Durbin, Collins, Wenstrup, Rice Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill To Make The VA Smoke-Free

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH-02) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to prohibit smoking at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would repeal an antiquated 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas. Supported by the VA, the bill would br… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls Out Trump Administration For Inhumane Conditions At The Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today slammed the Trump Administration for the inhumane detention facility conditions at the southwest border. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin detailed recent reports of the overcrowded and inhumane conditions at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities. "Eventually, the history of this period will be written and there will be accountability, not just … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Administration Briefing Regarding Election Security

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, today released the following statement after an all-Senators briefing by the Trump Administration on election security: "Our intelligence agencies are spending millions of dollars to stop the Russians from making a mockery of the 2020 election. Unfortunately, Leader McConnell is blocking critical, comprehensive election security legislation that would help to assure every vote will be counted."… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Must Hold Big Pharma Accountable For High Prices Of Insulin

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor slammed the pharmaceutical manufacturers of insulin for exorbitant price increases of more than 600 percent over the past two decades in the United States. Durbin met with Illinois youth members of JDRF (formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) today to hear their stories about dealing with the skyrocketing prices of this life-saving drug, and the importance of continuing to fund medical research into Type 1 … Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Vow To Continue Push To Require Disclosure Of Drug Prices In TV Ads

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today released the following statements regarding a federal judge's ruling that direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements do not have to include the list price of the drug. "Apparently a little daylight is too much for Big Pharma. Rather than level with the American public about the sky-high cost of their drugs-when they run their non-stop ads-Pharma sued to block patients from knowing the price. A federal c… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Help Introduce Health Care Bill Of Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Jeff Merkley and 14 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce a new resolution supporting a "health care bill of rights" for all Americans. Durbin and Duckworth introduced the health care bill of rights on the first day of oral arguments in Texas v. United States-a lawsuit brought by 18 Republican states Attorneys General, and endorsed by President Trump's Administration, that seeks to elimin… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Trump Administration Lawsuit Against The Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the first day of oral arguments in Texas v. United States-a lawsuit brought by 18 Republican state attorney generals, and endorsed by President Trump's Administration, that seeks to eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act, including important protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 20 million Americans gained health insurance - including more than … Continue Reading

On All-Star Game Day, Durbin Continues Push For Fan Safety At MLB Parks

WASHINGTON-Today, in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged Major League Baseball (MLB) to require extended protective netting to the right and left field corners at all 30 major league ballparks. Durbin also thanked the MLB teams, including the Chicago White Sox, who proactively announced netting extensions this year. "The increasing number of fans hit by balls makes it clear that new safety standards are needed at ballparks. This week, we will all see Major League… Continue Reading

Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges USDA To Support State's Request For Disaster Declaration

WASHINGTON - The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for a disaster declaration from the USDA for eligible counties in Illinois impacted by significant damage done to crops by ongoing flooding since March 2019. This season has been the second-wettest spring on record for Illinois-and the wettest in 30 years-with the State receiving 16.36 inches through late May. … Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On Congress To Protect And Strengthen The ACA, Not Undermine It

CHICAGO - With health care once again under attack, U.S Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today stood with advocates and individuals who have been helped by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to address the Trump Administration's latest lawsuit seeking to dismantle the health law and call on Congress to strengthen the ACA, not undermine it. Next week, oral arguments will be heard in the case of Texas v. United States-a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the entire ACA. If the Trump Administration and 20… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senators Press Pompeo On Determination To Exclude Saudi Arabia From List Of Countries Known To Recruit & Use Child Soldiers

WASHINGTON-Following a Reuters report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo excluded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the State Department's list of countries known to recruit and use child soldiers in the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, despite State Department experts' findings that should have led to its inclusion on such list, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron W… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Vote To Prohibit Funds For Military Operation Against Iran

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for a bipartisan measure to prohibit funds from being used for military operations against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. Durbin is a cosponsor of this measure. It failed to pass the Senate by a final vote of 50-40. "President Trump's policy, at the direction of Mr. Bolton and Secretary Pompeo, se… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth: Census Should Stay On Schedule, Omit Citizenship Question

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 26 of their Senate colleagues in calling for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to meet the Administration's previously set deadline of July 1 to begin printing materials for the 2020 Census and move forward without adding a politically motivated question about citizenship. Their call comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration's rationale for addi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Davis, Bustos, LaHood, Bost Urge Air National Guard To Assign Flying Mission To 183d Wing In Springfield

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Darin LaHood (R-IL-18), and Mike Bost (R-IL-12), today sent a letter to the National Guard urging for a flying mission for the 183d Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard in Springfield. In their letter, the members stated that transitioning the 183d back to flying status could be a key component towards reaching the Air Force's goals of incr… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Demand Trump Administration Reverse Course And Uphold Protections Against Discrimination In Health Care

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 28 Senate Democrats, denounced the Trump Administration's efforts to allow health care discrimination, which would affect millions of people across the country. A recent rule proposed by the Trump Administration could scale back protections from an Obama-era civil rights law that protects communities who have historically faced discrimination. In a letter to Department of… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of NDAA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included a Durbin amendment to speed up the long process that the U.S. Department of Defense has for developing and fielding new weapons systems, as well as proposals to extend lease authorities at Arsenal's, and a streamlining of the honorary… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision Regarding Citizenship Question On 2020 Census

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's ruling on the Trump Administration's request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census: "Recent revelations have made it clear that the individuals who worked to add a citizenship question to the census were motivated by partisan politics. Today, the Supreme Court recognized that the Trump Administration's stated rationale for adding this question 'seems to ha… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Urge MLB To Extend Safety Netting To Right And Left Field Corners At All Ballparks

WASHINGTON-After recent incidents of Major League Baseball (MLB) fans being hit by foul balls, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today wrote to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, urging him to push for an extension of the protective netting to the right and left field corners at all 30 major league ballparks. "Clearly, more needs to be done to put the safety of fans first," wrote Durbin and Duckworth. "Players are hitting balls with a velocity of more than 100 miles per h… Continue Reading

Durbin Reintroduces Food Safety Act

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) introduced the Safe Food Act of 2019, which would create a single, independent food safety agency. Currently, food safety oversight is split up among 15 different federal agencies that administer at least 30 laws to regulate food safety. This fragmentation results in a patchwork system where no single voice guides industry, retailers, and consumers. "Our food safety system is fragmented, outdated, and in d… Continue Reading

Durbin Warns Against Another Reckless War In The Middle East

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today warned the Trump Administration against another reckless war in the Middle East. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin argued that the U.S. Constitution is clear that the power to declare war is an explicit power of the Congress. Durbin is a cosponsor of a bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which would prohibit … Continue Reading