Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Foreign Policy
Durbin Presses Pompeo On Venezuela, Middle East Policies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today derided Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he stated that the Trump Administration had not decided whether or not they would offer Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to approximately 72,000 Venezuelan nationals currently present in the United States who face real danger and chaos if forced to return to Venezuela. Last month, Durbin led 24 Senators in a letter to President Trump requesting that his Administration promptly designate… Continue Reading
04.05.19
Durbin, Duckworth Warn President Trump Against Cutting Funding To Northern Triangle Countries
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Tom Carper (D-DE), and a group of 34 Democratic senators in sending a letter to President Donald Trump opposing his plan to cut national security funding to Northern Triangle countries, which is specifically designed to promote American interests, enhance our collective security, and protect the safety of American citizens. In their letter, the Senators make clear the U.S. Congress alrea… Continue Reading
04.03.19
Durbin Statement On NATO Secretary General's Address To Joint Meeting Of Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after attending an address to a Joint Meeting of Congress by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg: "Even before he took office, President Trump was never a supporter of NATO. Every NATO insult he tweets encourages nations, like Russia, that have long sought to destroy the alliance. "Today's Joint Meeting of Congress reaffirmed NATO's importance as the foundati… Continue Reading
04.03.19
Durbin, Menendez, Rubio Lead Bipartisan Group Introducing Comprehensive Bill To Help Restore Democracy In Venezuela
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced new comprehensive legislation to help restore democracy and address the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The most comprehensive effort to date to confront the crisis in Venezuela, the Venezuela Emergency Relief, Democracy Assistance and Development (VERDAD) Act drastically increases humanitarian assistance, expands current tools to address kleptocracy, formally recognizes and supports th… Continue Reading
03.28.19
Durbin Meets With Venezuelan First Lady
WASHINGTON - In light of the ongoing violence, deteriorating security situation, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Fabiana Rosales, Venezuelan First Lady and wife to interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó. She is in Washington, D.C. advocating for support for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela. "Ms. Rosales deeply understands how much the Venezuelan p… Continue Reading
03.22.19
Bipartisan Senate Leaders Condemn Arrest Of Interim Venezuelan President Guaido's Chief Of Staff
WASHINGTON - Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today called for the immediate and unconditional release of Roberto Marrero, Interim Venezuela President Juan Guaidó's chief of staff. Marrero was abducted by Venezuelan secret police early this morning in a desperate attempt by criminal elements of the outgoing regime to intimidate members of the internationally recognized government. The inflammatory move came as Venezuelans are endur… Continue Reading
03.15.19
Durbin Statement On New Zealand Mosque Massacre
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after at least 49 people were killed in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand: "The massacre at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, was spawned by white supremacy and hatred of Muslims and immigrants. My heart goes out to the victims of this devastating attack, their families, and the communities affected. We must all stand together in solidarity with the Muslim co… Continue Reading
03.14.19
Durbin Votes For Bipartisan Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted for the bipartisan joint war powers resolution, of which he is a cosponsor, to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The resolution passed the Senate 54-46. It will go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before heading to the White House. The White House had issued a veto threat ahead of today's Senate vote. "Not only was this war never authorized by the elected representativ… Continue Reading
03.13.19
Durbin: Congress Must Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Senate to once again pass a bipartisan joint war powers resolution to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen. The Senate is expected to vote on the matter this afternoon. In February, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed a joint war powers resolution to end U.S. involvement in Yemen by a vote of 248-177. The White House has issued a veto threat ahead of today's Senate vote. "Our Founding … Continue Reading
03.13.19
Durbin Meets With President Trump's Nominee To Be U.S. Ambassador To Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON - As the Senate votes once again on the Yemen War Powers Resolution to end U.S.-support for the Saudi-led conflict, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with General John Abizaid, USA (Ret.), President Donald Trump's nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, one of many key Ambassador positions that have inexplicably been left vacant under the Trump Administration. In the meeting, Durbin pressed General Abizaid on the need for accountability following t… Continue Reading
