Press Releases
Durbin Warns Defense Secretary Hegseth Against Politicization Of U.S. Military After Numerous Concerning Actions By Trump Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (SACD), yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to warn him against the politicization of the Department of Defense (DoD). Durbin’s letter comes after several thinly-veiled political orders by the Trump Administration related to the nation’s military, including removing protection from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, … Continue Reading
February 07, 2025
Durbin, Marshall Draw FDA Attention To Misleading Drug Commercial Set To Run During Super Bowl
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) today sent a bipartisan letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to draw the agency’s attention to an upcoming pharmaceutical advertisement that is slated to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday to more than 120 million Americans, which misleads patients by omitting any safety or side effect information when promoting a specific type of weight loss medication. FDA regulates … Continue Reading
February 07, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Answers About Trump's Efforts To Restrict & Undermine NSF-Funded Scientific Research
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), along with 22 of their colleagues, in sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration injecting partisanship into scientific studies, obstructing critical research, potentially derailing the careers of promising American researchers, and attempting to undermine the U.S. scientific research ecosystem. With several major sources of federal research … Continue Reading
February 06, 2025
Durbin, Grassley Baltic Foreign Ministers To Discuss Increased Russian Aggresion
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, met today with Baltic Foreign Ministers and their ambassadors. During the meeting, they discussed the increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to maintain allied support for Ukraine and NATO. The meeting comes not long after Finland seized a Russian shadow fleet ship suspected of destroying an energy cable … Continue Reading
February 06, 2025
Durbin, Schneider, Olszewski Introduce Bill To Reduce Gun Violence From Stolen Firearms
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-2) today introduced bicameral legislation aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing the theft of firearms from federally-licensed gun dealers (FFLs). The Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective (SECURE) Firearm Storage Act would address the problem of “smash and grab” gun store … Continue Reading
February 06, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Meeting On Kash Patel's Nomination To Be FBI Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting regarding the nomination of Kash Patel, President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Judiciary Democrats held Mr. Patel’s nomination over for one week per Committee rules. Key Quotes: “This is an extraordinary nomination—the Kash Patel nomination… There … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin Joins Senate Democrats To Speak Out Against Russell Vought's Nomination To Lead OMB
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senate Democrats in speaking out against President Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin outlined why Mr. Vought is unfit for the job, including his actions as Director of OMB during the first Trump administration and his part in crafting Project 2025— a policy proposal written by a conservative think tank outlining a sweeping, extreme … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin Calls On The Trump Administration To Immediately End Suppression Of The CDC's Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released a staff report that examines the impact of the Trump Administration’s federal communications freeze on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The report reveals new findings about information that has been stifled by the cessation of the MMWR, including timely bird flu updates, and provides important assessments from public health leaders about the … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin Statement After Meeting President Trump's Deputy Attorney General Nominee, Todd Blanche
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee to be Deputy U.S. Attorney General: “In today’s meeting, I raised concerns with Mr. Blanche about serious issues I also voiced to Attorney General Bondi, including the importance of maintaining the independence of Department of Justice investigations and prosecutions from the President. … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin, Hayes Introduce Legislation To Expand Family Leave Protections
WASHINGTON - On the 32nd anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) today introduced bicameral legislation that would modernize FMLA for the 21st Century. The Caring for All Families Act will guarantee small necessities leave and make important updates to the definition of family to ensure a broader range of caregiving relationships are covered by FMLA’s protections. Family caregiving … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin Statement After Meeting President Trump's Deputy Attorney General Nominee, Todd Blance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee to be Deputy U.S. Attorney General: “In today’s meeting, I raised concerns with Mr. Blanche about serious issues I also voiced to Attorney General Bondi, including the importance of maintaining the independence of Department of Justice investigations and prosecutions from the President. … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Join Kaine In Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos At Critical National Security Agencies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with 34 of their Senate colleagues, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International … Continue Reading
February 05, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Illinois University Leaders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with the leadership and members of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 53 private non-profit colleges across Illinois. During their meeting, Durbin and Duckworth spoke about what the federal funding freeze would mean for universities who rely on federal grants to conduct critical research, as well as how the Trump … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Votes Against Pam Bondi To Be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against President Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi. The Senate voted to confirm her nomination by a vote of 54-46. “Given the massive upheaval that President Trump has caused at the Justice Department in just his first few days in office—including purging dozens of senior career law enforcement officials at DOJ and FBI and the … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Leads Judiciary Committee Colleagues In Speaking Out Against Pam Bondi's Nomination To Be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke out against Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee, ahead of her confirmation vote. In his remarks, Durbin cited concerns over Ms. Bondi’s ability to act as an independent Attorney General. These concerns are especially pertinent as the Trump Administration purges dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Leads Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats In Letter To Chairman Grassley On Kash Patel's Dangerous Nomination To Lead The FBI
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) regarding Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Senators’ letter urges Chairman Grassley to: Schedule an additional hearing for Mr. Patel to answer questions under oath about the recent removals and reassignments of FBI career … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Slams Trump Administration For Ramifications Of Federal Funding Freeze, Highlights Global Necessity Of USAID
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed the Trump Administration for their decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo last week to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement” of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance, which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Meets With Dan Driscoll, Nominee For Secretary Of The Army
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Dan Driscoll, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Secretary of the Army. During their meeting, Durbin spoke about the importance of maintaining an apolitical military during the Trump Administration, as well as making use of Rock Island Arsenal as a manufacturing hub. Durbin also urged Mr. Driscoll, if confirmed, to field new Gray Eagle … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Questions Witnesses At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Fentanyl Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” Durbin began by talking about the need to hold social media companies accountable for peddling fentanyl to our nation’s kids, as well as the related action the Committee took last Congress with Durbin as Chair to … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Fentanyl Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” During today’s hearing, Democratic Senators will speak to the negative impact that the Justice Department purges of senior law enforcement officials will have on combating the fentanyl crisis, how … Continue Reading