Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Foreign Policy
Durbin Hosts Briefing for Filipino Community in the Wake of Typhoon Haiyan
[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a briefing for members of Chicago's Filipino community on the U.S. relief efforts in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Durbin was joined by Nancy Lindborg, USAID's Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance-who recently returned from the Philippines-and Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Consulate General of the Philippines. "The United States has played a key role in the relief efforts as the Philippines re… Continue Reading
11.20.13
Durbin Calls for Temporary Protected Status for Filipino Nationals in the Wake of Typhoon Haiyan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to request Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible Filipino nationals in the United States whose visas are set to expire. The U.S. has granted TPS for other nations following similar natural disasters. "Providing TPS is critical to humanitarian relief efforts as it both protects individuals who would be enda… Continue Reading
11.15.13
Senate Passes Durbin Co-Sponsored Resolution in Support of Victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced Senate passage of a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that expresses support for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and the surrounding region. "The humanitarian crisis caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan has left hundreds of thousands of people in need of the basics that we often take for granted: food, water, shelter," Durbin said. "The U.S. will con… Continue Reading
11.10.13
Durbin Statement on Super Typhoon Haiyan
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today regarding the situation in the Philippines in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan: "The images of the damage caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines are harrowing. The loss of life is devastating and the humanitarian crisis resulting from the storm will bring challenging days ahead. Secretary of State John Kerry has directed our embassies in the region to be in contact with the Philippine governmen… Continue Reading
11.05.13
Durbin Introduces Kirk & Duckworth at Senate Committee Hearing on Disability Rights Treaty
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced two members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation - U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) - prior to their testimony before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Today, both Kirk - who suffered a life-threatening ischemic stroke last year - and Duckworth - who was injured while serving in the Illinois Army … Continue Reading
09.03.13
Durbin Discusses Potential Military Action in Syria at Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to debate the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Syria. During today's hearing, Durbin questioned Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey regarding Syria's capacity for chemical warfare, and the regional response to the ongoing conflict. This morning, Senator Durbin, the Assistant Ma… Continue Reading
07.24.13
Durbin Chairs Hearing on Closing the Prison at Guantanamo Bay
[WASHINGTON, DC] Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today chaired a hearing to examine the national security, fiscal and human rights implications of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The hearing was the first on this issue in the Senate since 2009 and comes two months after President Obama's May 23rd national security speech, in which he announced new steps towards the closure of Guantanamo. "The President's authority to close Guantanamo Bay has been limited by Congre… Continue Reading
07.24.13
Durbin Statement on US District Court Decision Regarding Conflict Minerals
Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the US District Court in Washington DC threw out a challenge to the Security and Exchange Commission's conflict minerals regulations. The regulations would require companies that use key minerals mined in Congo to disclose such usage as part of their Securities and Exchange Commission filings, as well as what measures, if any, they are taking to ensure that they are not purchasing mineral… Continue Reading
06.25.13
Durbin, Boozman, and Coons Bill to Increase US Exports to Africa Passes Committee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A day before President Obama is set to begin a weeklong trip to Africa to promote American business and trade, a bill to create American jobs and dramatically increase the number of U.S. exports to the continent was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today and sent to the full Senate for consideration. The bill, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Boozman (R-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE), aims to improve America's competiveness throughout the con… Continue Reading
06.18.13
Durbin Calls for the Release of Former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
[Washington, D.C.] Assistant Senate Majority Leader and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), called for the release of Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, in light of the European Court of Human Rights recent decision on her case. In 2011, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly abusing her power in the awarding of a natural gas contract. Numerous political and human rights groups have called the charges politically motivate… Continue Reading
06.06.13
