Durbin Questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson On The Right To Counsel

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about her role as a public defender at the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on her nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson worked from 2005 to 2007 in the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Washington, D.C. At the time, the D.C. District Court was the exclusive venue charged with reviewin… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Judge Jackson On The False, Debunked Claims Made By Senator Hawley

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on her nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Durbin asked Judge Jackson about the false claims made by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), stating Judge Jackson "has a pattern of letting child pornography offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes." But in each case Hawl… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson On Her Judicial Philosophy During Second Day Of Her Nomination Hearing To The Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about her judicial philosophy on the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on her nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Durbin asked Judge Jackson to explain her decisionmaking process on the bench. Durbin reminded his colleagues on the dais that Judge Jackson has shared her nearly 600 written judicial opinions and… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Remarks At First Day Of Confirmation Hearings For Supreme Court Nominee Judge Jackson

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered his opening remarks at the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Key quotes: "In its more than 230 years, the Court has had 115 Justices. 108 have been white men. Just two Justices have been men of color. Only five women have served on the Court-and just one woman of color. Not a single Ju… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Remarks At First Day Of Confirmation Hearings For Supreme Court Nominee Judge Jackson

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered his opening remarks at the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Key quotes: "In its more than 230 years, the Court has had 115 Justices. 108 have been white men. Just two Justices have been men of color. Only five women have served on the Court-and just one woman of color. Not a single Ju… Continue Reading

Durbin Hosts Special Illinois Guests At First Day Of Confirmation Hearings For Supreme Court Nominee Judge Jackson

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will host Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton (D-IL), Illinois State Senator and Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter (D-IL-3), and Illinois State Representative and Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus Kam Buckner (D-IL-26) today at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. "Today is an historic moment as the Se… Continue Reading

American Bar Association Rates Judge Jackson Unanimously "Well Qualified" To Serve On The Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - In a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the American Bar Association (ABA) rated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson unanimously "Well Qualified" to serve on the United States Supreme Court-ABA's highest possible rating. "As you know, the Standing Committee confines its evaluation to the qualities of integrity, professional competence, and judi… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Amalgamated Transit Union, Discusses New Resources For Worker Safety

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with leadership of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represents thousands of Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace Suburban Bus workers, to discuss new safety measures included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to better protect transit employees while on the job. ATU has seen an increase in attacks on its members since the start of the pandemic, including a bus driver who was stabbed late last year. IIJA prov… Continue Reading

Durbin Honors World Water Day As Tribute To Late Senator Paul Simon

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor honoring World Water Day - a tribute to former Illinois Senator Paul Simon. In honor of his legacy, Durbin introduced The Paul Simon Water for the World Act, to build on and expand the original Paul Simon for the Poor Act. Simon was the author of the book "Tapped Out," which warned of the world's looming clean water crisis. "After Paul Simon passed away, I approached his family and talked about a tribute to h… Continue Reading

Durbin: When Judge Jackson's Hearing Is Complete, America Will Understand What An Outstanding Justice She Will Be

WASHINGTON - Ahead of next week's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about Judge Jackson's breadth of experience, character and temperament, and evenhandedness and impartiality. "It's going to be an historic moment on Monday, as Judge Jackson appears before the Committee. Gaveling the hearing to order as Chair of the Committee w… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Financial Security With Illinois Comptroller

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza about the state's unemployment insurance trust fund to ensure residents continue to have access to the program as Illinois recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. During their meeting, Durbin and Mendoza discussed his legislation, the Continued Waiver of Interest on State Unemployment Loans during the Pandemic Act, which would retroactively extend the waiver of interest payments on federal u… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Unprovoked Russian Invasion Of Ukraine With Russian-Opposition Figure Vladimir Kara-Murza

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today met with Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition figure who survived two poisoning attempts by the Kremlin. During the meeting, Durbin and Kara-Murza discussed the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and his particular insights on Russian politics. They also discussed the increasing number of Russians who oppose Putin's war. "Vladimir is a fearless Russian patriot and leader f… Continue Reading

Durbin, Toomey Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Add Ireland To E-3 Non-Immigrant Visa Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to add Ireland to the E-3 non-immigrant visa program. The bill would allow Irish nationals annual access to any unused E-3 visas from the previous fiscal year. In exchange, Ireland intends to provide Americans expanded access to work visas in Ireland. "The United States and Ire… Continue Reading

Durbin, Leahy, Padilla, Merkley, Colleagues Encourage Biden Administration's Efforts To Provide A Just Resolution For Families Separated Under The Former President's Cruel "Zero-Tolerance" Policy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration; and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today sent a letter to President Biden joined by 16 Senate colleagues voicing their support for his Administration's continued efforts to provide a just resolution for families who were separated under former Pr… Continue Reading

Durbin: The NATO Alliance Is Stronger Than Ever Before

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to a Joint Session of Congress. Last night, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution cosponsored by Durbin condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. "The second item I would like to mention refers to a moving historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine to a Joint Se… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With U.S. Transportation Command, Discusses Military Readiness

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost about military readiness priorities including air refueling; sealift recapitalization; strategic airlift; and global command, control, and integration. During their call, Durbin recognized General Ovost's support for the work of units across Illinois, including at Scott Air Force Base and Peoria Air National Guard Base. "T… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lead Senate Sponsors Celebrate The Reauthorization Of The Violence Against Women Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of the lead cosponsors of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act, joined fellow lead cosponsors, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), to celebrate President Biden signing VAWA's reauthorization into law. "This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic [and] sexual violence and … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois Municipal League, Illinois Mayors To Talk Infrastructure, COVID-19 Recovery

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Illinois Municipal League and Illinois mayors to discuss federal funding for Illinois infrastructure projects allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). During their meeting, Durbin broke down the $17 billion in direct and guaranteed funding for Illinois from the IIJA. Durbin also spoke about COVID-19 recovery funding for local governments through the American Rescue Plan and received updates f… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Immigration Subcommittee Hearing On Removing Barriers To Legal Migration

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during "Removing Barriers to Legal Migration to Strengthen our Communities and Economy," a Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety hearing chaired by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). During his opening statement, Durbin highlighted the need for Congress to pass legislation to fix the badly broken immigration system, including to p… Continue Reading

A Proven Consensus Builder, Ketanji Brown Jackson Receives Broad Support From Across The Political Spectrum

WASHINGTON - Since the day President Biden announced his intention to nominate Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court, support for her nomination has flooded in. The Senate Judiciary Committee has received-and continues to receive-glowing support letters for her, highlighting her fair and evenhanded approach; her track record of collegiality and consensus-building; and her qualifications and preparedness to serve on our nation's highest court. The examples outlined below are just some of the ma… Continue Reading