Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues Urge Department of Education to Address FASFA Rollout Issues
WASHINGTON - As the traditional May 1st “college decision day” approaches, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with more than 100 of their congressional colleagues, in writing to Secretary Miguel Cardona of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to call on the Department to urgently address the operational issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid … Continue Reading
February 15, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Secure Over $44 Million for Chicago O'Hare, Crawford County, and St. Louis Airport Renovations
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a combined $44,250,000 million in federal funding for Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Crawford County Airport, and St. Louis Downtown Airport from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Airport Terminal Program (ATP)—which Durbin pushed to add to the bill. “Upgrading O’Hare, Crawford, and St. Louis Downtown airports means enhancing safety and creating a more efficient travel … Continue Reading
February 15, 2024
Durbin, Braun Urge FDA to Crack Down on Misleading Social Media Ads that Promote Prescription Drugs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take swift action to update its enforcement tools to reflect the current social media platforms and tactics used to promote prescription drugs, and to prioritize the protection of children from harmful and inaccurate medical advice. With the dramatic rise in social media use—especially among youth—there has been an alarming proliferation of dangerous and … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Durbin Applauds Biden Administration Decision to Authorize Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinians in the U.S.
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today applauded the Biden Administration’s decision to authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians present in the United States. This authorization offers temporary relief from removal for eighteen months from today for eligible foreign nationals already in the United States who are unable to return safely to their home country. There is no application required for DED, but … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Durbin Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Starved Rock Breakwater Project
OTTAWA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Starved Rock Breakwater Project, a habitat restoration effort led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed to restore submerged aquatic vegetation in the Starved Rock Pool of the Illinois River. This is the third project within the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), which Durbin helped secure $829 million for in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). NESP is a … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
DURBIN, MARSHALL ANNOUNCE HAWLEY, REED AS NEW COSPONSORS, GROWING SUPPORT FOR CREDIT CARD COMPTITION ACT
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) announced two new cosponsors to their Credit Card Competition Act: U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Jack Reed (D-RI). The bipartisan pair joins U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and J.D. Vance (R-OH ) in support of the Durbin-Marshall legislation that would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market, which is currently dominated by … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Join Booker, Colleagues in Calling for Swift Action to Aid American Citizens and Families Trapped in Gaza
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in leading 13 colleagues in calling on Secretary Antony Blinken and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to expand assistance for relatives of U.S. citizens stranded in Gaza. The Senators expressed concerns about the current limited eligibility criteria forState Department assistance, and advocated for the State Department to press all conflicting parties to include … Continue Reading
February 13, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Federal Approval of Illinois Application for Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Chiquita Brooks-LaSure expressing their support for Illinois’ application for a Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver. If accepted, the waiver would accelerate efforts in Illinois to use the Medicaid program to address the opioid epidemic, maternal mortality, violence prevention, mental health challenges, … Continue Reading
February 13, 2024
Durbin, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Resolution to Designate February as American Heart Month
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to designate February 2024 as American Heart Month. The resolution reaffirms the government’s commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by supporting research; improving access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality; and recognizing and championing … Continue Reading
February 13, 2024
Durbin Applauds Senate Passage of the National Security Supplemental
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement on Senate passage of the national security supplemental, which provides aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan: “Today, we proved to the world that the United States Senate can come together in a bipartisan way to deliver critical security and humanitarian aid. And we sent an important message to the Ukrainian people fighting for their freedom: we will not … Continue Reading
February 12, 2024
Durbin Calls on CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United Airlines to Testify Before the Judiciary Committee Regarding Credit Card Competition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent letters to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United Airlines, and American Airlines inviting them to testify at a public hearing regarding competition in the credit card market. Durbin said, “Visa and Mastercard have aggressively opposed efforts to bring competition to the credit card market in order to protect the dominant market position they share. Visa, Mastercard, and its allies … Continue Reading
February 10, 2024
Durbin Slams Republicans on their Inability to Support Meaningful Immigration Reform, Address Urgent National Security Needs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning his Republican colleagues for their failure to help secure the border and provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan to meet urgent national security and humanitarian needs. Durbin began his speech by highlighting the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental agreement that was … Continue Reading
February 10, 2024
Durbin Files Dream Act Amendment to the National Security Supplemental
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced on the Senate floor that he has filed the Dream Act as an amendment to the National Security Supplemental. The legislation would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence. These young people, known as Dreamers, have lived in America since they were … Continue Reading
February 10, 2024
Durbin Meets with Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard Major General Richard Neely to discuss continued opportunities and support for our Illinois National Guard. Durbin and General Neely spoke about the Air Force’s September selection of Peoria’s 182nd Airlift Wing as a basing location for new C-130J aircraft and Durbin’s successful effort to secure $350 million in Fiscal Year 2023 funding for 12 new MQ-1C Gray eagle aircraft … Continue Reading
February 09, 2024
Durbin Calls Out Senate Republicans for Abandoning Border Deal, Delaying Aid to Ukraine at Trump's Whim
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech emphasizing the necessity of delivering aid to Ukraine as it continues to fend off attacks from Vladimir Putin. Durbin’s speech comes after nearly 20 Republican Senators supported a procedural vote to consider a national security supplemental that provides urgently-needed security and humanitarian … Continue Reading
February 09, 2024
Alongside Biden Administration, Durbin, Van Hollen Announce National Security Memorandum to Ensure U.S. Security Assistance is Used in Line with International Law
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced alongside the Biden Administration a new National Security Memorandum (NSM) aimed at ensuring all U.S. security assistance is used in line with international law, including international humanitarian law. The NSM—which Durbin and Van Hollen worked closely with the Administration to develop following the release of his amendment—will for the first time require that, prior to the … Continue Reading
February 08, 2024
Durbin Statement on Report from Special Counsel Hur on Classified Documents
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report following his investigation into the reported discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. and the Bidens’ personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware: “I appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by Special Counsel Hur, a former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney. This investigation … Continue Reading
February 08, 2024
Durbin Joins Booker, Colleagues to Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Improve Clearance Rates for Homicides and Gun Violence
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), also members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to reintroduce the bipartisan Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act (VICTIM Act), a bill to help improve the clearance rate for murders and violent gun crimes. The legislation would establish a grant program at the … Continue Reading
February 08, 2024
Durbin Leads 17 Senators in Urging President Biden to Act Swiftly to Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led 17 Senate Democrats in a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to act swiftly to finally close the detention facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In their letter, the Senators wrote that as a symbol of lawlessness and human rights abuses, the detention facility continues to harm U.S. national security by serving as a propaganda tool for America’s enemies and … Continue Reading
February 08, 2024
Durbin Questions Nominee for the Northern District of Illinois and Other District Court Nominees at Latest Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Amir Ali, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia; Judge Sunil Harjani, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jasmine Yoon, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. Durbin began his questions by asking Mr. Ali about his work that … Continue Reading