Durbin Questions Secretary Of State On Crisis In Gaza

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, today participated in a Subcommittee hearing entitled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of State.”  During the hearing, Durbin questioned the witness, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, about President Biden’s decision to suspend specific offensive weapons to Israel that could be u… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Prescription Drug Prices, Competition, And Innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Ensuring Affordable & Accessible Medications: Examining Competition in the Prescription Drug Market.”  The hearing examined prescription drug prices, competition, and innovation, and how to ensure medications are accessible and affordable for American families.  Durbin first questioned Dr. Will Feldman, a Physicia… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $17.8 Million In EPA Grant Funding To Clean And Redevelop Contaminated Illinois Sites

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded 10 grants, totaling $17,833,610, to Illinois communities to assess, clean, and redevelop “brownfield” contaminated waste sites.  Brownfields are properties upon which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse is complicated by the pre… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Prescription Drug Prices, Competition, And Innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee a hearing entitled “Ensuring Affordable & Accessible Medications: Examining Competition in the Prescription Drug Market.” The hearing will examine prescription drug prices, competition, and innovation, and how to ensure medications are accessible and affordable for American families.  Durbin spoke on the Senate floor yest… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Seth Aframe To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The First Circuit

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Mr. Seth Aframe to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Mr. Aframe’s confirmation: “Mr. Aframe is an experienced trial attorney and accomplished appellate practitioner who has over 20 years of legal experience. His significant litigation background and extensive experience in federal court ensure that he will … Continue Reading

Durbin Previews Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Prescription Drug Prices, Competition, And Innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor highlighting tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Ensuring Affordable & Accessible Medications: Examining Competition in the Prescription Drug Market.” The hearing will examine prescription drug prices, competition, and innovation, and how to ensure medications are accessible and affordable for American families.  Durbin began his remarks by r… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls on Justice Alito To Recuse Himself From Cases Related To The 2020 Election After A 'Stop The Steal' Symbol Was Displayed In His Yard

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after a New York Times report that a “Stop the Steal” symbol—an upside-down American flag—was displayed in Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s yard: “Flying an upside-down American flag—a symbol of the so-called ‘Stop the Steal’ movement—clearly creates the appearance of bias.  Justice Alito should recuse himself immediately from cases related to the 2020 election a… Continue Reading

Durbin Receives Commitment From Assistant Secretary Of The Army For Civil Works That The Corps Will Prioritize The Brandon Road Project Partnership Agreement Ahead Of The June 30th Deadline

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, received commitment from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael L. Connor that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) is prioritizing the Project Partnership Agreement in regards to the Brandon Road Project ahead of the June 30 deadline.  Failure to sign a Project Partnership Agreement with the Corps will result in further del… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Military Readiness With Chief of U.S. Air Force Reserves

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Lt. Gen. John Healy, Chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, to discuss military readiness.  Durbin also received an update about Scott Air Force Base’s 932nd Airlift Wing, which Durbin protected from divestment and for which he secured nearly $60 million for aircraft upgrades in recent fiscal years.  The 932nd Airlift Wing trains, equips, and employs C-40C aircra… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Three Bills Supporting Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced three pieces of legislation to support law enforcement. The legislation was advanced in conjunction with National Police Week, which Chair Durbin and Ranking Member Graham introduced a resolution to recognize earlier this week. Since Durbin became Chair, the Committee has now reported fourteen bills unanimously during National Police Week, of which four have been signed into law by President Biden. “Dating back to President Kenned… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Remarks as He Receives the Cancer Research Ally Award

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks after receiving the Cancer Research Ally Award from the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for his support of, and advocacy for, cancer research.  In his remarks, Durbin shared his own family’s history with cancer, speaking about how his father passed at age 53 from lung cancer. Durbin also highlighted the importance of committing to strong and … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association

WASHINGTON – During National Police Week, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), the largest nonpartisan, nonprofit professional association exclusively representing federal law enforcement officers with nearly 800 members in Illinois.  During their meeting, Durbin and FLEOA leaders spoke about improving the recruitment and retention of federal law enforcement officers. Durbi… Continue Reading

Ahead of the Brown v. Board of Education 70th Anniversary, Durbin Reflects on the Progress We've Made and the Work That Remains

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the upcoming 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, in which the Supreme Court unanimously declared the racist legal doctrine of “separate but equal” unconstitutional.  “Today, we celebrate this historic anniversary and how far we have come as a country since the dark days of Jim Crow.  Thankfully, we have made substanti… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Winnebago County Officials To Discuss Local Priorities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Winnebago county officials to discuss federal funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill as well as energy projects important to the region.  They also discussed the $847,000 Durbin secured for Winnebago County in the FY24 budget to purchase equipment for its police training center.  “Our government is at its best when federal, state, and local leaders come together to address the needs of their community,” s… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President Biden's Decision To Withhold Certain Military Assistance From Israel

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded President Biden’s decision to withhold military assistance from Israel that could be used for a full-scale invasion of the city of Rafah. Durbin said, “It is not, as some have characterized, a failure to support Israel in a dangerous region after a genuinely horrific Hamas attack.  And October 7th was such an attack.  It is, instead, a warning from one of the most pro-Israeli U.S. Presidents to … Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Introduce Resolution Recognizing National Police Week

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a resolution designating the week of May 12 through 18, 2024 as National Police Week. The resolution was cosponsored by 74 of their colleagues. “Law enforcement officers put their lives at risk every day to protect our families and communities,” said Durbin. “Police Week is a chance to show officer… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Chinese American Service League

WASHINGTON – During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Paul Luu, CEO of the Chinese American Service League (CASL) in Chicago, to discuss the organization’s involvement with Change InSight, a nationwide partnership with community-based organizations that provide social services to the AAPI community.  Through Change InSight, CASL has helped launch a data hub for AAPI and immigrant communities across six metropoli… Continue Reading

Durbin Praises Russian Dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza for Winning Pulitzer Prize for Writings Criticizing Putin Regime

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech honoring Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition figure who has survived two poisoning attempts by the Kremlin, for earning a Pulitzer Prize for his writings aspiring for a democratic Russia and criticizing Vladimir Putin’s disastrous war in Ukraine.  In his remarks, Durbin spoke with admiration about Kara-Murza’s advocacy for a more democratic fu… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges The Federal Reserve To Hold Banks and Card Networks Accountable & Charge Reasonable Interchange Fees

WASHINGTON – Following the November notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), author of the “Durbin Amendment,” sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, urging the Board to ensure that the biggest banks and card networks fulfill their obligations to charge reasonable and proportional interchange fees—and protect consumers, who… Continue Reading

Durbin Probes Pharmaceutical Company Amgen Over Patient Cost, Side Effects From Dosage Level of Cancer Treatment

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Robert Bradway, CEO of Amgen, regarding the pharmaceutical company’s decision to sell the oncology drug, Lumakras (sotorasib), at a 960 mg dosage despite a post-marketing study required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showing that the medication has comparable efficacy, with less intense side effects, when taken at a much lower 240 mg dose.  In his letter, Durbin questioned whether Amgen has been engaged i… Continue Reading