Press Releases
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of NDAA For Fiscal Year 2025
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes an authorization of nearly $895 billion for the national defense budget, including support for Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all military personnel and a historic 14.5 percent pay raise for junior … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Call For Extension Of Federal Funding For Chicago-Quad Cities Passenger Rail Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to grant an extension for the federal funding secured for the proposed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger rail project, an Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline, Illinois. In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized that progress has been made in the planning phase of the project … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Durbin Questions NCAA President Baker During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Explosive Growth In Sports Betting Since Murphy V. NCAA Supreme Court Decision
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned NCAA President, Charlie Baker, in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling.” The hearing examined the growth in sports betting since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Murphy v. NCAA struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. Durbin first asked President Baker about athlete harassment in … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Durbin Calls For Removal Of Provision Banning Gender-Affirming Care For Transgender Children Of Service Members From NDAA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor decrying the inclusion of a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference agreement to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Durbin began his remarks by highlighting the positive components of the NDAA, which includes Durbin’s READ Reauthorization Act to support basic education programs internationally, while … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Durbin Celebrates Sixth Anniversary Of The First Step Act On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, celebrated the sixth anniversary of the First Step Act—bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by reforming sentencing laws and providing opportunities for those who are incarcerated to prepare to re-enter society successfully. The First Step Act was signed into law by then-President … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Explosive Growth In Sports Betting Since Murphy V. NCAA Supreme Court Decision
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling.” The hearing will examine the growth in sports betting since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Murphy v. NCAA struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. Key Quotes: “In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin Joins Baldwin, Colleagues To Introduce NDAA Amendment To Protect Military Parents' Right To Health Care For Their Kids
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2025 to remove language that would strip away service members’ parental rights to access medically necessary health care for their transgender children. The U.S. House of Representatives-passed NDAA includes language that bans certain medical treatments under TRICARE for … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau Leadership
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan and Illinois Farm Bureau Vice President Evan Hultine to discuss Farm Bill dynamics and the outlook for passing year-end legislation that addresses current economic conditions faced by farmers. During their meeting, Durbin and the Illinois Farm Bureau leaders also spoke about Illinois as a leading … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin Highlights Bitcoin ATM Fraud Against Elderly Americans In Speech On The Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor highlighting how Bitcoin ATMs frequently contribute to financial fraud against elderly Americans. Reporting in the Illinois Times and New York Times outlines egregious examples of criminals contacting elderly Americans and using threats and other forms of intimidation to coerce them into depositing large sums of money in the criminals’ crypto wallets via local Bitcoin ATMs. Durbin said, … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin, Welch, Duckworth, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration To Designate The Palestinian Territories For TPS, Provide Palestinians Additional Protection From Deportation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in urging President Biden to promptly designate the Palestinian Territories forTemporary Protected Status (TPS) and further protect Palestinians present in the United States from … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $10 Million In Federal Funding For Purpose-Grown Energy Crops
WASHINGTON ? U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $10 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office awarded to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This project will advance the production of low carbon intensity, purpose-grown energy crops that will accelerate a clean energy economy by expanding the domestic supply chain of alternative carbon sources. “Today’s … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $2 Million In Federal Funding For Improved Data On Car Crashes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,038,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to create an interface that would transfer car crash data in Illinois to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Today’s investment will improve how we understand transportation safety in our state,” said Durbin. “As technology continues to progress, it is crucial that we bring … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Durbin, Schatz, Welch Introduce Constitutional Amendment To End Undemocratic Electoral College
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College system and restore democracy by allowing the direct election of presidents through popular vote alone. “In 2000, before the general election, I introduced a bipartisan resolution to amend the Constitution and abolish the Electoral College. I still believe today … Continue Reading
December 13, 2024
Durbin Leads Letter To Department Of Education Calling For Data Collection On DIversity Of Educator Workforce
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Representative Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-8), today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to include additional data on the diversity of the educator workforce in the annual Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). Maintaining a diverse educator workforce has shown to improve outcomes for all students. “The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a valuable tool to measure whether students have equal … Continue Reading
December 13, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Call On Transportation Leaders To Reach Agreement, Finalize Federal Funding Application For Chicago Hub Improvement Project
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today sent a letter to the leaders of Amtrak, Canadian National, Metra, and Union Pacific, urging the leaders to reach an agreement on all outstanding aspects of Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s upcoming federal grant application to advance the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) for Chicago Union Station (CUS). The application … Continue Reading
December 12, 2024
As Debt Ceiling Looms, Durbin Joins Introduction Of Legislation To Avoid Catastrophic Default
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 16 colleagues in introducing the End the Threat of Default Act, legislation that would permanently remove the threat of a default by repealing the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit restricting the amount that the United States Treasury can borrow to pay its debts. In June 2023, President Biden signed legislation that suspended the statutory debt ceiling until January 2, … Continue Reading
December 12, 2024
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Two Judicial Nominations To Full Senate At Last Scheduled Meeting Under Democratic Control
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced two judicial nominations to the full Senate, continuing the Committee’s work to bring balance to the federal judiciary and keep our communities safe. Under the leadership of Chair Durbin, the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced 375 nominees to the full Senate, including 244 judicial nominees. The Senate has confirmed 233 judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during the Biden-Harris Administration. At the top … Continue Reading
December 12, 2024
Durbin Pays Tribute To Vice President Harris For Her Service To The Nation
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today paid tribute to Vice President Kamala Harris for her service to our nation as the Biden-Harris administration comes to a close. “On January 20, 2021, little girls worldwide watched in awe as the daughter of a mother from India and a father from Jamaica placed her hand on the bible of the late civil rights icon and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and she took the oath to serve in one of the … Continue Reading
December 12, 2024
Durbin Statement On President Biden's Clemency Announcement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after President Biden announced that he is granting clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans who were placed on CARES Act home confinement and will pardon 39 additional individuals: “The President took an important step by commuting the sentences of these men and women. In far too many cases in our justice system, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I have … Continue Reading
December 11, 2024
Durbin Statement On FBI Director Wray's Announcement That He Will Resign At The End Of The Biden Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding FBI Director Christopher Wray announcing that he will resign at the end of the Biden administration: “The FBI is critical to our nation’s security and our families’ safety. It will soon embark on a perilous new era with serious questions about its future. I want to thank Director Wray for his service to our nation, and all the men and women of … Continue Reading