Press Releases
Durbin Questions President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi, On Whether She Accepts The 2020 Elections Results, If She Will Be Loyal To The Constitution Over Trump
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States, during her nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Ms. Bondi about the 2020 election results. “Most Americans believe that central to the peaceful transition of power in a democracy is the acceptance of the results of an election. To my knowledge, Donald Trump has never acknowledged … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Key Quotes: “The importance of the Attorney General to our justice system cannot be overstated. As our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General oversees the Department of Justice, … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi's Extensive Lobbying For Wealthy Special Interest And Foreign Governments Poses Serious Conflicts Of Interest
Pam Bondi is a registered lobbyist with the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners and has represented wealthy special interests and foreign governments, presenting serious potential conflicts of interest if she is confirmed as Attorney General. When presenting information to the Committee, Pam Bondi only listed two potential conflicts of interest: her work for America First Policy Institute and her brother’s legal practice. Bondi failed to identify every single one of these as … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Election Denier Pam Bondi Won't Protect Our Sacred Right To Vote
WATCH: Pam Bondi Peddling 2020 Election Lies, Falsely Declares Pennsylvania for Trump Bondi: “We are not going anywhere until they declare we won Pennsylvania… we are thrilled to have won Pennsylvania.” Pam Bondi passed Donald Trump’s loyalty test in plenty of ways, including her early and active role in promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election. She put loyalty to Donald Trump before the Constitution in 2020, and she gives us no reason to believe she won’t do the same in the … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Loyalty Above All Else: Pam Bondi Passed Donald Trump's Loyalty Test To Weaponize the Justice Department
WATCH: Pam Bondi Calls for Prosecution of Political Enemies Bondi: “The prosecutors will be prosecuted… the investigators will be investigated.” Donald Trump values one thing above all else in an Attorney General: loyalty. He said so himself at the swearing-in of his first Attorney General, and his actions prove his words. Trump fired Jeff Sessions when he refused to oversee the Mueller investigation, turning to staunch loyalist Bill Barr as his second Attorney General. Barr did his best to … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin, Grassley, Tillis Meet With NATO Ambassadors To Discuss Increased Russian Aggression
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) met with ambassadors to the U.S. from various NATO partner countries. During the meeting, they discussed the increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance as … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin, Senators File Amendment To Protect Dreamers In The Laken Riley Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead author of the Dream Act, today filed two amendments to the Laken Riley Actto protect Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients and individuals eligible for DACA. Durbin’s first amendment would exempt Dreamers, including DACA recipients and individuals eligible for DACA, from the Laken Riley Act’s mandatory detention scheme. Joining Durbin on … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin Pays Tribute To President Biden For His Service To The Nation
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today paid tribute to President Joe Biden for his service to our nation as the Biden-Harris administration comes to a close. “Over the decades I have known President Joe Biden, he has proven to be one of the finest public servants America has seen. Coming from humble beginnings, he worked hard and put himself in positions to give back to this nation that has given so much to him. When it came to making … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin Urges OPM To Approve Special Pay Rate For BOP Employees To Address Critical Staffing Shortages At BOP Facilities Nationwide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Rob Shriver, Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to request that OPM approve the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) recently-transmitted special pay rate request for critical employees nationwide. “I write to request that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) act swiftly to approve the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) recently … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin Statement On Former Special Counsel Jack Smith's Report On Trump's Interference In The 2020 Election
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on then-President Trump’s efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election and the certification of the Electoral College vote held on January 6, 2021: “The former Special Counsel’s report shows the American people just how close we came to a … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Durbin Outlines Concerns With The Laken Riley Act On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor outlining his concerns with the Laken Riley Act, legislation the Senate is considering this week. “The loss of a child is something no parent should have to endure. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Laken Riley. By every measure, [she was] an outstanding young woman. We should do everything possible to make sure this type of tragedy never … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Durbin Outlines Concerns Regarding Pam Bondi, Trump's Attorney General Pick, Ahead Of Nomination Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of this week’s nomination hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s Attorney General pick, Pam Bondi. The speech follows a meeting between Durbin and Bondi last week. Durbin began by underscoring the importance of the Attorney General’s role to the daily lives of the American people, saying: “The significance of the Attorney General cannot be … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Durbin Statement On Meeting With President-Elect Trump's Secretary Of State Pick, Senator Marco Rubio
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after meeting with Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s intended nominee to be U.S. Secretary of State: “Senator Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate to move forward with legislation regarding human rights around the world, the continued threat of China, and the recent sham election in Venezuela. We also … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Urge Attorney General Garland To Preserve All Materials From Trump Investigations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to preserve all existing and future materials related to former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Donald Trump and investigations conducted by Congress. The request is particularly timely, given decisions by Judge Aileen Cannon to temporarily block Special Counsel Smith’s report, … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Durbin, Shaheen Applaud DHS, State Department To Grant Romania Eligibility In The U.S. Visa Waiver Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, today applauded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State for the agencies’ decision to designate Romania as a participating country in the U.S. visa waiver program. The decision comes after the Senators introduced legislation in March 2023 that would have … Continue Reading
January 10, 2025
Durbin Celebrates Federal Funding Agreement For CTA's Red Line Extension Project
CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined local transportation leaders in a signing ceremony for the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension (RLE) Project federal funding agreement, which pledges more than $1.9 billion for the project. The RLE project will extend the CTA’s Red Line by 5.5 miles, from 95th Street to 130th Street, and add four new ADA accessible stations. The project includes connections that will have bus, bike, pedestrian, and park … Continue Reading
January 10, 2025
Durbin Requests Crucial, Outstanding Information From DOJ, National Archives On Presidential-Elect Trump's Attorney General Pick, Pam Bondi
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requesting records relevant to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s consideration of the nomination of President-elect Trump’s presumptive nominee to be Attorney General, Pam Bondi. From January 2019 through November 2019, and again from January 2020 to present, Ms. Bondi … Continue Reading
January 10, 2025
Durbin Joins Blumenthal, Smith, & Booker To Call Out FDA For Proposed Cuts To State & Local Food Safety Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in writing to Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking an explanation regarding the agency’s plans to significantly reduce funding for state and local food safety programs. These programs perform a majority of food inspections reported by FDA, including processing facility inspections, … Continue Reading
January 10, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More THan $115 Million In Federal Funding For Illinois Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $115,674,140 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for six Illinois projects, ranging from accessibility upgrades to rail infrastructure and pedestrian safety. “Investments in rebuilding and modernizing Illinois’ infrastructure are critical to improving … Continue Reading
January 10, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $105 Million In Federal Funding For Rail Improvements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $105,877,100 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding for six Illinois-based transportation projects, ranging from safety upgrades to improving mobility and constructing pedestrian crossings. “Today’s funding is a major investment in Illinois’ future. Our state’s communities will be safer and better connected because … Continue Reading