Senate Confirms Georgia Alexakis To Serve As United States District Court Judge Forthe 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 U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Georgia Alexakis to be a United States District Court Judge forthe Northern District of Illinois: “We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Georgia Alexakis to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.  She has the qualific… Continue Reading

On College Decision Day, Durbin Warns Students About Dangers Of Attending Predatory For-Profit Colleges

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recognizing College Decision Day and warning students about the dangers of choosing to attend a for-profit college.  Durbin began his remarks by sharing the story of Illinoisan LaKesha Howard-Williams, who attended the for-profit Illinois Institute of Art after it pressured her to take out student loans, but shuttered before she could earn a degree. “Today is May 1.  For many students, this is… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Bank of Springfield, Community Bankers Association of Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Bank of Springfield (BOS) and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI) to discuss various ways to support community banks in Illinois, improve our economy, and crack down on the increasing issue of check fraud.  In 2023, banks saw a seven percent increase in check fraud on top of the 84 percent spike in 2022.  Check fraud harms everyday consumers and damages the reputations of community banks who truly know… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project with Federal Railroad Administrator

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose to receive an update on the Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project, which would establish a passenger rail route running between Chicago and the Quad Cities.  Durbin urged Administrator Bose to prioritize the project and ensure that FRA continues to extend federal funding Durbin previously secured for the project. Durbin secured $177 million in federal funding for the rail project in 2010… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Lead Illinois Congressional Delegation in Sending Bipartisan Letter Supporting National Cancer Institute Designation for University of Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led 15 members of the Illinois delegation in sending a bipartisan letter to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in support of the University of Illinois Cancer Center’s (UICC) application to obtain an NCI designation, an accreditation given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to elite U.S.-based medical and laboratory institutions to demonstrate leadership in addressing the nation's can… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Prohibit Sale of Tianeptine

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced the Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act, legislation that would prohibit tianeptine from being marketed to consumers.  Tianeptine is an unapproved drug that is marketed as a purported dietary supplement and sold under labels such as “Neptune’s Fix.” Ingestion of the drug has led to an increase in calls to poison control centers and severe adverse effects requi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Young, Garcia Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Children from Lead Poisoning

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN), along with U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), today introduced the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to update its lead poisoning prevention measures to reflect modern science and ensure that families and children living in federally-assisted housing are protected from the devastating consequences of lead poison… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on White House, HHS Announcement to Delay Menthol Cigarette Ban

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement expressing his frustration that the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have announced the delay of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation to prohibit the production and retail sale of menthol cigarettes: “With each additional day that menthol cigarettes remain on the market, Big Tobacco profits off the addiction and suffering of Americans.  For too long,… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Illinois College to Announce $911,000 for Nursing Program

JACKSONVILLE – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Illinois College to announce the $911,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) omnibus to expand the school’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and thereby respond to statewide demand for more highly trained nurses in health care settings, especially in rural Illinois. “In countless communities across Illinois, access t… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses Justice Department to Investigate Disproportionate Prosecution of Asylum Seekers from Muslim-Majority Countries

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a request to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz to investigate whether the Justice Department is or has been targeting migrants for prosecution based on their religion, national origin, or any other protected characteristic. Public reporting from the Los Angeles Times detailed a high number of prosecutions of migrants from Muslim-ma… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Nomination of April Perry to be Federal District Court Judge in 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 White House announced its intent to nominate April Perry to be a Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois: “We are pleased that President Biden is nominating April Perry to be a Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois.  She brings strong qualifications and a … Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Senate Passage of the National Security Supplemental

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement on Senate passage of the national security supplemental, which provides aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan: “What we do has consequences—global and historic.  With this aid, we are helping the millions of Ukrainians on the front lines in their fight against Russian tyranny, providing critical security assistance for Israel, delivering urgent humanitarian aid … Continue Reading

Durbin Urges the Senate to Pass the National Security Supplemental as Soon as Possible

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass the national security supplemental, which includes emergency funds for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and the Indo-Pacific.  The supplemental passed the House this weekend and once it passes the Senate, it will head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.  The Senate previously passed a similar… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Passing of Rikki Jones, Civil Rights Activist and President of Cook County Democratic Women

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the passing of Rikki Jones, President of Cook County Democratic Women: “Rikki Jones dedicated her life to fighting for civil rights and true equality.  She was a fierce advocate for marginalized communities, and spent much of her time mentoring community leaders and elected officials.  Rikki also cared deeply about Chicago’s youth and strived to assist educational leaders with ensuring that all of Chicag… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Attend Groundbreaking Ceremony for Improvements at O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 3

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today attended the groundbreaking ceremony forO’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 3 improvements project. Roughly 45 percent of the $200 million Terminal 3 project will be financed through two Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grants totaling $90 million, which Durbin and Duckworth helped secure; a 2023 grant of $50 million, and a 2024 grant of $40 million. In 2023… Continue Reading

Durbin Votes Against FISA Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISA).  Earlier this week, Durbin announced that without critical changes to improve RISA, he could not support the legislation. Durbin, along with U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), filed a bipartisan amendment to RISA that would have required the government to obtain a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Cour… Continue Reading

Durbin, King, Sinema, Smith Urge Department of Education to Prevent Students from Being Automatically Charged for Course Materials

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Tina Smith (D-MN) today sent a letter to the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to finalize proposed changes that would make “Inclusive Access” (IA) and “Equitable Access” (EA) programs – models that allow institutions of higher education (IHEs) to automatically charge a student’s federal student aid for textbooks without a student’s consent – an opt-in program … Continue Reading

Durbin, Thune Statement on Approval of Summertime E15 Fuel Sales

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement regarding the Biden administration’s decision to allow the summertime sale of E15 fuel: “Year-round access to E15 fuel is a huge win for American drivers, farmers, and the environment.  Higher blends of home-grown ethanol enhance our energy security, lower emissions, and provide a … Continue Reading

Durbin: Without Critical Changes to Improve FISA Reauthorization Bill, I Cannot Support It

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on his colleagues to support his bipartisan amendment to the House-passed Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISA). Durbin, along with U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), today filed a bipartisan amendment to RISAthat would require the government to obtain a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) before reviewing th… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Colleagues in Pressing Navient to Cancel Loans of Borrowers Scammed by Fraudulent, For-Profit Colleges and Services Misconduct

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and seven of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to David L. Yowan, President and Chief Executive Officer of student loan servicer Navient, urging the servicer to cancel decades-old private student loans pushed onto borrowers attending fraudulent, for-profit colleges.  The letter comes as Navient plans to transfer its 2.7 million student borrower loan portfolio to the Higher Educa… Continue Reading