Durbin Files Dream Act Amendment to the National Security Supplemental

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced on the Senate floor that he has filed the Dream Act as an amendment to the National Security Supplemental.  The legislation would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence.  These young people, known as Dreamers, have lived in America since they were children… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard Major General Richard Neely to discuss continued opportunities and support for our Illinois National Guard.  Durbin and General Neely spoke about the Air Force’s September selection of Peoria’s 182nd Airlift Wing as a basing location for new C-130J aircraft and Durbin’s successful effort to secure $350 million in Fiscal Year 2023 funding for 12 new MQ-1C Gray eagle aircraft fo… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls Out Senate Republicans for Abandoning Border Deal, Delaying Aid to Ukraine at Trump's Whim

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech emphasizing the necessity of delivering aid to Ukraine as it continues to fend off attacks from Vladimir Putin.  Durbin’s speech comes after nearly 20 Republican Senators supported a procedural vote to consider a national security supplemental that provides urgently-needed security and humanitarian assista… Continue Reading

Alongside Biden Administration, Durbin, Van Hollen Announce National Security Memorandum to Ensure U.S. Security Assistance is Used in Line with International Law

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced alongside the Biden Administration a new National Security Memorandum (NSM) aimed at ensuring all U.S. security assistance is used in line with international law, including international humanitarian law.  The NSM—which Durbin and Van Hollen worked closely with the Administration to develop following the release of his amendment—will for the first time require that, prior to the tr… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Report from Special Counsel Hur on Classified Documents

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report following his investigation into the reported discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. and the Bidens’ personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware: “I appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by Special Counsel Hur, a former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney. This investigation e… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Booker, Colleagues to Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Improve Clearance Rates for Homicides and Gun Violence

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), also members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to reintroduce the bipartisan Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act (VICTIM Act), a bill to help improve the clearance rate for murders and violent gun crimes. The legislation would establish a grant program at the Department … Continue Reading

Durbin Leads 17 Senators in Urging President Biden to Act Swiftly to Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led 17 Senate Democrats in a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to act swiftly to finally close the detention facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.  In their letter, the Senators wrote that as a symbol of lawlessness and human rights abuses, the detention facility continues to harm U.S. national security by serving as a propaganda tool for America’s enemies and hindering… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Nominee for the Northern District of Illinois and Other District Court Nominees at Latest Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Amir Ali, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia; Judge Sunil Harjani, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jasmine Yoon, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia.  Durbin began his questions by asking Mr. Ali about his work that bridges… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations

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 Amir Ali, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia; Judge Melissa DuBose, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Rhode Island; Judge Sunil Harjani, nominated to be U.S. District Judge forthe Northern District of Illinois; Robert White, nominated to be U.S. D… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Improving Infrastructure With Illinois Transportation Secretary

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Omer Osman to discuss improving infrastructure in the state.  During their meeting, Durbin and Secretary Osman spoke about the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP), Amtrak’s portfolio of projects to improve Midwest rail via Chicago Union Station (CUS), for which Durbin has repeatedly urged the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to consider for federal grants.  … Continue Reading

Durbin, Young Introduce Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) today introduced their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, legislation that extends funding forpublic health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability, and increase quality of life for the two-and-a-half million Americans living with congenital heart disease (CHD).  Heart defects are the deadliest … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Republicans Voting Against Procedural Motion on the Bipartisan National Security Supplemental & Border Security Deal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after enough Republicans voted against a procedural motion on the bipartisan national security supplemental and border security deal: “I’m profoundly disappointed.  We have a problem facing our nation at the border.  Republicans challenged us to address it and Democrats worked in good faith to find a bipartisan solut… Continue Reading

Durbin Slams Republicans on their Inability to Support Meaningful Immigration Reform, Address Urgent National Security Needs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning his Republican colleagues for their failure to help secure the border and provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan to meet urgent national security and humanitarian needs.  Durbin began his speech by highlighting the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental agreement that was announc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Great Lakes Lawmakers to Introduce Legislation to Extend Great Lakes Protections

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), both members of the Great Lakes Task Force, joined U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) and additional Great Lakes lawmakers in introducing the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024, which extends the critical program for another five years through 2031, and increases annual funding levels from $475 million in 2026 to $500 million from 2027 through 2… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on GAO Report on BOP's Continued Failure to Eliminate Overuse of Solitary Confinement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report on the Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) use of solitary confinement, also known as restrictive housing, in federal facilities, which Durbin requested: “Solitary confinement must be a last resort, limited to the briefest term and under the least restrictive conditions possible.  We know the overuse of… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Talk Accessibility of Higher ED, Job Training Programs with Illinois Higher Education Leaders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with the leaders and members of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) and the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 58 Illinois private, nonprofit colleges across the state.  During the meetings, Durbin and Duckworth advocated for doubling the maximum Pell Grant and supporting other federal student aid programs to hel… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces U.S. Service Academy Nominations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the names of 43 individuals whom he has nominated to attend four of the nation’s service academies for the upcoming school year. “Each year, I have the privilege to nominate some of Illinois’ best and brightest young leaders to our nation’s esteemed service academies,” said Durbin. “I know that they will make their families—and our nation—proud as they continue their education and serve our country.” The academies include U.S. Militar… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Director of Illinois State Police Brendan Kelly

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan Kelly and Illinois Drug Enforcement Officers Association (IDEOA) board members.  Durbin and the group discussed the importance of continued federal funding for initiatives related to the intersection of drugs, guns, and human trafficking, including funding for the Byrne-JAG federal grant program, which supports state and local drug enforc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cartwright, Nunn Introduce Legislation to Streamline Collection of Educator Workforce Data

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) today introduced bicameral and bipartisan legislation to collect demographic data on public school teachers and principals to improve the accuracy of educator workforce data.  The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would establish a permanent, national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level to assist in recruitment an… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Floor Speech on the Bipartisan Agreement on the National Security Supplemental and Border Security

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan agreement on the national security supplemental and border security.  During his speech, Durbin praised the inclusion of critical aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan to meet their urgent national security and humanitarian needs.  During his speech, Durbin condemned Republicans’ dema… Continue Reading