Durbin Delivers Speech At Environmental Law And Policy Center Forum

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Environmental Law & Policy Center's (ELPC) monthly forum, ELPC Thinks, to deliver a speech highlighting the impact the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make by investing in climate solutions, clean renewable energy, and clean transportation solutions. During his speech, Durbin spoke about the rich, natural resources the Midwest is home to, including the Great Lakes, and touched on how the federal… Continue Reading

Durbin, Risch, Leahy, Members Introduce Bipartisan Resolution To Support Upcoming Presidential Election In The Gambia

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Ranking Member James Risch (R-ID), and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), along with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), SFRC Africa Subcommittee Ranking Member, and John Boozman (R-AR), today introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing support for a free, fair, and peaceful December 4, 2021, presidential election in The Gambia. The upcoming election will be … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Baltic Ambassadors, Discusses U.S.-Baltic Security Cooperation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, today met with Lithuanian Ambassador Audra Plepyt?, Latvian Ambassador Maris Selga, and Estonian Ambassador Kristjan Prikk to discuss ongoing U.S.-Baltic security cooperation, Russian aggression and Chinese economic threats in the region, and COVID-19 pandemic responses. During their conversation, Durbin welcomed the Baltic States' acceptance of Afghan refugees, a majority of whom … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Mexican Senators To Discuss U.S.-Mexico Relationship

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with five Mexican Senators who represent the five largest parties in Mexico. During today's meeting, they discussed U.S.-Mexico relations, migration in the region, the need for immigration reform in the U.S., the flow of illegal weapons primarily from the United States to Mexico, and the Mexican Senate's interest in reactivating the U.S.-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Group between the uppe… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions District Court Nominees In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned district court nominees at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Bridget Meehan Brennan, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; John H. Chun, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; Charles Esque Fleming, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; and David Augustin … Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Jonathan Kanter As Assistant Attorney General At DOJ Antitrust Division

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jonathan Kanter to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division by a vote of 68-29. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Kanter's confirmation: "Mr. Kanter is a distinguished antitrust lawyer with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. He is a highly influential advocate for strong and meaning… Continue Reading

Durbin Honors Senate Tenure Of Patrick Leahy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today paid tribute to Senator Patrick Leahy's (D-VT) tenure in the Senate following Leahy's announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2022. During his floor speech, Durbin spoke about his friendship with Leahy and thanked him for his leadership in the Senate, particularly on human rights. "I've come to know Pat in my time in the Senate. He is a humanitarian. He is a gifted lawmaker, and a passionate defender of America's natio… Continue Reading

Durbin, Leahy, Brown, Malinowski Urge President Of Turkmenistan To Release Country's Political Prisoners

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7), today sent a letter to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to urge him to release detained political prisoners, including journalist Nurgeldi Halykov, physician Dr. Khursanai Ismatullaeva, and activist Gulgeldy Annaniyazov. "We write with interest as Turkmenistan pursues an ambitious agenda… Continue Reading

Durbin: It Is Time For New Leadership At The Bureau Of Prisons

WASHINGTON - Following release of a report by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) that found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has failed to negotiate with the prison guard union for more than 20 months, leading to the delay of more than 30 critical BOP policies to help protect BOP staff and inmates, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reiterated his call for Attorney General Merrick Garland to replace BOP Directo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $13.5 Million For Springfield Rail Improvement Project

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the City of Springfield has been awarded $13.5 million in federal funding for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project, which will alleviate rail congestion and improve safety. Today's investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) RAISE grant program, will support new underpasses at Madison and Jefferson Streets along the new Transportation Center. The project will significan… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Secretary Mayorkas In Senate Judiciary Committee DHS Oversight Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the Senate Judiciary Committee DHS oversight hearing. Durbin asked Secretary Mayorkas what the status is of the children who are still separated from their parents due to former President Trump's immoral and inhumane zero-tolerance policy. "President Biden's Interagency Task Force on the Reunification… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing DHS Oversight Hearing

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 oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Durbin spoke about the chaos that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas inherited after four years of the Trump Administration, as well as Congress' responsibility to fix our nation's broken immigration system. He continued to push DHS to do more to thwart domest… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On AG Garland To Dismiss BOP Director Carvajal

WASHINGTON - Following an Associated Press investigation that found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a "hotbed of abuse, graft and corruption, and has turned a blind eye to employees accused of misconduct," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to replace BOP Director Michael Carvajal, who was appointed during the Trump Administration: "Director Carva… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Biden Signing Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Into Law

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: "The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will rebuild America's roads and bridges and make investments to improve transit and rail. It will also provide clean drinking water to households in need, help Americans connect to high-speed broadband, and start addressing the challenges of the climate crisi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Biden Signing Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Into Law

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: "The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will rebuild America's roads and bridges and make investments to improve transit and rail. It will also provide clean drinking water to households in need, help Americans connect to high-speed broadband, and start addressing the challenges of the climate crisi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.6 Million In Telehealth Funding For Illinois Health Care Providers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that four Illinois health care providers have been awarded $1,609,855 in federal funding to improve and expand telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants are part of Round 2 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which was established as part of the CARES Act and continued under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. "This federal funding will … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nomination Of LaDon Reynolds To Serve As U.S. Marshal For The Northern District Of Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement on President Biden nominating LaDon Reynolds to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois: "We applaud President Biden for nominating a seasoned law enforcement veteran in LaDon Reynolds to serve in this important role. Since 1994, Chief Reynolds has held several high-ranking positions for the Oak … Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate, And House Dems Object To Johnson & Johnson Bankruptcy Maneuver, Demand Answers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12) and Chair of the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), today sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson objecting to the company's efforts to manipulate bankruptcy laws to evade accountability… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cassidy File NDAA Amendment To Ensure Greater Transparency For Third-Party Sellers Of Consumer Products Online

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ensuring transparency of high-volume third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. The amendment consists of the text of H.R. 5502, which represents the most recent negotiated version of The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces fo… Continue Reading

Durbin: COP26 Is An Opportunity For The U.S. To Take Bold Steps Addressing Climate Crisis

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about the global significance of the United States' participation in the U.N.'s 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) climate summit in Glasgow. In his remarks, Durbin praised President Biden for reaffirming the U.S.' position as a global leader in the fight against climate change. "This gathering is an opportunity for the United States and our allies to come together - for the first time in years- around a … Continue Reading