Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Foreign Policy
Durbin, Menendez Call For Free And Fair Election In Venezuela
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, today warned the Maduro regime in Venezuela that its upcoming snap election would be considered illegitimate if it failed to meet basic established standards, and called for free and fair election for the Venezuelan people. "The Venezuelan government under President Maduro has taken a series of repressive and undemocratic actions that threatens its … Continue Reading
05.09.18
Judiciary Committee Democrats Call On President To Withdraw Controversial Justice Dept Nominee Tied To Russian Bank
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are calling on President Trump to withdraw his controversial nomination of Brian Benczkowski to lead the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. Mr. Benczkowski represented Alfa Bank, a massive private commercial bank in Russia closely allied with President Vladimir Putin and his government, and has refused to pledge to recuse himself from Russia-related matters if confirmed. With new revelations coming to light about Russia's interference … Continue Reading
05.09.18
Durbin Presses Trump Administration On Decision To Violate The Iran Nuclear Deal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford on President Trump's decision to put the United States in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement. In 2015, Durbin led the effort in the Senate that ultimately allowed the Iran Nuclear Agreement to proceed, sec… Continue Reading
05.08.18
Durbin Rips Trump Decision To Break Iran Deal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor after President Trump announced that he will unilaterally pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement. In 2015, Durbin led the effort in the Senate that ultimately allowed the Iran Agreement to proceed, securing enough votes to block an effort to derail it. "So here we are today, with President Trump plunging us and our allies into unc… Continue Reading
05.08.18
Durbin Statement On Trump Violating The Iran Deal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Trump announced that he will unilaterally pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement: The last thing America and the world need right now is a new nuclear threat. Breaking this deal increases the danger that Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program, which threatens our ally, Israel, and destabilizes the entire Middl… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Durbin, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Election Interference Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which will prevent foreign regimes from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill will make "improper interference in U.S. elections" a ground of inadmissibility under U.S. immigration law, and violators would be barred from obtaining a visa to enter the United States. "In 20… Continue Reading
04.14.18
Durbin Statement On Airstrikes In Syria
SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the airstrikes in Syria announced by President Trump: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called me personally before the President's announcement, and last Tuesday, Defense Secretary Mattis briefed me on the early planning and involvement of our allies, Great Britain and France. I supported President Obama's decision to retaliate when Assad first used chemical weapons. The Senate Foreign Relation… Continue Reading
04.11.18
Durbin Details Mission To Venezuela In Senate Floor Speech
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about his recent travel to Venezuela, where he met with President Nicolas Maduro, members of the opposition, the President of the National Assembly, the Ministers of Health and Nutrition, business leaders, civil society groups, doctors, and humanitarian organizations. "What I found was in fact a country on the edge of a precipice, facing overlapping economic, humanitarian, and political crises," said Durbin. "Let me be cle… Continue Reading
03.20.18
Ahead Of Senate Vote On War Powers, Durbin Calls On Congress To Halt Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Yemen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Senate to 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. "The obvious question to ask is, in the 16 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places in the world, how many other times have the United States Senate and House of Representatives come together to debate the wisdom of a decision about co… Continue Reading
02.23.18
Durbin Presses President Trump To Demand Syria and Russia End Horrific Bombing of Eastern Ghouta
CHICAGO - As Syrian government warplanes supported by Russia have relentlessly bombarded the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta for six days, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged President Trump to demand that Russia end this senseless bombing of innocent civilians and allow medical and humanitarian relief to reach the area's victims. Durbin also stressed that any such discussion with President Putin must also address deeply troubling, and seemingly ignored, reports that Russian mercenari… Continue Reading
10.13.17
Durbin Statement On Trump Decertifying Iran Nuclear Deal
