Press Releases
Durbin, Wicker, Whitehouse, Bipartisan Group Of Members’ Statement On The Fourth Anniversary Of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: “On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin believed that Russia would take … Continue Reading
February 24, 2026
Durbin Reveals New Whistleblower Information For Investigation Into Kash Patel Joyriding To The Olympics
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, provided new whistleblower disclosures to support the investigation into FBI Director Kash Patel’s excessive use of FBI aircraft for personal travel. These disclosures were provided after Patel was spotted celebrating with the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team shortly after their win over Canada in the gold medal game. In a follow-up letter to the Government Accountability Office … Continue Reading
February 24, 2026
Durbin Meets With New Fermilab Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus, today met with Dr. Nobert Holtkamp, the newly appointed Director of Fermilab. During their meeting, Durbin reaffirmed his support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 17 National Laboratories, including Illinois’ own Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. Durbin and Dr. Holtkamp spoke about Fermilab’s flagship research project, the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground … Continue Reading
February 24, 2026
Senate, House Democrats File Brief To Supreme Court Defending Birthright Citizenship Against Trump Attacks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led a group of 216 House and Senate Democrats in filing a bicameral amicus brief standing up for the essential constitutional principle of birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, currently before the Supreme Court with oral arguments scheduled for April 1, 2026. The Democratic lawmakers argue that President Donald Trump’s week-one executive … Continue Reading
February 23, 2026
Durbin, Lankford, Quigley, Edwards, Pappas Recognize 175th Anniversary Of The YMCA
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whgip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11), and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) today announced that they will introduce a bipartisan resolution to honor the YMCA ahead of the organization’s 175th anniversary. Headquartered in Chicago, the YMCA has about 2,600 locations, serving more than 10,000 communities across the country. Since its founding in 1851, the YMCA has built its … Continue Reading
February 23, 2026
Durbin Files Amicus Brief In Support Of The U.S. District Court For The District Of North Dakota's Ruling In Corner Post, Inc. V. Board Of Governors Of The Federal Reserve System
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Durbin Amendment, filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in support of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota's ruling in Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. In August 2025, the District Court ruled that the Federal Reserve’s Regulation II (Reg II) rule, which establishes whether … Continue Reading
February 23, 2026
Durbin Announces Tereza Lee, His Inspiration For The Dream Act, As His Guest For President Trump’s State Of The Union Address
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will host Tereza Lee as his guest for President Trump’s State of the Union Address. Tereza was Durbin’s inspiration to write the Dream Act in 2001 when he learned of her story after outreach by Ann Monaco, Tereza’s teacher at the Merit School of Music in Chicago. Tereza was a musical prodigy who had played as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She had been accepted into several of the country’s most … Continue Reading
February 20, 2026
Durbin Statement On The Supreme Court Striking Down President Trump’s Tariffs
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Trump Administration by ruling against the President’s sweeping tariff policy: “Despite his promises to ‘lower costs on Day One’ and that his tariffs would somehow ‘liberate the American taxpayer,’ in reality, the misguided Trump Tariff Tax on goods imported into the United States created a burden on families and … Continue Reading
February 19, 2026
Durbin Slams Cancer Screening Cuts For Medicaid Patients In Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful” Budget Bill
CHICAGO—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a press conference at UI Health’s Mile Square Health Center to discuss new research findings that show how Medicaid cuts from Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will reduce lifesaving cancer screenings for Illinoisans. Medicaid covers three million people in Illinois, including 1.5 million children. The program is responsible for two-thirds of seniors in nursing homes and it is a lifeline for hospitals and health … Continue Reading
February 19, 2026
Durbin Joins Padilla, Sanders To Demand Trump Administration Reverse Its Decision To End Federal Funding For Minority-Serving Institutions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in urging the Department of Education to immediately reverse the Trump Administration’s harmful decision to unilaterally halt federal funding for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). In their letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the Senators criticized the Education … Continue Reading
February 18, 2026
Durbin Visits Parkland College To Celebrate $3.5 Million For Dental Education
CHAMPAIGN - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a press conference to discuss federal funding he secured that will allow Parkland College to construct a new dental clinic and training facility. The $3.5 million in federal funding, secured through the Congressionally Directed Spending process, also known as an earmark, in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package that was enacted earlier this month, will enable Parkland College to increase enrollment in its dental … Continue Reading
February 17, 2026
Durbin Statement On The Passing Of Rev. Jesse Jackson
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson: “Reverend Jesse Jackson committed his life to the fight for civil rights. I counted him as a friend and ally on many issues of social justice. “My deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and the many lives he … Continue Reading
February 13, 2026
Durbin Talks With Illinois Soybean Association
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met members of the Illinois Soybean Association. During their meeting, they discussed the expensive costs of farming, the high price of losing Illinois soybean markets in China to Brazil as a result of U.S. trade policy, and the broken Farm Bill process. The group also advocated for keeping biodiesel goals strong when approving the all-year sale of E-15 - … Continue Reading
February 13, 2026
Durbin, Senate Democrats Sound Alarm On Dramatic Increase In Deaths In Immigration Detention
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 22 Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on the dramatic increase in deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, with over 30 deaths since the start of the Trump Administration. In a letter to Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE senior official Todd Lyons, the Senators write: “Even as the country reels from the senseless deaths of Americans killed or … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
Durbin Statement On Drawdown Of Federal Immigration Agents In Minnesota; Votes Against DHS Funding Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced that the Administration will be pulling back its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Durbin also voted against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. “I’m happy that ICE has announced it is leaving Minnesota, and I salute … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Trump Administration Terminating Federal Funding For Health Grants In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) terminating more than half a billion dollars in funding for four Democratic-led states, including Illinois, which is used to prevent deadly disease outbreaks and to keep Americans safe and healthy. At least $170 million of this funding may be part of … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
Durbin, Warnock, Schneider Introduce Investing In Tomorrow’s Workforce Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), today introduced bicameral legislation that increases federal investments in worker training and helps prepare workers for the jobs of the future. The Investing in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would ensure that American workers have the skills needed to successfully navigate the transition into higher-skilled positions and in-demand … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Durbin Sounds The Alarm On President Trump’s Threats To Election Integrity
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm on the Trump Administration’s threats to election integrity. Durbin began his remarks by commenting on the Administration’s outrageous attempt to convince a grand jury to indict Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and U.S. Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02), and … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Durbin Meets With Rural Health Care Providers After Congressional Republicans Slash Funding For Medicaid, Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois members of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), who presented him with their Rural Health Legacy Award for his dedication to protecting access to health care in rural communities. During today’s meeting, Durbin spoke with the health care leaders about providing care to Illinoisans after congressional Republicans rammed through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut $1 trillion from Medicaid … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Durbin, Reed, Doggett Introduce Bill To Stop Tax-Dodging Corporate Inversion Schemes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), along with U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), today introduced the Stop Corporate Inversions Act, a bill to stop business practices known as inversions—corporate deals that allow U.S. companies to shift their corporate citizenship from the United States to a low-tax foreign jurisdiction, while keeping their executives and headquarters in the United States. This is accomplished by merging … Continue Reading