Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin Statement On Verdict In Ahmaud Arbery Trial
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the verdict in the trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery: "I hope today's verdict can provide some small solace to Ahmaud Arbery's family and friends, but the cold truth is that Mr. Arbery will never have a chance to marry, raise children, or grow old. These murderers carried out a modern-day lynching that snuffed out a promising young life and then wal… Continue Reading
11.23.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $11 Million In DOJ Awards For Illinois To Advance Community Policing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois law enforcement agencies will receive a total of $11,076,506 in funding from the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to hire 80 new full-time law enforcement professionals, including 50 in Chicago. This funding is part of a nationwide announcement of $139 million in COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grants to 183 agencies across the nation. "These federal gra… Continue Reading
11.22.21
Durbin, Feinstein, Grassley Press Inspector General, FBI To Act On Larry Nassar Case
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law; and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a bipartisan group of Senators seeking additional scrutiny of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) approach to child sex abuse cases following its dereliction of duty in the Larry Nassar case. The Senator… Continue Reading
11.17.21
Durbin Questions District Court Nominees In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned district court nominees at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Bridget Meehan Brennan, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; John H. Chun, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; Charles Esque Fleming, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; and David Augustin … Continue Reading
11.16.21
Senate Confirms Jonathan Kanter As Assistant Attorney General At DOJ Antitrust Division
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jonathan Kanter to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division by a vote of 68-29. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Kanter's confirmation: "Mr. Kanter is a distinguished antitrust lawyer with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. He is a highly influential advocate for strong and meaning… Continue Reading
11.16.21
Durbin, Leahy, Brown, Malinowski Urge President Of Turkmenistan To Release Country's Political Prisoners
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7), today sent a letter to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to urge him to release detained political prisoners, including journalist Nurgeldi Halykov, physician Dr. Khursanai Ismatullaeva, and activist Gulgeldy Annaniyazov. "We write with interest as Turkmenistan pursues an ambitious agenda… Continue Reading
11.16.21
Durbin: It Is Time For New Leadership At The Bureau Of Prisons
WASHINGTON - Following release of a report by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) that found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has failed to negotiate with the prison guard union for more than 20 months, leading to the delay of more than 30 critical BOP policies to help protect BOP staff and inmates, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reiterated his call for Attorney General Merrick Garland to replace BOP Directo… Continue Reading
11.16.21
Durbin Questions Secretary Mayorkas In Senate Judiciary Committee DHS Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the Senate Judiciary Committee DHS oversight hearing. Durbin asked Secretary Mayorkas what the status is of the children who are still separated from their parents due to former President Trump's immoral and inhumane zero-tolerance policy. "President Biden's Interagency Task Force on the Reunification… Continue Reading
11.16.21
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing DHS Oversight 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 oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Durbin spoke about the chaos that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas inherited after four years of the Trump Administration, as well as Congress' responsibility to fix our nation's broken immigration system. He continued to push DHS to do more to thwart domest… Continue Reading
11.16.21
Durbin Calls On AG Garland To Dismiss BOP Director Carvajal
WASHINGTON - Following an Associated Press investigation that found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a "hotbed of abuse, graft and corruption, and has turned a blind eye to employees accused of misconduct," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to replace BOP Director Michael Carvajal, who was appointed during the Trump Administration: "Director Carva… Continue Reading
11.15.21
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Nomination Of LaDon Reynolds To Serve As U.S. Marshal For The Northern District Of Illinois
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 on President Biden nominating LaDon Reynolds to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois: "We applaud President Biden for nominating a seasoned law enforcement veteran in LaDon Reynolds to serve in this important role. Since 1994, Chief Reynolds has held several high-ranking positions for the Oak … Continue Reading
11.10.21
Durbin, Senate, And House Dems Object To Johnson & Johnson Bankruptcy Maneuver, Demand Answers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12) and Chair of the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), today sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson objecting to the company's efforts to manipulate bankruptcy laws to evade accountability… Continue Reading
11.04.21
Durbin, Cassidy File NDAA Amendment To Ensure Greater Transparency For Third-Party Sellers Of Consumer Products Online
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ensuring transparency of high-volume third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. The amendment consists of the text of H.R. 5502, which represents the most recent negotiated version of The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces fo… Continue Reading
11.03.21
Ahead Of Discharge Vote, Durbin Urges Colleagues To Support Nomination Of Jennifer Sung To The Ninth Circuit
WASHINGTON - Ahead of her discharge vote on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke in support of the nomination of Jennifer Sung to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted Ms. Sung's extensive experience. Ms. Sung received a 10-10 vote to advance out of Committee. Under the provisions of S. Res. 27, Leader Schumer had to file a discharge motion on Ms. Sung's n… Continue Reading
11.03.21
Durbin Statement On Republican Filibuster Of John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement 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 filibustered a procedural vote to move to consideration of the bipartisan John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: "Four times this year, Republican Senators have used the filibuster to prevent this Senate from even debating voting rights. What has become of the Party of Lincoln? The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is f… Continue Reading
11.03.21
Durbin Questions Judge Sanchez, Nominated To Ninth Circuit, In Judiciary Committee 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, asked Judge Gabriel Sanchez, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, to describe his approach to judicial decision-making and how he will continue to be impartial and rule evenhandedly in all cases that come before him. "When cases come before you… what standard will you use?" Durbin asked. J… Continue Reading
11.03.21
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Latest Circuit & 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 Gabriel P. Sanchez, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Samantha D. Elliott, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Hampshire; Linda Lopez, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; Katherine Marie Menendez, to be United Sta… Continue Reading
11.02.21
Durbin, Leahy, Murkowski, Manchin Announce Bipartisan Compromise On John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today released a bipartisan compromise on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This proposal - which builds on the version introduced earlier in October - reflects months of bipartisan negotiations and seeks to garner broader support in the Senate. Durbin, Leahy, Murkowski, and Manchin are committe… Continue Reading
11.02.21
Durbin Questions Witnesses In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Cleaning Up Online Marketplaces
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, "Cleaning Up Online Marketplaces: Protecting Against Stolen, Counterfeit, and Unsafe Goods." Durbin asked Aaron Muderick, Founder and President of Crazy Aaron's, whether he continues to deal with counterfeit and knock-off versions of his products on online marketplaces. "You said one of your employees was spending 15 t… Continue Reading
11.02.21
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement in Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Cleaning Up Online Marketplaces
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 entitled, "Cleaning Up Online Marketplaces: Protecting Against Stolen, Counterfeit, and Unsafe Goods." Durbin spoke about the massive amounts of illicit and dangerous consumer products sold by third party sellers that operate with inadequate transparency and oversight on online marketplaces like Amazon. Durbin discussed… Continue Reading