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), who led the effort to secure the Iran Nuclear Agreement in the Senate in 2015, released the following statement: "Thanks to the Agreement and its inspectors, Iran is further away from a nuclear weapon than at any point in more than a decade. It has agreed to never pursue a nuclear weapon and to continue intrusive inspections around the clock. That's good for America's security and the security of our allies in the Middle East. "President … Continue Reading
09.07.17
Durbin, McCain Resolution Condemns Violence Against Burmese Rohingya, Calls On Aung San Suu Kyi To Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ) today introduced a resolution condemning the horrific acts of violence being committed against the Rohingya ethnic minority in Burma, and calling on Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi to live up to her historic democratic and human rights ideals by taking action to stop this humanitarian tragedy. Co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the resolution: (1) condemns the vi… Continue Reading
08.02.17
Durbin Introduces Bill To End Cuba Embargo And Establish Normal Trade Relations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2017, which would repeal outdated sanctions on Cuba and establish normal trade relations with the island nation. "Ending the embargo is about more than opening the country up to American businesses and travel-it's about opening Cuba to new ideas, new values, and improved human rights that our 50 year old policy of isolation could not achieve," said Durbin. "While we… Continue Reading
07.19.17
Durbin, Nelson, Rubio, Menendez, Cruz, Merkley Introduce Resolution Honoring Late Cuban Dissident Oswaldo Paya
WASHINGTON - Ahead of the fifth anniversary of Oswaldo Payá's death, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring the legacy of the Cuban dissident and calling for an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. Payá, an outspoken activist for free speech, democracy, and human rights, died in a car crash on July 22, 2012. Wh… Continue Reading
07.12.17
Durbin, Klobuchar, Cardin, Reed Introduce Legislation To Prevent Creation Of Cybersecurity Unit With Russia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced legislation to prevent the creation of a cybersecurity unit with Russia. The legislation follows the suggestion from President Trump that the United States should partner with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on a joint cybersecurity unit. The No Funds for Cyber Coordination with Russia Act of 2017 says that the President should publicly accepts U.S. intelligence findin… Continue Reading
07.10.17
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Letter Urging Ambassador Haley To Pursue Special Investigation Into Deaths Of UN Imvestigators
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a bipartisan group of ten senators in urging the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to work with the UN Secretary-General to pursue an independent special investigation into the suspicious deaths of two UN investigators killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in March. American Michael Sharp and Swedish-Chilean dual citizen Zaida Catalán were murdered in the Kasai region of the DRC while they were investigating human rig… Continue Reading
07.06.17
Ahead Of President Trump's First Meeting With Vladimir Putin, Senate Dem National Security Leaders Write To President Trump Demanding That He Press Putin On Russia's Interference In The 2016 U.S. Election
President Trump's Meeting With President Putin Will Be Their First Individual Meeting Since The U.S. Intelligence Community's Conclusion That Russia Sought To Undermine The Most Central Tenet Of U.S. Democracy - Our Election Despite Russia's Election Interference, The Trump Admin Has Said The President Has No Agenda Going Into Meeting With Putin - Senate Dems Say Not Raising Putin's Election Meddling would be a Dereliction of President Trump's Duty Senate Dems to Pres. Trump: Don't Let Putin… Continue Reading
06.01.17
Durbin Visits South Korea to Discuss Regional Threats
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin has returned from South Korea, where he met with newly-elected President Moon Jae-in, his National Security Advisor, Defense Minister, and other key officials. Durbin also met with U.S. diplomatic and military personnel deployed on the Korean peninsula. "The Trump Administration has taken an aggressive stance with North Korea and made contradictory statements that have rattled the international community-I wanted to get a sense for how that is bei… Continue Reading
04.07.17
Durbin, Cassidy, Burgess, Cummings Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve Accountability Of Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined U.S. Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to reintroduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would protect students and taxpayers by closing a loophole that gives special treatment to a small number of overseas medical schools. The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act would require all medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to r… Continue Reading
04.06.17
Durbin Statement on U.S. Missile Strikes in Syria
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: My preliminary briefing by the White House indicated that this was a measured response to the Syrian nerve gas atrocity. Any further action will require close scrutiny by Congress, and any escalation beyond airstrikes or missile strikes will require engaging the American people in that decision.… Continue Reading