Durbin Applauds President Biden's Emergency Supplemental Request To Support Ukraine

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement on President Biden’s emergency supplemental request, which includes funds to continue supporting Ukraine: “Nearly 18 months after Putin began his full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains on the frontlines of democracy.  And as I saw recently in Vilnius, during this year’s NATO summit, the Ukrainian people’s heroism continues to … Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Carle Health Methodist Hospital to Discuss Nationwide Shortage of Cancer Drugs, New Hospital Funding

PEORIA – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a news conference at Carle Health Methodist Hospital to discuss the shortage of life-saving drugs for cancer patients. In June, Durbin urged the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) to use the Agency’s authority to immediately address the ongoing shortage as it threatens the lives of patients nationwide. FDA has since agreed to import one of the drugs for which U.S. hospitals are seeing a shortage, but widespread problems with the drug… Continue Reading

Durbin Demands Answers on Actions USPS and DOJ Will Take to Protect Letter Carriers From Attacks While on Mail Routes

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a follow-up letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to institute additional safety measures and investigate the continued uptick in attacks against mail carriers as they complete their routes.  In addition to the direct trauma to letter carrier victims, these crimes may have downstream effects such as exacerba… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with FBI Director Wray

SPRINGFIELD – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray and other FBI officials to discuss a range of matters. Among other topics, Durbin and Wray discussed the reauthorization and reform of Section 702, children’s online safety, the fentanyl crisis and online drug trafficking, and border security. In June, Durbin and the Senate Judiciary Committee held an ove… Continue Reading

Durbin Holds Roundtable on Rural Health Care Challenges, Solutions with Quincy-Area Medical Providers

QUINCY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a rural health care roundtable discussion with leaders of local Quincy-area medical institutions to discuss the challenges that patients and providers in rural communities face.  Durbin spoke about his new “Roadmap to Grow Illinois’ Rural Health Workforce,” a partnership with hospitals, community health centers, medical and nursing schools, community colleges, dentists, physicians, and nurses to organ… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With McDonough District Hospital Leaders to Discuss Rural Health Care Priorities

MACOMB – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with McDonough District Hospital’s leadership team to discuss the challenges that patients and providers in rural communities face.  During the visit, Durbin discussed his Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act, legislation he introduced with Senator James Lankford (R-OK), that would support financially vulnerable rural hospitals facing risk of closure.  Durbin also spoke about his new “Roadmap to Grow Illinoi… Continue Reading

DURBIN, DUCKWORTH LEAD ILLINOIS DELEGATION IN URGING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO GRANT FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION FOR ILLINOIS FOLLOWING SEVERE WEATHER IN COOK COUNTY

QUINCY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging the White House to grant Governor J.B. Pritzker’s request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Illinois, to help Cook County recover from storm damage.  From late June to early July, severe sto… Continue Reading

Durbin Holds Roundtable on Rural Health Care Challenges, Solutions With Quincy-Area Medical Providers

QUINCY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a rural health care roundtable discussion with leaders of local Quincy-area medical institutions to discuss the challenges that patients and providers in rural communities face.  Durbin spoke about his new “Roadmap to Grow Illinois’ Rural Health Workforce,” a partnership with hospitals, community health centers, medical and nursing schools, community colleges, dentists, physicians, and nurses to organ… Continue Reading

DURBIN REACTS TO JUSTICE KAGAN’S COMMENTS ON SUPREME COURT ETHICS REFORM

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on Justice Elena Kagan’s public comments on Supreme Court ethics reform at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in Portland, Oregon: “Justice Kagan’s response to the Supreme Court’s ethics crisis provides a sharp contrast to the ‘back off’ warning we heard from Justice Alito in the Wall Street Journal. Justice Kagan rig… Continue Reading

Durbin Reacts to Justice Kagan's Comments on Supreme Court Ethics Reform

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on Justice Elena Kagan’s public comments on Supreme Court ethics reform at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in Portland, Oregon: “Justice Kagan’s response to the Supreme Court’s ethics crisis provides a sharp contrast to the ‘back off’ warning we heard from Justice Alito in the Wall Street Journal. Justice Kagan rig… Continue Reading

Durbin, Judiciary Committee Dems urge Chief Justice to Address Justice Alito's Wall Street Journal Interview That Violates The Court's Statement on Ethics

WASHINGTON – Following Justice Samuel Alito’s public criticism of Supreme Court ethics reform legislation in a recent Wall Street Journal interview, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led Judiciary Committee Democratic colleagues in a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts urging the Chief Justice to take appropriate steps to ensure that Justice Alito will recuse himself in any future cases concerning legislation that regulates … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Announce Amtrak's Federal Grant Application for Chicago Hub Improvement Project to Modernize Union Station

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-5) today announced Amtrak’s $873 million federal grant application, with $218 million in matching funds from project sponsors, for the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) to modernize Chicago Union Station.  The application was submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal-State Partnerships for Intercity Passenger Rail g… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $14.7 Million in Federal Grant Funding for Illinois EPA

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $14,772,472 in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants for Illinois EPA (IEPA). The funding, split across two separate grants, will support IEPA’s mission to provide a clean, livable environment and clean air and water sources forIllinoisans.  “Illinoisans deserve safe air to breathe and clean water to drink.  Illinois EPA works diligent… Continue Reading

Durbin Responds to Justice Alito Comments on Supreme Court Ethics Reform

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on Justice Samuel Alito’s public criticism of Supreme Court ethics reform legislation in a recent Wall Street Journal interview: “Thus far, the Supreme Court has resisted efforts by the Senate Judiciary Committee to engage on ethics reform beginning with Chief Justice Roberts, who has rebuffed information requests and an invitation to discuss t… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Head Start Center to Discuss Federal Funding for Early Childhood Learning and Development

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center in Englewood to discuss federal funding he secured for Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Illinois, which provide free, high-quality child care for children from low-income families ages birth to five and wrap around services for these children and their families. The Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center is part of Brightpoint, a nonprofit organization that serve… Continue Reading

Durbin, Budzinski, Secretary Buttigieg Visit Metrolink Rail Facility to Highlight $196 Million In Federal Funding From FTA's Rail Vehicle Replacement Program

EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg today visited one of MetroLink’s rail facilities, the transit system serving St. Louis and Metro East, to highlight the $196 million in federal funding they recently received through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Rail Vehicle Replacement (RVR) Program to replace up to 48 of the system’s agi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Bush, Budzinski Applaud More Than $28 Million From Emergency Relief Fund for MetroLink

EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Cori Bush (D-MO-01) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13),  today joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to announce $28 million in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) federal funding for MetroLink, the transit system servicing St. Louis and the Metro-East.  The federal funding, supplied through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) eme… Continue Reading

Durbin, Budzinski, Secretary Buttigieg Announce $22.6 Million for Village of Savoy's Curtis Road Grade Separation And Complete Streets Project

SAVOY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today joined local officials to announce that the Village of Savoy will receive more than $22.6 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for the Curtis Road Grade Separation and Complete Streets Project. … Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills with Illinois Priorities Secured by Durbin, Duckworth

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced four Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills last week for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Homeland Security; and Defense.  Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these appropriations… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Trump Indictment By the Justice Department in January 6 Case

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump by the Department of Justice for his alleged efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and foment the ensuing insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021: “No man, not even a former President, is above the law.  The anger and resentment Donald Trump stoked … Continue Reading