Durbin, Warren, Ossoff Lead Colleagues in Raising Concerns with Wellpath Over Inadequate Health Care Services in Prisons and Jails Nationwide

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Peter Welch (D-VT) to send a letter to Wellpath—the nation’s largest private provider of prison health care—raising concern over reports of inadequate ca… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Sale of U.S. Steel & Future of Granite City Works

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding reports that the Japanese-based Nippon Steel Corp. has agreed to purchase U.S. Steel, the parent company of Granite City Works in the Metro East: “I’ve been fighting for years to save jobs at Granite City Works.  And I’ve been troubled by announcements over the last several years about reducing production and slashing jobs at this plant.  With the recent news that U.S. Steel will be purcha… Continue Reading

Durbin Reflects on Suffering in the Middle East and Long-Term Path to Hope and Security

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, and called for leadership to address the immediate suffering and longer term needs for a two-state solution.  During his speech, Durbin also remembered the victims of the October 7th horrific Hamas terrorist attack and called for all remaining hostages to be released—including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who has ties to Illinois. Durbin repeated his warning that Israel not make th… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Department of Transportation to Allocate Additional Grants to Chicago Hub Improvement Project for Chicago Union Station

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to consider the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) for additional grant opportunities to support the project’s mission to modernize Chicago Union Station (CUS). Durbin began his letter by acknowledging the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent announcement that Amtrak and its partners will receive $93 million for CHIP.  These funds will support platfor… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Applaud Passage of National Guard And Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act

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 the passage of their bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act, which reauthorizes relief for an additional four years forqualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship.  The legislation will protect a long-standing bipartisan car… Continue Reading

Durbin Presses for Further Investigation into Systemic Failures at Customs and Border Protection Resulting in Years of Deficient Medical Care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed for further investigation into systemic failures at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure proper oversight of its medical care contractor, Loyal Source. Durbin is continuing his investigation in a series of three letters to CBP, Loyal Source, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The letters follow a report by a CBP employee whistleblower alleging years of deficient… Continue Reading

Durbin, Booker Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of the First Step Act on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, on the Senate floor to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the First Step Act—bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by reforming sentencing laws and providing opportunities for those who are incarce… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Urge Department of Education, OMB to Prioritize Funding for Open Textbook Pilot in Fiscal Year 2025

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Tina Smith (D-MN), today led ten of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young, urging the agency leaders to include strong funding for the Open Textbooks Pilot (Pilot) in the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget request. The Pilot, based on Durbin’s Affordable Co… Continue Reading

Durbin, Collins Applaud Senate Passage of SIREN Reauthorization Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act.  The legislation would extend funding for five additional years for SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide.  The funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which was created through… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of NDAA for Fiscal Year 2024

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes an authorization of nearly $886 billion for national security, including authorizations for military construction projects in Illinois and a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members and the Department of Defense (DoD) civilian workforce, wh… Continue Reading

Junior Senator from Ohio Continues to Block Durbin's Attempt to Confirm U.S. Attorney Nominations on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today on the Senate floor requested unanimous consent (UC) to schedule confirmation votes on two U.S. Attorney nominations being held by U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH)—Rebecca C. Lutzko, nominated to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and April M. Perry, nominated to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  U.S. Attorneys are empowered to prosecut… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Circuit, District Court Nominees At Latest Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Nicole G. Berner, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, and Adeel Abdullah Mangi, nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.  Durbin first questioned Ms. Berner about her role as an advocate. “You’ve been a passionate advocate and effective advocate for many controversia… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions DOJ Officials, Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Department of Justice (DOJ) officials during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Cleaning Up the C-Suite: Ensuring Accountability forCorporate Criminals.”  Durbin first questioned Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, about holding individuals accountable forcorporate crime.  Durbin specifically asked about Olsen’s work successfully prosecut… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Five Judicial Nominations

WASHINGTON – 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 hearing on the nominations of Nicole G. Berner, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Adeel Abdullah Mangi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit; Amy M. Baggio, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon; Cristal C. Brisco, to be United States District Judge for the Nort… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal Call on GAO to Review FDA's Oversight of Medical Device Recalls

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calling on the agency to update its 2011 report entitled “Medical Devices: FDA Should Enhance Its Oversight of Recalls” by conducting a review of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight of medical device recalls.  The Senators sent today’s letter following the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s and ProPublica’s reporting on Phili… Continue Reading

Durbin, Colleagues Urge USDA, OMB to Boost Public Food and Agriculture Research Funding in Fiscal Year 2025

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today led 13 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young urging the agency leaders to increase the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) research budget by at least five percent, plus inflation, for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).  In their letter, the Senators emphasized the importance of … Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Cleaning Up the C-Suite: Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals.”  The hearing follows yesterday’s reintroduction of the Corporate Crime Database Act, which would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to collect, aggregate, analyze, and publish comprehensive data on federal corporate criminal en… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Reintroduce Bill to Bring Fairness to FEMA Disaster Declaration Process

WASHINGTON – Following a continuous stretch of severe weather events in Illinois, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today reintroduced theFairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act.  The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois.  Due to FEMA’s disaster declaration process, states like I… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Address to the United States Senate

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the United States Senate: “I’m angry that we would consider walking away from Ukraine in this moment in history.  For almost two years, they have fought off one of the most powerful militaries in the world—and given their lives to do it.  And we said that we will stand by their side.  Now, some members of … Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues to Pass NDAA & National Security Supplemental Request

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today urged his colleagues to swiftly pass the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report.  In his remarks on the Senate floor, Durbin emphasized that the package includes critical funding fornational defense, pay raises for service members, and provisions centered on strengthening security partnerships with U.S. al… Continue Reading