Durbin Reflects On The Senate Judiciary Committee's Historic Achievements During Biden Administration; Vows To Continue These Efforts During The Incoming Trump Administration

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, highlighted the historic achievements of the Senate Judiciary Committee over the last four years. Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, Leader Schumer, and Chair Durbin, the Senate has confirmed 213 judges, and counting, to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during the Biden-Harris Administration. The Committee has also held hearings on the issues mo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $192 Million To Help Illinois Families Save On Home Energy Bills

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $192,607,773 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help Illinoisans afford the rising cost of home heating bills this winter. This announcement includes funding appropriated from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Durbin and Duckworth both supported. “In the f… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On The Passing Of Billy Lawless Sr.

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the passing of Billy Lawless Sr.: “Billy Lawless Sr. was part of a long line of Irish immigrants to Chicago who made America a better nation. In the competitive world of hospitality and restaurants, he and his children worked hard to succeed and excel in Chicago. “I came to know Billy through his passionate advocacy for immigrants. Billy found a way to strike a balance between that man from Ireland w… Continue Reading

Durbin Celebrates Completion of Willard Airport Taxiway Project

SAVOY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today attended a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of University of Illinois’ Willard Airport’s midfield taxiway realignment project. This federally funded project is part of a broader effort by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure taxiways nationwide meet the latest safety standards. “By improving airport infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for increased connectivity and reliability,” said Durbin. “T… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On The Outcome Of The 2024 Election

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: “To Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz—thank you. Thank you for running a campaign filled with hope, joy, and possibility. I am sorry that we will not see your vision for America come to be. “While the Administration will change in January, my belief in the promise of this country never will. I promise to work with all of my strength each day in the Senate to look out for the most vuln… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $87 Million In Federal Funding For Illinois Rail System Improvements

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $87,078,200 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program for four rail infrastructure improvement projects across Illinois. “Illinois holds a unique position as the converging point for railroads that cross our nation,” said Durbin. “This significant federal investment will ensure our state rema… Continue Reading

ICYMI: Durbin Holds Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing In Chicago On Reducing Prescription Drug Costs

CHICAGO – In case you missed it, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held a Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing in Chicago entitled “Reducing Prescription Drug Prices: How Competition Can Make Medications Affordable for Patients.”  During the hearing, Durbin examined the pharmaceutical industry’s anti-competitive tactics and highlighted the success of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in addressing high prescription drug prices for Medicare benefi… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Field Hearing In Chicago On Reducing Prescription Drug Costs

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during the Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing in Chicago, Illinois, entitled “Reducing Prescription Drug Prices:  How Competition Can Make Medications Affordable for Patients.” The hearing included two witness panels, including Members of Congress from Illinois and advocates for prescription drug pricing reform, to examine recent legislative successes to address anti-… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Field Hearing In Chicago On Reducing Prescription Drug Costs

CHICAGO – 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 field hearing in Chicago, Illinois, entitled “Reducing Prescription Drug Prices:  How Competition Can Make Medications Affordable for Patients.” The hearing includes two witness panels, including Members of Congress from Illinois and advocates for prescription drug pricing reform, to examine recent legislative successes to address… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Warren, Whitehouse, Warnock To Push DOJ, ED For Expanded Outreach On Discharging Student Loan Debt In Bankruptcy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in sending a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) commending the agencies on their progress in helping borrowers who are struggling financially to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy and asking them to continue expanding awareness of the Biden-Harr… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President Biden's Formal Apology To Native Communities For Federal Government's Role In Native American Boarding Schools

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded President Biden’s formal apology for the U.S. government’s actions in establishing and running hundreds of Federal Indian Boarding Schools: “Today, President Biden is taking a major step forward in our nation’s reckoning with the deeply painful history of Native boarding school policies that caused irreparable damage to Native communities.  The scars of these unjust, hateful actions—the federal government’s attempts to e… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds President Biden's Formal Apology To Native Communities For Federal Government's Role In Native American Boarding Schools

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded President Biden’s formal apology for the U.S. government’s actions in establishing and running hundreds of Federal Indian Boarding Schools: “Today, President Biden is taking a major step forward in our nation’s reckoning with the deeply painful history of Native boarding school policies that caused irreparable damage to Native communities.  The scars of these unjust, hateful actions—the federal government’s attempts to e… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Announce $157 Million In Federal Funding For Springfield Rail Improvements Project

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today announced $157,126,494 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the final segment of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project (SRIP). The multi-phased project is a large-scale effort supported by local, state, and federal funding designed to alleviate rail congestion in downtown Springfield by consolidating train… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $5 Million In Federal Funding For Postsecondary Education Preparedness

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission will receive $5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Illinois GEAR UP aims to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The funding also will provide services, such … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Sorensen Announce $33.5 Million In Federal Funding For Peoria And Chicago Airports

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced $33,510,000 in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program. With today’s announced funding, General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport will receive $13,510,000 for the replacement of their air traffic control tower, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will rece… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Congressional Democrats In Filing Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court To Affirm That EMTALA Requires Hospitals To Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care, Including Abortion Care, Preempting Idaho's Draconian Abortion Ban

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 Members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit.  EMTALA is a federal law that requires… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Senators In Demanding Answers From Pfizer, Eli Lilly On New Telehealth Platforms Amid Concerns Of Inappropriate Prescribing

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the CEOs of Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly demanding answers about the pharmaceutical companies’ recent move to establish new direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth platforms.  These new arrangements steer patients toward particular medications and create the potential for inappropriate prescribing that can increase spending for federal health care programs.  As Durbin notes in his letters, federal law, specifically the Anti-Kickba… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Announce More Than $81 Million In Additional Federal Funding For the CREATE Program

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today announced $81,301,065 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) Program for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, which aims to reduce traffic delays, increase rail junction safety, and improve mobility throug… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces New Resources To Address Child Lead Poisoning Risks In Chicago

CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined officials from CountyCare, Cook County Health, and the Cook County Department of Public Health to unveil new proactive measures taken by all five Medicaid managed care insurance companies (MCOs) in Illinois in response to a request by Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to address lead poisoning risks to children in Chicagoland. In March, Durbin and Duckworth had urged MCOs to step up to address lead poisoning risks… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Members Of Illinois Delegation Announce $15.8 Million In Federal Funding For Chicago Transit Authority Improvements

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representatives Jesus “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), and Danny Davis (D-IL-07) today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation will receive $15,805,600 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for improvements to the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Forest Park Branch. This track modernization project will lead to increased service reliabi… Continue Reading