Press Releases
Durbin Meets with NCAA President to Discuss Name, Image, Likeness Policy in Collegiate Sports
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with NCAA President Charlie Baker to discuss proposals to modernize Division I (D-I) athletics in the age of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for college athletes. These proposals, including provisions to allow schools to enter into NIL contracts directly with college athletes and the ability to offer direct financial compensation, would require additional accountability as any … Continue Reading
January 25, 2024
Durbin Congratulates Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos on Confirmation to Amtrak Board of Directors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor congratulating Mayor Chris Koos of Normal, Illinois, forhis confirmation to the Amtrak Board of Directors. Mayor Koos, whose nomination was recommended by Durbin, was confirmed in the Senate on Tuesday with bipartisan support. Durbin also spoke to former Macomb, Illinois, Mayor Tom Carper’s tenure on the Amtrak Board. “On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris … Continue Reading
January 25, 2024
Durbin Meets with CDC Director Cohen
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Mandy Cohen, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to discuss several issues important to the public health and safety of children. During the meeting, Durbin discussed the need to curb gun violence and the trauma that children face as a result, and the scarcity of access to pediatric dentistry services. They also discussed issues important to Illinois such as the ongoing flooding in … Continue Reading
January 24, 2024
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Six Judicial 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 Susan M. Bazis, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska; Ernest Gonzalez, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas; Ann Marie McIff Allen, to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah; Kelly Harrison Rankin, to be United States … Continue Reading
January 24, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Over $1.2 Million for Illinois Central College to Develop High School Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,288,596 for Illinois Central College through the U.S. Department of Education’s Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) Grant Program to develop new high-quality work-based learning programs for high school students to gain experience in health care, construction, manufacturing, and information technology professions. “The CCHS Program … Continue Reading
January 24, 2024
Durbin Meets with Child Care Advocacy Groups
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with child care advocacy groups to discuss a path forward for legislation supporting children, working families, and child care providers. During their meeting, Durbin spoke about his support for child care tax incentives to improve child care accessibility and support working families in covering the costs, as well as his support to provide increased wages for child care workers. Durbin has repeatedly pushed for increased … Continue Reading
January 24, 2024
Durbin Questions Latest Nominees in Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, nominated to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah, and Ernest Gonzalez, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, about their legal experience and how, if confirmed, they would be impartial judges. “You spent a significant amount of … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin Talks Union Priorities with UAW Leaders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Region 4 leaders of United Auto Workers (UAW) to discuss the union’s priorities, including protecting workers and ensuring that union members are supported as automakers transition to electric vehicle production. Durbin spoke about the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, that was secured in the historic labor contract signed by the UAW and the Big Three automakers—Ford, Stellantis, and … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $25 Million Rail Safety Grant for Kane County
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $25,000,000 for Kane County through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program, otherwise known as the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, to construct a grade separation of Randall Road over the Canadian National Railroad and reconstruct an existing intersection at Hopps Road adjacent to … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Confirmation of Normal Mayor Chris Koos to Amtrak Board of Directors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors: “Mayor Koos has a long history as a powerful, positive voice in Illinois’ transportation sector. He understands the importance of passenger rail to communities in Illinois, the Midwest, and nationwide. His nomination, which we strongly recommended to … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin: We Must Restore Order at Our Southern Border and Enforce Our Immigration Laws in a Fair and Humane Way
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on his colleagues to reach a deal on immigration reform to restore order at the southern border while also enforcing these laws in a humane and fair way. During his remarks, Durbin slammed Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) for his continued inhumane practice when migrants reach the Texas border. Durbin said, “We must restore order at our southern border … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin Marks Sixth Annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week with Senate Floor Speech Sharing Constituent Stories on Gun Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recognizing the sixth annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week. During his remarks, Durbin spoke about the horror of mass shootings and shared stories about the emotional and physical toll that gun violence has on communities in Illinois. “This week, we recognize the unbelievable toll of gun violence in America, and we offer our support to the … Continue Reading
January 23, 2024
Durbin, Whitehouse, Hawley Call on Supreme Court to Reject Georgia-Pacific's Bankruptcy Maneuver to Evade Accountability to Hundreds of Thousands of Asbestos Victims
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led fellow Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in Bestwall LLC v. Official Committee of Asbestos Claimants, supporting hundreds of thousands of victims of the company’s asbestos-linked products. To avoid facing the legal claims of victims in court, Georgia-Pacific “moved” to Texas … Continue Reading
January 22, 2024
On the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Durbin Recommits to Protecting Reproductive Rights
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recommitted to protecting reproductive rights on the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. During his speech, Durbin condemned the Supreme Court’s decision inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruled a nearly 50-year-old precedent that had been reaffirmed multiple times. “Roe v. Wade enshrined into law something that should have been a … Continue Reading
January 22, 2024
Durbin, Young, Senators Urge Bangladesh PM to End the Government's Harassment of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) along with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent the following letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging the Bangladeshi government to end the persistent harassment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate … Continue Reading
January 19, 2024
Durbin Celebrates Pace's First Electric Bus
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) todayparticipated in a celebration for the introduction of Pace’s first electric bus—the first step in its commitment to convert the entire fleet of 700+ buses to zero emission vehicles by 2040—coined Project Zero. “By embracing cutting-edge technology, Pace is not just transforming its fleet; it's catalyzing a broader conversation about the intersection of public transportation and environmental responsibility,” said Durbin. “Pace’s leadership in … Continue Reading
January 19, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $6 Million to Enhance Electric Vehicle Charging Resiliency
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $5,994,441 through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s Ride and Drive Electric Program for UL Solutions North America to expand its Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Laboratory to increase commercial capacity for the testing and certification of high-power EV chargers. “As we electrify transportation across the country, we must strive to build smarter, faster charging … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
Durbin Statement on Passage of Bill to Keep Government Funded
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund various federal agencies through March 1st and March 8th, respectively: “It’s disappointing that the best we can do is ‘keep the lights on’ when funding the government. We should be addressing issues that are important to the American people, not kicking the can down the road once … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Twenty Judicial Nominations, One Executive Nomination to the Full Senate
WASHINGTON - In its first business meeting of the year, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced twenty judicial nominations and one executive nomination to the full Senate, including previously reported judicial and executive nominations that were resubmitted by President Biden this year. “Advancing and confirming highly qualified, diverse nominees to the federal bench has been one of this Committee’s and Senate Democrats’ greatest successes. Today’s business meeting adds numerous … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
Durbin Meets with U.S. Sentencing Commission Chair As Commission Considers New Amendments to Sentencing Guidelines
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Judge Carlton Reeves, Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, to discuss policy priorities for the upcoming sentencing guideline amendment cycle. During their meeting, Durbin encouraged the Commission to consider an amendment to the Guidelines Manual that would prohibit the use of acquitted conduct in applying sentencing guidelines. This potential amendment would align with … Continue Reading