Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights in the 115th Congress
Durbin: Instead Of Curbing Gun Violence, Republicans Want To Weaken Gun Laws
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke out against efforts by Congressional Republicans to weaken the federal gun background check system through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA effort would repeal a rule issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) last year that directs SSA to notify the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) when the SSA has determined, on the basis of medical evidence, that a person receiving disability benefits has a … Continue Reading
February 10, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth To Trump: Stop Tweeting About Chicago And Get Serious About Gun Violence
WASHINGTON-Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth today called on President Trump to do more than just tweet about the gun violence epidemic in Chicago, and join them in providing a surge in federal support and resources to assist in public safety, law enforcement, and economic development efforts in the city. "Tweeting does not break cycles of violence; tweeting does not help lift people out of poverty; tweeting does not save lives. We urge you instead to provide a surge in federal … Continue Reading
February 10, 2017
Durbin Calls On Trump Administration To Release Transcripts Of Flynn’s Secret Conversations With Russia
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: Revelations that White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn secretly discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian Ambassador one month before President Trump took office are a chilling new piece of the sinister puzzle of the President's dealings with a hostile foreign power. These allegations warrant a serious and thorough investigation by an independent commission to determine their veracity and … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Durbin Opposes Ag Nominee Sen. Sessions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting against President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 52-47-1. On issue after issue, Senator Sessions has said that, as Attorney General, he would simply "follow the law." But it is also the duty of our nation's chief law enforcement officer to use his discretion to choose when to enforce the law and when to stand up to the … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Durbin: Sen. Sessions’ Record On Voting Rights Should Not Be Whitewashed
WASHINGTON-Following Senate Republicans' move to silence the words of the late Coretta Scott King in the Senate chamber last night, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today underscored the importance of reviewing the civil rights record of President Donald Trump's Attorney General nominee in the context of recent state efforts aimed at making it more difficult for minority communities to vote. Durbin also noted that Republicans delayed the confirmation of Loretta Lynch, a long-time Justice Department … Continue Reading
February 07, 2017
Durbin: Sessions Is Not The Right Person To Stand Up To President Trump
WASHINGTON - As the Senate debates the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) to be U.S. Attorney General, Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about why he cannot support Sessions becoming the country's chief law enforcement officer. Durbin stressed the need for an independent Attorney General and questioned Sessions' ability to stand up to President Trump if his actions are unlawful. In light of the Attorney General's vast authority and discretion over how the … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Durbin: President Trump’s First Days Show America Needs An Independent Supreme Court
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court. After dozens of legal immigrants were detained at airports over the weekend solely because of their country of origin and Monday's unprecedented firing of an Attorney General for refusing to defend President Trump's unlawful executive order in court, President Trump moved up his Supreme Court announcement to try to … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin: Targeting Refugees And Muslims Based On Fear, Not Facts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) again condemned President Donald Trump's executive order targeting refugees fleeing terrorism and war and Muslims from seven countries. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called on Republicans to overturn the order, which is causing mass chaos and tearing families apart at airports around the United States and the world over. "This decision to indefinitely suspend the admission of Syrian refugees into the United States is not a decision … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Durbin Opposes Sessions For Attorney General
WASHINGTON-Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after announcing he would vote against Senator Jeff Sessions' nomination to be U.S. Attorney General. "On issue after issue, Senator Sessions has said that, as Attorney General, he would simply 'enforce the law.' But, as were reminded last night, it is also the duty of our nation's chief law enforcement officer to stand up to the President when his actions do not … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats: Is DOJ Doing Its Job To Review Trump Executive Orders?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee demanding answers about the U.S. Department of Justice's role in reviewing President Donald Trump's executive actions. On Friday, when asked if its Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) was performing its duty to review the "form and legality" of executive orders and proclamations, the Justice Department responded "no comment." While subsequent reports have suggested OLC may have reviewed at … Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Durbin To President Trump: It’s A Deal - Let’s Fully Investigate 2016 Election
