integrity and the rule of law in the Justice Department and combat domestic terrorism and systemic racism following four tumultuous years under the previous … Continue Reading
February 19, 2021
In Amicus Brief, Durbin, Grassley, Booker, Lee Call On Supreme Court To Make Lowest-Level Drug Offenders Eligible For First Step Act Relief
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) today submitted an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Tarahrick Terry v. United States, a case related to the interpretation of provisions of the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA) and the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. The Fair Sentencing Act, authored … Continue Reading
February 11, 2021
Durbin, Lee, Coons to Introduce Bipartisan Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chris Coons (D-DE), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced they would introduce the bipartisan Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2021, a targeted bill that would eliminate the blanket presumption of pretrial detention for most federal drug charges. Pretrial detention rates in the federal system are at record high … Continue Reading
February 10, 2021
Durbin, Grassley Announce Nomination Hearing Date for Judge Merrick Garland, Biden Nominee for U.S. Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that the Committee will hold a nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, on Monday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 23. The Committee will vote to advance Judge Garland's nomination on Monday, March 1 after all Committee members … Continue Reading
February 10, 2021
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reform Elderly Home Detention and Compassionate Release Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - Amid the COVID-19 public health pandemic, U.S. Senate Democratic 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, authors of the bipartisan First Step Act, landmark criminal justice reform legislation, introduced bipartisan legislation to reform the Elderly Home Detention Pilot Program and compassionate release from federal prisons. Sadly, more than 200 federal prisoners … Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Durbin: We Must Put an End to Donald Trump's 'Big Lie' Once and for All
WASHINGTON - Ahead of the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about the important responsibility the Senate has to move forward with this impeachment trial. In his speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that no one, not even the President of the United States, has a First Amendment right to say whatever he or she wants-an argument the former President's lawyers are … Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Termination of U.S. Attorney John Lausch
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Biden Administration will terminate John Lausch as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois: "While we agree with the Biden Administration's criminal justice agenda, we are disappointed with the decision to terminate U.S. Attorney Lausch without consulting us. In 2017, our non-partisan screening committee gave its support for Mr. … Continue Reading
February 04, 2021
Durbin & Graham Introduce the Dream Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the Dream Act of 2021, which would allow immigrant students without lawful status who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin and Graham introduced identical legislation in the last two sessions of Congress. These young people, known as Dreamers, … Continue Reading
February 04, 2021
Durbin Meets with Civil Rights Leaders on Judiciary Committee Priorities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Wade Henderson, Interim President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; and Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. During their call, the group discussed civil and human rights priorities, including criminal justice reform, voting rights, policing … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Durbin: I Will Remember Officer Sicknick During next Week's Impeachment Trial
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today honored Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered fatal injuries during the insurrection on January 6, following a ceremony where Officer Sicknick was lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Durbin also argued that the Senate has a responsibility to move forward with the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump. "Next … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Kristen Clarke, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for DOJ Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's nominee be the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Clarke discussed the importance of working closely together on DOJ priorities, including reinvigorating DOJ's protection of Americans' civil rights and voting rights, combating hate crimes and domestic … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Durbin Statement on Selection as Senate Judiciary Committee Chair
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after being selected as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 117th Congress: "This moment in history demands much of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm honored to lead my colleagues as we face these challenges. We start by confirming President Biden's nominees; combating the threat of domestic terrorism; passing long overdue reforms, like the Dream Act, to fix our broken … Continue Reading