Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Six 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 Jacquelyn D. Austin, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Jacqueline Becerra, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida; Melissa Damian, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida; David Seymour Leibowitz, … Continue Reading

Durbin, Collins Introduce Legislation to Address Uptick in Attacks on Letter Carriers on the Job

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today led 10 of their colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to address the steep increase in armed robberies against postal workers, who are often targeted for their arrow keys.  The Postal Police Reform Act would ensure that Postal Police Officers may be assigned to duty outside of Postal Service real property to offer protection to letter carriers on their routes. The Postal Inspection S… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Grassley in Attempt to Pass Bipartisan Bill to Require Price Transparency in Prescription Drug Advertisements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today on the Senate floor to request unanimous consent (UC) to pass their bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, a bill that would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs, in order to empower patients and reduce excess spending on medications.  U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) objected to the unanimous consent request. In 2018, Durbin and Grassley ask… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce CMS Funding to Address Physician Shortage in Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded new Medicare Graduate Medical Education funding to support an additional 23 residency slots for hospitals in Illinois. With this new federal funding, eight Illinois hospitals will be able to expand their medical training opportunities for new doctors, in order to help address the nation’s physician shortage.  “This federal funding is a … Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights New Medicare Coverage for Dental Care, Urges CMS to Expand Coverage for State Medicaid Programs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging her to notify states of recent Medicare changes in coverage and billing practices for oral health care services that were outlined in the 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System final rule.  As states often model their Medicaid coverage and billi… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Public Health Experts During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned public health experts during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Gun Violence Epidemic: A Public Health Crisis.”  The hearing featured expert testimony on specific public health initiatives that have recently shown promise in reducing gun violence, such as Chair Durbin’s Chicago HEAL Initiative.  In 2022, there were more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the Uni… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis

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 Gun Violence Epidemic: A Public Health Crisis.”  The hearing features expert testimony on gun violence as a crucial public health issue and specific public health initiatives that have recently shown promise in reducing gun violence, such as Chair Durbin’s Chicago HEAL Initiative.  In 2022, there were mo… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls to Reopen Gaza Hospitals Under Neutral Third Part As Israel-Hamas Reach a Temporary Ceasefire Deal and Hostage Release

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor on the need to reopen key Gaza hospitals under the supervision of a credible, neutral third party in order to help the innocent civilians caught in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.  During his speech, Durbin said he planned to speak with Secretary General António Guterres about implementing this proposal.  He also called on Congress to pass President Biden’s emergency supplemental request, which includes emerge… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal and Hostage Release

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas to release 50 hostages currently being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip over a four-day long ceasefire:  “I am relieved and heartened that the deal to release 50 of the 240 hostages being held by Hamas over a four-day ceasefire has been reached, with the possibility to extend the ceasefire by an additional day for every ten hostages released.  … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Baldwin, Colleagues in Calling for Immediate Steps to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Gaza and Protect Civilians

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led their colleagues in urging President Biden to work with Israel and international partners to implement a plan that will protect innocent civilian life in Gaza, deliver sustained humanitarian aid, and work toward the long term goals of ending Hamas’s threat, bringing hostages home, and achieving su… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Announce Subpoenas to Big Tech CEOs to Testify About Their Failure to Protect Children Online

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that subpoenas have been issued to the CEOs of Discord, Snap, and X (formerly known as Twitter) to testify at the December 6 full committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation. The Committee remains in discussion with Meta and TikTok and expects their CEOs—Mark Zuckerberg and Shou Zi Chew—will agree to testify volun… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Send Recommendations to be Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division to the White House

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a list of names for the White House to consider for Federal District Court Judge vacancies in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.  Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established, Durbin and Duckworth have forwarded the names of the following individuals to President Biden for consideration: Georgi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Legislation to Protect Domestic Abuse Survivors from Gun Violence

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the Lori Jackson – Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence. “Lori Jackson, a mother of two, was a day away from obtaining a permanent restraining order against her abusive husband when a loophole allowed her abuser to purchase a firearm, which h… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Cardin, Colleagues in Letter Supporting the Biden Administration's Recent Diplomatic Efforts with Venezuela

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) sent the following letter to the Biden administration expressing their support for the recent use of sanctions relief as leverage to facilitate… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider Release Statement on CDC Report on Public Health Impact of Sterigenics

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), founder of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ethylene Oxide Task Force, today issued the following statement on the report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Predominantly Black Institutions of Illinois

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Presidents and staff from Chicago State University (CSU) and Malcolm X College to discuss federal support for Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) in Illinois. During the meeting, Durbin and the school leaders also discussed the struggles PBIs face in securing federal investments, and expressed support for increased federal funding to help PBIs build capacity and student support services. “Predominantly Black Instituti… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Passage of Bill to Keep Government Funded

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund various federal agencies through January 19th and February 2nd, respectively: “Funding the government is one of the essential parts of this job, and tonight, the Senate came together in a good-faith effort to pass the bipartisan House CR.  We’re keeping the lights on through the holidays … Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Introduce National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act to reauthorize relief for an additional four years for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship.  The legislation would protect a long-standing bipartisan carveout from means-te… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Bipartisan Group of Senators Demand Documents from Mark Zuckerberg After Newly Unsealed Court Filing Alleges Meta Hid Evidence of Harms to Kids

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a bipartisan group of Senators demanding Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg provide documents related to senior executives’ knowledge of the mental and physical health harms associated with its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. In addition to Durbin and Blumenthal, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Lindsey Graham (R-S… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses Illinois Dental Medicaid Insurers for Answers on Obstacles to Providing Oral Health Care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent oversight letters to three companies – DentaQuest, Envolve, and Avesis – that administer dental benefits for Medicaid managed care companies (MCOs) in Illinois to seek answers on barriers to providing dental care to Medicaid enrollees.  Durbin’s letters raise concerns and investigate certain insurance practices that can limit and discourage provider participation in Medicaid, which exacerbate existing reimbursement rate challen… Continue Reading