03.08.19
Durbin Requests Government Study On Firearms Trafficking To Mexico & Central America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to update its January 2016 reports on efforts to combat firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Additionally, Durbin requested that GAO include in these updated reports an assessment of efforts to combat firearms trafficking to the other Central American countries in the Northern Triangle - El Salvador and Honduras. "Violence perp… Continue Reading
03.07.19
Durbin, Rubio, Menendez, Schumer Lead 24 Senators In Pressing President Trump To Designate Venezuela For TPS
WASHINGTON - In light of the ongoing violence, deteriorating security situation, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today led 24 Senators in a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that his Administration promptly designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to ensure that Venezuelan nationals currently present in the … Continue Reading
02.28.19
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Second Summit With Kim Jong Un
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un collapsed: Diplomacy can be a long and difficult path. Following this experience, I hope that the President finally has an appreciation for the diplomatic achievements - such as the JCPOA and Paris Climate Agreement - that came before him, a better understanding of the limits of photo-ops, and a realization of the… Continue Reading
02.06.19
Durbin, Menendez, Cardin, Leahy, Kaine, Meet With Top Venezuelan Diplomat For Interim Guaidó Government
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today met with Carlos Vecchio, the recently appointed top Venezuelan diplomat to the U.S. under interim President Juan Guaidó's government. In today's meeting, the Senators offered their support for Guaidó and discussed plans for a managed transition and a timely, open, and fair election. "What we are seeing unfold in Venezuela is democratic change co… Continue Reading
01.25.19
Durbin Shares Support For Venzuelan President Guaido
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today shared his support for interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó and his constitutional role to help Venezuela return to the community of democracies, and to do so with a thoughtful and timely transition and credible election process in which the Venezuelan people can once again choose their leaders through a fair and transparent process. Yesterday, Durbin spoke at length to Guaidó on… Continue Reading
01.23.19
Durbin Statement On Crisis In Venezuela
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Juan Guaidó, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president of Venezuela: Last year I visited Venezuela and found a country on the verge of political, economic, and humanitarian collapse. I told then-President Maduro that if he went ahead with a sham election under absurdly rigged conditions he would find his regime even further isolated and i… Continue Reading
01.23.19
Durbin, Murphy, Lee Lead 20 Senators In Pressing State Department & DOJ For Information On Saudi-Led War In Yemen
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Lee (R-UT) today lead a group of 20 bipartisan Senators in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein pressing them on two recently reported aspects of the Saudi-led war in Yemen: reports that Saudi Arabia is paying poor Sudanese child soldiers to fight as mercenaries in its war in Yemen, and reports that the United Arab Emirates-a U.S. ally in the Gulf that is part of the Saud… Continue Reading
12.20.18
Durbin, Shaheen, Murphy, Schumer, Members Press U.S. Ambassador To Hungary On Democratic Backsliding
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today pressed the United States Ambassador to Hungary about their mounting concern over democratic backsliding in Hungary, including the most recent forced expulsion of the Central European University (CEU). The CEU enjoys considerable bipartisan support in… Continue Reading
12.13.18
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Resolution To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today voted for the bipartisan joint war powers resolution, of which he is a cosponsor, to end unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen. The resolution passed the Senate 56-41. "The Constitution is clear - Article 1, Section 8 states 'The Congress shall have Power: To declare War.' But there was never a vote to authorize U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen," Durbin said. "Not only was this war ne… Continue Reading
12.06.18
Durbin: Expel The Saudi Ambassador To The U.S.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again called for the expulsion of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman, son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and the younger brother of the Crown Prince, following his return to the U.S. given the clear evidence that the Crown Prince was directly involved in the murder of noted journalist and critic of the Saudi government, Jamal Khashoggi. Durbin first called for the expulsion of the Saudi Ambassador… Continue Reading