Press Releases
Durbin Meets With Intel Director Nominee Sen. Dan Coats
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after meeting with President Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, Senator Dan Coats of Indiana: I've known and respected Dan for decades as a person of integrity-the challenges facing our intelligence community, both foreign and domestic, call for a leader like him. In our meeting, Senator Coats pledged to provide information and cooperate with investigations of Russia's cyberattacks on… Continue Reading
03.01.17
Durbin: Biggest Omission Of President Trump’s Address: Russia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about President Donald Trump's decision to ignore the topic of Russia in his first address to Congress despite mounting evidence that members of his Administration may have been compromised by the hostile foreign government. Senator Durbin also renewed his call for an independent, transparent investigation of Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. "I listened carefully, as did every… Continue Reading
02.28.17
Durbin Statement on Trump Address to Congress
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Trump's address to a Joint Session of Congress: Tonight, President Trump continued to make big promises but didn't offer any real plans to achieve them. He has yet to propose a concrete strategy to create jobs in America, which jeopardizes the historic job growth of the past eight years. The policies he has put forward have already had tragic human costs-tearing families apart and threateni… Continue Reading
02.28.17
Durbin: Investigate Trump Administration’s Russian Connection And 2016 Election Cyber-Attack
WASHINGTON - Following recent travel to meet with U.S. allies in Eastern Europe, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again called on Senate Republicans to support an independent, transparent investigation into Russia's cyberattacks on the 2016 presidential election, as well as alleged contacts between Trump campaign officials and the Russian government. "Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a cyber-attack of war on the United States and its democracy. November 8, 2016 is a day that w… Continue Reading
02.28.17
Durbin Meets With Undocumented Medical Student Who Will Be His Guest For President Trump’s Address
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today met with Illinois DREAMer Aaima Sayed, who will be his guest for President Donald Trump's address to a Joint Session of Congress. Aaima, who has temporary legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, is a third-year medical student at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. "Our country is stronger thanks to the contribution… Continue Reading
02.27.17
Durbin To Host Undocumented Medical Student For President Trump’s Address
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, will host Illinois DREAMer Aaima Sayed as his guest for President Donald Trump's address to a Joint Session of Congress. Aaima, who has temporary legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, is a third-year medical student at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. "Our country is stronger thanks to the contributions of Dreame… Continue Reading
02.24.17
Durbin Joins 26 Senators In Calling For A Full Account Of The Election Assistance Commission’s Efforts To Address Russian Cybersecurity Threats
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a group of 26 senators in calling for a full account of the Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) efforts to address Russian cybersecurity threats. The EAC played a crucial role before the 2016 general election by working with state and local election officials, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to coordinate an appropriate response to cybersecurity threats to our democracy. In a letter to Commissi… Continue Reading
02.24.17
Durbin, Bipartisan Illinois Lawmakers Press STB To Support The Illinois Tollway’s Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin led a bipartisan group of Illinois Congressional leaders in urging the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to support the Illinois Toll Highway Authority ('Tollway') in its ongoing dispute with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) over the Elgin O'Hare Western Access (EOWA) project. In a letter to STB Chairwoman Ann Begeman, the members urged STB to move quickly to confirm the Tollway's right to proceed with the next phase of the project. "Despite years of planni… Continue Reading
02.23.17
Following Reports Jerry Falwell Jr. To Lead Presidential Task Force, Durbin Calls On Education Secretary Devos To Guard Against Potential Conflicts Of Interest
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos regarding reports that President Trump has asked Jerry L. Falwell, Jr., President of Liberty University, to lead a new "task force" to recommend changes to federal regulations, policies, and procedures in higher education. Such a task force could make recommendations o… Continue Reading
02.22.17
Durbin Encourages Illinois Medical And Dental Schools To Partner With DEA On Opioid Prescription Training
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged medical and dental schools across Illinois to work with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to host informal training sessions for students about responsible opioid prescribing and recommendations from the field for confronting the opioid epidemic. In a letter to the schools, Durbin noted that health care providers - as well as those responsible for training the next generation of medical professionals - are the gatekeepers between tre… Continue Reading
