Durbin, Collins Introduce Siren Reauthorization Act To Support EMS Agencies In Rural Communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced the SIREN Reauthorization Act, legislation that would extend funding through SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide. The funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which was created through Durbin's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act, goes toward supporting EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, c… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Introducing Legislation To Ban Marketing Of Firearms To Children Through FTC Rulemaking

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) in introducing the Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act, legislation that directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe rules that prohibit the marketing of firearms to children. The legislation comes as Americans suffered 52 mass shootings and 3,700 gun-related deaths across the United States in the fi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, Underwood Introduce Resolution To Name Fermilab Research Center After Renowned Physicist Dr. Helen Edwards

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced a bicameral resolution to rename Fermilab's Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) after the late Dr. Helen Edwards, who worked at Fermilab as a particle physicist for 40 years. The IERC will be home to new office and lab space that will host an intersection of scientific disciplines. "Dr. Helen Edwards was an … Continue Reading

Durbin: Let’s Get To Work To Ensure Access To Paid Leave For All American Workers

WASHINGTON - Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act(FMLA), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the significant strides we have made for workers and the work that still needs to be done. During his speech, he praised President Biden's leadership for navigating us through the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the most daunting economic challenges since the Great Depression. Despite the progress made, Durbin noted we are, "Not… Continue Reading

In Amicus Brief, Durbin And Colleagues Call On Seventh Circuit To Reject 3M’s Attempt To Use Bankruptcy To Evade Accountability To Military Veterans

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of Senate and House Democratic colleagues in submitting an amicus brief in a bankruptcy case before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in support of 231,000 military veterans who are seeking restitution from 3M and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies for allegedly manufacturing defective earplugs. The company and its subsidiary attempted a complex maneuver similar to the infamous "Tex… Continue Reading

Ahead Of The 30th Anniversary Of FMLA, Durbin, Hayes Introduce Legislation To Expand Family Leave Protections

WASHINGTON - Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) on February 5, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) introduced legislation that would modernize FMLA for the 21st Century. The Caring for All Families Act will guarantee small necessities leave and make important updates to the definition of family to ensure a broader range of caregiving relationships are covered by FMLA's protections. A 2021 study found … Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances 15 Judicial Nominees With Bipartisan Support

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced fifteen judicial nominations, the first series of judicial nominations to go to the full Senate in the 118thCongress. All fifteen advanced with bipartisan support. "Today, we advanced highly qualified nominees who are bringing diversity and impartiality to our justice system," said U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The Judiciary Committee is riding historic momentum from the 117th C… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Bill To Improve Concussion Safety In School Sports

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act to strengthen elementary and secondary school procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating student-athletes who sustain concussions. While athletics are important to helping students learn team-building skills and connect with their peers, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, participating in school sports is not without risk. The National Federation of S… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth To Pharmacies: How Can Congress Support Efforts To Improve Access To Reproductive Health Care?

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to Rosalind Brew, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance; Karen Lynch, President and CEO of CVS Health; and Elizabeth "Busy" Burr, Interim CEO of Rite Aid Corporation, commending the pharmacies for publicly committing to seek certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispense medication abortion pills to those with a prescript… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schneider Introduce Legislation To Reduce Gun Violence From Stolen Firearms

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today introduced bicameral legislation aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing the theft of firearms from federally-licensed gun dealers (FFLs). The Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective (SECURE) Firearm Storage Act would address the problem of "smash and grab" gun store burglaries by requiring all firearms to be s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Nomination Of Lindsay Jenkins To Serve As District Court Judge For The Northern District Of Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Lindsay C. Jenkins' nomination to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Northern District, Durbin and Duckworth forwa… Continue Reading

Durbin: Cryptocurrency Rips Off Millions Of Hardworking Americans To The Tune Of Billions Of Dollars

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the dangers of cryptocurrency and emphasizing his continued skepticism. During his speech, Durbin outlined the collapse of various crypto firms such as FTX, which imploded and led to the resignation of CEO Sam Bankman-Fried a few months ago. "It's been called 'new money,' 'digital cash,' and even the way of the future. I have another name for it: reckless, predatory, foolish, dangerous. I'm refe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Wicker, Bipartisan Group Of Senators Meet With Ukrainian Prosecutor General

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to receive an update on Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine, and specifically on reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russians. Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, and President of Ukraine's Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, were also in attendance. Durbin was joined by Senat… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Meet With President Of Loyola University Chicago

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Dr. Mark Reed, President of Loyola University Chicago, to discuss funding for educational institutions in Illinois. The Senators and Dr. Reed also spoke about Loyola University Chicago's efforts to serve low-income students and student of color and boosting federal funds for Pell Grants to mitigate financial barriers for those seeking an education. Durbin expressed his support for… Continue Reading

Durbin Deems New Department Of Justice Solitary Confinement Report “Deeply Disturbing,” Announces Legislative Actions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on today's troubling Department of Justice report on the use of solitary confinement in federal facilities: "Rehabilitation - and preparing adults in custody for successful reentry into society - is the ultimate goal of our criminal justice system. Today's deeply disturbing report by the Department of Justice highlights the Bureau of Prison's failure to accomplish … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Prosecutor General Of Ukraine At Georgetown Law To Demand Justice For Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered remarks at Georgetown Law Center's event titled, "Justice for Ukraine: A Conversation with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin." In addition to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kostin, Durbin was joined by Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, U.S. Department of State Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice. Durbin, Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and a graduate of G… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Bipartisan Group Of Senators Urging HHS To Address Repeated Failures At FDA To Regulate E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra condemning the delays by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate e-cigarettes, failure to enforce the law and take action against companies marketing illegal vaping products, and the harm to children's health from the agency's inaction. FDA is currently 16 months past a court-ordered deadline to finish reviewing e-cigare… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley, Padilla Meet With BOP Director Peters

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), met with Colette Peters, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to discuss sexual misconduct by BOP personnel and the Department of Justice's (DOJ) efforts to root out staff misconduct at BOP. The meeting followed letters that Durbin, Grassley, Padilla, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sent to DOJ seeking information … Continue Reading

Durbin, Shaheen, Boozman, Coons, Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Increase U.S. Exports To Africa

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Boozman (R-AR), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve America's competiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Increasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa Act will force better coordination between U.S. government agencies and departments, establish comprehensive strategic goals… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Colleagues To Unveil Resolution Affirming Ratification Of The Equal Rights Amendment

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AR) and U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Cori Bush (D-MO-01), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) to announce the introduction of a bicameral, joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment… Continue Reading