Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin Statement on Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement regarding the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. "President Obama has made an outstanding and historic choice in his selection of New York Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the Supreme Court. Her compelling life story and three decade career in nearly every aspect of the law provide Judge Sotomayor with unique qualifications to be the next Supreme … Continue Reading
May 21, 2009
Durbin Resumes Leadership of Human Rights Subcommittee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement today after Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) restored the Human Rights Subcommittee and named Durbin as its Chairman: "After offering my Crime and Drugs Subcommittee gavel to Senator Specter, I asked Senator Leahy to reestablish the Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee. Today that subcommittee has been reconstituted, allowing us to continue working on some of … Continue Reading
May 07, 2009
Durbin Passes Gavel of Crime and Drugs Subcommittee to Specter; Resumes Leadership of Human Rights Subcommittee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today made the following statement about Senator Arlen Specter's (D-PA) role on the Judiciary Committee: "Over the past several days, Senator Reid, Senator Leahy, Senator Specter and I have had a number of conversations about ways to best utilize Senator Specter's talents and experience in our Caucus." "To that end, I have offered the gavel of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee to Senator Specter who has been a leader on criminal justice … Continue Reading
April 29, 2009
Durbin: Justice Department Recommends Eliminating Sentencing Disparities Between Crack and Powder Cocaine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a hearing chaired by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, the Justice Department for the first time endorsed the elimination of the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer announced the Obama Administration's position at the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs hearing on the effectiveness of the current sentencing structure, which has become known as the 100-to-1 ratio. … Continue Reading
April 27, 2009
Durbin Announces Bipartisan Screening Committees for Federal Judges, U.S. Attorneys, and U.S. Marshals
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today announced the formation of three bipartisan screening committees to assist in selecting Federal District Court Judges, U.S. Attorneys, and U.S. Marshals for the State of Illinois. The committees will be based in the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois. The screening committees will be comprised of 22 distinguished Illinoisans drawn from various aspects of the legal profession and include former judges, prominent … Continue Reading
March 26, 2009
Durbin Introduces Bipartisan DREAM Act to Help Students Earn a Path to Legal Residency
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) today introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act - a narrowly tailored, bipartisan measure which would permit undocumented students to become permanent residents if they came here as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years. "Our immigration laws prevent … Continue Reading
March 25, 2009
Durbin Announces Congressional Approval of Legislation to Name Rockford Courthouse After Judge Roszkowski
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the passage of legislation by both the House and the Senate to name the United States District Courthouse in Rockford, Illinois after Stanley J. Roszkowski, former Federal Judge in the Northern District of Illinois. Roszkowski, who served in combat as a member of a bomber crew in World War II, played an integral role in bringing a new federal courthouse to Rockford. This legislation is the first bill … Continue Reading
March 24, 2009
Durbin Meets with Drug Czar Nominee Kerlikowske
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Drug Czar nominee Gil Kerlikowske, today to discuss the role of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on the issues of Mexican drug cartels, crack-cocaine sentencing, and drug abuse prevention. In addition, Durbin expressed his hope that Kerlikowske will invigorate the agency under new leadership, implementing much-needed reforms including demand reduction, treatment, and prevention. "America's … Continue Reading
March 17, 2009
Durbin Statement on New U.S.-Mexico Border Security Policy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement in response to the Obama Administration's announcement of a new U.S.-Mexico border security policy: "I commend the Obama Administration for their comprehensive approach to tackling the problem of Mexican drug cartels. With more than 7,000 murders since January 2008, and cartels operating in some 230 American cities - including in Chicago, Joliet and East St. Louis, Illinois - … Continue Reading
March 10, 2009
Congress Gives Approval to Nearly $230 Million in Funding for Illinois Projects
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Omnibus Appropriations Act that was approved today by Congress includes $229,727,154 in funding for Illinois projects. SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS: CHICAGO TRANSIT ($36 MILLION): Today's legislation includes over $36 million in funding to create a new transit line, the Circle line, in Chicago and expand transit service along the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) … Continue Reading
March 06, 2009