02.22.17
Durbin Statement On White House Rollback Of Transgender Student Rights
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump issued a new policy ?that rolls back protections for transgender students: "The Trump Administration's decision to subject vulnerable children to intolerance in the name of states' rights is disingenuous and marks a major setback in the fight for civil rights," said Durbin. "Denying transgender students access to the bathroom that matches their gender identity puts them at greater risk of bull… Continue Reading
02.21.17
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $284,200 In Federal Funding For Rural Community Development In Fulton And Knox Counties
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $284,200 in federal funding for projects in Fulton and Knox Counties to support rural community development projects. Today's funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative Grant, will provide assistance to construct a new township building and install a new storm siren. "This federal funding will help boost communities in Fulton and Knox Counties, serving … Continue Reading
02.20.17
Durbin In Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine To Discuss NATO, Russia
WARSAW-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin is in Poland today, as part of travel to three eastern European nations to discuss Russian aggression and interference in western democracies, and congressional support for the transatlantic relationship and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Durbin was joined by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in Warsaw for meetings with senior government officials. In Vilnius, Lithuania, Durbin will meet with President Dalia Grybauskaite, Parliament… Continue Reading
02.20.17
Durbin Statement On DHS Mass Deportation Guidelines
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, released the following statement in response to leaked memos from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implementing President Trump's controversial executive orders on immigration. "These guidelines are now the official policy of the Trump Administration, implementing the President's mass deportation Executive Orders. I have called on my counterpart on the Judiciar… Continue Reading
02.17.17
Durbin Statement On Passing Of Bob Michel
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the passing of former House Republican Leader and Illinois Congressman Bob Michel: "Every politician alive should pray that, like Bob Michel, the last words said of him would be 'the face of decency and public service'. Michel's replacement as Republican leader in the U.S. House by Newt Gingrich marked the end of an era of civility in Congress. It has never been the same since. His passing this morning reminds us th… Continue Reading
02.17.17
Durbin Opposes Scott Pruitt For EPA
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against President Donald Trump's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scott Pruitt was confirmed by a vote of 52-46. By confirming Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator, Republicans are turning their backs on decades of bipartisan environmental progress. Pruitt has demonstrated time and again his unwillingness to accept the science of climate change and his contempt for the la… Continue Reading
02.17.17
Durbin: The American People Deserve An Investigation Of Trump’s Russian Connection Now
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about the immediate need for an investigation of the Russian connection to President Trump's campaign and administration officials as new revelations pour out of the West Wing following the resignation of President Trump's former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn. "The American people have a right to know what the Russians did, and they have a right to know if and when members of the Trump campaign o… Continue Reading
02.17.17
Durbin Statement On Reports Of National Guard Deportation Force
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after a leaked pre-decisional memo outlining a Trump Administration plan to mobilize 100,000 National Guard troops to arrest and detain unauthorized immigrants. The reports are being denied by the White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "The reported Trump Administration plan to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to … Continue Reading
02.16.17
Durbin, Senators Demand Scott Pruitt Recuse Himself From All Issues Related To Lawsuits He Brought Against The EPA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and a group of 30 Senators called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator nominee Scott Pruitt today to recuse himself from participating in any matter related to litigation that he pursued against the EPA as Oklahoma Attorney General. In the letter, the Senators specifically call on Mr. Pruitt to recuse himself from decisions on how the EPA will defend itself against the lawsuits he brought for as long as thos… Continue Reading
02.16.17
Durbin To Trump: Stop Tweeting And Start Prioritizing Resources To Reduce Gun Violence In Chicago
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on President Trump to do more than just tweet about the gun violence epidemic in Chicago, and provide a surge in federal support and resources to assist in public safety and economic development efforts in the city. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin pressed President Trump to direct the Department of Justice to enhance programs that improve community policing, such as the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and… Continue Reading