Durbin meets with Everytown for Gun Safety

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, virtually met with John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the United States. Durbin and Feinblatt discussed key priorities for gun violence prevention efforts in the Senate, including passing universal background check legislation. "America must address its epidemic of gun violence, and that starts by finally passing commonsen… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Budget Resolution Paving Way for COVID-19 Relief

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate passed a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2021 that paves the way for Congress to begin crafting urgently needed COVID-19 relief legislation: "In the early hours of this morning, the Senate took a critical step towards providing our health care heroes, unemployed workers, small businesses, schools, state and local governments, and American families who are trying to make ends mee… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More than $22 Million to Support Vaccine Distribution in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $22.8 million in federal funding to support vaccine distribution in Illinois. The funding is being awarded to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "This funding will provide critical support to our state's public health infrastructure as we undertake the monumental task of vaccinating our populati… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Biden's Decision to Halt U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding President Joe Biden's decision to reverse the Trump Administration's support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen: "Not only was this war never authorized as required by the Constitution, it is a humanitarian disaster with tens of thousands of children having already died of malnutrition. Thankfully, U.S. taxpayer dollars will no longer support this Saudi-led disaster in Yemen. Thank you, Pres… Continue Reading

Durbin & Graham Introduce the Dream Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the Dream Act of 2021, which would allow immigrant students without lawful status who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin and Graham introduced identical legislation in the last two sessions of Congress. These young people, known as Dreamers, ha… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Resolution Asking President Biden to Cancel up to $50,000 in Federal Student Loan Debt Immediately

WASHINGTON - United States Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) today to reintroduce their bicameral resolution outlining a bold plan for President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis by using existing authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for Federal student… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Community Colleges to Discuss COVID-19 Relief, Higher Ed Policy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) virtually met with Illinois community college trustees, presidents, and staff for the Illinois Community College Trustee Association (ICCTA) to discuss President Biden's American Rescue Plan and how it supports higher education and state and local governments. The American Rescue Plan includes $35 billion for higher education with an additional $5 billion fund for governors to address education concerns. "Our community colleges have always stepped u… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Civil Rights Leaders on Judiciary Committee Priorities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Wade Henderson, Interim President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; and Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. During their call, the group discussed civil and human rights priorities, including criminal justice reform, voting rights, policing r… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cortez Masto, Senate Dems Introduce Bill to Protect Unemployed Workers' Health Insurance During Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), together with 11 Senate Democrats, today re-introduced the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, a bill that would protect millions of unemployed or furloughed workers from losing their health insurance in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would allow laid off workers to remain on their employer health plans, through the COBRA program, at no cost. "Recent estimates have shown that millions of wor… Continue Reading

Twenty Years Since it Was First Introduced, Durbin Calls on the Senate to Finally Make the Dream Act the Law of the Land

WASHINGTON - Twenty years since he first introduced the Dream Act, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on the Senate to finally make the bipartisan Dream Act the law of the land. The bill would allow immigrant students who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin, along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), will introduce the Dream Act t… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Can't Waste Time to Pass President Biden's American Rescue Plan

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Senate to support President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, which would deliver economic relief to American families and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden's American Rescue Plan is a historic legislative package designed to change the course of the pandemic, get students back to school, give families and businesses a bridge to an economic recovery, and in… Continue Reading

Durbin: I Will Remember Officer Sicknick During next Week's Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today honored Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered fatal injuries during the insurrection on January 6, following a ceremony where Officer Sicknick was lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Durbin also argued that the Senate has a responsibility to move forward with the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump. "Next w… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Kristen Clarke, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for DOJ Civil Rights Division

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's nominee be the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Clarke discussed the importance of working closely together on DOJ priorities, including reinvigorating DOJ's protection of Americans' civil rights and voting rights, combating hate crimes and domestic terrorism, … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Supporting Workers with Secretary of Labor Nominee Marty Walsh

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Secretary of Labor. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Walsh discussed the importance of supporting working families - especially those who are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic - and prioritizing policies that will rebuild the middle class and expand economic opportunity to all. "Mayor Walsh was a former leader of a labor union and he knows what we must do to support… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Press DOJ and FBI for Answers on Security Failures that Led to January 6th Attack

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), incoming Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) requesting additional information regarding the security posture and planning provided in advance of and during the January 6, 2021, Joint Session of Congress. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Monty Wil… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes to Proceed to Budget Resolution to Give Congress Tool to Pass COVID-19 Relief

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate voted to proceed to a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2021 that gives Congress an additional legislative tool to pass the urgently-needed bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation: "For months, our health care heroes, small businesses, state and local governments, schools, and unemployed Americans have pleaded with Congress to pass meaningful federal funding that can break the back… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Biden's Immigration Executive Actions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, today released the following statement on President Joe Biden's executive actions on immigration, which include forming a task force to locate and reunify families separated by the Trump Administration; addressing irregular migration across the Southern border and restoring a humane refugee and asylum system; and restoring our legal immigration system and pro… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Selection as Senate Judiciary Committee Chair

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after being selected as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 117th Congress: "This moment in history demands much of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm honored to lead my colleagues as we face these challenges. We start by confirming President Biden's nominees; combating the threat of domestic terrorism; passing long overdue reforms, like the Dream Act, to fix our broken immigration… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Foster Introduce Legislation to Provide Relief for Unemployed Americans

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11), along with U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA-03), introduced legislation to provide tax relief for Americans who lost their jobs and utilized unemployment benefits last year - allowing millions of workers to focus their benefits on covering essentials during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and recession. The Coronavirus Unemployment Benef… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Dems to Introduce Resolution Denouncing Pervasive Threat of Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Intelligence Committee Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Democrats to introduce a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the imminent and pervasive threat of domestic terrorism, violent white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-government militias, and dangerous, fringe conspiracy t… Continue Reading