Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Campaigns and Elections
Durbin Meets With Democratic Senators-Elect
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Democratic Senators-elect, including Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), to congratulate them and discuss their goals for the 119th Congress. “It’s an honor to welcome these newly-elected Senators to Washington. They each bring a unique experience in public service and new energy to our efforts to address the issues faci… Continue Reading
11.07.24
Durbin Statement On The Outcome Of The 2024 Election
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: “To Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz—thank you. Thank you for running a campaign filled with hope, joy, and possibility. I am sorry that we will not see your vision for America come to be. “While the Administration will change in January, my belief in the promise of this country never will. I promise to work with all of my strength each day in the Senate to look out for the most vuln… Continue Reading
08.12.24
Durbin, Klobuchar, Welch, Lead Colleagues In Urging Justice Department To Protect Election Workers Ahead Of 2024 Election
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Peter Welch (D-VT) led a group of 19 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco urging the Department of Justice to take further action to counter threats targeting election workers ahead of the upcoming election. “We write to express serious concern about ongoing and persistent t… Continue Reading
01.27.21
Durbin: Senate Has a Responsibility to Move Forward with the Second Impeachment Trial for Donald Trump
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 spoke about the Senate's responsibility to move forward with the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump after last night's point of order questioning the constitutionality of the trial was defeated by a bipartisan vote. "Last night, there was a vote as to whether we should go forward with the impeachment. All of the Democrats,… Continue Reading
01.20.21
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
01.06.21
Durbin Speaks on Senate Floor About Violence at the U.S. Capitol & 2020 Election Certification
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of Congress certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election and after a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol building. "The vote we're going to have here is a clear choice of whether we are going to feed the beast of ignorance or are we going to tell the truth to the American people? We saw that beast today roaming the halls. Let's not invite it back," Durbin said. Video of Durbin's re… Continue Reading
01.03.21
Durbin Honored to Represent Illinois in Fifth Term as U.S. Senator
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after being sworn in to his fifth term as a U.S. Senator representing Illinois. Durbin was escorted to his swearing in on the Senate floor by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). "I am honored that the people of Illinois have given me the opportunity to represent them in Washington. During my time in the Senate, I have worked to create good-paying jobs, promote Illinois businesses, fight for margi… Continue Reading
01.03.21
Durbin, Bipartisan Colleagues: Voters Have Spoken, Congress Must Fulfill Its Responsibility
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in issuing the following statement on the upcoming Congressional certification of the 2020 Presidential election results: "The 2020 election is over. All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted. At th… Continue Reading
12.15.20
Durbin: Time to Move Past Election and Help President-Elect Biden Lead
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Republican elected officials to honor their oaths of office and uphold our democracy by recognizing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President-elect and Vice President-elect. Durbin slammed the last-ditch effort by 17 Republican attorneys general and more than half of the House Republican Caucus joining in a lawsuit and accompanying amicus brief before the Supreme Court, which incredibly ar… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Durbin Joins Colleagues To Highlight Need For State Assistance To Prevent Ongoing Threat Of Foreign
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and two of their other colleagues on the Rules Committee in sending a letter to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) asking what steps are being taken in the final month before the election to assist states in administering safe, secure, and successful elections. Additionally, the U.S. Intelligence Community has left no doubt that foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, are actively working to undermine the 202… Continue Reading
09.30.20
Durbin Slams Republicans For Ignoring Russian Threat In 2020 Election, Questions Comey On President's Vulnerability In Light Of Personal Debts
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 3," which featured former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) warned about ongoing Russian attempts to interfere in the upcoming 2020 presidential election, and slammed Republicans on the Committee for ignoring the threat by re-litigating the 2016 investigation into Russian election interference. "… Continue Reading
09.18.20
Durbin Joins Colleagues To Urge Online Platforms To Take Additional Measures To Stop Voting Related Misinformation And Disinformation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in leading 15 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter and YouTube, urging executives to take further measures to stop voting related misinformation and disinformation. The Intelligence Community has confirmed that Russia is trying to influence and undermine the election through social media and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned that foreign actors may leverage limit… Continue Reading
09.03.20
Durbin, Leading Senate Dems Demand Immediate U.S. Sanctions For Russian Interference In 2020 Elections
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined leading Senate Democrats today in calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to sanction Russian individuals and government actors for their interference in the 2020 election. Along with Durbin, today's letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also signed by Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Intelligence Commi… Continue Reading
09.01.20
Durbin, Senators To Evanina: Election Security Demands Disclosure Of Russian Threat - To Congress & The American People
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) wrote National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina demanding substantive action to protect our elections from foreign interference. At the beginning of August, Evanina issued a vaguely cautionary public statement on foreign threats to American elections. Instead of expanding on that warning by more fully informing the A… Continue Reading
08.25.20
Durbin, Duckworth Urge USPS To Prioritize Election Mail Ahead Of November General Election
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Illinois State Board of Elections (SBOE) leaders following their call last week to discuss constituent concerns about voting by mail. In the letter, Durbin and Duckworth urged officials to ensure that election mail is processed expeditiously and to immediately enact an official policy to ensure that all vote-by-mail applications and ballots are treated as First-Class Mail. … Continue Reading
08.20.20
Durbin, Duckworth Convene Call With USPS And Illinois State Board Of Elections Leaders To Discuss Constituent Concerns About Voting By Mail
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with staff from the Illinois State Board of Elections (SBOE) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to discuss how constituents in Illinois can safely participate in the upcoming general election amid concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and USPS policies and practices that may impact mail-in ballot delivery. On the call, the Senators and SBOE and USPS leaders discussed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's de… Continue Reading
08.13.20
Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Dems In Urging USPS To Fix Delays And Avoid Cost Increases For Election Mail
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in sending a letter with the entire Senate Democratic caucus to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging him to provide answers regarding reports of recent changes to long-standing practices at USPS that would result in increased delivery times and costs for election mail, and urged him not take any further action that ma… Continue Reading
08.06.20
Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Celebrating 55th Anniversary Of Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and 22 Senators today to introduce a Senate Resolution to recognize, commemorate, and celebrate the 55th anniversary of the enactment of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed the legislation just days after the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, during which the late Representative John Lewis was beaten by law enforcement officers while crossing the Edmund Pettu… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Durbin: Russian Interference In Our Elections Is A Threat To Our Democracy
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 2," which featured former Deputy Attorney General (AG) and Acting AG Sally Yates, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed Michael Flynn's inappropriate behavior and communications with Russia both before and after the 2016 election. Durbin also warned about ongoing attempts to interfere in the upcoming 2020 general election. Last month, American intell… Continue Reading
03.10.20
One Year After House Passage, Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass For The People Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined members of the Senate Democratic Caucus to call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the For the People Act to the Senate floor for a vote one year after it was passed by the House. The For the People Act is a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would fix our broken politics and make government work for the people. The landmark legislation aims to restore the promise of American democracy b… Continue Reading