Durbin Meets with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine to Discuss Emergency National Security Supplemental

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink to discuss President Biden’s national security supplemental funding request, which includes emergency funds for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and humanitarian crises.  In addition to Durbin, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also joined. “More than 2… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Protecting Children Online with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), along with NCMEC General Counsel Yiota Souras, to discuss NCMEC’s Congressional appropriation and Durbin’s efforts to protect children online. “I’ve worked hand-in-hand with Ms. DeLaune and her team since the Senate Judiciary Committee began its legislative push to protect chil… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More than $176 Million to Help Illinois Families Save on Home Energy Bills

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $176,702,627 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help Illinoisans pay the rising cost of home heating bills this winter. This announcement includes funding appropriated for Fiscal Year 2024 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Durbin and Duckworth both sup… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ensuring the Safety And Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children, Part II.”  The hearing builds on the committee’s hearing on this issue in June, which featured testimony from child welfare and labor experts, and follows Chair Durbin’s letter with 11 Senate colleagues to Department of Labor (DOL) Acting Secretar… Continue Reading

Durbin Reflects on Horrific Violence in the Middle East and Need for Long Term Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.  During his speech, Durbin remembered the victims of the October 7th horrific Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and commended President Biden’s emergency supplemental request to provide security aid to Israel, as well as the recent provision of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians caught in the conflict.  “The wanton slaughter of more than 1,000 Israelis and an estimate… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cortez Masto, Hirono, Gillibrand, Menendez, Merkley Introduce New Legislation to Reform Government's Care & Custody of Unaccompanied Noncitizen Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today introduced new legislation to provide a comprehensive framework to reform the federal government’s care and custody of unaccompanied noncitizen children (UC).  The Protecting Unaccompanied Children Act would address gaps in our system by improving exis… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Administration Officials During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Administration officials at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the safety and well-being of unaccompanied noncitizen children (UC), who arrive in the United States without immigration status and without a parent or guardian to care forthem. Durbin first questioned the State Department’s Director for Central America, Bureau for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Joseph Salazar, ab… Continue Reading

Junior Senator From Ohio Once Again Blocks Durbin's Attempt to Confirm U.S. Attorney Nominations on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today on the Senate floor requested unanimous consent (UC) to schedule confirmation votes on two U.S. Attorney nominations being held by U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH)—Rebecca C. Lutzko, nominated to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and April M. Perry, nominated to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  U.S. Attorneys are empowered to prosecut… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Senate Resolution in Solidarity with UAW Workers on Strike

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 30 of their colleagues in the Senate, to introduce a resolution in solidarity with 150,000 members of United Auto Workers (UAW) bargaining for a fair contract, with 34,000 currently on strike. Auto workers voted to go on strike in September, in one of the largest U.S. strikes in the past three decades, calling for… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President Biden's Emergency Supplemental Request to Provide Security Aid to Israel and Ukraine

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement in support of President Biden’s emergency supplemental request to provide security aid to Israel and Ukraine: “The scale and viciousness of the Hamas terrorist attack against the Israeli people are reprehensible, and I support President Biden’s emergency aid request to help Israel defend itself and free any hostages. Violence against the innocent—both Israelis an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Murphy, Senators Call for Humanitarian Aid to Address Emergency Needs in Gaza

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), led 28 of their Senate colleagues in urging the Biden Administration to lead the international community in contributing to the United Nations’ emergency appeal of $294 million to address the immediate humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza. Today, President Biden announced significant humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in those areas.  Durbin and Duckw… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Curb Food Waste

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act, legislation that would prevent and reduce food waste across the country.  Each year, the U.S. produces and imports nearly 241 million tons of food annually, but 33 percent of this food is never sold or eaten, while millions of Americans experience food … Continue Reading

On the Senate Floor, Durbin Reiterates Need to Authorize Subpoenas Related to Supreme Court Ethics Reform

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, discussed his announcement last week that the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to authorize issuing subpoenas as it relates to the Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court ethics investigation.  These votes in Committee could take place as soon as Thursday. “I do not make this decision lightly.  Seeking authorization to issue subpoenas is a relatively rare occurren… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Facebook Whistleblower During Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on Social Media Harms to Kids

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Facebook whistleblower Arturo Béjar, former Director of Engineering for Facebook’s Protect and Care team, at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing entitled “Social Media and the Teen Mental Health Crisis.” “The bottom line is this.  They [Meta] made a decision that it [monitoring online child sexual exploitation] is not a priority to them bec… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to Discuss BOP Oversight

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to discuss Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) oversight.  During their meeting, Durbin followed up on his September letter to Deputy Attorney General Monaco requesting information about the reports of excessive force in BOP facilities, including United States Penitentiary Thomson (USP Thomson).  “I take BOP oversight seriously in my position as Chai… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing with Facebook Whistleblower on Harms to Kids

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing entitled “Social Media and the Teen Mental Health Crisis” with Facebook whistleblower Arturo Béjar, former Director of Engineering for Facebook’s Protect and Care team. Key Quotes: “In the Senate Judiciary Committee, after some graphic hearings where parents and victims came fo… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Republican Proposal to Address Border Security

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding Senate Republicans’ proposal to address border security: “For 30 years, Congress has failed to fix America’s broken immigration system, and today, our communities, businesses, and frontline law-enforcement officials are bearing the brunt of that failure.  I have long urged my Republican colleagues to come to the table and negotiate on a bipartisan … Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Congress to Pass the President's National Security Supplemental Funding Request

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass President Biden’s $106 billion national security supplemental funding request, which includes emergency funds for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and humanitarian crises.  At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Durbin questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the suppl… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $10 Million for Shawneetown Regional Port Revitalization Project

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $10,120,000 for the Shawneetown Regional Port Revitalization Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to fund the design and construction of a 1.25-mile new port access road to safely accommodate existing and future intermodal truck trips and prepare for future port expansions and operations. “The Shawneetown Region… Continue Reading

Durbin, DeLauro Send Letter Urging Department of Education to Recoup Funds from Predatory, For-Profit Colleges University of Phoenix and Ashford University

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona urging him to recoup funds from for-profit colleges University of Phoenix (Phoenix) and Ashford University (Ashford) after the agency cancelled student debts for borrowers that were defrauded by those institutions. “For far too long, predatory for-profit colleges like Ashford and Phoenix have preyed on students, especially vet… Continue Reading