Durbin Statement on NSA Phone Tracking and the Patriot Act
Washington, D.C. - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after it was reported that the National Security Agency secretly obtained phone records of Verizon calls made by innocent Americans in the United States. "For over a decade, we've debated how best to protect America from terrorism while preserving the most basic constitutional rights," Durbin said. "Today's revelation is disturbing, but it should not be surprising. I have tried to reform th… Continue Reading
06.04.13
Durbin Meets with Polish Foreign Minister to Discuss Visa Waiver Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Polish Foreign Minister Rados?aw Sikorski and members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss continued U.S. - Polish economic and military ties, as well as the possible inclusion of Poland in the Visa Waiver Program. "After working for years to allow Poland to qualify for the Visa Waiver Entry Program, I made sure this provision was part of the comprehensive immigration reform bill scheduled to come before the Se… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Announcement of USAID's First-ever Global Water and Development Strategy
This is an historic day in the long fight against global poverty and disease and conflict - a fight that my visionary predecessor Senator Paul Simon started long before I joined this institution. In the 111th Congress, Senator Corker and I introduced the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act in the Senate. Congressman Blumenauer introduced the same bill in the House. The legislation passed the full Senate in late 2010 with broad bipartisan support. While it did not pass in the H… Continue Reading
11.30.12
Durbin, Coons Amendment on Congolese Violence Passes Senate
[Washington, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin's (D-IL) and Senator Chris Coons' (D-DE) amendment dealing with the terrible violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) unanimously passed the Senate late yesterday and was included in the National Defense Authorization Act, a measure expected to pass next week. The amendment imposes an asset freeze and visa ban on persons deemed to be providing support to the M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Last week, the re… Continue Reading
09.13.12
Durbin Announces His Support for Poland's Entry into the Visa Waiver Program While Chairing Hearing on Nominee for Ambassador to Poland
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today on the nomination of Ambassador Stephen Mull to be the new U.S. Ambassador to Poland. During the question and answer portion of the hearing, Durbin announced that he will support legislation that would allow Poland to join the Visa Waiver Program. A photo from today's hearing is available here. "I have the distinct pleasure of representing Illinois, where Chicago is o… Continue Reading
09.12.12
Durbin Statement on U.S. Embassy Attachs and the Death of Ambassador Stevens, Foreign Service Officers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today after the attacks on the US Embassies in Egypt and Libya and the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and US Foreign Service Officers. "Today we mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith and two other American diplomats who were killed in an attack on our Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. I condemn in the s… Continue Reading
06.27.12
Durbin, Kirk Resolution Commending Rotary Internation for Polio Eradication Efforts Passes the U,S, Senate Unanimously
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The United States Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) commending Rotary International and other organizations for their efforts to prevent and eradicate polio around the world. The resolution, S. Res. 473, encourages the international community to remain committed to the effort to fully eliminate polio worldwide. Polio was successfully eradicated from India in January, 2011, and is currently … Continue Reading
05.30.12
Durbin's Statement on the Situation in Syria
[ISTANBUL, TURKEY] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today on the situation in Syria. Durbin made the statement from Turkey after visiting a Syrian refugee camp on the Turkish-Syrian border and meeting with Syrian opposition leaders in Istanbul: "I met with Syrian refugees in a camp in Southern Turkey where more than half of the camp's ten thousand refugees were women and children. It was a grim reminder of the human toll of the brutality of Bashar … Continue Reading
05.29.12
Durbin Travels to Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) is on a week-long trip to Eastern Europe, Anatolia and the Caucuses where he will hold high-level meetings on regional political dynamics and security issues. Durbin first traveled to Kiev, for meetings with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryschenko to discuss the current political situation in Ukraine and the status of US-Ukraine relations. Durbin also meet … Continue Reading
03.30.12
Durbin, Kirk Baha'i Resolution Passes in the U.S. Senate by Unanimous Consent
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The United States Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) condemning the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority. The resolution, S. Res. 80, demands the Government of Iran uphold the rights of all Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha'i faith. A House companion, H. Res. 134, introduced by Representatives Robert Dold (R-IL), Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Brad … Continue Reading