Press Releases
Durbin Votes Against Todd Blanche To Be Deputy Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Deputy Attorney General. In a speech on the Senate floor ahead of Mr. Blanche’s confirmation vote, Durbin spoke about the weaponization of the justice system since President Trump took office and argued that Mr. Blanche will not provide the necessary independence to rein in the President or the army of allies he has installed at … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Combating The Rise Of Antisemitism In America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Never to be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America.” In 2023 alone, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported nearly 2,000 hate crimes against the Jewish community. More than two-thirds of all reported religious-based hate crimes in 2023 were driven by anti-Jewish bias. There has … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Combating The Rise of Antisemitism In America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Never to be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America.” In 2023 alone, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported nearly 2,000 hate crimes against the Jewish community. More than two-thirds of all reported religious-based hate crimes in 2023 were driven by anti-Jewish bias. … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Illinois State Association Of Counties
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with representatives from the Illinois State Association of Counties to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s funding freeze on Illinois. During this meeting, Durbin and Duckworth heard directly from county leaders about affected transportation and infrastructure projects. Last week, Durbin and Duckworth joined Illinois leaders to send a letter to the White House … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Joint Address To Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress: “What we witnessed tonight was hubris in its highest form. President Trump has claimed that he alone can ‘make America great.’ Unfortunately, grandstanding does not lower the price of groceries or cut prescription drug costs. “While President Trump delivered empty platitudes about the success of his presidency, Elon Musk and his Administration have … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Joint Address To Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress: “What we witnessed tonight was hubris in its highest form. President Trump has claimed that he alone can ‘make America great.’ Unfortunately, grandstanding does not lower the price of groceries or cut prescription drug costs. “While President Trump delivered empty platitudes about the success of his presidency, Elon Musk and his Administration have … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin Meets With His Guest, Dr. Sokol, Ahead of President Trump's Address To Joint Session Of Congress
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with his guest for President Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress, Dr. Elizabeth Sokol, a practicing oncologist and medical researcher at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Sokol specializes in treating children with neuroblastoma, the leading cause of cancer death for children aged one to five. Dr. Sokol is in the midst of conducting federally-supported clinical trials that are now … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats File Misconduct Complaint Against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove With New York State Bar
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Democrats in filing a professional misconduct complaint against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove with the New York State Bar. In a letter to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department in New York, which handles complaints against lawyers whose offices are in Manhattan or the Bronx, the Senators cite reported inappropriate … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin: January 6 Insurrectionists Should Have Never Been Pardoned By President Trump
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor, providing another update on the criminal misconduct of January 6th insurrectionists since President Trump’s reckless decision to pardon them for their crimes committed during the storming of the U.S. Capitol. The events of that day resulted in the death of five law enforcement officers and the injury of more than 140 others. Durbin began his remarks … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Curb Food Waste
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act, legislation that would prevent and reduce food waste across the country. Each year, the U.S. produces and imports 237 million tons of food annually, but 31 percent of this food is never sold or eaten, while millions of Americans experience food … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Durbin Speaks Out Against Trump's Tariffs On Mexico & Canada
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. As of today, President Trump has instituted a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10 percent on goods from China, bringing the total to 20 percent tariffs on China. In his remarks, Durbin underscored that the Trump tariffs would not lower prices, as he promised during his campaign, … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin: We Need To Stand Behind NATO And Ukraine, Hitching Our Star To Vladimir Putin Is A Fool's Errand
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, slammed President Trump and Vice President Vance’s tense and embarrassing meeting in the Oval Office on Friday with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Durbin began his remarks by reflecting on Casimir Pulaski Day—a local holiday observed in Illinois on the first Monday of March in memory of Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War cavalry officer born in Poland. This … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin Speaks Out Against Republicans' So-Called "Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act"
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor against the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act—a Republican bill that would revoke federal funding from schools with athletic programs that allow trans girls to participate on sports teams for women or girls. The bill—which lacks a clear enforcement mechanism—could subject women and girls to physical inspection by an adult if someone … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin Announces Dr. Sokol, Pediatric Oncologist And NIH-Funded Researcher, As Guest For President Trump's Joint Address To Congress
WASHINGTON - Today in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will host Dr. Elizabeth Sokol, a pediatric oncologist and researcher from Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, as his guest for President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tomorrow evening. In his remarks, Durbin underscored that President Trump and Elon Musk’s move to gut funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will have disastrous, long-term impacts for Americans … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin, Boozman, Shaheen, Coons Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Increase U.S. Exports To Africa
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR); Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Chris Coons (D-DE); and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve America’s competitiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. TheIncreasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa and Latin America Act will force better coordination between U.S. … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin, Wyden, Krishnamoorthi Introduce Legislation To Reduce Tobacco Use In America
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), and several Senate Democratic colleagues today introduced the End Tobacco Loopholes Act, legislation that would close tax code loopholes for tobacco products to lower tobacco use and reduce health care spending. The legislation would establish a federal tax on e-cigarettes as 30 states have done, update the federal cigarette tax rate for the first time … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Press Justice Department On Diversion Of Law Enforcement To Purported Immigration Enforcement Initiative
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on her reallocation of resources from mission-critical Department of Justice (DOJ) projects to purported “immigration enforcement initiatives.” The Justice Department recently issued a directive to take legal action against so-called “sanctuary cities,” demanded an increase in immigration-related … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Durbin Visits UW Health Women And Children's Hospital To Highlight $1 Million Earmark For NICU
ROCKFORD — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited UW Health Women and Children’s Hospital to tour their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As part of the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus bill, Durbin secured a $1 million earmark to expand the NICU and increase available maternal and infant health services in Rockford. The NICU operated by UW Health is the only NICU in Winnebago County that provides services to all Medicaid patients. With the earmark secured by Durbin, the … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Oval Office Remarks To Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
ROCKFORD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after President Trump and Vice President Vance’s tense and embarrassing meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: “After calling the President of Ukraine ‘a dictator’ and blaming him for invading his own country, President Trump and Vice President Vance berated President Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude. With 46,000 Ukrainians … Continue Reading
February 27, 2025
Durbin: President Trump Is Testing The Limits Of Our Constitution Like They Have Never Been Tested In My Lifetime
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s executive business meeting. In his remarks, Durbin recalled yesterday’s Judiciary Committee nominations hearing in which Justice Department nominees suggested that elected officials are allowed to defy federal court orders. Key Quotes: “During my time on this Committee, my respect has grown for this … Continue Reading