Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights in the 115th Congress
Durbin Grills Justice Department On Politicization Of Immigration Courts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today grilled a Justice Department official at a hearing entitled, "Strengthening and Reforming America's Immigration Court System," about the Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions politicizing America's immigration court system at the expense of due process for immigrants. The Justice Department last week halted the Legal Orientation Program (LOP). Created by the Bush … Continue Reading
April 11, 2018
Durbin Questions Trump Administration On Its New War On Drugs
Calls for greater oversight of pharmaceutical industry and focus on public health prevention and treatment WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today questioned Kemp Chester, Associate Director of the National Heroin Coordination Group in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and Christina Nolan, U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism entitled "Defeating Fentanyl: Addressing the … Continue Reading
March 28, 2018
Durbin Calls On Top Justice Department Officials To Commit To Protect The Special Counsel
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with a group of eight other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling for a public commitment to protect the integrity and independence of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation by the top officials who follow Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in the Department of Justice's line of succession. The Senators' request follows growing concern about possible political interference in Mueller's inquiry. "We … Continue Reading
March 22, 2018
Ahead of March For Our Lives, Durbin Calls On Republicans To Stand Up To The NRA & Support Meaningful Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
WASHINGTON-As tens of thousands of students and supporters of gun violence prevention prepare to march in Washington D.C., Chicago, and cities and towns across America, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress for still being unwilling to push for any gun reforms that the gun sales lobby opposes. "On March 24, students and Americans of all ages will march in the streets to honor those who have been lost to senseless gun violence … Continue Reading
March 15, 2018
Durbin Joins Colleagues In Calling On Key Senate Committee To Take Action On Legislation To Fund Gun Violence Research At CDC
CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and 25 other Senators in calling on leaders of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to immediately act on legislation to fund gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A Republican appropriations rider, first authorized by then-Congressman Jay Dickey (R-AR) in 1996, prohibits the CDC from using federal funds to advocate or promote gun … Continue Reading
March 08, 2018
Durbin: Why Hasn't The Gun Violence Debate Reached The Senate Floor?
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Republican leaders to bring the debate over gun violence to the floor of the U.S. Senate. "97% of the American people believe in universal comprehensive background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who would misuse them: convicted felons, mentally unstable people," Durbin said. "97%. The overwhelming majority of gun owners feel exactly the same way. So why-why in God's name have we not taken that up since … Continue Reading
March 06, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nominations For U.S. Marshal For Central And Southern Districts Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced his nominees for the United States Marshal for the Central District of Illinois, Brendan O. Heffner, and the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois, Bradley A. Maxwell. "Through many years of service to Illinois, Brendan Heffner and Bradley Maxwell have demonstrated strong qualifications to serve as United States Marshals. … Continue Reading
February 27, 2018
Durbin Meets With Stoneman Douglas Students, Calls on Congress To Toughen Gun Laws
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor to discuss the urgent need for Congress to pass legislation to curb gun violence. Durbin earlier met with survivors of the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. "These students and young people across the country are changing the debate about gun violence," said Durbin. "They are making clear how absurd it is for lawmakers to do nothing when Americans are getting shot every day in … Continue Reading
February 21, 2018
Durbin: Congress Must Stand Up to Gun Sales Lobby & Act to Prevent the Next Mass Shooting
CHICAGO - In the wake of the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined local gun safety advocates to call on Congress to act on common sense gun reforms and stop turning a blind eye to the deadly toll of gun violence in our schools and neighborhoods. The only vote the U.S. Senate has held this Congress on guns has been to overturn a regulation to keep guns out of the hands of individuals with mental … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Judiciary Committee Advances Sentencing Reform And Corrections Act
WASHINGTON-The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted 16-5 to advance comprehensive legislation aimed at reducing mandatory minimums for certain non-violent offenders to help law enforcement devote their resources to targeting drug kingpins, manufacturers and violent criminals. Under this bill, judges would be better able to take individual circumstances into account at sentencing so that they can make sure that the appropriate punishment fits the crime. But it also preserves mandatory minimum … Continue Reading
February 12, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nomination Of Michael Scudder & Amy St. Eve For The 7th Circuit Court Of Appeals
CHICAGO-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the White House announced the nomination of Michael Y. Scudder, Jr. and U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve to serve as Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago: "We are pleased that the President has nominated Judge St. Eve and Mr. Scudder. They both have the experience, integrity, and judgment that we look for in federal judges, and we expect … Continue Reading
January 12, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Screening Committee Application Process For Federal District Court In The Northern District Of Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that they will begin accepting applications from those interested in serving as a Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois. The Senators will be assisted by a screening committee whose task is to review and vet District Court candidates and advise the Senators regarding the candidates' qualifications and fitness for the position. The Senators' screening committee in the Northern … Continue Reading
January 08, 2018
Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Against Sessions' Efforts To Block Byrne-JAG Funds From American Cities
WASHINGTON-Twelve members of the United States Senate and 33 members of the United States House filed a Congressional amicus brief in the appeal of the case City of Chicago v. Sessions, which is the lawsuit that the City of Chicago brought in August seeking a preliminary injunction to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from blocking critical violence prevention funds from American cities in order to boost the Trump Administration's extreme immigration … Continue Reading
December 01, 2017
Durbin Statement On Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Guilty Plea
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Judiciary Committee, released the following statement: Michael Flynn's guilty plea is a significant development. I continue to have the utmost confidence in Bob Mueller as he proceeds in this … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin Introduces Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced new legislation to address the growing threat of white supremacist groups and other violent domestic extremists. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess those threats and provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing these … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Durbin Statement On Senator Franken
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: There is never an excuse for this behavior-ever. What Senator Franken did was wrong, and it should be referred to the Ethics Committee for … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Durbin Statement On Confirmation Of John Lausch For U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of John R. Lausch to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "With all the partisanship and division in Washington, it's critical that Chicago's U.S. Attorney be a non-partisan professional-I believe Mr. Lausch is the right person for the job. Senator Duckworth and I were glad to work with the White House on Mr. Lausch's nomination and I'm … Continue Reading
November 07, 2017
Durbin: GOP Must Stand Up To Gun Sales Lobby & Act To Prevent The Next Slaughter
WASHINGTON-Following the tragic mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that killed at least 26 people and injured 20 more, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on his congressional Republican colleagues to work with Democrats on a bipartisan basis to reduce gun violence. The only vote the U.S. Senate has held this year on guns has been to overturn a regulation to keep guns out of the hands of individuals with mental illness. "It is so sad that … Continue Reading
October 31, 2017
Durbin Blasts GOP Hypocrisy On Obstruction Of Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today argued against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) complaint of what he calls Democratic obstruction of President Trump's judicial nominees. So far this year, the Senate has confirmed four of President Trump's circuit court nominees and four of his district court nominees. At this same point in his first year, President Obama had one circuit court nominee and three district court nominees … Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
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 U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 26 of their Senate colleagues to announce the introduction of the Background Check Expansion Act, which will expand federal background checks to the sale or transfer of all firearms by private sellers, with certain reasonable exceptions. Under current law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research … Continue Reading