Senate Passes Durbin, Shaheen, Boozman, Coons, Cassidy Bipartisan Bill To Increase U.S. Exports To Africa And Latin America In NDAA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Boozman (R-AR), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today applauded last night's Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to improve America's competiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. Included in the Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization… Continue Reading

Durbin, Delauro Urge FDA Commissioner Califf To Provide An Update On Food Safety Reforms

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf requesting an update on its plans to reorganize the Human Foods Program and the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), which was announced on June 27, 2023. According to the announcement, the new Deputy Commissioner forHuman Foods will have authority over "all budget and resource allocations for the [Human Foods… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Applaud Senate Passage Of Legislation To Reauthorize Missing Children’s Assistance Act

WASHINGTON - This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. The bill renews funding for the Missing Children's Assistance Act (MCAA) through Fiscal Year 2028 and updates the statute concerning the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). As the bill's sponsors, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Sena… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Brown Urge Auto Companies To Include All Battery Plant Workers In National UAW Contract

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 25 of their Senate Democratic colleagues, called on the big three auto companies-General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company-to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair outcome that folds in workers at all joint venture electric vehicle battery facilities into the national UAW contract. They also underlined that the idling of the Belvidere Assem… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of NDAA

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes an authorization of more than $886 billion for national defense: "Today, the Senate passed the NDAA as a strong, bipartisan show of support for our national defense and for the commitment of our men and women in uniform. I'm ple… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Applaud Senate Passage Of Three Bills Supporting Law Enforcement And Public Safety

WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed three Senate Judiciary Committee bills to support law enforcement and public safety. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on their passage: "Our law enforcement officers are faced with physical, emotional, and mental challenges each day as they work to protect ou… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Urge Department Of Education To Address Student Loan Debt Barriers For Incarcerated Individuals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, alongside U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to take steps to provide assistance to incarcerated individuals burdened by student loan debt. Incarcerated borrowers face extraordinary barriers to managing and repaying student loans, … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Over $1 Million To Address Lead In Drinking Water At Illinois Schools And Child Care Facilities

CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $1,192,000 to address lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which Duckworth authored, included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. "As a nation, we bear the responsibility of nurturing and protecting our youngest citizens," said Durbin."… Continue Reading

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin, Duckworth

JOLIET - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced three Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills this week for Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these appro… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse Statement On Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Supreme Court Ethics Reform Bill To Full Senate

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 to the full Senate. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, released the following statement on the vote: "Public support of the Supreme Court is at an all-time low fol… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement Ahead Of Supreme Court Ethics Reform Vote

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement ahead of an expected vote to advance Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI) Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act to the full Senate. The bill would require Supreme Court Justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws, improve disclosure and transparency when a… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Trends In Vertical Merger Enforcement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights hearing entitled, "Trends in Vertical Merger Enforcement." Durbin began by asking Mr. Makan Delrahim, Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP and Former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice, about clarifying or correcting court precedent i… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions SEC Chair On Crypto At An Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget, questioned U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler about the risks of cryptocurrency. In 2022 alone, fraud schemes involving cryptocurrencies totaled more than $9 billion. One in five Americans is estimated to have invested in or traded cryptocurrency. "This is an indus… Continue Reading

Durbin, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Retain International Graduates With Advanced Stem Degrees

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would streamline the path for advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) international graduates who studied at our nation's universities to remain in the United States. Today, nearly two-thirds of U.S. graduate students in key fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor-related programs were born abroad. "America sh… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Following The Joint Session Of Congress With Israeli President Herzog

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after today's Joint Session of Congress with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. This year marks 75 years of Israeli independence. "Israeli President Herzog has been a voice of political moderation and democracy, messages he reaffirmed today to the Joint Session of Congress. He has patriotically urged his country's political leaders to step back from the brink of recklessly damaging key democratic institut… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges His Colleagues To Support Supreme Court Ethics Reform Legislation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about the need for the Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of conduct. Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up and vote on Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI)Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. The bill would require Supreme Court Justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider, Carper Lead Letter To EPA In Support Of Proposed Rule To Reduce ETO Emissions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), founder of the Environmental Justice Caucus, along with U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led a letter signed by 40 Members of Congress to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supporting its proposed ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilizers rule. The new proposed rule would reduce EtO emiss… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Rachel Bloomekatz To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Sixth Circuit

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Rachel Bloomekatz to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Bloomekatz's confirmation: "Rachel Bloomekatz is an accomplished appellate litigator. She's proven herself to be a zealous and effective advocate for equal justice under the law, including by defending access to the ballot box, environmental protec… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues To Pass The Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his colleagues to pass the Senate's bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). The Senate NDAA authorizes nearly $886 billion for the nation's defense and includes a five percent pay raise for our troops and the Pentagon's civilian workforce-the largest increase in decades. The bill also expands employment opportunities for military spouses, funding for … Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Legislation To Prohibit Plastic Pollution In Waterways

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) today introduced the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, which would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic into waterways from facilities and sources that make, use, package, or transport pellets. The pellets are being consumed by fish and marine life-and in turn, humans-and create… Continue Reading