Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Eight Judicial Nominations To The Full Senate

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced eight judicial nominations to the full Senate, continuing the Committee’s work to bring balance to the federal judiciary. The nominations advanced include one circuit court nominee and seven district court nominees. “In our first markup following the latest Supreme Court term, we’re reminded of the importance of the rule of law and judges who uphold it. Since Democrats took back the White House and the Senate majority in January 2… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, Sorensen Announce $334.7 Million In Federal Funding For Retooling Of Stellantis Plant In Belvidere

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding Stellantis $334,763,050 in Domestic Auto Manufacturing Conversion Grant program funds to assist in the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant and in the construction of the plant’s new electric vehicle battery production facility.  Stellantis has pledged to… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Judiciary Committee Hearing On Supreme Court Ruling in Donald Trump Immunity Case

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a full committee hearing in September to explore the immediate legal and policy ramifications of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. United States: “The Court’s six Republican-appointed justices upended our constitutional landscape with their misguided ruling in Trump v. United States. This dangerous decision immunizes presidents wh… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Republicans Voting Against The Reproductive Freedom For Women Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, a bill that simply states women should have the basic freedom to make their own health care decisions: “Today’s vote was simple: do you support a woman’s right to make their own reproductive health care decisions?  My Republican colleagues voting against this fundamental right is … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau President And Members

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with Illinois Farm Bureau members and President of the Illinois Farm Bureau, Brian Duncan, to discuss Illinois’ agricultural priorities as the Senate continues its work on the Farm Bill.  During their meeting, the group expressed support for federal crop insurance and shared concerns about California’s Proposition 12 and its effects on pork producers.  Fa… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Meeting With The United States Senate

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the United States Senate on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, DC: “President Zelenskyy was very clear in our meeting today: without U.S. support, Ukraine will lose the war.  Allowing a Putin victory in Ukraine would surrender U.S. leadership around the world, undermine the hard-fought stabili… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Introduce Resolution Recognizing & Strengthening Diplomatic Relations, Security Cooperation Between U.S. & Baltic States

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, introduced a resolution recognizing the importance of the alliance between the United States and the Baltic States, including support for the Baltic Security Initiative, which enhances and strengthens U.S. security cooperation with the Baltics and NATO interoperability amid Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine.  The resolution is introduced while the Unit… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees In Today's Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Mary Kathleen Costello, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Laura Margarete Provinzino, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Minnesota; and Noël Wise, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California. Durbin first asked Judge Wise about … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Interchange Fees With Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, to receive an update on the status of economic and monetary policy in the U.S.  During the meeting, Durbin stressed the importance of ensuring that the biggest banks and card networks fulfill their obligations to charge reasonable and proportional interchange fees for debit card transactions—and protect consumers, who pay these hidden fees in the form of higher retail pr… Continue Reading

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