Durbin Announces Distribution of More Than $83 Million in Byrne Grants for Illinois Communities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the distribution of $83,663,470 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants to seven Illinois communities and the state of Illinois. These funds are part of the $2 billion in funding available nationwide under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Byrne grants are often used by state and local governments for programs dealing with drug prevention and enforcement, law enforcement information sharing, and combating … Continue Reading
February 26, 2009
Durbin, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Combat Organized Retail Crime
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced legislation that would crack down on organized retail crime (ORC). The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act confronts the growing problem of organized criminal activity involving stolen and resold retail goods by creating stricter penalties for those found guilty of organized retail crime and by facilitating the identification and prosecution of those who participate in it. "In the midst of the … Continue Reading
October 03, 2008
Durbin Statement on Announcement of New FBI Guidelines
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement in reaction to the Justice Department's announcement late Friday afternoon that the Attorney General is revising the guidelines for FBI investigations: "The American people will react skeptically to the Administration's efforts to rewrite the rules for FBI surveillance one month before the election in the eighth year of the Bush Administration." "The Justice Department claims that they consulted … Continue Reading
October 23, 2007
Durbin, Along with Military & Education Leaders, Urges Congress to Support Bright, Accomplished Kids with Bipartisan DREAM Act
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Senate colleagues to come together and support the DREAM Act, a narrowly tailored, bipartisan measure which would permit a select group of undocumented students to become permanent residents if they came here as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years. "When I hear some describe this bill as amnesty, I wonder, if someone is willing to … Continue Reading
May 03, 2007
Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act of 2007
Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act of 2007. I am pleased to have the support and cosponsorship of Senator Grassley for this important legislation, and I look forward to working closely with Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter to advance the bill through the judiciary Committee and to secure its enactment into law. The Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act will take the next step toward wiping out the domestic … Continue Reading
April 24, 2007
Casualties of War: Child Soldiers and the Law
Good morning and welcome to "Casualties of War: Child Soldiers and the Law," the third hearing of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. This is the first time in Senate history that there has been a subcommittee focused on human rights. And this is the first-ever Congressional hearing on the urgent human rights crisis of child soldiers. That fact alone demonstrates the need for this new Subcommittee. As this hearing's title suggests, during times of war both the rule of … Continue Reading
April 18, 2007
Court Security Improvement Act
Now comes this bill before us, the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007. This bill is the kind of bill which routinely passes in the Senate with no debate. The reason is, it isn't debatable. It comes down to a question of protecting the men and women who serve in the Federal judiciary. This is an issue which is personal with me. In 2005, one of my close personal friends, a woman I appointed to the Federal court in Chicago, Joan Lefkow, went through a tragic personal experience. … Continue Reading
March 26, 2007
Legal Options to Stop Human Trafficking
Good afternoon, and welcome to the second hearing of our new Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. Unfortunately, our ranking member, Senator Coburn, is not able to be here today. But I know he feels as strongly as I do about the issue we will discuss today, and about the mission of this subcommittee. This is the first time in Senate history there has been a subcommittee focused on human rights. At this moment in time, it is crucial to our national interest to promote greater … Continue Reading
March 21, 2007
Fair Elections Now Act
Mr. President, imagine a President coming before a joint session of Congress and using his bully pulpit to call for a fundamental change in the way we fund political campaigns in America. Imagine a President saying we need to buy back our democracy by replacing special-interest-funded elections with publicly funded elections. As hard as it may be to believe, that happened. An American President did say that--100 years ago. His name was Teddy Roosevelt, and his call for public … Continue Reading
February 05, 2007
Hearing--Genocide and the Rule of Law
Welcome to "Genocide and the Rule of Law," the inaugural hearing of the Judiciary Committee's newly-created Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. We are honored to welcome as well this distinguished panel of witnesses to share their views on this important and timely issue. After a few opening remarks, I will recognize Senator Coburn, the Ranking Member, for an opening statement, and then we will turn to our witnesses. But first a word about this new Subcommittee. I want to … Continue Reading