Press Releases
Durbin: One Way To Help The NATO Alliance Is To Pass An Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on Senate Republicans to pass the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget to strengthen our alliance with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As Russian aggression toward Ukraine and others in the region continues to escalate, Durbin reiterated that it is essential to support NATO and surrounding Baltic democracies. "There is one guiding principle … Continue Reading
February 02, 2022
On Senate Floor, Durbin Announces Support For Biden FDA Commissioner Nominee, But Urges Immediate Action On Vaping Epidemic
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced his support for President Biden's pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Robert Califf. In offering his endorsement, Durbin emphasized that, if confirmed, Dr. Califf must rectify mistakes of past leaders and ensure that FDA takes immediate action to crack down on e-cigarette companies-and their Big Tobacco partners-in order to protect the public health, especially our … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $513 Million In American Rescue Plan Funds For Metra
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $513.6 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding awarded to Metra by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to help the transit agency continue to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Public transit agencies were hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why we worked to include this funding in the American Rescue Plan last year," Durbin said. "This federal support will … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $513 Million In American Rescue Plan Funds For Metra
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $513.6 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding awarded to Metra by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to help the transit agency continue to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Public transit agencies were hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why we worked to include this funding in the American Rescue Plan last year," Durbin said. "This federal support will … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Urge DOJ To Share Update On Civil Rights Investigation Into Murder Of Laquan McDonald
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 sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to provide a status update on the federal investigation into the 2014 murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by former police officer Jason Van Dyke. The joint federal and state investigation into the shooting was announced in April 2015, but DOJ has declined to … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Latest District Court Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Kenly Kiya Kato, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California; Jennifer Louise Rochon, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; and Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California. … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
King, Klobuchar, Durbin Share Discussion Draft To Modernize Electoral Count Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) released a discussion draft of their legislation, the Electoral Count Modernization Act, which would update the Electoral Count Act of 1887. In response to the threats to our democracy since the 2020 Presidential election, this legislation seeks to establish clear, consistent, and fair procedures for … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
King, Klobuchar, Durbin Share Discussion Draft To Modernize Electoral Count Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) released a discussion draft of their legislation, the Electoral Count Modernization Act, which would update the Electoral Count Act of 1887. In response to the threats to our democracy since the 2020 Presidential election, this legislation seeks to establish clear, consistent, and fair procedures for … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Durbin To Biden Administration: Push Every Possible Lever To Secure The Safe And Urgent Release Of Mark Frerichs
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reiterated that the United States must do whatever it can to bring home Mark Frerichs, originally from Illinois and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, who was abducted in Afghanistan two years ago. At the time, Mr. Frerichs was working as a civil engineer and for a decade, he had been leading construction projects to benefit the Afghan people. "Two years ago Mark Frerichs, a veteran of the United … Continue Reading
January 31, 2022
Durbin Honors Justice Stephen Breyer On The Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today honored Justice Stephen Breyer on the Senate floor following his announcement that he will retire at the end of this Supreme Court term. "In his nearly three decades on the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer has… ensured the law is a force for good, a force for unity, and a force for freedom and equality," Durbin said. "Justice Breyer's record when it came to the Supreme … Continue Reading
January 31, 2022
Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Resolution To Celebrate 100 Years Of Diplomatic Relations Between United States And 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, led 17 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations with the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) amid increasing Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. "This … Continue Reading
January 28, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos' Protecting Roadside First Responders Act Provisions Included In National Roadway Safety Strategy
WASHINGTON - This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the federal government's comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) - a roadmap for addressing the national crisis in roadway fatalities and serious injuries - will include key provisions from the Protecting Roadside First Responders Act. Authored by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), the Protecting Roadside … Continue Reading
January 27, 2022
Durbin, Lightfoot, Members Of Delegation Highlight How Infrastructure Bill Will Benefit Chicago's Shoreline And Lake Michigan
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, along with U.S. Representatives Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), and Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today joined state, local, and environmental leaders at the Shedd Aquarium to discuss how new federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help protect Lake Michigan and Chicago's shoreline. The funding, allocated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers … Continue Reading
January 26, 2022
Durbin Presses Department Of Transportation, Auto Industry To Take Coordinated Action To Address Carjackings
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is pressing the Biden Administration, vehicle manufacturers, and law enforcement groups to work together to prevent and respond to the recent surge in carjackings. In two letters sent to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Durbin urged the development of uniform standards for swift law enforcement access to vehicle location tracking data in … Continue Reading
January 26, 2022
Durbin Statement On Retirement Of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after reports that Justice Stephen Breyer plans to announce his retirement from the Supreme Court: "I thank Justice Breyer for his decades serving the Court and the nation. He has been a trusted voice on the bench with a first-rate legal mind. "With this Supreme Court vacancy, President Biden has the opportunity to nominate someone who will bring … Continue Reading
January 26, 2022
Durbin Highlights New Funding Available For Illinois Rural EMS Agencies
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today encouraged rural communities in Illinois to apply for a new grant opportunity to support fire and emergency medical services (EMS). The funding, created through Durbin's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act, supports EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment-for everything from naloxone and personal protective equipment (PPE), to power stretchers or new … Continue Reading
January 25, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Urge Treasury To Provide Additional Federal Rent Relief To Keep Most Vulnerable Americans Housed
WASHINGTON- As our country continues to face the impacts of the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in leading a group of Senators in calling on the Treasury Department to reallocate federal rent relief funding to communities most in need. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the Senators requested new guidelines for the distribution of reallocated Emergency … Continue Reading
January 24, 2022
In Letter To Illinois Health Providers, Durbin Highlights American Rescue Plan Funding For Health Care Workers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) this week sent a letter to Illinois health care providers, clinics and hospitals, and schools of medicine, nursing, and dentistry urging them to publicize the availability of an historic $1 billion in National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps scholarship and loan repayment funding for health care workers. The funding, which Durbin helped secure, was set aside in the American Rescue Plan to remedy health workforce shortages in … Continue Reading
January 21, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth Announce New Upcoming Funding Opportunities For Infrastructure Improvements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced 25 upcoming infrastructure grant opportunities for local governments as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Local governments throughout Illinois will be able to apply for funding to improve roads, bridges, public transit, water infrastructure, broadband access, and more. In addition to these grant opportunities, Illinois will receive more than $17 billion in dedicated funding as … Continue Reading
January 21, 2022
Durbin, Senators Urge Department Of Interior To Protect Lands By Designing Wilderness Study Areas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in sending a letter to Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland urging her to use her authority under the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) to provide protections for lands that demonstrate wilderness characteristics as Wilderness Study Areas. Designating these areas as … Continue Reading