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he supports a full and independent investigation of the 2016 presidential election, including a review of irregularities, voter suppression, foreign interference, and President Trump's allegations of fraud. "Though our reasons may differ, the President and I agree that the American people deserve an independent, nonpartisan investigation of the 2016 election-let the truth come out about his baseless … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin: President Trump Tweets Big On Federal Help For Chicago Violence, His Nominee For Attorney General Ducks The Issue
SHEPERDSTOWN, WV - In recent exchanges with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed him to sustain and increase U.S. Department of Justice support for Chicago's public safety efforts in light of the gun violence crisis in the city. Durbin also called on Sen. Sessions to honor and implement the Agreement in Principle that the City of Chicago and the Justice Department signed on January 13, 2017 that provides … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Durbin Calls Ratification Of Equal Rights Amendment Long Overdue
WASHINGTON - On the heels of the historic Women's March on Washington, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and 24 other senators in calling for the removal of the deadline set by Congress for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). When the ERA was passed in 1972, Congress stipulated in a joint resolution that the amendment had to be ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years. It later extended that deadline until 1982. 35 of the … Continue Reading
January 24, 2017
Durbin: We Need The Truth About President Trump And Russia Now
WASHINGTON - In a speech at the Center for American Progress, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the need for an immediate, independent investigation of U.S. intelligence reports of Russian cyberattacks on the 2016 presidential election, as well as allegations of Russian attempts to compromise President Trump and contact between Trump officials and the Russian government. "Last Friday, America achieved what so many nations have failed to do - peacefully transition … Continue Reading
January 23, 2017
Durbin Statement On Vote Against CIA Director Nominee Rep. Mike Pompeo
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: "Today, I voted against Rep. Pompeo's confirmation as Director of the CIA. His changing statements on the use of torture leave me no choice. His written answers to the Senate Intelligence Committee, saying that he will consult with CIA experts as to whether the methods in the U.S. Army Field Manual are sufficient, and if they aren't, work with legal experts and congressional overseers to make changes, are extremely … Continue Reading
January 17, 2017
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats To Jeff Sessions: Don’t Block Russia Hack Investigation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and all committee Democrats today called on Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), nominee for attorney general, to allow investigations of Russia hacking to proceed and to recuse himself from those proceedings. The letter poses two questions to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the nominee to become attorney general: 1. "Will you commit not to impede or shut down any FBI or … Continue Reading
January 13, 2017
Durbin Statement On Results Of DOJ Investigation Of Chicago Police Department
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released the results of a 13-month civil rights investigation into the policies and practices of the Chicago Police Department. Durbin joined Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in requesting the investigation. "Following the shocking video of the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, I wrote Attorney General Lynch urging her to open an … Continue Reading
January 11, 2017
Durbin Statement On Further Reports Of Russian Interference In The United States, Changing Context Of Sessions Hearing
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin released the following statement on reports that the U.S. intelligence community briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump on Russian efforts to collect "personally and financially compromising" information on the President-elect. On Friday, Durbin reviewed classified and unclassified versions of the U.S. intelligence community's assessment of Russia's cyberattack on the 2016 election. "The American people need to know the credibility of these … Continue Reading
January 10, 2017
Durbin Grills Sessions On Immigration, Criminal Justice
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today raised concerns regarding the civil rights record of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who is nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney General, during the first day of his confirmation hearings. During his remarks, Senator Durbin recognized two guests who personify the most pressing issues facing our country's top law enforcement officer: former DREAMer and U.S. veteran Oscar Vazquez and Chicagoan Alton Mills, … Continue Reading
January 06, 2017
Durbin Statement on U.S. Intel Report on Russian Cyberattacks
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after reviewing classified and unclassified versions of the U.S. intelligence community's assessment of Russia's cyberattack on the 2016 election: Today, the United States Congress counted the electoral ballots and officially certified the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. Hours later, we learned that President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign to influence the outcome of … Continue Reading