Press Releases
Durbin Statement On President Trump Deploying The Military To Chicago
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement today as the Trump Administration reportedly prepares to deploy the military to Chicago: “Terrorizing families with midnight raids and military troops in our streets is writing a shameful chapter in our nation’s history. This President is not intent on fighting crime. He is intent on spreading … Continue Reading
October 03, 2025
In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Opposes Nomination Of Stanley Woodward To Serve As Associate Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor opposing the nomination of Stanley Woodward, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Associate Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In his remarks, Durbin made clear that Mr. Woodward, who has been an active participant in gutting critical divisions at DOJ, is unfit to serve in this position. Mr. Woodward’s nomination is … Continue Reading
October 03, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Pausing Grants For Chicago Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today after Russell Vought, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced that the Trump Administration would “put on hold” $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago infrastructure projects, including the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)’s Red Line Extension Project and CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) … Continue Reading
October 03, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Trump Administration Pausing $2.1 Billion In Grants For Chicago Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after Russell Vought, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced that the Trump Administration would “put on hold” $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago infrastructure projects, including the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)’s Red Line Extension Project and CTA’s Red and Purple … Continue Reading
October 01, 2025
Calling Out Yesterday’s Partisan Hearing On Crime, Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. Before voting on today’s nominees, Durbin expressed frustration about yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on crime. Rather than holding a hearing on the harms of the Trump Administration’s illegal and unconstitutional deployment of the military to police American cities as … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Statement On Republican-Led Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Tonight, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to secure a bipartisan deal to keep the government open past tonight’s deadline. Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress. “Tonight, President Trump and congressional Republicans made clear they would rather shut down the government than address their … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Shutdown And Their Refusal To Negotiate To Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today condemning the Republicans’ refusal to negotiate with Democrats on the government funding deadline. Absent Republicans deciding to negotiate in the final hours, at midnight tonight, September 30, 2025, the appropriations for the federal government will lapse, and the government will shut down. Durbin began by emphasizing that the last government shutdown occurred under President Trump’s … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan H-1B, L-1 Visa Reform Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reform and close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act targets fraud and abuse in our immigration system, provides protections for American workers and visa holders, and enhances transparency in the foreign worker … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Health Care Affordability Crisis And Their Refusal To Address It In Government Funding Debate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today highlighting the health care crisis that President Trump and congressional Republicans are perpetrating on the American people—including the damage done by the Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Trump Administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Republicans’ reconciliation package cut $1 trillion of Medicaid funds, and the Trump … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Meets With Lithuanian Ambassador To The U.S.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, today met with the new Lithuanian Ambassador to the U.S., Gediminas Varvuolis, to discuss the increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, as well as the need to maintain allied support for Ukraine and NATO. The meeting comes amid increased Russian incursions into NATO airspace and an ongoing campaign of sabotage and arson in Europe. “My mother’s family came from … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Presses Witnesses On Diversion Of Critical Federal Resources To Support President Trump’s Cruel Mass Deportation Scheme
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on reducing crime and making communities safer for all Americans. Rather than holding a hearing on the harms of military deployment to cities as Durbin requested, today’s hearing was politically framed to blame “blue cities” for Republicans’ refusals to support effective solutions to gun violence and glamorize the … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Durbin Slams Trump Administration’s Deployment Of Military To American Cities, Discredits Narrative That Crime Is Only A ‘Blue City’ Issue
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on reducing crime and making communities safer for all Americans. As President Trump has continuously threatened to deploy troops to Chicago, Durbin requested a hearing to examine the harms of military deployment to cities. While today’s hearing was politically reframed to blame “blue cities” for Republican … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Calls For Extension Of ACA Tax Credits To Protect Americans’ Access To Health Care As Government Funding Deadline Looms
WASHINGTON - Last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits as part of any bipartisan compromise to fund the government beyond September 30, 2025. During his remarks, Durbin warned of the implications of allowing these tax credits to expire, which would result in more than four million Americans losing their health insurance coverage and 20 million more facing … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Following Comey Indictment, Durbin Slams Trump Administration’s Blatant Politicization Of DOJ
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor yesterday, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reprimanded the Trump Administration for weaponizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to attack President Trump’s personal enemies. In his remarks, Durbin underscored that political retribution was the true intention behind President Trump and Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi’s move to force Erik Siebert, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the … Continue Reading
September 29, 2025
Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bill Allowing Victims To Sue AI Companies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a new bipartisan bill today to hold artificial intelligence (AI) companies accountable for harm caused by their systems while allowing companies to continue innovating and developing beneficial AI systems. “Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days, but we’ve struck a remarkable bipartisan note in protecting children … Continue Reading
September 29, 2025
Durbin, Schiff, Cassidy, McGovern Urge Tunisian President To Release Sonia Dahmani
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), today sent a letter to President of the Republic of Tunisia Kais Saied to request the release of Sonia Dahmani. “We write regarding the troubling case of Sonia Dahmani, a Tunisian lawyer and political commentator currently serving nearly five years in prison for her peaceful expression of speech,” the lawmakers … Continue Reading
September 26, 2025
Following Comey Indictment, Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Demand Answers On The Politicization Of DOJ As President Trump Pursues Criminal Charges Against His Political Enemies
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led eight Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi about the continued weaponization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in light of the forced resignation of Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Seibert and the indictment of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey. In the … Continue Reading
September 26, 2025
Durbin Statement On Indictment Of Former FBI Director James Comey
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the Trump-Bondi Department of Justice indictment of former FBI Director James Comey: “The Department of Justice has become a political tool of a vengeful President. President Trump wears his corruption like a badge of honor and defies anyone daring to challenge him. The Attorney General willingly complies with every order from the White House. “Is … Continue Reading
September 25, 2025
Durbin Discusses Critical Bee Research At University Of Illinois
URBANA — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today held a roundtable discussion at the University of Illinois with scientists, administrators, and beekeepers regarding their bee genomics research—which is sequencing the genomes of more than 4,000 domestic bee species. Over the last five years, Durbin has secured nearly $8 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding for such research, which has critical implications for food … Continue Reading
September 25, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Take Aim At Labor Exploitation In Tech, Finance, Retail Sectors
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, are scrutinizing major corporations who are the biggest users of the H-1B visa program for filing thousands of H-1B visa petitions after conducting mass layoffs of American employees. In letters to ten major corporations, the Senators are requesting information and data from each company regarding their … Continue Reading