Durbin, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, Ramirez Urge Surface Transportation Board To Defer Decision On Canadian Pacific And Kansas City Southern Rail Merger Until Further Study Of Impacts On Chicago Region

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) today sent a letter to Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman urging the STB to defer any decision on the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroads until the STB completes a more accurate assessment of the impacts of the merger on the Chicago region. Th… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Congressional Delegation To Munich Security Conference

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, will join a number of his Senate colleagues in a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to this weekend's Munich Security Conference (MSC) amid continued Russian aggression following the illegal war in Ukraine and interference in western democracies. The MSC is widely considered the world's leading forum for international security policy. The conference is a "marketplace of ideas" where initiatives a… Continue Reading

Durbin Reflects On Russia’s War On Ukraine Ahead Of The One-Year Anniversary

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Durbin began his speech by highlighting Chicago Chef Tony Priolo, who leapt into action to help the Ukrainian people, and who previously employed a young Ukrainian woman. Chef Priolo contacted the Illinois Restaurant Association and 30 chef friends, and less than three we… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $69 Million For Variety Of Illinois Health Care Programs And Initiatives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced nearly $70 million in federal funding a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "State and local institutions count on federal investments like the ones announced today to ensure they can continue providing vital resources and services to their communities-from improving access to primary health care, to supporting pregnant women, to he… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Opioid Quotas, Social Media Drug Distribution With DEA Administrator Milgram

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram. Durbin commended Administrator Milgram for continuing to rein in the pharmaceutical industry's demand for excessive and unjustified manufacturing quotas for opioid pills. Durbin, along with U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), was the lead author of the 2018 law that enhanced DEA's opioid quota-setting authority by imp… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Four Nominees To Full Senate On Bipartisan Basis

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced four nominations for consideration by the full Senate, including two U.S. Attorney nominees. "This week, we celebrated the confirmation of the 100th judge under the Biden Administration. It's a notable milestone - not just because of the pace that we are filling judicial vacancies, but also because of the outstanding credentials of the confirmed nominees. They are professionally diverse, highly qualified, and reflective of America - qu… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.3 Million Grant For National Louis University To Strengthen Teacher Diversity Preparation Programs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Education has awarded $1,341,279 in Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Programs grants to National Louis University (NLU) in Chicago. NLU is among the first universities and colleges to receive federal funds dedicated to the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Programs. The federal funding will be used to implement three multi-pathway residency p… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Announce Subcommittees And Subcommittee Chairs & Ranking Members Of Senate Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced the establishment of the Subcommittees of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 118thCongress, and the assignment of Chairs, Ranking Members, and members to these Subcommittees. "During the 117th Congress, the Judiciary Committee held 41 subcommittee hearings on issues important to Americans-st… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Special Olympics Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with athletes, students, teachers, staff, and the Board Chair from Special Olympics Illinois to discuss the nonprofit's mission of championing the rights and acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities through sports. During the meeting, Durbin heard from athletes about how the program has impacted them and offered them leadership opportunities. Durbin and the representatives from Special Olympics Illinois also touch… Continue Reading

Durbin Invites FDA Commissioner To Visit Vape Shop To See Firsthand The Abundance Of Kid-Friendly E-Cigarettes On The Market

WASHINGTON - On the one year anniversary of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf's Senate confirmation, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to FDA slamming the agency for its continued lack of urgency to address youth tobacco use. For years, FDA has failed to regulate e-cigarettes, refusing to enforce the law and take action against companies marketing illegal vaping products to children. Due to this inaction, Durbin invited Dr. Cal… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Circuit & District Court Nominees In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda A. Hunt, both nominated to be United States District Judges for the Northern District of Illinois, at today's Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. "Judge Hibbler was one of my first recommendations to the federal bench. He was an extraordinary jurist and extraordinary person. And I would think it would be a great, positive experience to serve as his … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With National Association Of Letter Carriers As Postal Workers Face Uptick In Armed Robberies

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Brian Renfroe, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), to discuss the steep increase in armed robberies against postal workers. During their conversation, Durbin and Renfroe spoke about ways to improve safety protocols for letter carriers. "Letter carriers perform an essential service of our government, but delivering mail has become an increasingly dangerous job. It's shameful that Postmaster Ge… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9.5 Million In DOJ Grants From Bipartisan Safer Communities Act For Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $9,527,496 in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for the Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP). The purpose of the SCIP will be to identify and implement programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. "Intervention programs are the gateway to breaking the cycle of violence in our communities," s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenauer Introduce The Bicycles For Rural African Transport Act

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) introduced the Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act, legislation that would establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a rural mobility program, using affordable, sustainable bicycles to support access and key development objectives. "U.S. foreign assistance makes up less than one p… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On Circuit & District Court Nominations

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 hearing on the nominations of Michael Delaney, to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit; Jeffrey Cummings, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Marian F. Gaston, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; Wesley L. Hsu, to be United States Dist… Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights Johnson & Johnson’s Shameful ‘Texas Two-Step’ Maneuver On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called out big corporations for their exploitation of bankruptcy to dodge accountability, and decried Johnson & Johnson's attempt to use a corporate bankruptcy maneuver known as the "Texas Two-Step" to avoid facing claims from cancer-stricken customers. Last month, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the bankruptcy filing by a shell company created by … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Bolstering Health Care Workforce With Chicago Medical Society

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with members of the Chicago Medical Society to discuss the challenges physicians face in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including short-staffing and burnout. During their meeting, Durbin spoke about his efforts to bolster the health care workforce by pursuing federal funding to expand residency slots for Illinois hospitals, build the pipeline of health professionals through the National Health Service Corps, and secure additional … Continue Reading

Durbin Marks 5th Anniversary Of Parkland Mass Shooting & 15th Anniversary Of NIU Mass Shooting On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, marked the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead and another 17 wounded, and the fifteenth anniversary of the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, that left five students dead and more than 20 injured. Durbin also spoke about the mass shootin… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Children’s Online Safety

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Protecting Our Children Online." The hearing examined the challenge of ensuring online child safety and privacy, with witnesses testifying to the risks, threats, and harms that children face in the online world. Durbin first questioned Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO for the National Center for Missing & Explo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Lindsay Jenkins To Serve As District Court Judge 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 after the Senate voted to confirm Lindsay C. Jenkins' nomination to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Northern District, Durbin and Duckworth forwarded the names of in… Continue Reading