Durbin Statement On Restoration Of Grand Staircase-Escalante And Bears Ears National Monuments

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced the restoration of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the restoration and expansion the Bears Ears National Monument: "Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are national treasures. I commend President Biden for restoring these unique places so Americans can experience them for generations to come. It's our duty to protect our awe-inspiring pu… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Venezuelan Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), met with Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López to discuss the ongoing political stalemate in Venezuela and the humanitarian crisis that has forced more than five million refugees and migrants to flee their homes under President Nicolás Maduro's regime. During their conversation, the Senators received an update on… Continue Reading

Durbin: The President's Vaccine Policy Is What Our Country Needs To Put The Pandemic Behind Us

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor in support of the Biden Administration's move to implement vaccine mandates for a majority of American workers. Since vaccination mandates have been announced, Illinois has experienced a nearly 40 percent decrease in new COVID-19 cases. Durbin went on to highlight how Illinois-based companies like United Airlines are benefitting from implementing a vaccine mandate despite skeptics questioning … Continue Reading

Durbin: We're Finally Making Good On Our Promise To Forgive Public Servants' Student Debt

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke in support of the Biden Administration's recently announced changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The U.S. Department of Education projects that the changes will immediately eliminate the debt of 22,000 borrowers and result in a reduction in the amount of additional time more than 550,000 borrowers are required to make payments before qualifying for forgiveness. The lon… Continue Reading

Durbin: America Was Half-Step Away From A Full Blown Constitutional Crisis

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about an eight-month investigation report the Senate Judiciary Committee released today titled, "Subverting Justice: How the Former President and his Allies Pressured DOJ to Overturn the 2020 Election." Durbin said America was only a half-step away from a full blown constitutional crisis as President Donald Trump and his loyalists threatened a wholesale takeo… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of Rahul Gupta & Elizabeth Prelogar

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Rahul Gupta, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy, and Elizabeth Prelogar, to be Solicitor General of the United States. Durbin delivered opening remarks highlighting the nominees' qualifications and experience. Gupta received a voice vote and Prelogar received a bipartisan 13-9 vote to advance out of Committee. Key quotes: "Dr. Gupta would be the first medical doctor to serve in [this] position, and he is … Continue Reading

Following 8 Month Investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Releases Report On Donald Trump's Scheme To Pressure DOJ & Overturn The 2020 Election

WASHINGTON - Following an eight-month investigation, the Senate Judiciary Committee today released new testimony and a staff report, "Subverting Justice: How the Former President and his Allies Pressured DOJ to Overturn the 2020 Election." The report and testimony reveal that we were only a half-step away from a full blown constitutional crisis as President Donald Trump and his loyalists threatened a wholesale takeover of the Department of Justice (DOJ). They also reveal how former Acting Civil … Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Remarks During Hearing On Restoring & Strengthening The Voting Rights Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered his opening statement during a hearing entitled "Protecting a Precious, Almost Sacred Right: The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act" on the urgent need to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act. Durbin co-led the introduction of the bill this week, which would update and restore critical safeguards of the origin… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke On Restoring The Voting Rights Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke during a hearing entitled "Protecting a Precious, Almost Sacred Right: The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act." The hearing addressed the urgent need to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act. "Texas is the latest legislature thi… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statements In Latest Judicial & Executive Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Lucy Haeran Koh, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Jane M. Beckering, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan; Shalina D. Kumar, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Armando O. Bonilla, to be a Judge of the U… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Biden's Nominee To Lead The Justice Department's Antitrust Division

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met virtually with Jonathan Kanter, who has been nominated to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ). During their meeting, Durbin and Kanter discussed his extensive work advocating for strong and meaningful antitrust enforcement-particularly with respect to applying our antitrust laws to meet the challenges of the digital economy. "… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Postal Reform With Illinois Members Of The United Postmasters And Managers Of America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with Illinois members of the United Postmasters and Managers of America to discuss a path forward for postal reform. During their conversation, Durbin received an update on postal operations in Chicago after months of delayed mail delivery on the Southside that led to more than 19,000 pieces of mail not being delivered during a single day despite being reported as delivered. The drop in on-time performance - including … Continue Reading

Durbin, Leahy, Schumer, Blumenthal Introduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the introduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act. Durbin is co-leading the introduction of this legislation today along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Tomorrow… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco On Helping Young Victims Of Trauma & Violence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco during a hearing entitled "Renewing and Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act." Durbin asked Monaco about the impact of trauma on children and what resources the Department of Justice (DOJ) is using to assist victims of trauma or violence. "When you read the statistics of not only the number of spouses, but children of those spouses who… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Remarks During Hearing On Renewing And Strengthening The Violence Against Women Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered his opening statement during a hearing entitled "Renewing and Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act." The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which requires legislative renewal every five years, initially expired in late 2018 due to the government shutdown. After a brief reauthorization in the temporary spending bill, it expired again in February 2019. Though funding for c… Continue Reading

Breaking: Following Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing, Justice Department To Review Earlier Decision To Decline Prosecution Of FBI Agents Who Mishandled The Nassar Case

WASHINGTON - During her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in today's hearing "Renewing and Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told Chair Durbin that newly confirmed Assistant AG for the Criminal Division, Kenneth Polite, Jr, has opened a review of the Justice Department's earlier decision to decline prosecution of the agents who committed misconduct in the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. This announcement comes three weeks after Durb… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced he has decided to end his tenure at NIH by the end of the year: "We should measure the legacy of Dr. Francis Collins not in years served, but in lives saved and suffering spared. From his breakthrough work in mapping the human genome to his tireless battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Francis Collins has show… Continue Reading

Durbin To McConnell: Republicans Are Playing With Fire By Imposing A Filibuster On Raising The Debt Ceiling

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today called out Senate Republicans, whose stonewalling tactics are led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), for their continued obstruction of suspending the debt ceiling to prevent the federal government from defaulting on the national debt. "It's no great revelation that with 50 Democrats, we would need 10 Republicans. The Senate Republican… Continue Reading

Durbin: Supreme Court's Shadow Docket Is Having Profound Consequences For Millions Of Americans

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today highlighted the Supreme Court's growing use of its "shadow docket" to make dramatic changes to legal and constitutional rights without full briefing, deliberation, or transparency. Durbin pointed out that the Supreme Court's conservative majority has increasingly used the shadow docket in recent years to issue substantive and controversial orders on cases wit… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues To Support Nomination Of Lauren King To The Western District Of Washington

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nomination of Lauren King to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted Ms. King's professional experience and the historic nature of her nomination. The Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on Ms. King's nomination tomorrow. "Ms. King is an incredibly qualified jurist with experience… Continue Reading