Press Releases
Durbin Statement On President-Elect Trump's Intent To Nominate Kash Patel As FBI Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to nominate Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): “We already have a FBI Director, Christopher Wray, and his term does not expire until 2027. President-elect Trump knows this, because he nominated Director Wray in 2017 after he fired the previous … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Join Introduction Of Bicameral Legislation To Expand Protections For Migrant's Essential Personal Belongings
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) in introducing the CBP Guidance on Personal Belongings Act, bicameral legislation to require the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to develop guidance for the handling of personal property of individuals arrested, restrained, or … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Durbin Joins Warren To Renew Push To Support Survivors Of Natural Disasters
Bill Text | Section by Section SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to reintroduce the Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act. This bill would streamline the process for people in communities affected by natural disasters and seeking housing assistance. After devastating natural disasters, like Hurricanes Helene and Milton in late September, survivors can be left with limited options for recovery. The Federal Emergency … Continue Reading
November 22, 2024
Durbin Urges The Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency To Clarify Its Misinterpretation Of Interchange Fees
SPRINGFIELD -U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), author of the “Durbin Amendment,” sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) requesting it to clarify its understanding of interchange fees in light of the OCC’s recent amicus brief filed in Illinois Bankers Association v Raoul. In the letter, Durbin highlights the fact the OCC may be misinterpreting or misstating basic elements of interchange fees, which is particularly troubling given the OCC’s statutory … Continue Reading
November 22, 2024
Durbin Statement On President-Elect Trump's Intent To Nominate Pam Bondi As Attorney General
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to nominate Pam Bondi to be U.S. Attorney General: “Serious questions have been raised about Ms. Bondi’s conduct as Florida’s Attorney General and President-elect Trump’s personal attorney. The Trump transition team is moving forward with an Attorney General nominee without the … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine, Bridget Brink
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, to discuss continued Congressional support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance ahead of the incoming Administration. Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) also joined the meeting. “More than two and a half years after Putin began his brutal, criminal invasion, Ukraine remains on the frontlines of democracy,” said … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin, Young's Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) today applauded President Biden for signing into law their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, legislation that extends funding for public 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 … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Five Judicial Nominations, One Marshal Nomination, Patent Bill To Full Senate
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced five judicial nominations and one U.S. Marshal nomination to the full Senate, continuing the Committee’s work to bring balance to the federal judiciary and keep our communities safe. Under the leadership of Chair Durbin, the Senate has confirmed 221 judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during the Biden-Harris administration. Following the markup and confirmation of Sharad Desai to the District of Arizona, sixteen … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin Statement On Matt Gaetz Withdrawing From Consideration To Be Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement following Matt Gaetz withdrawing from consideration to be Attorney General: “A qualified nominee for the highest position in law enforcement in America must be honest and complete in disclosing his background. Mr. Gaetz did not meet that standard. “It’s time for Donald Trump to put forward a serious nominee for Attorney General who will fight for equal justice … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin, Quigley, & Duckworth Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation To Map Urban Flooding & Help FEMA Better Assess Risks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today reintroduced the bicameral Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2024. The bill would establish a pilot grant program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow cities to develop better methods for mapping, understanding, and mitigating urban flooding while sharing findings with the … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin, Murray Introduce Legislation To Ensure Victims Of Discrimination Can Seek Damages In Court, Despite Harmful Supreme Court Ruling
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) reintroduced their legislation to clarify that victims of discrimination can seek damages for emotional harm under federal law—after the Supreme Court curtailed their ability to do so in its devastating April 2022 ruling in Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller. The Clarifying Civil Rights Remedies Act of 2024 ensures that people who suffer emotional harm because … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin Statement On Vote To Suspend The Sale Of Some U.S-Made Weapons To Israel
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) motions to discharge S.J.Res.111, S.J.Res.113, and S.J.Res.115, which would suspend the sale of $1 billion in certain U.S.-made weapons to Israel: “I believe passionately that Israel has not only the right to exist, but the right to defend itself in the dangerous neighborhood of the Middle East. The terrorist attack of October 7 was truly horrific and … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin Introduces Fair Ball Act To Shore Up Labor Protections For Minor League Baseball Players
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Fair Ball Act, which would roll back the current broad exemption from federal wage and hour laws for Minor League Baseball players provided by the inaptly named Save America’s Pastime Act (SAPA) and replace it with a narrowly tailored exemption that would only apply if the players are being compensated pursuant to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). If the … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.1 Million In Federal Funding For Health Research In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,104,451 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for medical research at Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from communication disorders to mental health research. “Federal investments in medical research push our … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin Questions Two Judicial Nominees In Today's Senate 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, questioned Benjamin J. Cheeks, nominated to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California; and Serena Raquel Murillo, nominated to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. Durbin began his questioning by asking the nominees about their background as prosecutors. “It is interesting that we … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Two 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 Benjamin J. Cheeks, nominated to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California; and Serena Raquel Murillo, nominated to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. Durbin began the hearing by briefly introducing the judges before U.S. Senator Laphonza … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Chair Durbin Leads Senate Judiciary Democrats In Letter Asking FBI For Complete Evidentiary File In The Investigation of Matt Gaetz
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led Senate Judiciary Democrats in a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray requesting that the FBI provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee the complete evidentiary file, including documents memorializing interviews, in the closed investigation of former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s alleged sex trafficking of minors. The letter follows President-elect Donald … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin, Wicker, Senators Meet With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to discuss continued Congressional support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance. In addition to Durbin and Wicker, U.S. Senators James Risch (R-ID), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also attended. “More than two and a half years after Putin began his brutal, … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Durbin Discusses Funding For National Health Service Corps With HRSA Administrator
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with Carole Johnson, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), about reauthorizing funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), which is set to expire at the end of December. During their call, Durbin and Administrator Johnson spoke about Durbin’s bipartisanRestoring America’s Health Care Workforce and Readiness Act, which includes a three-year reauthorization that would … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Durbin Meets With MidAmerica Airport Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Director Darren James to discuss federal funding for the airport as Congress considers appropriations funding for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). During their meeting, Durbin and Director James spoke about the airport’s current projects, including a terminal apron expansion. “MidAmerica Airport keeps Metro East residents connected to travel destinations around the country. In speaking with … Continue Reading