Durbin Meets With Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Discusses U.S. Support For Baltic State And Ukraine

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, today met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.  During the meeting, they discussed continued U.S. support for the Baltics amid Russia’s aggression in the region and Putin’s efforts to undermine allied security and democracy.  Durbin and Landsbergis also reaffirmed the transatlantic alliance amid the annual NATO Summit being hosted in Washington, D.C. this week. … Continue Reading

Durbin, Wicker, Senators Meet With Speaker Of the Parliament Of Ukraine During NATO Summit Week

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, to discuss continued Congressional support for Ukraine.  This week, the United States is hosting the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., where Heads of State and Government of NATO member countries will discuss important issues facing the Alliance and provide strategic direction for its activities.  … Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Closing The Civil Justice Gap

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, “Closing the Justice Gap: How to Make the Civil Justice System Accessible to All Americans.”  Today’s hearing examined the “civil justice gap,” which is the gap between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the services available to meet those needs.    Durbin began his questions by asking Nikole Nelson, CE… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $30.9 Million In Federal Funding For Pace Suburban Bus' Hybrid Buses Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, will receive $30,911,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.  With this award, Pace plans to purchase hybrid electric buses to replace vehicles that have exceeded their useful life and upgrade its maintenance facility to adapt to new technology.  The funding will also support tra… Continue Reading

Durbin: Supreme Court's Latest Term Has Upended Our Constitutional Landscape

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about the Supreme Court’s recently finished term and its series of disastrous decisions that once again have upended our constitutional landscape. “The Court’s radical conservative supermajority discarded decades of longstanding precedent to protect rich and powerful interests. The Court’s decisions will immunize presidents who commit crimes… make it h… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Announce $25.4 Million In Federal Funding For Mass Transit Districts In Rock Island & Peoria

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced a total of $25,415,095 in U.S. Department of Transportation funding for the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK) and the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District.  Of that funding, $10,000,000 will be awarded to MetroLINK and $14,415,095 will be awarded to the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District.  MetroLINK will… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski Announce $17.8 Million In Federal Funding For Sangamon Mass Transit District

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today announced that Sangamon Mass Transit District will receive $17,807,630 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.  The funding will support Sangamon Mass Transit District in replacing its fleet of older buses with diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas buses.  The project will support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissio… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill Expanding Student Loan Refinancing For Service Members

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act, legislation that would amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to allow service members to consolidate or refinance student loan debt they had when they entered the military and continue to benefit from the six percent interest rate cap to which they are entitled through the SCRA.  A provision in the SCRA protects service me… Continue Reading

Durbin Reflects On The 75th Anniversary Of NATO, Reiterates His Support For Ukraine

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, reflected on the 75thanniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was established after World War II.  This year, the United States is hosting the annual NATO Summit in Washington, D.C.  There are currently 32 nations that have joined the NATO alliance—most recently Sweden and Finland.  The U.S. Senate voted 95 to 1 to ratify their entry.… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Judge Maldonado To Serve As United States Circuit Judge For the Seventh Circuit

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 Judge Nancy L. Maldonado to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.  Judge Maldonado will be the first Hispanic judge to ever serve on the Seventh Circuit. Judge Maldonado currently serves as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern Distri… Continue Reading

Durbin Denounces Fraudulent Charges Against Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling on the Bangladesh government to end its harassment toward Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, as he faces his upcoming court dates, where he could be sentenced to between six months to life in prison on several dubious charges.  As Durbin noted in his remarks, Professor Yunus, for more than a decade, has faced more than 100 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in B… Continue Reading

Ahead Of Confirmation Vote, Durbin Calls On Colleagues To Support Judge Maldonado's Nomination To Serve As Circuit Court Judge For The Seventh Circuit

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the confirmation vote on the nomination of Judge Nancy Maldonado to be a United States Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support Judge Maldonado’s nomination. Once confirmed, Judge Maldonado will be the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit. Durbin said, “Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, the Senate has confirmed 201 highly… Continue Reading

Ahead Of Confirmation Vote, Durbin Calls On Colleagues To Support Judge Maldonado's Nomination To Serve As Circuit Court Judge For The Seventh Circuit

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the confirmation vote on the nomination of Judge Nancy Maldonado to be a United States Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support Judge Maldonado’s nomination. Once confirmed, Judge Maldonado will be the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit. Durbin said, “Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, the Senate has confirmed 201 highly… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Marking Two Years Since The Highland Park Shooting

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement marking two years since the shooting in Highland Park, Illinois: “On July 4, 2022, we lost Katie Goldstein, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacki Lovi Sundheim, Nicolás Toledo, and Eduardo Uvaldo in an unspeakable act of violence. I share the grief of the Highland Park community today as we remember these seven lives taken too soon, the dozens who were wounded, and those left traumatized. “O… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Federal Approval Of Illinois Application For Medicaid 1115 Waiver

HICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) applauded the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) approval of Illinois’ application for a Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver to enhance the delivery of behavioral health services for Medicaid beneficiaries across Illinois. The approval of the federal waiver accelerates efforts in Illinois to use the Medicaid program to address the opioid epidemic, maternal mortality, violence preventio… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Nomination of U.S. Magistrate Judge Hawley To Be Federal District Court Judge In The Central District Of Illinois

CHICAGO – 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 U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley for the Peoria-based federal district court judicial vacancy in the Central District of Illinois: “We are pleased that President Biden is nominating Judge Jonathan Hawley to fill a judicial vacancy in the Central District of Illin… Continue Reading

Durbin, Merkley, Kaine, Welch Again Call For The End Of The Bangladeshi Government's Harassment Toward Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement on Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus’ upcoming court dates, where he could face up to six months in prison on dubious charges.  For more than a decade, Professor Yunus has faced more than 100 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in Bangladesh.  The harassment campaign against Professor Yunus has been denounc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski Statement On Appointment Of Pam Monetti To Serve As Illinois Director For USDA Rural Development

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, released the following statement regarding Pam Monetti’s appointment as the new Illinois Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development: “At our recommendation, the Biden Administration has made an excellent choice in appointing Pam Monetti t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Merkley, Kaine, Welch Again Call For The End Of The Bangladesh Government's Harassment Toward Nobel Peace Price Laureate Professor Yunus

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement on Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus’ upcoming court dates, where he could face up to six months in prison on dubious charges.  For more than a decade, Professor Yunus has faced more than 100 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in Bangladesh.  The harassment campaign against Professor Yunus has been denounc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Applaud NIH's Announcement Of UIC As Newest Maternal Health Research Center Of Excellence

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) applauded the announcement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that it has awarded two new grants to expand its Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence, including one at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Launched last year as part of NIH’s Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, the Centers of Excellence develop and evaluate … Continue Reading