Press Releases
Durbin Questions Lindsay C. Jenkins, Nominated to the Northern District of Illinois, in Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Lindsay C. Jenkins, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. During the hearing, Durbin highlighted her extensive qualifications and background as a federal prosecutor. Ms. Jenkins spent 15 years as a federal prosecutor in the Northern District of Illinois, and in that time, gained … Continue Reading
10.12.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.25 Billion in Federal Formula Funding for Illinois Infrastructure
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $2,250,129,111 in federal formula funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration for Fiscal Year 2023. This funding is part of the more than $17 billion in federal formula funds that Illinois will receive from the significant increase in federal infrastructure funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. "Today's announced funding wi… Continue Reading
10.12.22
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Latest Circuit and District Court Nominations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Anthony Devos Johnstone, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Daniel J. Calabretta, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California; Matthew L. Garcia, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico; Jeffery Paul Hopkins, to be United… Continue Reading
10.11.22
Durbin, Cassidy Inform Consumers Act Included In Proposed FY23 NDAA Substitute
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced today their Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act has been included in the substitute of the Senate-version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that advanced to the Senate floor today. The legislation will combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ens… Continue Reading
10.07.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $6 Million in Grants for Chicago Public Schools
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Chicago Public Schools received $5,893,904 in Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grants to support school curriculum and promote equity efforts. The MSAP grant money, awarded by the U.S Department of Education, will assist Chicago magnet schools in implementing innovative instructional approaches that will support students from a wide-range of social, economic, ethnic, and ra… Continue Reading
10.06.22
Durbin Calls for Passage of NOPEC Act in the Lame Duck Session
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding OPEC+'s decision to dramatically reduce oil production in alliance with Vladimir Putin: "From unanswered questions about 9/11, the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the exporting of extremism, to dubious jailing of peaceful dissidents and conspiring with Vladimir Putin to punish the U.S. with higher oil prices, the Saudi royal famil… Continue Reading
10.06.22
Durbin Statement on Fifth Circuit Ruling on DACA
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, released the following statement regarding the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to remand the case on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to the District Court for further consideration. For now, this decision maintains the status quo - current DACA recipients can continue to live and work under the protections of the progr… Continue Reading
10.05.22
Durbin, Stratton Join Local Officials to Cut Ribbon On Latest Completed Segment of Springfield Rail Improvements Project
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended the ribbon cutting for the new 5th and 6th Street Bridges, which are part of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. The 5th and 6th Street Bridges Project includes new double-track bridges for the Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific corridors at 5th and 6th Streets. It also includes grading, drainage, and trackwork from north of 6th Street to Stanford Avenue. This project improves rail safety and vehicle height restrictions on the h… Continue Reading
10.05.22
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Department of Education to Strengthen Regulations Against Informal Removal of Students From Class as a Form of Discipline
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights calling for "informal removal" to be included in the final rulemaking for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As the Senators reiterate in their letter, including informal removal in Section 504 regulations would protect students, particularly those with disabilities, from the discriminatory use of informal remo… Continue Reading
10.04.22
Durbin, Duckworth Join Menendez, Velazquez in Bicameral Effort Urging The Biden Administration to Extend Federal Cost Share Waiver and Unlock Federal Resources for Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07) in a bicameral effort urging the Biden Administration to direct more resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to all municipalities in Puerto Rico that need assistance following the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona. Specifically, the lawmakers asked President Biden to grant FEMA Publ… Continue Reading
10.04.22
Durbin, Welch Statement on Federal Reserve's New Rule to Ensure Debit Card Competition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement after the Federal Reserve finalized updates to the Board's rule concerning debit card transactions: "For years we have worked to bring fairness and competition to debit and credit card swipe fees, and this is a big step forward. The Federal Reserve's rulemaking is a win for competition and good news for Main Street merchants and consumers who are tired of big ban… Continue Reading
10.03.22
Durbin Announces $200,000 For Lawndale Christian Legal Center Community-Based Legal Services
LAWNDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) to discuss the $200,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending-more commonly known as an earmark-in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill to support and enhance LCLC's ongoing community-based legal services. "Too many of our children have been exposed to tremendous amounts of trauma, which has long term consequences on their ability to succeed and t… Continue Reading
09.30.22
Durbin, Marshall Introduce Amendment to NDAA to Address High Swipe Fees Affecting Our Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) introduced two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address excessively high credit and debit card swipe fees that burden American consumers, small businesses, and veterans. Their first amendment would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Treasury Department to issue a report about a current law, 10 USC 1065, that requires some veteran populations including P… Continue Reading
09.30.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $58 Million for Variety of Illinois Health Care Programs and Initiatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $58,988,919 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "Illinois is home to a wide-range of programs and health care initiatives dedicated to keeping residents healthy," said Durbin. "With this robust federal funding, these programs and institutions can continue improving the well-being of all Illinoisans-whether that means helping f… Continue Reading
09.30.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $31 Million for Health Care Research in Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $31,055,926 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) medical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from cancer prevention to vision research. "Federal investments in medical research equip Illinois' inst… Continue Reading
09.30.22
Durbin: The Senate Judiciary Committee Will Proceed With Previously-Scheduled Nominations Hearing on October 12
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the upcoming Committee schedule after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate will hold its next floor votes after November's midterm elections: "While the Senate will now be in recess, the Judiciary Committee will hold a previously-scheduled hearing on judicial nominations on Wednesday, October 12. "While it is my prer… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Durbin Questions New BOP Director During Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Colette Peters, the new Director at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons." Durbin began his questioning by asking about solitary confinement. Research has shown that solitary confinement has severe physical and mental health consequences and that the practice has little effect on maint… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Continuing Resolution
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the federal government through December 16, 2022: "The CR that passed the Senate today is essential to keeping the government funded through December 16. I'm pleased it includes Democratic priorities, including roughly $12 billion toward Ukraine assistance, to help our Ukrainian fri… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Pritzker Announce More Than $21 Million for Illinois Highway Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with Governor JB Pritzker today announced $21,998,178 awarded to Illinois by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along the Illinois Interstate Highway System. "As Illinois becomes poised to play a nationally important role on electric vehicles, it… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Senate Confirms Arianna Freeman to Third Circuit
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Arianna Freeman to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Freeman's confirmation: "Arianna Freeman is an accomplished appellate attorney who has dedicated her career to representing those seeking to vindicate their rights to due process, effective assistance of counsel, and other constitutional guarant… Continue Reading