Durbin: Systemic Racism Plagues Our Nation & Criminal Justice System

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Police Use of Force and Community Relations," U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) pushed back against Senator John Cornyn's (R-TX) argument that systemic racism does not exist in our nation's justice system. "If you take a look at our system of justice and start with the premise that when it comes to drug users there is an equal percentage of White and Black drug users. Now you look at the number arrested for t… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump's Policing Reform Executive Order

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump's policing reform executive order: "When America cries out for meaningful, historic police reform, President Trump's executive order is modest at best. Congressional Democrats have introduced bold, comprehensive legislation to hold police accountable for misconduct and change the culture of law enforcement. We need real … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Booker To Press For Vote On Justice In Policing Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) on the Senate floor to press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the floor for a vote. The legislation proposes a comprehensive approach to hold police accountable for misconduct, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities. "In my home state, I've been to several rallies in the City… Continue Reading

Durbin To McConnell: Stop Holding Up COVID-19 Relief For Corporation Lawsuit Immunity

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the importance of helping unemployed and uninsured Americans, hospitals, and state and local governments amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and slammed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's delay in passing a bill to give critical assistance to people in need. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin criticized McConnell's refusal to pass an additional COVID-19 relief bill unless corporations receive federal liability immu… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2 Million In Telehealth Funding For Illinois Health Care Providers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that seven Illinois health care providers have been awarded a total of $2,077,152 in federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "This federal funding will all… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Illinois Community Colleges To Partner With State & Local Health Departments To Recruit And Train COVID-19 Contact Tracers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Illinois community college presidents urging them to partner with the State of Illinois and local health departments to recruit and organize training courses for COVID-19 contact tracers. In the letter, Durbin encourages college presidents to help meet the need to ensure that training courses are offered by reputable institutions rather than by predatory for-profit colleges that could exploit Illinois students with over-priced a… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Ruling On LGBTQ Workplace Discrimination Cases

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled that the sex discrimination prohibition in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits firing an individual merely on the basis of that individual's sexual orientation or gender identity: "Today's Supreme Court ruling affirms what we know to be right: that an employer cannot fire someone for simply being gay or transgender in America. As … Continue Reading

In New Video, Durbin Speaks With Georgetown Law Professor & Longtime DOJ Civil Rights Attorney On Systemic Racism & Justice In Policing Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke with Professor Christy Lopez of Georgetown Law about the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, changing the culture of law enforcement, and building trust between law enforcement and our communities. Professor Lopez was a longtime U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division career attorney who led the Ferguson policing investigation and was also involved in the Chicago Police Dep… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Pressing For Expanded Access To Affordable Health Care In Any Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Bill

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading 33 of their Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming COVID-19 relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to ensure that people w… Continue Reading

Durbin Amendments to Subpoena Relevant Witnesses in Crossfire Hurricane Investigation Blocked by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee markup of a Republican resolution to authorize Chairman Graham to subpoena 53 named individuals for testimony regarding the Mueller investigation and FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) offered amendments authorizing and directing that subpoenas be issued to six other individuals with highly relevant knowledge about the contacts in 2016 between the Trump Campaign and Russia that were the pr… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses State And Local Government Pandemic Relief With Illinois Civic Federation Trustees

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Civic Federation Trustees, which include business, education, and other civic leaders in Illinois, about the financial strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on state and local governments. On the call, Durbin discussed his push to increase funding for state and local governments, to ensure funding is distributed to all localities regardless of size, and to provide increased flexibility for the use of these funds to replace lost… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth To Senate Leaders: Protect Health, Safety, And Financial Security Of Illinois' Essential Workers In Next COVID-19 Relief Bil

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include additional support for the essential workers in Illinois and across the country to effectively protect the health, safety, and financial security of workers in the short term, and ensure that they are in the strongest position possible as the economy recovers. In a letter to the Senate leaders, Durbin and D… Continue Reading

Durbin Speaks With Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ILCADV) about resources for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin also discussed his support for provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act, including funding for Violence Against Women Act grant programs and financial assistance for emergency shelters and services for survivors and their children through … Continue Reading

With Supreme Court Set To Rule On DACA Any Day, Durbin Calls On Senate To Protect Dreamers

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on Senate Republicans to support the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers a… Continue Reading

Durbin: Health Heroes Act Can Address Health Care Workforce Shortages To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about his Health Heroes 2020 Act (S.3634), bicameral legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs to cover graduate education costs for more than 300,000 clinicians in order to help address existing health workforce shortages throughout our health care system. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing health workforce shortages, while simultaneously … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Senator McConnell To Bring Justice In Policing Act To Floor For A Vote

WASHINGTON - On the day of George Floyd's burial service, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the floor for a vote. The legislation proposes a comprehensive approach to hold police accountable for misconduct, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also noted that justice in America… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Threat At Federal Prisons With Federal Public And Community Defenders

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Federal Public and Community Defenders, including Thomas Patton, Federal Public Defender for the Central District of Illinois, and John Murphy, Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Illinois, about the failure of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to maintain a safe environment for inmates and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin heard how BOP has failed to reduce the prison populati… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses DOJ To Ensure Online Retail Marketplaces Are Combating Fraud And Price Gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on fraudulent activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is responding to those exploiting the pandemic for financial gain. Durbin asked about efforts to combat COVID-19-related price-gouging and fraud and what the DOJ's COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force (Task Force) is doing to address it. Durbin pressed DOJ's Task Force leader… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $13 Million For Chicago Area Head Start Programs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced more than $13 million in federal funding to help children in the Chicago-area access Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in order to promote the social and economi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Booker, Harris, Colleagues To Introduce Justice In Policing Act Of 2020

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA), and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) to introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities. "We cannot call ourselves a… Continue Reading