Press Releases
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Nine Nominees For Confirmation By Full Senate
WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced nine nominations on a bipartisan basis for consideration by the full Senate. "First and foremost, on behalf of all members of the Committee, I wish Senator Feinstein a speedy recovery and return. Our Committee continues to advance diverse, highly-qualified nominees for confirmation to the federal bench, and that mission remains as strong as ever. I appreciate the bipartisan support earned by each of today's nominees, and we will … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Durbin Invites Chief Justice Roberts To Testify Before The Judiciary Committee Regarding Supreme Court Ethics
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts inviting him, or another Justice whom he designates, to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to testify at a public hearing regarding Supreme Court ethics reform. "Your last significant discussion of how Supreme Court Justices address ethical issues was presented in your 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Durbin Unveils New Efforts To Protect Children’s Online Safety On The Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, unveiled new efforts to stop the exploitation of children online. In his remarks, Durbin described how social media companies design their products to keep children hooked to their platforms, and discussed the serious, even deadly, harms that children face online as well as the inadequate efforts of social media companies to protect children against these … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Meets With U.S. Citizenship And Immigration Services Director Jaddou
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). During the meeting, Durbin discussed a broad range of issues and initiatives aimed at processing increasing asylum caseloads, reducing immigration backlogs, and supporting communities that receive migrants. "I appreciated sitting down with Director Jaddou today to discuss how we can bolster our … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Questions Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Accountability For Russian War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity In Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Holding Russian Kleptocrats and Human Rights Violators Accountable for their Crimes Against Ukraine." Durbin first asked Monaco about U.S. support for the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the atrocities committed in Ukraine. Durbin and Judiciary Committee Ranking … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Introduces Stop CSAM Act To Crack Down On The Proliferation Of Child Sex Abuse Material Online
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Strengthening Transparency and Obligation to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act), legislation to crack down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online. To combat this horrific crime, the STOP CSAM Actsupports victims and increases accountability and transparency for online platforms. "In almost every aspect of … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Meets With Hispanic Association Of Colleges And Universities
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with leaders from several of Illinois' Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are members of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. During the meeting, Durbin spoke in favor of allocating additional federal funding to Department of Education programs that support HSIs and Hispanic students. Durbin also advocated for a legal path to citizenship for undocumented students and additional support for HSIs to … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Accountability For Russian War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity In Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Holding Russian Kleptocrats and Human Rights Violators Accountable for their Crimes Against Ukraine," featuring testimony from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. Yesterday, Durbin and Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Durbin Discusses Supporting Workers With Secretary Of Labor Nominee Julie Su
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su regarding her nomination as Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). During the meeting, Durbin and Su discussed the importance of investing in workforce development initiatives and apprenticeships, and concerns with retirement plans that offer investments in crypto. In March, Durbin along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to DOL urging … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin, Graham Meet With Ukrainian Prosecutor General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with members of the Committee, hosted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to receive an update on Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine, and specifically on reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The meeting comes before tomorrow's Senate … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin Talks Route Safety With Illinois Association Of Letter Carriers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Association of Letter Carriers to discuss protecting postal workers from armed robberies while out on their delivery routes. During the meeting, Durbin spoke about his efforts to pressure U.S. Postal Service (USPS) leadership to address the uptick in armed robberies. "Letter carriers perform an essential service of our government, and they deserve to feel safe when they are on the job," said … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Subcommittee On Intellectual Property Hearing On Foreign Threats To U.S. Innovation & Economy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (IP) hearing entitled, "Foreign Competitive Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership." Today's bipartisan hearing examined the risks posed by nation-state adversaries, especially China, to American innovation and economic leadership. Durbin first mentioned his INFORM Consumers Act, which is … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin Talks Infrastructure Priorities With Champaign County First
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with representatives from Champaign County First to discuss the region's infrastructure priorities and recent federal funding that Durbin secured for the projects. This includes Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 earmarks for projects in the area: $3.78 million for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District to increase its electric bus fleet as well as $1 million for mapping the underground geology of the Mahomet Aquifer, the primary … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Association Of Illinois Electric Cooperatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today met with Craig Sondgeroth, President of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC), and their members who represents 25 different distribution co-ops and five generation/transmission co-ops that serve most of Illinois. During their meeting, the Senators spoke about the $2.3 billion in federal funding, provided by … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin Calls For Supreme Court Ethics Reform On The Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor on the need for Supreme Court ethics reform, including a clear, enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices, in light of recent revelations by ProPublicaof Justice Clarence Thomas' previously undisclosed gifts from and transactions with far-right billionaire and Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow. ProPublica found that Mr. Crow has given Justice Thomas … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On District Court Nominations
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 Jeremy C. Daniel, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Brendan Abell Hurson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland; and Darrel James Papillion, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Key Durbin … Continue Reading
April 17, 2023
Durbin: Democrats Won’t Rest Until We Restore Access To Women’s Reproductive Health Care Nationwide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on the state of reproductive rights in America and steps he's taking to shine a light on the serious threats to abortion rights nationwide, including his upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the issue. The remarks come after a federal judge in Texas, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, attempted to block the use of the medication abortion pill mifepristone-which the … Continue Reading
April 11, 2023
Durbin, Duckworth Join Democrats To File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court To Prevent Dangerous Ruling From Restricting Access To Mifepristone Nationwide & Upending FDA Approval Process
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, in support of the Biden Administration’s appeal of a federal district court ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone as well as the decision by the … Continue Reading
April 10, 2023
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Urge Chief Justice Roberts To Investigate Justice Thomas’ Undisclosed Gifts And Take Action To Prevent Further Misconduct
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts calling on the Chief Justice to investigate a ProPublica report that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted and failed to disclose 20 years' worth of lavish gifts and luxury travel from prominent Republican donor Harlan Crow. In the letter, the Senators announce that the Senate Judiciary Committee will … Continue Reading
April 07, 2023
Durbin Statement After Federal Judge Blocked Access To The Medication Abortion Pill Mifepristone
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement after a federal judge in Texas blocked the use of the medication abortion pill mifepristone-which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more than 20 years ago as safe and effective: "This evening, a single federal judge in Texas issued a decision that seeks to deny millions of women across the country access to an FDA-approved medication that has … Continue Reading