Durbin, Marshall, Welch, Van Duyne Urge Visa And Mastercard To Call Off Planned Swipe Fee Increases On Vulnerable American Families And Businesses

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), and U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) today sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the CEOs of Visa and Mastercard urging the companies not to proceed with plans to raise their interchange fee rates. In 2021, according to the Nilson Report, Visa and Mastercard charged merchants a total of $77.48 billion in credit card f… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Urge EPA To Implement Robust Prevention And Safety Standards To Prevent Chemical Disasters

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44th) in leading 27 of their colleagues in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement strong safeguards at high-risk chemical facilities to protect fenceline environmental justice communities, facility workers, and first resp… Continue Reading

Durbin, Portman, Shaheen, Wicker Urge President Biden To Appoint A Ukraine Security Assistance Coordinator

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), sent a letter to President Biden urging him to appoint a Ukraine Security Assistance Coordinator. In light of the continued fighting in Ukraine, as the United States continues to send a historic amount of aid to assist Ukraine in their defense, the senators believe a coordinator would… Continue Reading

Durbin, Brown, Warren Urge Review Of Loan Servicers' Student Loan Program Mismanagement

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent letters urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Education (ED) to review student loan servicers' reported mismanagement of the income-driven repayment (IDR) program, leading to significant harm for low-income borrowers. "A recent NPR investigative report found the IDR program is riddled with problems and mismanagement, even … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $3 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding To Support Rural Health Care Services In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, six health care providers in rural Illinois will receive a total of $3,190,300 to increase access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, food assistance programs, and other services to improve community health outcomes. The funding comes from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program created by the American Rescue Plan. "Across Illinois, rural hospitals and … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Historic Nominations Of John Lee To Serve As 7th Circuit Judge, Nancy Maldonado To Serve As U.S. District Judge

SPRINGFIELD - 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 after the White House announced the nominations of Judge John Z. Lee to serve as a Circuit Court Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Nancy L. Maldonado to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: "We are pleased that President Biden… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Biden's Announcement Issuing An Emergency Waiver For The Use Of E15 This Summer

SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today released the following statement on President Biden's announcement that EPA plans to issue an emergency waiver to allow the use of E15 this summer: "Illinoisans have been hit hard by the spike in record-breaking gas prices. Thankfully, today's announcement will allow our energy sector to use more biofuels like ethanol, known to be a reliable energy solut… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Biden Announcements To Combat Gun Crime

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after President Biden announced additional steps the Administration is taking to combat gun violence and violent crime: "Just this morning, new reporting by The Trace revealed that some of the most notorious sellers of crime guns used in Chicago and across the Midwest received little to no consequences for serious violations of federal law, including sel… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley, Whitehouse, Cornyn Pass Key Reforms To Help American Businesses & Families Weather Financial Hardship

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and John Cornyn (R-TX), applauded passage of their bipartisan legislation to help small businesses and individuals stay afloat during bankruptcy. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate last evening. "American families and small businesses need Congress's help … Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Seek To Fortify NATO's Eastern Flank, Reinforce Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to replace weapons, ammunition and other defense equipment provided to Ukraine by certain NATO countries. Specifically, the bill would authorize the Department of Defense (DoD) to transfer equipment to lower-income NATO countries to quickly fortify their defense capabilities as an incentive to donate additional capabiliti… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On The Historic Confirmation Of Ketanji Brown Jackson To Be An Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, by a bipartisan vote of 53-47. Ahead of her confirmation vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke in support of Judge Jackson. Key Durbin quotes: "Today, the members of this Senate have the opportunity to take a monumental step forward. We will vote to confirm a once-in-a-generation legal t… Continue Reading

In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Highlights Corruption Of ITT Tech And For-Profit College Industry

WASHINGTON - Six years after the collapse of the infamous for-profit college chain ITT Tech, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senator floor calling out ITT Tech for defrauding students, many of whom are still waiting for their loans to be discharged by the Department of Education (the Department) under the Higher Education Act's borrower defense provision. In his written remarks, Durbin called on the Department to do more to provide former ITT Tech students … Continue Reading

Following The Atrocities In Bucha, Durbin To Introduce Legislation To Hold Russian War Criminals Accountable

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor to highlight The War Crimes Accountability Act, legislation he will introduce in the coming days to ensure the United States has the tools to hold accountable the perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities. Following the mass killings in Bucha, Ukraine, President Biden declared that they were war crimes, vowing to hold Russia… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges New FDA Commissioner To Finally Complete E-Cigarette Review

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf about the agency's delay in comprehensively regulating the e-cigarette marketplace to protect public health. During today's call, Durbin urged new Commissioner Califf to finally conclude FDA's review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for e-cigarette products, now seven months past the court-ordered deadline for the review. While FDA… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On The Successful Discharge Vote For Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Nominated To Be An Associate Justice Of Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate voted to discharge Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, from the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 53-47. Ahead of her discharge vote on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke in support of Judge Jackson. Key Durbin quotes: "In the coming days, Judge Jackson's nomination will come before the full Senate. And we a… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Committee vote: "This is the fourth time the Committee has voted on Judge Jackson in some capacity, a reflection of her extraordinary legal career. However, it is the first time that the Committee has advanced t… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Remarks Ahead Of Judiciary Committee Vote On Supreme Court Nominee Judge Jackson

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered opening remarks at the Judiciary Committee markup on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Committee also is considering the nominations of Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Arianna J. Freeman, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit; Robert … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Closure Of Lincoln College

SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the closure of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois: "Since learning about the unfortunate closure of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, my office has been in touch with the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). I feel for the students whose lives will be interrupted by this, but stand ready to do anything I can to ensure they are made aware of all of their options. "I urge IBHE … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Murphy In Urging Biden Administration To Address Humanitarian Crisis In Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 10 other Senators in sending a letter urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power to press international donors at the United Nations pledging conference to fulfill the current $3.8 billion funding gap for humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and to ensure that aid can reach the Afghan people in need. "The huma… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Criticize DHS Decision To Expand H-2B Visa Program Without Necessary Reforms

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following joint statement criticizing a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision to release additional H-2B temporary non-agricultural work visas: "We've long expressed concerns that the current H-2B program encourages lower wages and poor working conditions for American and immigra… Continue Reading