Senator Durbin's Accomplishments
The Dream Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Program: More than 20 years ago, Durbin first introduced the Dream Act—bipartisan legislation that would give undocumented immigrants who grew up in this country a chance to become American citizens. In 2010, he sent a letter, joined by the late Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. In 2012, President Obama responded by announcing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
More than 830,000 Dreamers have since come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to their country as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and small business owners. The Dream Act was included in the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill that Durbin coauthored as part of the “Gang of Eight.” The 2013 bill passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote of 68-32, but the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives refused to consider it.
First Step Act: The First Step Act is bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by reforming sentencing laws and providing opportunities for those who are incarcerated to prepare to re-enter society successfully. The First Step Act was signed into law by then-President Trump in December 2018, and was championed by Durbin and Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Mike Lee (R-UT).
Confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2022. Her nomination was advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee—led by Durbin—on April 4, 2022.
In remarks on the Senate floor before her confirmation vote, Durbin noted that, “Justice Jackson has the right judicial temperament. She answered every question during her nominations hearing—even when the questions were hostile and confrontational—she answered them with dignity and grace… In the years to come, one of my grandchildren may ask where I was on the historic day of April 7, 2022, when America broke down what seemed like an impossible racial barrier and voted to send the first Black woman to serve on our highest court. I will be proud to say I was on the Senate floor, standing at my desk, and casting my vote for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.”
Improving Health Care: The author of landmark legislation to ban smoking on commercial airline flights, Durbin has worked in the Senate to protect children from the harm caused by tobacco. For his work, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Lung Association.
Durbin was an active participant in health insurance reform through the Affordable Care Act, which has brought costs down, extended access to affordable health insurance to those without insurance, made sure that people have a fighting chance against insurance companies that turn them down when they need help the most, and made sure Medicare is strong for years to come.
Among his other health achievements, Durbin has worked successfully for increased federal funding to prevent childhood asthma, increase immunizations, and expand medical research. He has successfully fought to increase the share of federal funding dedicated to combating AIDS worldwide. He has also been a leader in promoting organ and tissue donation.
Working for Illinois: Throughout his years in Congress, Durbin has worked hard to advocate the state's views on national issues while lobbying for federal support for local initiatives.
He led the fight to strengthen Illinois' transportation infrastructure, which is a critical factor supporting economic development in Illinois, by:
- Securing federal funds for major highway, infrastructure, and transit improvements throughout the state, including a rebuilt Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, new Mississippi River bridges being planned near St. Louis and the Quad Cities, and an expansion of Metra and CTA transit lines in the Chicago area.
- Promoting access to air travel throughout Illinois, including the modernization and expansion of O'Hare Airport, increases in airport improvement grants at many airports around the state, and introduction of new flights to O'Hare and other national hub airports for several downstate airports.
- Fighting to preserve and expand Amtrak's role in the state, including the largest Midwestern expansion of Amtrak service in almost 20 years.
He also worked to create a better health care system for our veterans when they return home, including expanded VA funding and a recently enacted program to identify and treat those who have suffered from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.