Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Campaigns and Elections
Durbin Calls On Senate Republicans To Support Election Security Funding For States
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged his Republican colleagues to support an amendment that would offer an additional $250 million in election security grants for states to protect their election systems. The amendment, which was prepared by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), is being offered to the appropriations legislation the Senate is considering this week. "Every member of this chamber will have … Continue Reading
07.14.18
Durbin, Senior Dem Senators: President Trump Must Cancel Meeting With Putin Unless He Makes Attack On U.S. Election Number One Issue
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Ho… Continue Reading
07.13.18
Durbin Statement On Special Counsel Indictment Of 12 Russians For Hacking In 2016 U.S. Election
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced Special Counsel Mueller's indictment of 12 Russians for their activities to interfere in the 2016 election by engaging in a sustained operation to hack into the computer networks of Democratic campaign organizations, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and state and local election administrators and vendors. The indicted individuals were members of Rus… Continue Reading
06.12.18
Durbin Questions Trump Admin On Efforts To Stop Future Election Interference
WASHINGTON-At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed members of the Trump Administration on their efforts to thwart future election interference by the Russians or any adversary of the United States. In 2016, Russia successfully hacked into the Illinois State Board of Elections' voter registration system and targeted at least 20 other states with similar attacks. "We do know that Special Counsel Mueller has aggressively gone after Russian interferen… Continue Reading
04.26.18
Durbin, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Election Interference Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the bipartisan Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act, which will prevent foreign regimes from exploiting our immigration laws to advance their efforts to undermine our democracy. This bill will make "improper interference in U.S. elections" a ground of inadmissibility under U.S. immigration law, and violators would be barred from obtaining a visa to enter the United States. "In 20… Continue Reading
04.09.18
Durbin, Quigley, Clerk Orr and State Election Officials Highlight New Funding for Election Security
CHICAGO - Illinois will receive $13.2 million in new federal funding to strengthen its election security systems, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) announced today along with Cook County Clerk David Orr and Executive Director of the Illinois State Board of Elections Steve Sandvoss. The funding - which is part of the federal omnibus spending bill that was signed into law last month - will provide critical assistance to states that are using outdated and v… Continue Reading
10.31.17
Durbin Questions Facebook, Twitter, & Google On Extremist Content And Russian Disinformation
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today questioned executives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google at a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism entitled "Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online: Working with Tech to Find Solutions". The hearing examined how entities affiliated with the Russian government used social media to spread disinformation and sow division during the 2016 U.S. election, and the use of social media to spread terrorist … Continue Reading
07.26.17
Durbin Introduces Fair Elections Now Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 23 Senate colleagues, today introduced the Fair Elections Now Act, which would dramatically change the way U.S. Senate elections are financed. Under the legislation, qualified Senate candidates would earn grants, matching funds, and television vouchers to run competitive campaigns based on small-dollar contributions, rather than rely on funding from wealthy donors and corporate special interests. The Fair Elections Now Act would help reduce… Continue Reading
07.02.17
Durbin Calls On Illinois To Refuse Request To Release Illinois Voter Files To Trump Commission On Voter Fraud
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Illinois Board of Elections to utilize every legal authority to protect sensitive voter information being requested by the Presidential Commission on Voter Integrity. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who serves as the vice chair of the commission, wrote on Wednesday to all 50 states and the District of Columbia requesting that all publicly available voter roll data be sent to the White House. "This Commission… Continue Reading
06.22.17
Durbin Joins Bill To Increase Voter Participation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), introduced legislation to modernize the nation's voter registration systems and make it easier for all Americans to vote and participate in our democracy. The Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2017 would streamline the voter registration process, allow citizens to register online, and require states to automatically register eligible voters when they apply for a driver's licen… Continue Reading
06.21.17
Durbin Meets with Illinois Board of Elections Director to Discuss Election Security
