Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Legislation To Increase Employment Opportunities
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) reintroduced two bills to expand and increase access to employment opportunities for underserved youth. The Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act will increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives … Continue Reading
March 31, 2025
Durbin Leads Letter To AG Bondi On Appointment Of Kash Patel As ATF Acting Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led 15 Senate Democrats in a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi inquiring into what policies and procedures she will commit to implementing in her capacity as AG to ensure that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will continue to meaningfully function in its intended capacity under Kash Patel’s stewardship. In February, President Trump … Continue Reading
March 31, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Plans To Cut Medicaid In Order To Provide Tax Cuts To Billionaires
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed Congressional Republicans for their plan to slash Medicaid funding to give tax breaks to billionaires through their budget resolution. House Republicans have proposed $880 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program in order to pay for President Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires, and Senate Republicans have similarly put this program in the crosshairs. “Why? Not because they want to lower health … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Andrew Boutros Being Named Interim U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement on Andrew Boutros being named the Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois: “The White House has assured our offices that there will be no nomination for the permanent role of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois until the White House Counsel’s Office has consulted with … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Send Letter To Deputy Director Bongino Raising Concerns Over His Ability To Lead The FBI
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Dan Bongino, raising serious concerns over his ability to lead the Bureau with FBI Director Kash Patel. Deputy Director Bongino is a former conservative political … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin Calls Out Trump's Cuts To USDA While At Nourishing Hope Food Pantry
CHICAGO — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders at Nourishing Hope’s Chicago headquarters to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on food pantries and their ability to serve their communities. USDA halted $1 billion from the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which reimburses states for purchasing fresh produce from local farmers, which is then distributed to food pantries like … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Booker To Introduce Honor Farmer Contracts Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to introduce the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to release illegally withheld funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). President Trump’s USDA has refused to make reimbursement payments to fulfill signed … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Sorensen, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan Call For Continued Support For Defense Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Representative Blake Moore (R-UT-01), today led a bipartisan letter urging Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to maintain robust support for the Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The OLDCC administers crucial programs, including the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), the … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Raskin, House And Senate Democrats Urge Attorney General Bondi To Reverse Course On Unjustified Firings Of Immigration Judges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led 66 House and Senate Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighting the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)’s alarming decision to fire immigration judges, with indications to fire even more as the immigration courts currently face a staggering backlog of … Continue Reading
March 28, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Shaheen In Push To Overturn Citizens United Ruling
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and 37 Democratic and Independent Senators to reintroduce a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision, which removed campaign finance restrictions and opened the door for foreign and domestic entities to spend unlimited money to influence elections. The … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau In Washington
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with members of the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss the state of federal agriculture policy and Illinois’ agricultural priorities. During the meeting, Durbin heard from Farm Bureau members about the economic uncertainty they are facing with crop prices and production costs, and the financial harms caused by the Trump Administration’s tariffs. Other … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin, In Response To Trump Admin Cuts To NIH: People Are Going to Die If We Don't Fund Medical Research
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a roundtable forum, entitled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer's, & Other Diseases,” which was hosted by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT). The forum underscored the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s decision to lay off researchers and freeze funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Durbin began his … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Voices His Opposition To Trump Admin's Proposed Cuts At USPS During Meeting With National Association Of Letter Carriers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to discuss the Trump Administration’s harmful rhetoric on privatizing the United States Postal Service (USPS). Durbin and the letter carriers spoke about the future of USPS leadership as Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resigned earlier this week. Additionally, Durbin reiterated his opposition to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Speaks Out Against Republican Resolution That Would Overturn The CFPB Rule That Caps Overdraft Fees
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against a Republican resolution that would overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that caps overdraft fees and helps everyday Americans. Durbin joined his Democratic colleagues on the floor, led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), to highlight the dangers of gutting this important CFPB rule. Recent polls show that consumer confidence in the economy has … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Meets With Israeli Ambassador To The United States, Michael Leiter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the new Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Leiter, to discuss the return of remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, Iran’s continued destabilizing actions in the region, and the need for a long-term two state solution. “After a relatively successful phase one in the ceasefire deal, I am concerned with the impasse to move to the next stage and a failure by all parties to present a vision for … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Statement On Confirmation Of Aaron Reitz, Trump's Pick To Be Assistant AG For The Office Of Legal Policy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Aaron Reitz, President Trump’s nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy, on a party-line vote: “Simply put, Mr. Reitz’s confirmation is a danger to the rule of law. At his hearing, I asked him a very simple question—whether or not an elected official should be allowed to defy a federal … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration's Cuts To Social Security Administration As Trump, Musk Call Beneficiaries "Parasites"
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor admonishing the Trump Administration for its assault on Social Security, a program that millions of Americans rely on. During his remarks, Durbin pushed back against President Trump and Elon Musk’s claims that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is riddled with frauded. “He [President Trump] delivered this address to the Joint Session of Congress and the American people, the one time … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Protect Wilderness In Utah
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reintroduced the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect more than eight million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer unparalleled research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families. “We must … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin Meets With Federal Bar Association Amid Trump Administration's Attacks On Judicial System
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting with members of the nonpartisan Federal Bar Association in his office: “I was grateful to meet with members of the nonpartisan Federal Bar Association to discuss the challenges facing the federal judiciary, especially at this moment in history. “It’s no secret that our judicial system is under attack. President Trump, his co-president … Continue Reading
March 26, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bill To Put Cameras In Supreme Court
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation today to require open proceedings of the Supreme Court to be televised. The bipartisan Cameras in the Courtroom Act would require the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court, unless the Court decides, by a majority vote of the justices, that … Continue Reading