Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Sorensen, Budzinski Demand Answers from Postmaster General on Plans to Eliminate Mail Processing Centers in Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) in a letter to Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy urging him to reconsider his decision to eliminate mail processing at Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs) located in Champaign, Peoria, Milan, and Springfield, Illinois.  In their letter, the lawmakers noted that any move to alt… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Trade Groups to Take Action Against Tianeptine, an "Opioid-Like" Ingredient Found in Some Products Marketed As Dietary Supplements

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the American Herbal Products Association, and the United Natural Products Alliance to act against the inclusion of dangerous or illegal ingredients in products marketed as dietary supplements in the United States, such as tianeptine.  Tianeptine can be found in certain retail outlets, and can create “opioid-like effects,” which can lead to rapid heartb… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $750,000 for National Louis University School of Nursing

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited National Louis University (NLU) to discuss the $750,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally Directed Spending—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) omnibus appropriations bill to establish a new School of Nursing that will provide statewide capacity to educate more nurses and address the current nursing workforce shortage. “As we confront the challenges posed by evolving health care needs, the s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez, Underwood Introduce Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim identity in Plainfield, Illinois on October 14th.  In addition to Durbin and Duckworth, the resolution is cosigne… Continue Reading

Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan SAFE Act to Reform FISA Section 702

WASHINGTON – With the April 19 sunset of Section 702 of theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaching in just a few weeks, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the bipartisan Security and Freedom Enhancement(SAFE) Act, a compromise bill that protects Americans from foreign threats and from warrantless government surveillance.  This legislation reflects a carefully crafted, pragmatic … Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Illinois Water Infrastructure Projects With Rock Island Army Corps District Commander

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District Commander Colonel Jesse T. Curry to receive an update on several Illinois infrastructure projects, including the Brandon Road project to protect the Great Lakes from the spread of invasive Carp.  Durbin secured nearly $226 million in funding for the project in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in addition to $47.2 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus bill.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider Applaud New EPA Rule Restricting Dangerous Ethylene Oxide Emissions

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), co-founder and co-chair 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 applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for finalizing its new rule, Final Amendments to Strengthen Air Toxics Standards for Ethylene Oxide Co… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Bipartisan Legislation To Reform FISA Section 702 On The Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – With the April 19 sunset of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaching in just a few weeks, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced new, bipartisan compromise legislation that protects Americans from foreign threats and from warrantless government surveillance in a speech on the Senate floor.  The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act reflects a carefully crafted, pragmatic approach… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Bangladesh Ambassador to the U.S. to Urge an End to the Government's Troubling Harassment of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Bangladesh Ambassador to the U.S., Muhammad Imran, to discuss the persistent harassment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.  For more than a decade, Professor Yunus has faced more than 100 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in Bangladesh.  The harassment campaign against Professor Yunus has been denounced by more than 100 Nobel Prize winners, including former President Obama.  Durbin led the effor… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Condemning Attack on Navalny's Former Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON – Following the seemingly targeted attack against Alexei Navalny’s former Chief of Staff, Leonid Volkov, in Lithuania, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement: “Lithuania has been a resolute and important safe haven fordemocratic leaders facing repression in their home countries, including those from Belarus and Russia.  While yesterday’s attack on Leonid Volkov was despicable, I am encouraged by the forcef… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Illinois Corn Growers Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, met with the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) who shared priorities of Illinois’ agricultural sector for the upcoming year.  During their meeting, ICGA spoke about the importance of crop insurance, increased trade dollars, and the farm conservation incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.  ICGA also highlighted the importance of expanding high-octan… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Senate Democrats On The Floor To Call For Passage Of Veterans Families Health Services Act, Protection For IVF

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined his Democratic colleagues in speaking in support of the Veterans Families Health Services Act, which Durbin cosponsored, ahead of U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) request to pass the bill by unanimous consent.  Despite the importance of providing accessible health care to female veterans and claims that Republicans support IVF, U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) objected to the passage of the bill. Durbin began his remarks… Continue Reading

Durbin Attends National Association of Convenience Stores Day on the Hill to Discuss Credit Card Competition Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Day on the Hill to discuss his Credit Card Competition Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced that if enacted, will help convenience stores and small businesses across the United States.  The bill he introduced with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market, which is currently dominated by the Visa-… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Judge Sunil Harjani To Serve As Federal District Court Judge In The Northern District Of Illinois Eastern Division

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 released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Judge Sunil Harjani to serve as a Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division: “We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Judge Sunil Harjani to serve as a District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Divis… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Air Mobility Command’s Mission With General Minihan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC) General Mike Minihan to discuss U.S. Air Force operations related to airlift, air refueling, and air mobility support.  During their meeting, Durbin and General Minihan spoke about AMC’s role in providing humanitarian support to Gaza and the delivery of weaponry to Ukraine, as well as discussed a proposal for a new Aerome… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Voting Rights

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 Right Side of History: Protecting Voting Rights in America.”  Durbin first questioned Sophia Lin Lakin, Director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, about voter ID requirements, and how these laws disproportionally impact people of color.  During his questioning, Durbin referenced a study the Brennan Center condu… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Protecting Voting Rights

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 Right Side of History: Protecting Voting Rights in America.”  The hearing will feature testimony from two panels: a member panel featuring U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), as well as an expert panel featuring voting rights advocates and litigators. The hearing follows reintroduction of the John R. L… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on President Biden's FY2025 Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after President Joe Biden unveiled an outline of his Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget proposal: “Following the momentum from President Biden’s strong State of the Union Address last week, he once again has laid out a vision for the American people that we can all get behind.  The President’s budget will lower costs for working families, reduce prescrip… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Voice Concerns Over FASFA Form Error Harming Students in Mixed-Status Families

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and 22 additional Senators in urging U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to address the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form error that is preventing students with contributors, including parents and spouses, who do not have a Social Security number (SSN) from completing the new FAFSA form. With the passage o… Continue Reading

Senate Advances "Minibus" Spending Bills with Illinois Priorities Secured by Durbin, Duckworth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the United States Senate passed six funding bills known as a “minibus” for Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportat… Continue Reading