WASHINGTON - Amid House and Senate Intelligence Committee public hearings on Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Steve Sandvoss, the executive director of the Illinois Board of Elections to discuss preventive measures that should be taken to address election security. Mr. Sandvoss testified at the public Senate Intelligence Committee hearing today. "Russia has been refining its tactics of cyber warfare against de… Continue Reading
06.15.17
Durbin, Hastings Work to Strengthen Illinois' Election Systems From Future Acts of Cyberwarfare
WASHINGTON - Amid reports that Russia's cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system leading up to the 2016 election was far more widespread than had been publicly revealed, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-IL-19) are working with 110 local Illinois election authorities to assess the current state of Illinois' election system's cybersecurity and to see how the federal and state governments might best assist their efforts to strengthen the cybersecurit… Continue Reading
05.11.17
Durbin on Trump Voter Fraud Order: We Need an Independent, Nonpartisan Investigation into the 2016 Election
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after reports that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order launching a commission to review voter integrity in the U.S. election system. "Just two days after the ouster of former-FBI Director James Comey and amid growing scrutiny and questions into the Trump campaign's connection with Russia, President Trump is trying to divert attention from the ongoing FBI investigation by returning t… Continue Reading
05.10.17
Durbin Calls on Trump to Respond to Russian Cyberattacks on French Election—and Ours
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Trump Administration to respond to reports of Russian cyberattacks on the French presidential election. In letters to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and FBI Director James Comey, Durbin called for a detailed accounting of the Administration's assessment and planned response to the attack on America's oldest ally. "The recen… Continue Reading
05.09.17
Durbin: What are we waiting for to respond to Russian cyberattack on 2016 election?
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed the Trump Administration for its evasion and obstruction of investigations of possible links between members of the President's inner circle and the Russian government. Durbin again criticized the Administration for putting America's national security at risk by keeping Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor for eighteen days after learning he had lied about his communications with the Russians. Recalling comments made … Continue Reading
03.15.17
Durbin: Russia Has Been Refining Its Cyber Warfare Tactics For A Decade, Now It’s Using Them Against America
WASHINGTON - Amidst mounting scrutiny of Russia's interference in the 2016 election, the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism held its first hearing of the year to discuss Russia's tactics for undermining democracy around the world. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, a member of the subcommittee, questioned expert witnesses, including Heather Conley, author of "The Kremlin Playbook," on Russia's tactics to hack, spy, and lie their way to global dominance. Durbin pressed the witnesses on how the Uni… Continue Reading
03.13.17
Senators Call On Deputy Attorney General Nominee Rosenstein To Clarify Stance On Sessions Recusal, Respond To Intel Report On Russian Cyberattacks
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) today called on Rod Rosenstein, President Trump's nominee to be Deputy Attorney General, to clarify his views on Attorney General Jeff Sessions' partial recusal on Justice Department investigations into the Trump Administration's Russian connections, if he discussed Sessions' recusal with the White House prior to the announcement, and to res… Continue Reading
03.08.17
Durbin: President Trump Trying To Deflect From Number One Issue: Russia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about President Donald Trump's desperate attempts to distract the American public and media from the astonishing series of revelations about Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election in support of the Trump campaign. Senator Durbin also renewed his call for an independent, transparent investigation of Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. "It's important to step back from th… Continue Reading
03.07.17
Durbin: Nothing Ordinary About Investigation Into Russian Connection
WASHINGTON - With newly-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions facing mounting scrutiny over previously undisclosed contact with Russian officials, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today grilled Deputy Attorney General nominee Rod Rosenstein regarding the Justice Department's investigation into Russia's cyber act of war against the 2016 U.S. presidential election. If confirmed, Rosenstein would oversee any Justice Department inves… Continue Reading
03.02.17
Durbin Statement On Sessions False Testimony On Russian Connection
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding Attorney General Jeff Sessions: At Senator Sessions' confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee, I called on him to commit to recuse himself from Justice Department investigations into the Trump campaign's illegal dealings with the Russian government. During that hearing, Sessions said, "I have not had any communications with the Russians." That is false, and he said it under oath. The P… Continue Reading