Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Termination of U.S. Attorney John Lausch
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Biden Administration will terminate John Lausch as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois: "While we agree with the Biden Administration's criminal justice agenda, we are disappointed with the decision to terminate U.S. Attorney Lausch without consulting us. In 2017, our non-partisan screening committee gave its support for Mr. Lau… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Durbin & Graham Introduce the Dream Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the Dream Act of 2021, which would allow immigrant students without lawful status who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin and Graham introduced identical legislation in the last two sessions of Congress. These young people, known as Dreamers, ha… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Durbin Meets with Civil Rights Leaders on Judiciary Committee Priorities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Wade Henderson, Interim President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; and Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. During their call, the group discussed civil and human rights priorities, including criminal justice reform, voting rights, policing r… Continue Reading
02.03.21
Durbin: I Will Remember Officer Sicknick During next Week's Impeachment Trial
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today honored Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered fatal injuries during the insurrection on January 6, following a ceremony where Officer Sicknick was lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Durbin also argued that the Senate has a responsibility to move forward with the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump. "Next w… Continue Reading
02.03.21
Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Kristen Clarke, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for DOJ Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's nominee be the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Clarke discussed the importance of working closely together on DOJ priorities, including reinvigorating DOJ's protection of Americans' civil rights and voting rights, combating hate crimes and domestic terrorism, … Continue Reading
02.02.21
Durbin Statement on Selection as Senate Judiciary Committee Chair
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after being selected as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 117th Congress: "This moment in history demands much of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm honored to lead my colleagues as we face these challenges. We start by confirming President Biden's nominees; combating the threat of domestic terrorism; passing long overdue reforms, like the Dream Act, to fix our broken immigration… Continue Reading
02.02.21
Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Dems to Introduce Resolution Denouncing Pervasive Threat of Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Intelligence Committee Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Democrats to introduce a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the imminent and pervasive threat of domestic terrorism, violent white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-government militias, and dangerous, fringe conspiracy t… Continue Reading
02.02.21
Durbin: Delaying Judge Garland's Confirmation Hearing Risks our National Security
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to again urge current Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to schedule Judge Merrick Garland's confirmation hearing to be considered as the next U.S. Attorney General. Due to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's unprecedented obstruction of the Senate organizing resolution, Graham is still Judiciary Committee Chairman and controls the Committee's agenda. Y… Continue Reading
02.01.21
Durbin to Graham: No Justification to Delay Judge Garland's Confirmation Hearing
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to current Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), urging the prompt scheduling of Judge Merrick Garland's confirmation hearing to be considered as the next U.S. Attorney General. In his letter, Durbin pointed out the urgent need to confirm the nation's top law enforcement officer to protect our national security, and asked Graham to proceed with a February 8th hearin… Continue Reading
01.28.21
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats Reintroduce D.C. Statehood Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and a group of Democratic Senators to reintroduce legislation to grant Washington, D.C. statehood. The bill, which was first introduced in 2013, would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state, finally give its citizens full representation in Congress, and also ensure that the citizens and elected leaders of the District of Columbia have full authority over local affairs, including crucial safety… Continue Reading
01.28.21
Durbin, Booker Announce Legislation to Eliminate Federal Crack and Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee,announced legislation that will finally eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. After the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, sentencing for crack and powder cocaine offenses vastly differed. For instance, until 2010, some… Continue Reading
01.27.21
Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Lisa Monaco and Vanita Gupta, Biden Nominees for Deputy and Associate Attorneys General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Lisa Monaco and Vanita Gupta, President Joe Biden's nominees for Deputy and Associate Attorneys General. During their Zoom calls, Durbin, Monaco, and Gupta discussed the importance of working closely together on Department of Justice (DOJ) priorities, including reinvigorating DOJ's protection of Americans' civil rights and voting rights, criminal justice reform and implementing the First Step… Continue Reading
01.26.21
Durbin Statement on President Biden's Executive Orders on Racial Equity and Prison Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after President Joe Biden issued memoranda on racial equity and an executive order that will partially eliminate federal use of private prisons: "Today's actions by President Biden reaffirm the federal government's role in combatting systemic racial disparities and discrimination, including the reform of incarceration policies that have disproportionately harme… Continue Reading
01.26.21
Durbin to Judiciary Committee Republicans: Holding Second Hearing for DHS Nominee Mayorkas Would Create Needless Delay, Break Precedent
WASHINGTON - Following a letter from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting a hearing in the Committee for Alejandro Mayorkas's nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a response rejecting their request. In his letter, Durbin wrote that a second hearing, following the hearing that has already taken place in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, woul… Continue Reading
01.25.21
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Seek Answers About DOJ's Role in Trump's Scheme to Overturn the 2020 Election
WASHINGTON - Following a report from The New York Times that detailed a plot between then-President Donald Trump and then-Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division Jeffrey Bossert Clark to use the Department of Justice (DOJ) to further Trump's efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter to Ac… Continue Reading
01.21.21
Durbin Discusses Justice Department Priorities with Merrick Garland, Biden Nominee for Attorney General
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee for Attorney General. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Garland expressed their desire to work closely together on Department of Justice (DOJ) priorities, including implementation of the First Step Act, combating white supremacist terrorism, addressing COVID-19 outbreaks in federal prisons, reinstating the longstanding moratorium on … Continue Reading
01.19.21
Durbin Thanks Capitol Police for Their Heroic Efforts During January 6th Insurrection
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today thanked the Capitol Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, and other law enforcement agencies that aided the Capitol during the insurrection on January 6. Durbin also looked forward to tomorrow's inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "The Capitol police… were heroic. They were overwhelmed by this massive insurrectionist mob. The Capitol Police&helli… Continue Reading
01.12.21
Durbin, Pressley, Colleagues Announce Plans to Introduce Bill to End Federal Death Penalty
Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF) WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) announced that they will lead more than 70 of their colleagues to soon reintroduce the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021, bicameral legislation to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level, and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The announcement comes with three more people scheduled to be executed in the… Continue Reading
01.06.21
Durbin Speaks on Senate Floor About Violence at the U.S. Capitol & 2020 Election Certification
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of Congress certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election and after a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol building. "The vote we're going to have here is a clear choice of whether we are going to feed the beast of ignorance or are we going to tell the truth to the American people? We saw that beast today roaming the halls. Let's not invite it back," Durbin said. Video of Durbin's re… Continue Reading
12.23.20
Durbin, Warren, Booker, Colleagues Request Investigation of Trump Administration's Unprecedented Spree of Federal Executions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in a letter to Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), seeking an investigation of the frenzied and unprecedented "spree of federal executions during [President Trump's] lame-duck period." In J… Continue Reading