Durbin Holds Roundtable at Dominican University to Discuss $2.5 Million in Federal Funding Through Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

RIVER FOREST – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Dominican University to discuss $2.5 million in federal funding it received through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program to close the digital divide by helping Minority-Serving Institutions expand their broadband capacity and hire additional information technology personnel. “Dominican University has long been a champion of diversity and incl… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Adult Congenital Heart Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, today met with board members of the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), including President and CEO Mark Roeder.  During their meeting, Durbin and the ACHA patient and physician board members discussed building support for Durbin’s bipartisan Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act and bolstering funding for the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC) program that… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Six Nominations to the Full Senate

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced six nominations to the full Senate, continuing the Committee’s work to bring balance to the federal judiciary. “Today, we continued our historic pursuit to confirm highly qualified, diverse judges. The nominations advanced today are symbolic of good faith collaboration between the White House and Republican Senators. I thank President Biden, along with Senators Lee, Romney, Fischer, Ricketts, Cornyn, Cruz, Barrasso, and Lummis, fo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Warnock, Schumer Reintroduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA), today reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act.  Durbin also announced that the Se… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons

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 “Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons.”  The hearing will examine myriad issues related to the operation and management of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that contributed to deaths in custody, such as the overuse of solitary confinement, BOP employee misconduct, inadequa… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Scrutinization of Credit Card and Airline Reward Programs with CFPB Director

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), to discuss its scrutinization of credit card and airlines’ reward programs.  During their meeting, Durbin followed up on the information he requested in an October letter urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) and CFPB to investigate the unfair and deceptive practices of airline frequent flyer and loyalty programs.  “For years, airlines have … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Meet with Illinois Municipal Electric and Utilities Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Municipal Electric/Utilities Association (IMEA/IMUA) to discuss public utilities in Illinois and grid security. During their conversation, the Senators and IMEA/IMUA members spoke about the unprecedented shortage of distribution transformers, which are an essential component of electrical infrastructure that adjust the voltage of currents moving through electri… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters and Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons.”  The hearing examined myriad issues related to the operation and management of BOP that contributed to deaths in custody… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Rock Island Arsenal with U.S. Army Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to discuss military readiness.  Durbin and General George also spoke about modernization of the organic industrial base and advanced capabilities at Rock Island Arsenal.  In addition, Durbin raised fielding of MQ-1C Gray Eagle 25M unmanned aerial systems in Illinois and Kentucky after securing $350 million for … Continue Reading

In Speech on Senate Floor, Durbin Previews Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor previewing tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons.”  In his remarks, Durbin reaffirmed his commitment to holding the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) accountable for the operational and managerial deficiencies that have created unsafe conditions and critical t… Continue Reading

Following the Alabama IVF Ruling, Durbin Announces Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing to Examine the Continued Fallout Since the Supreme Court Overruled Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced the Committee will hold a full committee hearing this work period to examine the devastating fallout since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, including Alabama’s recent State Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos created during the IVF process are “children” under state law.  Durbin said, “Now, we live in the world of Dobbs—where Republica… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Military Readiness with U.S. Transportation Command

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today spoke by phone with the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost.  TRANSCOM, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, is tasked with providing air, land, and sea transportation around the world for the Department of Defense (DOD).  During their call, Durbin and General Van Ovost discussed military logistical operations and … Continue Reading

Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Inspector General Access Act

WASHINGTON – 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 bipartisan legislation to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General to include alleged DOJ attorney misconduct.  Currently, the DOJ Inspector General (IG) has no authority to investigate professional misconduct by DOJ lawyers.  DOJ is the only agency whose IG has such a jurisdictional carve-out. Th… Continue Reading

Durbin Slams Republicans for Continuing to Delay Reauthorization of PEPFAR

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling on his Republican colleagues to stop delaying the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan forAIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a Bush-era program that has saved more than 25 million lives worldwide in conjunction with its companion effort, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  In his speech, Durbin spoke about the importance of programs built to support nations in Afr… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls Out House Republicans for Abandoning Aid to Ukraine Following Death of Alexei Navalny

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech emphasizing the necessity of delivering aid to Ukraine as it continues to fend off attacks from Vladimir Putin and following the tragic death of Russian opposition leader and anticorruption activist, Alexei Navalny. Durbin’s speech comes after the Senate passed the national security supplemental with strong bipartisan support, which provides aid for… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cassidy Introduce Bill to Rename Street Near the Russian Ambassador's Residence After Alexei Navalny

WASHINGTON – Following the tragic and inexcusable death of Alexei Navalny, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today introduced legislation to rename a section of the street near the Russian Ambassador to the United States’ residence as “Alexei Navalny Way.”  Mr. Navalny was an opposition leader and anticorruption activist who led the political opposition against Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than a decade. Putin tried to silence hi… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Two Public Comments on Proposed Amendments to Federal Sentencing Guidelines

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led two groups of colleagues in submitting public comment letters to U.S. Sentencing Commission Chair Carlton Reeves regarding proposed amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Durbin’s letter addressing proposed amendments to limit consideration of acquitted conduct is joined by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism. Booker is… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Nominations of Judge Nancy Maldonado to the Seventh Circuit, Georgia Alexakis to Serve as United States District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois

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 White House announced its intent to nominate Judge Nancy L. Maldonado to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, and Georgia Alexakis to be United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We are pleased that President Biden is nominating Judge Nancy Maldonado to ser… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cassidy to Introduce Bill to Rename Street Near the Russian Ambassador's Residence After Alexei Navalny

WASHINGTON – Following the tragic and inexcusable death of Alexei Navalny, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced that they will introduce legislation to rename a section of the street near the Russian Ambassador to the United States’ residence as “Alexei Navalny Way.” Mr. Navalny was an opposition leader and anticorruption activist who led the political opposition against Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than a decade.  P… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $2 Million to Prevent Violence, Support Children Exposed to Trauma

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,944,811 has been awarded to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the University of Chicago through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence program.  Funding will be used by the two hospital systems to expand mental health … Continue Reading