Press Releases
Durbin Introduces America's Red Rock Wilderness Act To Protect Wilderness Lands In Utah
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reintroduced the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect more than eight million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer unparalleled research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families. "The America's … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Durbin, Ossoff, Braun Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Overhaul Federal Prison Oversight
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) today to reintroduce bipartisan legislation, the Federal Prison Oversight Act, to overhaul federal prison oversight and strengthen security at federal prisons. The legislation would establish new, independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The bipartisan bill requires the Department of Justice's Inspector General … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
DURBIN QUESTIONS WITNESSES DURING SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE DEVASTATING FALLOUT SINCE THE SUPREME COURT OVERRULED ROE V. WADE
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022. "The Assault on Reproductive Rights in a Post-Dobbs America" is the first hearing focused on reproductive rights in the House or the Senate this Congress. Durbin began by sharing his sympathy for one of today's witnesses, … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Devastating Fallout Since The Supreme Court Overruled Roe V. Wade
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruledRoe v. Wade in June 2022. "The Assault on Reproductive Rights in a Post-Dobbs America" is the first hearing focused on reproductive rights in the House or the Senate this Congress. Today's hearing follows the full committee hearing Durbin … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Durbin Meets With Marshal Of The Polish Senate, Tomasz Grodzki
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today met with Marshal of the Polish Senate, Tomasz Grodzki, to discuss continued support for Ukraine following Putin's unjustified war. They also discussed their continued support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the strong U.S.-Polish bilateral relationship. "Poland has proven to be a key leader in Eastern Europe and a critical ally to our friends in Ukraine as Vladimir … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Durbin Meets With Australian Ambassador To The U.S., Kevin Rudd
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bicameral Friends of Australia Caucus, met with Australian Ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd, to discuss U.S.-Australian cooperation and ongoing partnerships. U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) also joined the meeting. "As the Friends of Australia Caucus Co-Chair, I was pleased to meet with new Australian Ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd," said Durbin. "He understand the … Continue Reading
April 25, 2023
Durbin Statement On Chief Justice Roberts Declining 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 released the following statement after Chief Justice John Roberts declined Durbin's invitation for the Chief Justice, or another Justice whom he designates, to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 2 to testify at a public hearing regarding Supreme Court ethics reform. The Chief Justice's response is available here. "The Senate Judiciary Committee will proceed with our May … Continue Reading
April 25, 2023
Durbin Speaks With U.S. Transportation Command, Discusses Military Readiness
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today spoke by phone with the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost. TRANSCOM, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, is tasked with delivering manpower, material, and humanitarian assistance around the world for the Department of Defense (DOD). During their call, Durbin and General Van Ovost discussed TRANSCOM's critical … Continue Reading
April 24, 2023
Durbin Urges DOJ, USPS To Work Together To Protect Letter Carriers And Better Investigate And Prosecute Armed Robberies
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today held a news conference with members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to call on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and United States Postal Service (USPS) to take necessary action to respond to the increase in armed robberies of letter carriers. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Durbin urged DOJ and USPS to work … Continue Reading
April 22, 2023
Durbin Receives Response To April 10th Letter To Chief Justice Roberts On Supreme Court Ethical Standards
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after receiving a response to an April 10th letter he and other Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic members sent to Chief Justice John Roberts urging the Chief Justice to investigate ProPublicareports that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted and failed to disclose 20 years' worth of lavish gifts and luxury travel from prominent Republican donor Harlan … Continue Reading
April 21, 2023
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court’s Decision To Preserve Access To The Abortion Pill Mifepristone
SPRINGFIELD - Tonight, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone: "Tonight's decision out of the Supreme Court is good news for millions of women nationwide who deserve the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions and will still have access to a drug that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled to be … Continue Reading
April 21, 2023
Durbin Joins Introduction Of Legislation To Avoid Catastrophic Debt Default
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) this week joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) to reintroduce legislation to avoid default by repealing the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit set by Congress on the amount of funding that the United States Treasury may borrow. In practice, the debt limit has no impact on government spending, which is authorized and approved through the federal budget and appropriations process. Instead, the ceiling restricts the U.S. … Continue Reading
April 21, 2023
Durbin Warns Illinois Education Professionals To Sound The Alarm On For-Profit Colleges
SPRINGFIELD - As high school seniors consider their plans for higher education this spring, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. is facing a concerning workforce shortage across several industries, including the health care and education fields, … Continue Reading
April 21, 2023
Durbin Visits Big Brothers Big Sisters To Announce $500,000 To Expand Youth Mentoring Efforts
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago (BBBSCHI) to discuss the $500,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally-directed spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus appropriations bill for the expansion of their youth mentoring efforts to include the West and far South Sides of Chicago and south suburban Cook County. "Too many children grow up facing life's challenges without a strong support system,"said … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Durbin Applauds Senate Passage Of Fire Grants And Safety Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, applauded the Senate passage of the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act,which would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program through Fiscal Year 2030. These programs help with the staffing, hiring, training, and equipping of emergency personnel, but without House passage of … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bill To Require Price Transparency In Prescription Drug Advertisements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today reintroduced the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, a bill that would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs, in order to empower patients and reduce spending on medications. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on the impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising which found that prescription drugs … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of Jeffrey Cummings & Lashonda Hunt To Serve As District Court Judges For The Northern District Of Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nominations of Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda Hunt to serve as District Court Judges on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: "We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced the nominations of Judge Jeffrey Cummings and … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
Durbin, Grassley Reintroduce Criminal Justice Reform Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the lead sponsors of the landmark First Step Act (FSA), reintroduced three pieces of criminal justice reform legislation today to further implement the FSA and advance its goals. The First Step Act, which was signed into law in 2018, is bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by … Continue Reading
April 20, 2023
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