Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin: Judicial Nominations Process Is Breaking Down Under Republican Majority
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out his Senate Republican colleagues for the breakdown in the judicial nominations process under the their majority. This week, the Senate is considering three more highly controversial judicial nominees, including Chad Readler, who filed the Trump Administration's brief in the Texas. v. U.S. case where he opposed the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) pre-existing coverage requirement. Mr. Readler's brief argued that this … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Senate Passes & House Introduces Bicameral Resolution Honoring Victims & Injured Police Officers Of Aurora Shooting
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) honoring the victims and injured police officers of this month's shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, in which a gunman killed Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton "Clay" Parks, Josh Pinkard, and Trevor Wehner, and injured Aurora Police Officers Adam Miller, Marco Gomez, John Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera, and Diego Avila. U.S. … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce Voter Empowerment Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and six of their Democratic colleagues to introduce the Voter Empowerment Act. This legislation would help protect the voting rights of people across the country by ensuring equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter, modernizing voter registration, and helping to eliminate deceptive practices that deter people from voting. Companion legislation was introduced in … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Durbin Honors Victims & Injured Police Of Aurora Shooting
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a speech on the Senate floor honored the victims of this month's shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, in which a gunman killed Trevor Wehner, Clayton Parks, Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, and Josh Pinkard, and injured Aurora Police Officers Adam Miller, Marco Gomez, John Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera, and Diego Avila. Looking toward a poster with the faces of the victims, Durbin said, "Look at those faces. … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Durbin Opposes William Barr For Attorney General
WASHINGTON-Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting against President Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, William Barr. He was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 54-45. I respect Mr. Barr and his family, many of whom also have chosen public service careers. But I carefully reviewed Mr. Barr's record and I concluded that I could not support his nomination. When it comes to Special … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $101 Million In Continued Funding For Local Homeless Assistance Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that a total of $101,532,628 in grants have been awarded to renew support to more than 400 local homeless assistance programs across Illinois. The funding, which is awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Continuum of Care Program (CoC), will support a broad array of interventions designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those … Continue Reading
February 07, 2019
Durbin Opposes William Barr For Attorney General
WASHINGTON-Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that he will oppose President Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, William Barr. In today's Senate Judiciary Committee markup, Durbin reiterated his concerns about Mr. Barr's views regarding transparency for Special Counsel Mueller's findings and executive power before voting no on his nomination. "I can't understand why Mr. Barr volunteered a 19-page memo to the Trump … Continue Reading
February 06, 2019
Durbin Meets With William Barr, President Trump's AG Nominee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, William Barr. In today's meeting, Durbin continued to press Mr. Barr on his views regarding transparency for Special Counsel Mueller's findings, immigration, criminal justice reform, executive power, and voting rights. "In today's meeting, Mr. Barr continued to hedge on the question of how much of Special Counsel … Continue Reading
January 31, 2019
Durbin, Schneider Introduce Legislation To Reduce Gun Violence From Stolen Firearms
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today introduced bicameral legislation aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing the theft of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), or federally-licensed dealers, manufacturers, and importers. The SECURE (Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective) Firearm Storage Act would address the problem of "smash and grab" gun store burglaries by requiring all firearms to be … Continue Reading
January 18, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Press President Trump On Shutdown Housing Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined members of Congress in a letter to President Trump on the direct and immediate consequences of the shutdown on housing security for more than four million households across the country. Both the short-term operations and long-term viability of affordable housing programs are dependent on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) rental assistance initiatives. An estimated 2.2 million low-income … Continue Reading
January 15, 2019
Durbin Questions President Trump's AG Nominee On Immigration, Criminal Justice Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, William Barr, on his views regarding immigration and criminal justice during the first day of his confirmation hearings. Speaking to Mr. Barr about the Trump Administration's disastrous child separation policy, Durbin said, "Our government is shutdown now over the issues of border security and immigration, and … Continue Reading
January 09, 2019
Durbin Meets with Acting Defense Secretary On President Trump's Demand For A Southern Border Wall
WASHINGTON - In light of President Donald Trump's government shutdown and the potential for him to declare a national emergency in order to fund his southern border wall, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to warn him on how serious such a move would be, how legally dubious it would be, and to caution him that such an event will impact the Department of … Continue Reading
January 08, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Background Check Expansion Act To Reduce Gun Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined 38 other Senators in reintroducing the Background Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. 97 percent of Americans support comprehensive background checks. Research indicates that as many as a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may … Continue Reading
January 03, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Senate Confirmation Of John Milhiser For U.S. Attorney For The Central District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of John Milhiser to serve as the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Mr. Milhiser has been serving as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District since October 31. "We are pleased that the Senate has unanimously confirmed John Milhiser's nomination to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of … Continue Reading
December 19, 2018
Durbin Praises Passage Of The First Step Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today thanked his colleagues for their support of the revised First Step Act, bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation which passed the Senate last night by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 87-12. Last month, Durbin, along with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey … Continue Reading
December 19, 2018
Senate Passes Landmark Criminal Justice Reform
WASHINGTON - The Senate tonight passed once-in-a-generation reforms to America's prison and sentencing system to reduce recidivism, save taxpayer dollars, and promote safe communities. The bipartisan First Step Act, introduced by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), uses evidence-based recidivism reduction programs to help … Continue Reading
December 17, 2018
Durbin, Grassley Statement On Senate's Consideration Of The First Step Act
WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made the following statement on the Senate's 82-12 vote tonight to hold debate and a final vote on the First Step Act this week: "I am glad that my colleagues have voted to advance this bipartisan legislation. It is the best chance in a generation to make meaningful changes in our federal drug sentencing laws. We cannot waste it," Durbin said. "I look forward to debating … Continue Reading
December 17, 2018
Durbin On First Step Act: Best Chance To Make Meaningful Changes In Our Federal Drug Sentencing Laws
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today encouraged his Senate colleagues to support the revised First Step Act, bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation. Durbin, along with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the First Step Act last month, which … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Durbin Statement On Passage Of Sexual Harassment Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Congress passed legislation to update and strengthen the procedures available to victims of harassment and discrimination and other violations of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. The bill now heads to President Trump for his signature. The alternatives available to victims of harassment and discrimination in Congress were in obvious need of reform. Thanks to the efforts of my … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Durbin Pushes President Trump To Prioritize Addressing Chicago Gun Violence In Next Year's Budget
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to support strategies and programs that can help reduce gun violence in Chicago in his fiscal year 2020 budget request to Congress. Durbin pushed the President to prioritize federal resources across several grant programs, such as increased funding in housing and economic development, job training and youth programs, quality early childhood education, public health prevention and behavioral … Continue Reading