Press Releases
Durbin Statement On Trump Violating The Iran Deal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Trump announced that he will unilaterally pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement: The last thing America and the world need right now is a new nuclear threat. Breaking this deal increases the danger that Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program, which threatens our ally, Israel, and destabilizes the entire Middl… Continue Reading
05.08.18
Durbin Questions CIA Openly Lobbying For Haspel Nomination
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned the role of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in openly and actively using Agency resources to promote the nomination of Gina Haspel to serve as its next director. "These efforts to promote a national security nomination appear to be without precedent in recent history," said Durbin. "Congress is being lobbied aggressively, and we must consider whether our in… Continue Reading
05.07.18
Durbin Calls on Trump Administration to Stop Sabotaging Health Care for Americans by Pushing Junk Insurance Plans
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on President Trump's Administration to halt the expansion of junk insurance plans that would once again allow health insurance companies to refuse coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, raise premiums significantly for older Americans, and exclude basic benefits such as maternity care or prescription drugs. The Trump Administration has proposed a new rule to expand so-called "short-term" insurance plans to bypass the consumer prote… Continue Reading
05.03.18
Durbin, Manchin, Markey Press FDA To Heed Public Health Requests, Remove Ultra-High Dosage Opioids From The Market
WASHINGTON-In the midst of our nation's unprecedented opioid epidemic, which is killing 115 Americans every day, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Ed Markey (D-MA) today urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove ultra-high dosage opioids from the market. Ultra-high dose opioids are those which, when taken as directed by the label, exceed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) threshold for dangerously high daily opioid intake. For examp… Continue Reading
05.02.18
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Rauner Administration's Plans For Next Steps At IVH Quincy
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the release of Governor Bruce Rauner's plan of action for ensuring the safety of residents, family, and staff at the Illinois Veterans' Home (IVH) Quincy: "The need for a detailed plan of action is critical and long overdue given the multiple outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease at IVH Quincy that have sickened more than 65 residents and killed 13 over the past three years. The … Continue Reading
05.02.18
Durbin Raises Questions About Possible Collusion Between U.S. & Texas Attorneys General In Termination Of DACA
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide detailed information about the Trump Administration's possible collusion with the State of Texas to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other state attorneys general threatened to sue the Trump Administration unless the Administration agreed to "phase out" DACA by September 5, 2017. Sessions cited… Continue Reading
04.30.18
Durbin, Dem Senators To EPA: Don't Weaken Coal Ash Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led 10 Democratic Senators in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to not weaken the federal regulation for the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) or "coal ash", which protects drinking water, human health, and the environment. The 2015 rule established by the EPA sets minimum federal standards for coal ash disposal. Since the rule was finalized, Congress passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Natio… Continue Reading
04.27.18
Senate Leaders Raise Questions About Nomination Of Tom Homan To Head Immigration And Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led 17 senators in calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to immediately provide all documentation provided to the Senate's Homeland Security Committee regarding Tom Homan, President Trump's controversial nominee to head U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mr. Homan has been acting as the agency's director since January 30, 2017, but his nomination has been pending in the Senate for more than six months… Continue Reading
04.27.18
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Eviction Notice For Public Housing In Cairo
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an eviction date for the individuals and families living at Elmwood and McBride housing complexes in Cairo, Illinois: It has been more than a year since HUD told 185 families that they must relocate from the Elmwood and McBride housing complexes in Cairo, Illinois, without any clear plan to rehouse those who w… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Durbin, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Election Interference Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which will prevent foreign regimes from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill will make "improper interference in U.S. elections" a ground of inadmissibility under U.S. immigration law, and violators would be barred from obtaining a visa to enter the United States. "In 20… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Senate Confirms Brendan Heffner To Be U.S. Marshal For Central District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate voted unanimously to confirm the nomination of Brendan O. Heffner to serve as United States Marshal for the Central District of Illinois: "Through many years of service to Illinois, Brendan Heffner has demonstrated strong qualifications to serve as United States Marshal. We expect him to serve with professionalism, responsibility, and a clear focus on the mission of the Marsh… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Judiciary Committee Advances Nomination Of Bradley Maxwell To Be U.S. Marshal For Southern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Bradley A. Maxwell to serve as United States Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois: "Through many years of service to Illinois, Bradley Maxwell has demonstrated strong qualifications to serve as United States Marshal. We expect him to serve with professionalism, responsibility, and a clear focus on th… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Durbin Statement On Committee Passage Of Bill To Protect Special Counsel Investigation
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Committee voted 14-7 to pass bipartisan legislation to protect the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller: "Senators of both parties have made comments in the press that the Special Counsel's investigation must be allowed to proceed. We are dealing with a President who has repeatedly attempted to undermine the integrity of that investigation. This m… Continue Reading
04.25.18
Durbin Statement On Sessions Reversing Course On Plan To Undermine Due Process In Immigration Courts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing that there would be "no pause" in the Justice Department's Legal Orientation Program (LOP), which provides basic legal information to detained immigrants about their rights and the immigration court process: "Attorney General Sessions' reversal on stopping the LOP is… Continue Reading
04.25.18
Durbin Statement On New Air Force Report That National Guard Border Deployment Hurts Readiness, Costs Military Families
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement on a new report by the U.S. Air Force entitled, "National Guard Role in Enhanced Border Security," which examined prior deployments of the National Guard to the southern border: "With this report, the Secretary of the Air Force says clearly that playing border politics with the lives of the women and men serving in our National Guard is costly … Continue Reading
04.25.18
Durbin: President Trump Must Solve The Crisis He Created & Support The Bipartisan Dream Act Now
WASHINGTON-Following a federal court ruling yesterday that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program protections must stay in place, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. As of March 5, 2018 - the arbitrary deadline that President Trump set for expiration of the DACA program - hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children, … Continue Reading
04.24.18
Durbin Statement On FDA Announcement Of New Enforcement Actions To Protect Youth & Teens From Using JUUL & Other E-Cigarettes
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to issue new enforcement actions on JUUL Labs, Inc. and other e-cigarette companies, in order to better protect children and teens from using addictive and dangerous e-cigarettes: "Today, the FDA heeded my call and announced positive initial steps to protect our kids from the dangers of tobacco products like the JUUL e-cigarette. … Continue Reading
04.23.18
Durbin Enlists Illinois High School Educators To Sound The Alarm On For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - With high school seniors making decisions about their educational futures, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges. In today's letter, Durbin calls on educators to give students "accurate and up-to-date information about their post-secondary education options, including the risks associated with at… Continue Reading
04.23.18
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Calling On Trump Administration To Halt New Regulation That Would Raise Health Insurance Premiums, Deny Coverage For Pre-Existing Conditions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and 42 other Senators today to call on the Trump Administration to halt a proposed regulation that would create junk health insurance plans that would return us to the days when insurance companies could refuse to cover people with pre-existing conditions and raise premiums significantly for older Americans. The Senators expressed their op… Continue Reading
04.20.18
Durbin, Democratic Senators Introduce Bill To Limit Use Of Solitary Confinement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today introduced legislation to reduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) use of solitary confinement and improve conditions for inmates separated from the general prison population. The Solitary Confinement Reform Act limits solitary confinement to the briefest term and under the least restrictive conditions possible, improves access to mental health servi… Continue Reading