Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $7 Million for Rockford's Whitman Street Interchange Project

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $7,148,000 for the City of Rockford’s Whitman Street Interchange Reconfiguration Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Grant Program to remove the urban interchange constructed in the early 1960's and re-establish the grid roadway system. “For too long, the Whitman Street interchange has stood as a bottleneck, inhibiting t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2 Million to Reconnect Chicago's West Side

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,000,000 for the City of Chicago through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program to improve community safety, cohesion, and quality of life through a plan for enhanced connectivity over and around I-290 that serves the needs of residents living and working in Chicago’s West Side. “Historically, Chicago’s West Side has been separat… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Superintendent of Education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Tony Sanders, Illinois Superintendent of Education, to discuss the future of assessments for students in Illinois and the importance of preparing students for postsecondary education. Durbin and Dr. Sanders also spoke about securing resources to support schools that are taking on more students as migrants arrive in Illinois.  Durbin has repeatedly urged congressional appropriators to steadily increase funding to suppor… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CDC Injury Center Director, Dr. Arwady

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Allison Arwady, the new Director for the Injury Center within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to discuss legislative efforts to better address trauma and violence, mental health, suicide, and drug overdose.  During their meeting, Durbin and Dr. Arwady spoke about Durbin’s bipartisan RISE from Trauma Act, which would reauthorize CDC’s activities and dramatically increase funding for community-based … Continue Reading

In Speech on Senate Floor, Durbin Calls Out CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United & American Airlines for Balking at Invitation to Testify Before Judiciary Committee on Credit Card Competition

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called out the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United Airlines, and American Airlines forbalking at his invitation to testify at a public hearing regarding competition in the credit card market and Durbin’s Credit Card Competition Act.  During his speech, Durbin made clear that if the CEOs are willing to discuss the Credit Card Competition Act—legislation that woul… Continue Reading

Durbin Blasts Leader McConnell, Senate Republicans' Peddling of Baseless Islamophobic Accusations Against Historic Muslim American Nominee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, responded to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Republicans’ latest attacks against Mr. Adeel Mangi, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. The remarks by Leader McConnell on the Senate floor this morning are part of a series of baseless, Islamophobic attacks hurled against Mr. Mangi. “In recent weeks, we've heard an amazing number of attacks… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in Post-Dobbs America

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 “The Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in a Post-Dobbs America.”  The hearing examined the continued and devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.  Durbin first questioned Lourdes Rivera, the President of Pregnancy Justi… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in Post-Dobbs America

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 “The Continued Assault on Reproductive Freedoms in a Post-Dobbs America.”  The hearing will examine the continued and devastating fallout since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Key Quotes: “In the years leading up to Dobbs, we were wa… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with CEO of Lurie Children's Hospital, Dr. Shanley

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago CEO, Dr. Tom Shanley, to discuss a variety of priorities including the Senator’s violence prevention work under the HEAL Initiative, strategies to address health care workforce shortages, and expanding access to pediatric dentistry care.  They also discussed the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program, which provides federal funding for residenc… Continue Reading

Durbin, Foster Introduce Bicameral American Innovation Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today reintroduced the bicameralAmerican Innovation Act, which would provide annual budget increases of five percent, plus inflation, for cutting edge research at five federal research agencies: the National Science Foundation; the Department of Energy Office of Science; the Department of Defense Science and Technology Programs; the National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientific and… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Nominees at Today's Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations

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 Judge Nancy Maldonado, nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Georgia Alexakis, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Krissa Lanham, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona; Angela Martinez, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District … Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Today's 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 Nancy Maldonado, nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Georgia Alexakis, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Krissa Lanham, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona; Angela Martinez, nominated to be U.S. District Ju… Continue Reading

Durbin, Schakowsky Introduce Bicameral Bill to Stop Illegal Robocalls

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today reintroduced the Protecting American Consumers from Robocalls Act, a bill that would help end the plague of illegal robocalls in America.  The legislation would give the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Do-Not-Call Registry teeth by providing all telephone subscribers, including small businesses, the ability to seek damages for all unconsented-to telemarketing calls im… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Remarks Honoring Dr. Fauci as he Receives the Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks honoring Dr. Anthony Fauci, this year’s recipient for the University of Illinois System’s Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government.  During his remarks, Durbin praised Dr. Fauci for his many contributions to public health and medical research, his role as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, his role in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, for guiding the nation through… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Discuss Chicago Hub Improvement Project with Canadian National

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) who joined by phone, today met with Canadian National (CN) CEO Tracy Robinson to discuss the railroad’s involvement in the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP), Amtrak’s multi-phased project to revitalize Chicago Union Station (CUS) and revolutionize Midwest passenger rail.  Critical to the region’s infrastructure, CHIP will improve connectivi… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Congress to Find a Permanent Pathway for Dreamers and Pass His Dream Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor highlighting his Dream Act, bipartisan legislation that 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, built their lives here, and are American in every … Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Establish National Monument to Julius Rosenwald

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to employ his authority under the Antiquities Act to create a national monument in honor of Julius Rosenwald.  Son of German Jewish immigrants, Julius Rosenwald made Sears, Roebuck and Company the retail powerhouse of the 20th century, but he used his wealth to fund his philanthropic efforts.… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Federal Judiciary Clarifying that Justices and Judges Must Disclose the Value of Free Trips

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the federal judiciary’s updated guidance clarifying that justices and judges must disclose the value of free trips: “While I applaud this decision by the federal judiciary to clarify its financial disclosure rules to properly reflect federal law and ensure justices and judges disclose the value of free trips, the Senate and the American people deserve to… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Pork Producers Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association to discuss the effects of California’s Proposition 12 on the economics of the pork industry.  Director Chad Lehman, a third-generation farmer from Woodford County, spoke with Durbin about business operations, technologies, and the state of market dynamics for producers, suppliers, and consumers.  Illinois ranks… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Confirmation of Nicole Berner to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nicole Berner to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Berner’s confirmation: “Ms. Berner is a highly experienced litigator who will bring an underrepresented perspective to the bench. She’s a steadfast advocate forworkers’ rights, reproductive rights, and civil rights for all. And now, she is the first LG… Continue Reading