Press Releases
Durbin to Oppose Nomination of Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he will oppose the nomination of Scott Pruitt to become the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Halting the catastrophic effects of climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. But instead of debating the best way to do it, President Trump and his EPA nominee want to debate whether or not the science itself is real. In fact, Scott Pruitt has spent much of his career in office working to … Continue Reading
February 03, 2017
Senators To Mattis: President Trump’s Muslim Ban Degrades Our Ability To Defeat ISIS, Undermines Our National Security
WASHINGTON - As Secretary of Defense James Mattis begins a thirty-day, government-wide review of the United States' existing strategy to defeat ISIS, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) pressed him to assess the impact of President Trump's Muslim ban on the U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS and our broader national security interests. Prior to this executive order, the sixty-six nation coalition dedicated to defeating … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Durbin: President Trump’s First Days Show America Needs An Independent Supreme Court
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court. After dozens of legal immigrants were detained at airports over the weekend solely because of their country of origin and Monday's unprecedented firing of an Attorney General for refusing to defend President Trump's unlawful executive order in court, President Trump moved up his Supreme Court announcement to try to … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Durbin Hosts Illinois Members At Delegation Luncheon
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation at the first Illinois Congressional Delegation Luncheon of the 115th Congress. Started by the late U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon, the Illinois Delegation Luncheon has been held regularly in Washington, D.C. at no expense to the federal taxpayer for more than 25 years. A photo of today's luncheon is available here. The luncheon today was attended by 11 members of the Illinois Congressional … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Durbin Opposes Confirmation of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against Rex Tillerson, President Trump's nominee for Secretary of State: Election Day 2016 is a day that will live in cyber infamy-the result of a hostile foreign power intentionally attacking our democracy to influence the outcome of the presidential election. I have said repeatedly that this act of cyber warfare must not go unanswered, so I was deeply disturbed that Mr. Tillerson showed so little … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Durbin Meets With STB In Support Of Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) Member and former Chairman Daniel Elliot to express his support for the Illinois Tollway's petition to the STB regarding their ongoing dispute with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) over the Elgin O'Hare Western Access (EOWA) project. The project creates new western road access to O'Hare International Airport along with a new western bypass around the airport. "Years in the making, the EOWA … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth To Rauner: Health Care Repeal Leaves Illinoisans High And Dry, Risks 95,000 Jobs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to stand on the side of Illinoisans and oppose repeal of our health care system. Repealing health care without a replacement would have immediate and harmful impacts on hardworking Illinois families - including those with employer based insurance - such as reducing insurance coverage, increasing out-of-pocket costs, reducing the quality of health care coverage, burdening … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin: Targeting Refugees And Muslims Based On Fear, Not Facts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) again condemned President Donald Trump's executive order targeting refugees fleeing terrorism and war and Muslims from seven countries. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called on Republicans to overturn the order, which is causing mass chaos and tearing families apart at airports around the United States and the world over. "This decision to indefinitely suspend the admission of Syrian refugees into the United States is not a decision … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin Opposes Sessions For Attorney General
WASHINGTON-Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after announcing he would vote against Senator Jeff Sessions' nomination to be U.S. Attorney General. "On issue after issue, Senator Sessions has said that, as Attorney General, he would simply 'enforce the law.' But, as were reminded last night, it is also the duty of our nation's chief law enforcement officer to stand up to the President when his actions do not … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Call On STB To Extend Oversight Period Of Canadian National Railroad
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth today joined the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Village of Barrington in pressing the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to extend its oversight period for the Canadian National Railroad (CN) to January 2019 and urged CN to institute additional grade crossing mitigation measures. In 2009, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) placed CN under an unprecedented monitoring period when it acquired the Elgin, … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats: Is DOJ Doing Its Job To Review Trump Executive Orders?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee demanding answers about the U.S. Department of Justice's role in reviewing President Donald Trump's executive actions. On Friday, when asked if its Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) was performing its duty to review the "form and legality" of executive orders and proclamations, the Justice Department responded "no comment." While subsequent reports have suggested OLC may have reviewed at … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Durbin Hears from Addiction and Mental Health Providers on Impact of Repealing the ACA
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with addiction and mental health providers and advocates to discuss Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the impact it would have on mental health and substance abuse treatment. This month, Republican leaders took the first step in repealing the law by approving a budget that allows for major provisions of the ACA to be eliminated by simple majority vote. On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Durbin: History Will Judge Where America’s Leaders Stood Today
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Whip and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, released the following statement: "History will judge where America's leaders stood today," said Durbin. "Faced with the humanitarian crisis of our time, the United States cannot turn its back on children fleeing persecution, genocide, and terror. During the Holocaust we failed to fulfill to our duty to humanity. We cannot allow mindless fear to lead us … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $820,000 In Federal Funding For Rural Community Development In Southern Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $820,000 in federal funding for projects in Coles and Menard Counties to support rural community development projects. Today's funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative Grant, will provide assistance to benefit the Embarras Area Water District and the Greenview Community Fire Protection District. "This federal funding will help boost communities in … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Durbin Hears from DuPage Health Care Leaders on Local Impact of Repealing Affordable Care Act
WINFIELD, IL - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with DuPage County healthcare leaders regarding the local impact of congressional Republicans' plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This month, Republican leaders took the first step in repealing the law by approving a budget that allows for major provisions of the ACA to be eliminated by simple majority vote. On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order giving federal agencies broad authority to undo … Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Durbin To President Trump: It’s A Deal - Let’s Fully Investigate 2016 Election
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he supports a full and independent investigation of the 2016 presidential election, including a review of irregularities, voter suppression, foreign interference, and President Trump's allegations of fraud. "Though our reasons may differ, the President and I agree that the American people deserve an independent, nonpartisan investigation of the 2016 election-let the truth come out about his baseless … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin: President Trump Tweets Big On Federal Help For Chicago Violence, His Nominee For Attorney General Ducks The Issue
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV - In recent exchanges with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed him to sustain and increase U.S. Department of Justice support for Chicago's public safety efforts in light of the gun violence crisis in the city. Durbin also called on Sen. Sessions to honor and implement the Agreement in Principle that the City of Chicago and the Justice Department signed on January 13, 2017 that provides … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin: Trump Immigration Executive Orders Make Nation Less Safe
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Democratic Whip and Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, today issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed executive orders cracking down on immigrant communities, that, among other things, dramatically increase the number of immigration agents and strip federal funding from communities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. "Creating a mass deportation force and … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $3 Million In Federal Funding For Preventive Health Services
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Illinois Department of Public Health and Planned Parenthood of Illinois a combined $3,437,000 in federal funding for preventive care services. "This funding is integral in providing women and families with comprehensive family planning and preventive health services. From cancer screenings and birth control, to flu vaccines and routine … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin Calls Ratification Of Equal Rights Amendment Long Overdue
WASHINGTON - On the heels of the historic Women's March on Washington, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and 24 other senators in calling for the removal of the deadline set by Congress for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). When the ERA was passed in 1972, Congress stipulated in a joint resolution that the amendment had to be ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years. It later extended that deadline until 1982. 35 of the … Continue Reading