Press Releases
Durbin Calls Out The Trump Administration's Continued Efforts To Intimidate Judges & Undermine The Rule Of Law
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, once again spoke against efforts by the Trump Administration to intimidate judges and undermine the rule of law. Durbin then asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution that simply affirms that the Constitution vests the judicial power in the federal courts and that both the Constitution and established precedent require the executive branch … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Votes Against NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate NIH Caucus, released the following statement after voting against President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: “All the progress we have made at NIH and all the progress we hope to make is in danger because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. They are carrying out an unprecedented and devastating campaign to cut … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Questions Witnesses In Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Censorship
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing entitled “The Censorship Industrial Complex.” Durbin began by asking Benjamin Weingarten, a Commentator and Senior Contributor to The Federalist, about the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Mr. Weingarten has written about the existence of a so-called Censorship Industrial Complex … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Air Traffic Controllers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois representatives from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), including President of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), Toby Hauck. During their meeting, Durbin and the NATCA members touched on the industry’s critical staffing shortage and spoke about steps to recruit, train, and retain air traffic controllers. The leaders also discussed replacing outdated equipment and … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Censorship
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing entitled “The Censorship Industrial Complex.” During his opening statement, Durbin condemned President Trump and his MAGA allies for attempting to rewrite the history of January 6, 2021, with harmful rhetoric, including one of today’s witnesses having previously said that the … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Joins Klobuchar, Colleagues To Press USDA To Not Take Food Away From Food Banks And Hungry Families
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with 24 of their colleagues, in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more information about the cancellation of previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers. This would take food away from hungry … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Durbin Meets With John Eisenberg, President Trump's Nominee For Assistant Attorney General For The National Security Division
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting with John Eisenberg, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division: “As I’ve said to all of President Trump’s DOJ nominees, the American people are demanding a Justice Department that puts the Constitution before any president. The top law enforcement officers at DOJ must be able to say … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
In Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Slams Trump Administration's Abhorrent Mission To Dismantle Department Of Education
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump’s recent executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) at the expense of the nation’s future. In his remarks, Durbin made clear that gutting the federal agency will inflict irreparable harm on local school districts in Illinois by stripping away critical federal funding. “Last week, President Trump signed an executive order to … Continue Reading
March 24, 2025
Durbin, Peters, Issue Statement Defending Mission Critical Civil Rights And Civil Liberties Offices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement following reports of termination of the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services … Continue Reading
March 24, 2025
Durbin, Tillis Introduce Legislation To Improve Coordination Between USPTO and FDA On Pharma Patents
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE), and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced bipartisan legislation, the Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act, which would establish a task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Durbin Discusses Impacts Of Medicaid Cuts On Rural Hospitals
TAYLORVILLE— U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined health care administrators at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics, and the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network to discuss the impact of potential Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals and their patients. Republicans in Congress have proposed funding tax breaks for billionaires by cutting $880 billion to the Medicaid program. Statewide, 3.4 million Illinoisans rely on Medicaid for … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Durbin, Booker, Schiff, Senate Democrats Express Concerns Over Trump Admin's Plan To Reduce Or Eliminate BOP Staff Retention Incentives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), along with 12 other Democratic Senators, today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi expressing deep concern over the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) plan to reduce by 50 percent (at 42 BOP correctional facilities) or entirely eliminate (at seven BOP correctional facilities) staff retention incentives. The Senators … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Durbin, Klobuchar, Grassley, Colleagues Press Administration On U.S. Support For Recovering Abducted Ukrainian Children
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in calling for the State Department to continue supporting efforts to investigate Russia’s abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children. In a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio, … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Durbin Statement On Trump Executive Order To Demolish The Department Of Education
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order to demolish the U.S. Department of Education: “President Trump’s dangerous demagoguery knows no bounds. Shredding the Department of Education, a federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation, is depraved and deeply damaging to the future of this country. “Trump’s formula for American greatness: Eliminate federal aid to … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Durbin Discusses Impacts Of Medicaid Cuts On Rural Hospitals, Clinics
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined health care administrators from Touchette Regional Hospital, Jersey Community Hospital, Sparta Community Hospital, Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, and the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network to discuss the impact of potential Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals and their patients. Republicans in Congress have proposed funding tax breaks for billionaires by cutting $880 billion to the Medicaid … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Durbin Joins Warner, Crapo, Colleagues In Letter Reaffirming Bipartisan Support For Community Development Financial Institutions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, in a letter to the Trump administration signed by 23 Senators emphasizing the bipartisan support for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), and highlighting the fund’s critical role in providing capital to underserved communities. The CDFI Fund boosts economic growth in largely … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
In A Letter To General Services Administration, Durbin, Duckworth, Members Of The Illinois Congressional Delegation Outline Harmful Impacts Of Recent Termination Of Federal Government Leases
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, sent a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian requesting answers in regard to GSA’s recent termination of federal government leases across Illinois. As of March 6, 2025, GSA, in conjunction with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claims to have terminated … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Cantwell, Colleagues Call On President Trump To Reverse The Illegal Firing OF FTC Commissioners
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and over two dozen of their Senate colleagues called on President Trump to reverse the illegal firing of … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues To Education Secretary: "We Will Not Stand By As You Attempt To Turn Back The Clock On Education In This Country
WASHINGTON - As the Trump administration and Elon Musk attack public education in America by closing offices and laying off 1,300 workers at the Department of Education, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and 35 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing outrage at the administration’s reckless and illegal firing of half of the workforce at the U.S. Department … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Durbin, Senate Democrats Urge President Trump To Abandon Use Of Family Detention
CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of 21 Senate Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump in strong opposition to the Administration reviving family detention. The Senators began with strong objection to the reports, writing: “We strongly object to the failed and inhumane practice of detaining migrant families. We are deeply disturbed by reports that your Administration intends to revive this … Continue Reading