Press Releases
Durbin Statement On Senator Marco Rubio's Confirmation As Secretary Of State
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of Senator Marco Rubio to be the next U.S. Secretary of State: “Senator Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate regarding human rights, the challenges regarding China, and the recent sham election in Venezuela. When I met with him earlier this month, I reiterated the need to … Continue Reading
January 20, 2025
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of The Laken Riley Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting against the Laken Riley Act: “The loss of a child is something no parent should have to endure, and we should do everything possible to make sure what happened to Laken Riley never happens again. But as I have said numerous times, this bill will not accomplish its stated goal. I’m genuinely disappointed in the passage of this bill … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Biden Recognizing Ratification Of The ERA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after President Biden announced his position on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which enshrines gender equality into the Constitution: “The Equal Rights Amendment is literally a century in the making, and over the years, generations of Americans have done their part to move it forward. They’ve marched on Washington, they’ve met with … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Durbin Statement Of Biden-Harris Administration's Selection Of 15 Additional Prescription Drugs For Medicare Price Negotiations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the Biden-Harris Administration’s selection of 15 additional prescription drugs for Medicare price negotiation. In August, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that it had negotiated price reductions for 10 of the most expensive and frequently-dispensed drugs in the Medicare program. “Americans should not be priced out of accessing medications that they need to lead a healthy … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Biden Commuting Sentences Of Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced the commutation of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses: “I authored the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act because I believe in second chances. Far too many incarcerated people are serving excessively long sentences for non-violent drug convictions, despite demonstrating good behavior … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Durbin Commemorates 10th Anniversary Of Water For The World Act With Speech On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the passage of his Paul Simon Water for the World Act, which improved access to clean water and sanitation around the world. As a result of the legislation and its preceding legislation, the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, American leadership has provided first-time, sustainable access to clean water to more than 76 million people and … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Durbin Questions Outside Witnesses During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned outside witnesses during the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Durbin first questioned Mr. Emery Gainey, the former Sheriff of Alachua County and Ms. Bondi’s Chief of Staff when she served as Florida’s Attorney General, about whether she will support … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Durbin, Bipartisan Group Of Senators Urge NATO Secretary General To Monitor Increased Russian Hybrid Attacks Facing NATO Members, Particularly In And Around The Baltic Region
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-NC), both Co-Chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urging greater attention to Russian hybrid attacks on alliance members, … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Today’s hearing will feature testimony from outside witnesses. To watch Durbin’s questions to Ms. Bondi during yesterday’s first round of questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committee … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Durbin Requests Material From DOD, ODNI, & DOJ Related To Kash Patel, President-Elect Trump's Pick To Lead The FBI
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent letters to the Department of Defense (DOD), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting they produce all relevant materials related to Kash Patel’s, President-elect Trump’s presumptive nominee to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alleged misconduct with respect to those agencies. Mr. Patel has … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi Associates With Extremists
Pam Bondi has a history of surrounding herself with many troubling individuals who have either been accused of various criminal wrongdoings or have made extreme statements disparaging opponents of Donald Trump, Democratic Party members, and Jewish people. Matt Schlapp was accused of groping a Republican campaign staffer without consent, which was later investigated along with two other incidents of sexual misconduct. Pam Bondi took to social media to defend Schlapp. Paula White is a … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Durbin Questions President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi, On The Dangers Of Kash Patel's Comments On QAnon, Violence Against Our Capitol Police Officers On January 6
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today again questioned Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States, during her nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Ms. Bondi about political violence and the dangers of the QAnon conspiracy movement. “Violence is never acceptable when it comes to political expression, period,” said Durbin. Ms. Bondi responded, “of course I agree.” “I abhor … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Durbin Statement On Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal And Hostage Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after reports that Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, as well as surge humanitarian aid to the enclave: “After 15 months and thousands of innocent lives lost, I am relieved and heartened to hear about a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Gaza. The widespread suffering, death, and destruction on all sides has … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi Would Oversee Enforcement Of Federal Civil Rights Law. Her Record Is Unreliable And Inconsistent
WATCH: Pam Bondi Equates LGBTQ+ Identity to “Bringing a Heroin Needle to School” Pam Bondi’s record on protecting civil rights is inconsistent and unreliable. Americans deserve an Attorney General that will enforce federal civil rights law, including the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and many others. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department became a … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Durbin Questions President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi, On Whether She Accepts The 2020 Elections Results, If She Will Be Loyal To The Constitution Over Trump
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States, during her nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Ms. Bondi about the 2020 election results. “Most Americans believe that central to the peaceful transition of power in a democracy is the acceptance of the results of an election. To my knowledge, Donald Trump has never acknowledged … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Key Quotes: “The importance of the Attorney General to our justice system cannot be overstated. As our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General oversees the Department of Justice, … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi's Extensive Lobbying For Wealthy Special Interest And Foreign Governments Poses Serious Conflicts Of Interest
Pam Bondi is a registered lobbyist with the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners and has represented wealthy special interests and foreign governments, presenting serious potential conflicts of interest if she is confirmed as Attorney General. When presenting information to the Committee, Pam Bondi only listed two potential conflicts of interest: her work for America First Policy Institute and her brother’s legal practice. Bondi failed to identify every single one of these as … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Election Denier Pam Bondi Won't Protect Our Sacred Right To Vote
WATCH: Pam Bondi Peddling 2020 Election Lies, Falsely Declares Pennsylvania for Trump Bondi: “We are not going anywhere until they declare we won Pennsylvania… we are thrilled to have won Pennsylvania.” Pam Bondi passed Donald Trump’s loyalty test in plenty of ways, including her early and active role in promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election. She put loyalty to Donald Trump before the Constitution in 2020, and she gives us no reason to believe she won’t do the same in the … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Loyalty Above All Else: Pam Bondi Passed Donald Trump's Loyalty Test To Weaponize the Justice Department
WATCH: Pam Bondi Calls for Prosecution of Political Enemies Bondi: “The prosecutors will be prosecuted… the investigators will be investigated.” Donald Trump values one thing above all else in an Attorney General: loyalty. He said so himself at the swearing-in of his first Attorney General, and his actions prove his words. Trump fired Jeff Sessions when he refused to oversee the Mueller investigation, turning to staunch loyalist Bill Barr as his second Attorney General. Barr did his best to … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin, Grassley, Tillis Meet With NATO Ambassadors To Discuss Increased Russian Aggression
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) met with ambassadors to the U.S. from various NATO partner countries. During the meeting, they discussed the increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance as … Continue Reading