Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Fifth Anniversary of the Landmark First Step Act

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 “Five Years of the First Step Act: Reimagining Rehabilitation and Protecting Public Safety.”  The law serves as a beacon for “smart on crime” policies, and this hearing will examine its successes and impact. The First Step Act was championed by Durbin; U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA); U.S. Senator Cory Bo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Pressley Statement on Justice Department Seeking the Death Penalty in Buffalo Supermarket Shooting Case

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) released the following statement on the Department of Justice’s decision to seek the execution of Payton Gendron, who committed the heinous racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022: “Make no mistake: the acts committed by this individual are morally reprehensible. Ten families continue to mourn their loved ones who were mu… Continue Reading

Durbin Condemns Political Violence as Poll Workers, Government Officials Face Increased Threats Ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemned political violence as the United States continues to see a surge in violent threats against public officials and government workers, particularly as we approach the 2024 presidential election.  The political violence ranges from death threats to bomb threats at places of work, and some violent threats have escalated into violent acts.  During his sp… Continue Reading

Durbin Again Urges FDA to Use its Authority to Protect Children, Stop Unlawfully Marketed Vaping Products in 2024

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority to protect children from the dangers of vaping as the agency continues to miss and delay critical deadlines in a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.  Durbin has repeatedly criticized FDA for its long-overdue review of pre-market tobacco product applications (PMTAs) from e-cigarette manufacturers, which had a federal court deadline of September 9, 2021.  FDA … Continue Reading

Durbin Celebrates Opening of Metropolitan Peace Academy

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today celebrated the opening of the Metropolitan Peace Academy, a training program run by Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a division of Metropolitan Family Services (MFS), to professionalize and standardize the field of street outreach workers who conduct violence prevention activities. “Trauma lies at the heart of so much pain and conflict in our neighborhoods, as evidenced by a recent study revealing that half of Chicago residents have been exposed to… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues in Calling on Senate Appropriations to Fight for Rail Funding in FY24 Spending Negotiations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 12 Senate colleagues in urging Senate Appropriations leadership to support funding for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) grant program in the Fiscal Year 2024 spending legislation.  While the committee-passed U.S. Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations b… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Merkley, Colleagues in Call to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), in leading 22 senators in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young, sounding their concerns about the Administration’s delay in finalizing proposed rules to end the sale of menthol flavor in cigarettes and all flavors in … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce USDA Grants to Increase Ethanol-Based Fuel at Illinois Gas Stations

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released grant funding to national gas station companies to support their Illinois locations in increasing the availability of domestic biofuel.  The funding, awarded from the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act—of which n… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $14.9 Million to Install Electric Vehicle Chargers Across 273 Locations in Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $14,962,506 has been awarded to Illinois through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI Program) to install community charging sites to fill gaps in access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure across 273 locations. “By expanding access to electric vehicle chargers, we are weaving a network that connects urban and r… Continue Reading

Jewish Groups Underscore Support for Adeel Mangi to Serve as Circuit Court Judge

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Jewish community leaders and advocates have underscored support for Mr. Adeel Mangi to serve as a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in New Jersey, defending Mr. Mangi’s record and condemning the blatantly Islamophobic lines of questioning and insinuations by Senate Republicans. Despite unequivocally denouncing any acts of antisemitism or bigotry, Mr. Mangi was subjected to irrelevant, combative lines of questioning by multiple Senate J… Continue Reading

Durbin Slams FDA on Failure to Regulate E-Cigarettes, Synthetic Nicotine, Calls on Administration to Finalize Public Health Measure to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its unacceptable failure to protect children from the dangers of vaping as the agency continues to miss and delay critical deadlines.  Durbin has repeatedly criticized FDA for its long-overdue review of pre-market tobacco product applications (PMTAs) from e-cigarette manufacturers, which had a federal court deadline of September 9, 2021.  FDA has miss… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Nomination of Judge Sunil Harjani to be 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 White House announced its intent to nominate Judge Sunil Harjani to a Federal District Court Judge vacancy in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division: “We are pleased that President Biden is nominating Judge Sunil Harjani to fill a judicial vacancy for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Divi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Honor Labor Leader Ed Smith in Speech on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today paid tribute to Cairo, Illinois, native Ed Smith, former leader of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, on the Senate floor after his passing on January 3.  In their remarks, Durbin and Duckworth shared personal stories about their relationship with Smith, who dedicated his life to advancing labor rights. “Who wanted to demonstrate the dignity of work way beyond quitting time o… Continue Reading

Durbin to Join Kaine, Colleagues in Amendment to Maintain Congressional Oversight of Foreign Military Assistance

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, to announce that they intend to file an amendment to maintain the congressional notification requirement for all U.S. assistance to foreign militaries.  Specifically, the amendment would strike a provision in the proposed national security supplemental funding bill that waives oversight requirements for U.S. funding for Israel und… Continue Reading

On the Senate Floor, Durbin Urges the Release of Political Prisoners from Russia, Belarus, Algeria, Cambodia, and Guatemala

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted the plight of political prisoners in five nations and called for their immediate release.  All of these political prisoners have been outspoken in their support for democracy and basic freedoms. Durbin began his speech by highlighting two Russians—Alexei Navalny and opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested in Moscow following an interview in which he called Vladimir Putin’… Continue Reading

Durbin, Merkley, Kaine, Welch Statement Following the Bangladesh Election

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh won a fourth consecutive term: “On Sunday, despite the peaceful participation of millions of Bangladeshis, the country’s election and pre-election processes were marred by violence and troubling government intimidation of opposition candidates. The refusal of the main opposition … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Warn Non-Unionized Automakers Not to Interfere in UAW Unionization Efforts

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 26 of their colleagues, in sending a letter to 13 non-unionized automakers urging them not to illegally block United Auto Workers’ (UAW) unionization efforts at their manufacturing plants.  After the ratification of historic agreements between UAW a… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Releases 2023 Year-in-Review

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, proudly released the 2023 Senate Judiciary Committee Year-In-Review. “Our democracy demands much of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I am honored to lead this Committee to defend our freedoms, advance justice and equality, and bring balance to our federal judiciary. We advanced highly qualified nominees, who reflect the diversity of America. We continued to revitalize our Committee’s oversight… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Department of Transportation to Allocate Rail Grants to Springfield Rail Improvements Project in 2024

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to strongly consider the Springfield Rail Improvements Project (SRIP) for federal rail grants in 2024, as the project was not awarded any federal support in 2023.  SRIP, a joint effort between the City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, aims to relocate all passenger and freight traffic from the Third Street Corridor t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham React to President Biden Signing their National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act Into Law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today applauded President Biden for signing into law their bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act, whichreauthorizes relief for an additional four years for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship.  The legislation will protect a long-s… Continue Reading