Press Releases
Durbin Slams Big Pharma On High Cost Of Prescription Drugs In America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned James Stansel, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on the high price of prescription drugs in America. In today's hearing, Durbin slammed PhRMA for the pharmaceutical industry's egregious tactics that leads to dramatic price increases for Americans, including patent manipulation to block generic compet… Continue Reading
05.06.19
Durbin, Graham Reintroduce Bipartisan Election Interference Bill
WASHINGTON-Following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today reintroduced the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which will prevent foreign governments from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill will make "improper interference in U.S. elections" a violation of U.S. immig… Continue Reading
05.03.19
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support Wounded Warriors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced a bill to help wounded warriors by expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act would support colleges and universities seeking to establish or expand degree programs to train orthotics and prosthetics specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer serious injuries should expect nothing less than the highest standard of care whe… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin, Booker, Senators Call Out Trump Admin For Inadequate Effort To Combat White Supremacist Violence
WASHINGTON-Following last week's deadly shooting at Chabad of Poway synagogue, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) today called out the Trump Administration for shifting its approach to tracking domestic terrorism incidents to obfuscate the white supremacist threat. In a letter to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Senators … Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin Votes To Override President Trump's Veto Of The Bipartisan Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In March, the resolution passed the Senate by a vote of 54-46, and on April 4, it passed the House by a vote of 247-175, but today it did not garner enough votes in the Senate to override the President's veto. "Not only was this war never authorized as required b… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin, Murphy, Cartwright Introduce Bills To Support Wounded Warriors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), today introduced two bicameral bills to support wounded warriors by improving orthotics and prosthetics care, and expanding the current orthotics and prosthetics workforce. The bills would enhance research in best practices and support colleges and universities seeking to establish degree programs to train specialists. "The men and women who serve our country and suffer ser… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Durbin Presses Senate Judiciary Committee To Bring In Mueller And McGahn To Testify On The Mueller Report
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today pressed the Senate Judiciary Committee to call Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Don McGahn, President Trump's former White House Counsel, to testify about Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "Time and again it appears that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which used to be the leader on Capitol Hill on these issues, is stepping back and out of the picture if… Continue Reading
05.01.19
Durbin, Quigley, Rubio, Duckworth, Rooney Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Map Urban Flooding & Help FEMA Better Assess Risks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Francis Rooney (R-FL-19) today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2019 to enhance the mapping of urban flooding to prevent associated damage. The legislation will help give cities and towns the tools they need to address flooding in a local context and then encourage the Fed… Continue Reading
05.01.19
Durbin, Capito Urge HHS To Implement Childhood Trauma Force
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accelerate implementation of the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care, a provision authored by both Senators that was passed into law last October as part of the federal opioid response. The bipartisan provision established a Task Force of federal agencies to set a national strategy to address childhood trauma and to promote trauma-informed care… Continue Reading
05.01.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Senators Introduce Choose Medicare Act To Make Medicare Available To Everyone
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), today introduced the Choose Medicare Act to give every individual who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare. The Choose Medicare Act also gives every employer the ability to purchase Medicare for their employees. "This boils down to whether you believe health care is a privilege for t… Continue Reading
05.01.19
Durbin Questions AG Barr On His Handling Of The Mueller Report
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Attorney General William Barr on his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. "I find, Attorney General Barr, that some of the things you've engaged in really leave me wondering what you believe your role is as Attorney General," Durbin said. "I would hope that we can get to the bottom of this with… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin Shares Support For Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó
WASHINGTON - Following the uprising in Venezuela today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) once again shared his support for Juan Guaidó, the constitutionally and internationally recognized interim leader of Venezuela. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also called on Russia and Cuba to step back and let the Venezuelan people decide their own future. "I urge Maduro to do the right thing for Venezuela, to avoid bloodshed, to accept Guaidó's amnesty offer, and to … Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin, Schatz, Young, Romney Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Raise Smoking, Vaping Age To 21
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Todd Young (R-IN), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) today introduced the Tobacco to 21 Act, bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21 nationwide. "With Big Tobacco constantly targeting our youth through new and flavored products, it's no surprise that nearly all tobacco users began their addiction as kids or young adults," said Durbin. "Across Illinois a… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin Statement On White House Transportation Meeting
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after attending today's meeting at the White House regarding transportation infrastructure: "In today's meeting, we agreed with the President that any transportation infrastructure plan must be big and bold. And we can't stop at roads and bridges - any proposal must include broadband, mass transit, and our waterways. The President now has agreed … Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin, Senators Introduce Bill To Stop Illegal Robocalls
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tina Smith (D-MN), today introduced the Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act, a bill that would help end the plague of illegal robocalls in America. Robocalls have become a widespread annoyance, but are also costing consumers billions of dollars. In 2016, 22 million Americans lost more than $9.5 billion to robocall scams that ma… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin Enlists Illinois Education Professionals To Sound The Alarm On For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - With high school seniors making decisions about their educational futures, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges. For-profit colleges enroll only nine percent of post-secondary students, but they account for 34 percent of all federal student loan defaults. In today's letter, Durbin said for-prof… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin Submits Testimony To House Financial Services Subcommittee Hearing On Payday Lending
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a longtime champion of legislation to rein in the predatory payday lending industry, today submitted testimony to the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions hearing on ending debt traps in the payday and small dollar credit industry. The subcommittee will discuss the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2019, a bill Durbin reintroduced yesterday that would eliminate… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Durbin, Foster, Underwood Introduce American Cures Act And American Innovation Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today introduced bicameral legislation to restore the United States' commitment to breakthrough scientific and biomedical research. The American Cures Act and the American Innovation Act would create mandatory funds to provide steady, predictable funding for breakthrough research at America's top research agencies, allowing the United States to remain a leader in developmen… Continue Reading
04.29.19
Durbin Introduces Bill To Crack Down On Predatory Lending Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2019, legislation that would eliminate the excessive rates and steep fees charged to consumers for payday loans by capping interest rates on consumer loans at an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 36 percent-the same limit currently in place for loans marketed to military service-members and their families. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley… Continue Reading
04.24.19
Durbin, Grassley, Booker, Lee Oppose Proposed Hiring Requirement That Undermines Criminal Justice Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Mike Lee (R-UT), the lead sponsors of the recently-enacted First Step Act, today voiced bipartisan opposition to the Trump Administration's proposal to require applicants for federal jobs and contracting work to divulge their participation in criminal diversion programs. Diversion programs directly address the unjust and illogical consequences of a criminal conviction. These programs help individuals,… Continue Reading