Durbin Questions USAID Administrator Powers on Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to 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. Agency for International Development.”  During the hearing, Durbin questioned the witness, U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID) Administrator Samantha Powers, about U.S. efforts to bring aid to Gaza as inn… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges OMB, Army Corps to Include Federal Funding to Address Chronic Flooding in Metro-East in Army Corps of Engineers FY24 Work Plan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), today sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army Michael Connor and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young expressing their support for federal funding to support St. Clair and Madison counties in correcting chronic flooding issues in the Metro-East region. “We are writing in support of a General Reevaluation Report (… Continue Reading

Durbin to Senate Colleagues: Dismiss the Smear Campaign Against Adeel Mangi & Support His Federal Circuit Court Nomination

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on his colleagues to dismiss the smear campaign against Mr. Adeel Mangi and to support his nomination to serve as a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in New Jersey.  During his speech, Durbin highlighted how Mr. Mangi is eminently qualified to be a federal appellate court judge.  He graduated from Oxford and Harvard Law School and has spent more than 20 years … Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Effects of Forced Arbitration

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 “Small Print, Big Impact: Examining the Effects of Forced Arbitration.”  The hearing examined the use of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts, consumer agreements, and other areas, as well as the injustices faced by workers, consumers, and others who are denied their days in court by forced arbitration cl… Continue Reading

Durbin, Sorensen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Sustain Workload at Rock Island Arsenal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a minimum workload requirement at U.S. Army arsenals, including Rock Island Arsenal.  The Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act would also incentivize private industry to partner with arsenals by giving preference to public-private partnerships in Army contracting.  As … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Release of Video of Fatal Police Shooting of Dexter Reed

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after footage was released showing the fatal police shooting of 26-year-old Dexter Reed in Chicago, Illinois, on March 21: “The violence in this video is shocking.  My heart goes out to Dexter’s family and friends, who are grieving the loss of his young life.” “Our law enforcement officers protect and serve their communities with honor and courage and face … Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Effects of Forced Arbitration

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 hearing entitled “Small Print, Big Impact: Examining the Effects of Forced Arbitration.”  The hearing will examine the use of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts, consumer agreements, and other areas, as well as the injustices faced by workers, consumers, and others who are denied their days in court by forced … Continue Reading

Durbin, Kaine, Fetterman Introduce Resolution Condemning the Arbitrary Arrest of American Citizens by the Russian Government & Calling for their Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – Following the one-year anniversary of the arbitrary arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), introduced a resolution condemning the Russian government for their arrests of several American citizens and calling for their immediate and unconditioned release. Mr. Gershkovich was detained by Russia’s Federal Security Se… Continue Reading

In a Speech on the Senate Floor, Durbin Demands the Release of American Citizens Held by the Russian Government

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today spoke on the Senate floor condemning the Russian government for the unjust detainment of American citizens in Russia and called fortheir immediate release.  Specifically, Durbin cited the dubious arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was charged on fraudulent charges of espionage one year ago. “He [Gershkovich] has spent more than a year in pretrial detention in a notor… Continue Reading

Durbin Reiterates Ceasefire Call Following the Death of Seven Humanitarian Aid Workers in Gaza

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor in response to the death of seven aid workers in Gaza earlier this month.  The aid workers, employees of World Central Kitchen, had been part of efforts to feed innocent civilians in Gaza caught in the crossfire of Israel’s military response following the horrendous Hamas attack on October 7.  Since the October 7 attack on Israel, more than 33,000 people, mostly women and children, having been … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on the Passing of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the passing of Karen Yarbrough, Cook County Clerk: “I am honored to call Karen a friend. From Maywood to Springfield and back to Cook County, Karen made a tremendous impact on the lives she touched. She had a long list of legislative accomplishments, including bans on the death penalty and indoor smoking. In politics, she was a consensus builder who earned the trust of her peers and rose to be a party lea… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Secretary of Transportation to Convene Meeting Regarding Expansion of O'Hare International Airport

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to convene a meeting between the City of Chicago, United Airlines, American Airlines, and the Illinois Congressional delegation on discrepancies over how to proceed with the O’Hare International Airport Terminal Area Project (TAP).  This request comes as the airlines have expressed concerns about proceeding with TAP as it was outlined in their original 2018 agr… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Local Peoria Small Business to Discuss Credit Card Competition Act

PEORIA – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today convened the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and a local small business owner to discuss his Credit Card Competition Act, bipartisan legislation that would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market, which is currently dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly. This legislation has received the endorsements of a wide range of small business, consumer, and university groups, as well as key unions, including the Internationa… Continue Reading

Durbin Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Quad Cities International Airport's Terminal Renovation Program

MOLINE – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Quad Cities International Airport’s (MLI) terminal renovation program, Project GATEWAY, which includes major renovations to the landside terminal, ticketing lobby, and baggage claim. The first stage of the renovation, Project One, begins this month and focuses on removing security screening equipment from the ticketing lobby and modernizing airline ticket counters. “Project GATEWAY exemplifies the transforma… Continue Reading

Durbin, Padilla, Senators Urge USCIS to Protect DACA Recipients and Process their Renewal Applications in a Timely Manner Following Reports of Delays

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today sent a letter to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director (USCIS), Ur M. Jaddou, calling for USCIS to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and process renewal applications in a timely manner.  Many applicants for DACA renewal report waiting well over five mo… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $1 Million for Southcom Dispatch Center's Public Safety Upgrades

MATTESON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today visited SouthCom Combined Dispatch Center to announce the $1 million in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) government funding bill for equipment and technology upgrades including police body cameras, squad car enhancements, police protective equipment, and the installation of emergency dispatch consoles… Continue Reading

Durbin, Budzinski Attend Groundbreaking Ceremony for Cahokia Heights Sanitary Sewer Trunkline Project

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cahokia Heights sanitary sewer trunkline project, which will rehabilitate 17,000 lineal feet of the main sanitary sewer trunkline to provide a safe and reliable sewer system. Durbin has secured more than $30 million in federal funding to address the ongoing flooding in Cahokia Heights, including $3.5 million in federal funding throug… Continue Reading

Durbin, Markey, Warren Lead Group of Senate Democrats in Urging Biden Administration to Phase Out Solitary Confinement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in leading a letter from a group of Senate Democrats to Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Patrick Lechleitner calling for ICE to limit and phase out solitary confinement. In addition to Durbin, Markey, and Warren, the letter is signe… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Group of Senate Democrats Pressing Justice Department and Bureau of Prisons on Voting Access for Incarcerated People

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of eleven Senate Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters requesting more information on their efforts to promote voting access for incarcerated people in federal prisons. In addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), C… Continue Reading

Ahead of Cesar Chavez Day, Durbin, Bennet, Stabenow, Senate Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Support Farm Workers, Address Agricultural Labor Crisis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), member and Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, alongside U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and John Hickenlooper (… Continue Reading