Durbin Calls on Senate to Quickly Confirm Ali Mayorkas, Biden Nominee to Lead Department of Homeland Security

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 called on the Senate to quickly confirm President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ali Mayorkas. Unfortunately, Republicans are holding up Mr. Mayorkas' confirmation. During his speech, Durbin noted that under President Trump, the agency experienced an unprecedented leadership vacuum. DHS lurched from o… Continue Reading

Durbin, Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Health Care Workforce to Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted by COVID-19

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced bipartisan legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Nurse Corps, and National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) programs to bolster health emergency surge capacity and restore the pipeline of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals to address health workforce shortages throughout our country. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed health workforce shortfalls… Continue Reading

Durbin to Judiciary Committee Republicans: Holding Second Hearing for DHS Nominee Mayorkas Would Create Needless Delay, Break Precedent

WASHINGTON - Following a letter from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting a hearing in the Committee for Alejandro Mayorkas's nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a response rejecting their request. In his letter, Durbin wrote that a second hearing, following the hearing that has already taken place in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, woul… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators to E-Commerce Companies: Reduce Plastic Use in Your Packaging to Protect Environment

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) today sent a letter to Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Home Depot, Target, Wayfair, Best Buy, and Costco - the largest e-commerce companies in America - urging them to reduce the amount of plastic used in their packaging. Last month, Oceana published a report that Amazon was responsible for 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste last year. … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19, Trade, and Census with Gina Raimondo, Biden Nominee for Secretary of Commerce

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Governor Gina Raimondo (D-RI), President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Commerce. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Raimondo discussed the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade policies that level the playing field for American workers and manufacturers, and ensuring an apolitical count of the 2020 Census. Durbin also spoke about his push for five percent real growth in science agencies for innovation-including program… Continue Reading

Durbin, Sanders, Garcia, Colleagues Call on Treasury to Support IMF Assistance for Developing Nations Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), and ten of their Senate colleagues sent a letter to Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen regarding the urgent importance of helping stem the devastating economic impact of the COVID pandemic on the world's developing countries and America's trading partners. The members also urged the Biden Administration to support the Supp… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Bipartisan COVID-19 White House Meeting

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding today's bipartisan White House virtual meeting with Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council, and bipartisan members of the Senate where they discussed President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package: "Today's meeting made clear that the Biden Administration's top legislative priority is passing the American Rescue Plan. It's refreshing and long overdue to have the … Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Seek Answers About DOJ's Role in Trump's Scheme to Overturn the 2020 Election

WASHINGTON - Following a report from The New York Times that detailed a plot between then-President Donald Trump and then-Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division Jeffrey Bossert Clark to use the Department of Justice (DOJ) to further Trump's efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter to Ac… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes to Grant Waiver for General Lloyd Austin, President Biden's Nominee for Defense Secretary

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after voting to grant a waiver to General Lloyd Austin, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Secretary of Defense. Once confirmed, General Austin will be the first African American Defense Secretary. "The law requires former military nominees to wait seven years before being eligible to be Secretary of Defense, out of concern that military service does not by itself provide the breadth of necessar… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Merrick Garland, Biden Nominee for Attorney General

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee for Attorney General. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Garland expressed their desire to work closely together on Department of Justice (DOJ) priorities, including implementation of the First Step Act, combating white supremacist terrorism, addressing COVID-19 outbreaks in federal prisons, reinstating the longstanding moratorium on … Continue Reading

Durbin: Refreshing & Long Overdue Sight to Have the President Fully Engaged in Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised President Joe Biden for signing several important COVID-19-related executive actions on his first day in office, including instituting a mask mandate for all federal buildings, recommitting to the World Health Organization, and creating an office to coordinate a national response to the pandemic. Durbin also shared support for the national strategy President Biden is unveiling today in ord… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with William Burns, Biden Nominee for CIA Director

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Ambassador William Burns, President Joe Biden's nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During their Zoom call, Durbin asked Ambassador Burns about the challenges facing him as incoming CIA Director, what his first priorities are for the agency, and how the Biden Administration should handle global challenges such as Russia and China. "Over the past four years, many of the strongest bonds between… Continue Reading

Durbin: Dreamers Have Waited Long Enough for the Dream Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Majority Whip and incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Congress to pass the Dream Act, describing it as one of his highest priorities in the 117th Congress. Durbin thanked President Biden for signing an executive order restoring the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and urged his colleagues to finally pass the long overdue, bipartisan Dream Act, which would give young immigra… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Joe Biden was sworn-in as the 46th President of the United States of America and Kamala Harris was sworn-in as the Vice President of the United States: "President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. "Their inauguration comes during a time of unprecedented challenge for our country-more than 400,000 Americans dead from the coronavirus; a struggling economy; a deeply divided nation; an… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Biden's Executive Orders on DACA, Muslim Travel Ban, and Border Wall

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after President Joe Biden issued executive orders to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, reverse the Muslim travel ban, and stop diverting money from the Department of Defense for construction of the Southern border wall: "With these Executive Orders, President Biden is turning the page on four years of policies that dragged our c… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Tony Blinken, Biden Nominee for Secretary of State, at Nomination Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced Tony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, at his nomination hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Durbin noted that Mr. Blinken's career with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later the Obama Administration - including as the Deputy Secretary of State - make him an ideal choice to lead the State Department and represent our nation around the world. "With the end … Continue Reading

Durbin Thanks Capitol Police for Their Heroic Efforts During January 6th Insurrection

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today thanked the Capitol Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, and other law enforcement agencies that aided the Capitol during the insurrection on January 6. Durbin also looked forward to tomorrow's inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "The Capitol police… were heroic. They were overwhelmed by this massive insurrectionist mob. The Capitol Police&helli… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Environmental Protection and Justice with Michael Regan, Biden Nominee for EPA Administrator

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Michael Regan, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During their Zoom call, Durbin and Regan discussed Illinois environmental priorities and climate change, and spoke about the importance of not just reversing Trump Administration roll backs of EPA rules, but pursuing an aggressive agenda that addresses climate change and protects communities that have long-suffered from env… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Protecting National Parks and Monuments with Rep. Deb Haaland, Biden Nominee for Secretary of Interior

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM-01), President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Interior. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Haaland discussed the importance of restoring and protecting National Parks and Monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante Monuments, which were reduced by 85 percent by the Trump Administration. Durbin also spoke to Haaland about his bill that would protect the Cahokia Mounds, … Continue Reading

Durbin & Bipartisan Senators Urge FDA to Protect Kids as it Reviews E-Cigarette Applications

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 11 other bipartisan Senators, today urged Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Stephen Hahn to comply with the agency's requirements to reject e-cigarette applications that do not protect the public health, as part of the FDA's long-overdue product review for e-cigarettes that began on September. The Senators, in a letter to Commissioner Hahn, highlighted the high standard the Family Smoking Prevention … Continue Reading