Press Releases
Durbin Calls Out Weaponization Of The Justice Department Under AG Bondi’s Leadership One Year Since Her Confirmation
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the leadership of Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi one year since her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. “A year ago, the United States Senate voted to confirm Pam Bondi as Attorney General. As I said during her confirmation hearing last year, the Attorney General must be committed … Continue Reading
February 04, 2026
Durbin Presses For Trump Administration Witnesses To Testify Before Section 702 Sunset Deadline
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold a hearing with Trump Administration witnesses as Congress debates the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The request follows a recent Committee hearing on the topic—without any Trump Administration officials present. In a letter to … Continue Reading
February 03, 2026
Durbin Speaks At Spotlight Forum Examining Aggressive Tactics Of DHS, ICE, CBP Agents Carrying Out Trump Administration’s Cruel Mass Deportation Scheme
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today participated in a bicameral spotlight forum entitled “Our Values at Stake (Part II): Examining DHS’ Use of Violence in Immigration Enforcement.” The forum, convened by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), is the second installment of spotlight forums examining the continued lawlessness of agents of the U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
February 03, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster Introduce New Legislation To Boost Housing Stock Across The Country
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today introduced new legislation that would address the housing shortage in the United States, which has priced millions of Americans out of home ownership. To mitigate barriers to home ownership and incentivize builders to focus on constructing resilient and affordable homes, the Advancing Better Options for Dwellings Everywhere (ABODE) Act would … Continue Reading
February 03, 2026
In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Durbin Questions Witnesses About Investigation Into Nazi-Linked Swiss Bank Accounts
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Truth Revealed: Hidden Facts Regarding Nazis and Swiss Banks,” which conducted oversight of an ongoing investigation by the Swiss bank UBS into Nazi-linked Credit Suisse accounts. Durbin began his questioning by asking about the status of 150 documents, all of which pertain to a 1998 settlement between … Continue Reading
February 03, 2026
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Conducting Oversight On Investigation Into Nazi-Connected Swiss Bank Accounts
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Truth Revealed: Hidden Facts Regarding Nazis and Swiss Banks,” which conducted oversight of an ongoing investigation by the Swiss bank UBS into Nazi-linked Credit Suisse accounts. In 2021, in response to concerns raised by the Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center, Credit Suisse … Continue Reading
February 02, 2026
Durbin Lays Out Senate Democrats’ Demands To Rein In ICE
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged his Republican colleagues to join Democrats to pass common sense reforms to rein in President Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. On Friday, the Senate passed five bipartisan government funding bills and a two-week stop gap funding measure for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security … Continue Reading
February 02, 2026
Durbin Meets With ATF Director Nominee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after a courtesy meeting with Robert Cekada, nominated to be the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): “Almost one year after Attorney General Bondi’s confirmation, the Justice Department has become a shell of its former self. It’s been weaponized to fulfill one President’s political goals. “ATF could play an … Continue Reading
February 02, 2026
Durbin Introduces Legislation To Improve Accountability For Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation that would protect students and taxpayers by closing a loophole that gives special treatment to a small number of overseas medical schools. The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act would require all medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to receive Title IV student aid dollars. U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) plans to introduce companion … Continue Reading
January 30, 2026
Durbin Votes For Five Bipartisan Government Funding Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting for the five bipartisan government funding bills and a two-week stop gap funding measure for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while negotiations around reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue: “Senate Democrats were successful in separating and … Continue Reading
January 30, 2026
Durbin Statement On President Trump Nominating Kevin Warsh To Be The Next Federal Reserve Chair
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding President Trump announcing Kevin Warsh as his pick to serve as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve: “The Federal Reserve, called by some our nation’s ‘central bank,’ has a straightforward mission: guide monetary policy to increase employment, corral inflation, and keep America’s economy on a stable, positive course. Key to the Fed’s effectiveness is its credibility and independence. … Continue Reading
January 29, 2026
Following Big Pharma’s Troubling Schemes With DTC Telehealth Platforms, Durbin, Warren, Welch Sound Alarm On Launch Of TrumpRx
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) raising serious questions about the operations of TrumpRx, a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform that the Trump Administration expects to launch this month. In their letter, the Senators underscored how new guidance issued by the HHS OIG appears insufficient … Continue Reading
January 29, 2026
Durbin Statement On Senate Agriculture Committee Advancing Partisan Crypto Market Structure Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the Committee advanced cryptocurrency market structure legislation along party lines. Republicans also voted to reject two amendments that Durbin offered in order to strengthen the bill. Durbin’s amendments attempted to crack down on crypto ATM fraud and ban some crypto intermediaries from receiving a federal bailout. “The 2008 financial crisis was … Continue Reading
January 29, 2026
Durbin Statement On Senate Agriculture Committee Advancing Partisan Crypto Market Structure Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the Committee advanced cryptocurrency market structure legislation along party lines. Republicans also voted to reject two amendments that Durbin offered in order to strengthen the bill. Durbin’s amendments attempted to crack down on crypto ATM fraud and ban some crypto intermediaries from receiving a federal bailout. “The 2008 financial crisis was … Continue Reading
January 29, 2026
Durbin Votes Against Department Of Homeland Security Funding Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting against the government funding package that includes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill: “As we have said, Democrats are ready to pass the five bipartisan government funding bills now, but the DHS bill needs serious work. I’m glad that the White House has finally … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin Responds To The Killing Of Alex Pretti On The Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, by federal agents this weekend. During his speech, Durbin reiterated his opposition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill and argued that if the government shuts down yet again, it … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin Questions Witnesses During A Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Need To Reform The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Review and Reform: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Executive Accountability.” In less than three months, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire. Durbin began his remarks by commenting on the lawlessness of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) cruel … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin, Merkley, Peters Lead Amicus Brief Urging Court To Affirm Critical Protections For Minors In Immigration Detention
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, led a group of 23 Senators in filing an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals urging the Court to uphold the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, which sets critical … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Need To Reform The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Review and Reform: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Executive Accountability.” In less than three months, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire. The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over FISA, and during his opening, Durbin noted the … Continue Reading
January 28, 2026
Durbin Delivers Remarks As He Is Presented National Head Start Association Lifetime Achievement Award
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today received the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) Robert E. Cooke Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of support for the early childhood education program. In his remarks, Durbin spoke about the importance of early childhood development support and the integral role that Head Start plays in supporting children and families from underserved communities. Durbin denounced the Trump Administration’s … Continue Reading