Durbin Calls On Stellantis To Uphold Its End Of The Deal To Reopen Belvidere Plant

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement ahead of United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain’s visit to Belvidere, Illinois, and as UAW calls on Stellantis to uphold its end of the deal to restart the Belvidere Assembly Plant and add on an electric vehicle battery plant to the facility: “Last year, the Belvidere Assembly Plant was idled and more than 1,000 people were out of work. But thanks to direct investment from the Biden-Harris … Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Illinois Delegation In Requesting $50 Million In Reimbursements For MWRD's Work On the Thornton Reservoir

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), today sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor urging the Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) to include $50 million… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument Commemoration

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) last night attended a ribbon cutting ceremony to designate the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a National Monument alongside U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13). This designation ensures the historic site will be preserved to tell the story of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908—a critical event in American history that spurred the creation of the National Association for the Advancemen… Continue Reading

Durbin Stands With Dreamers, DACA Recipients As Oral Arguments Begin In Texas V. US

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, released the following statement as oral arguments begin in Texas v. U.S., which challenges the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals: “The American people will see the same playbook from anti-immigrant extremists today that they’ve seen for years. These extremists want to eliminate the DACA progra… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Chicago Cred To Announce Federal Funding To Prevent Gun Violence

CHICAGO  ?  Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Chicago CRED and its founder Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education, to announce nearly $4 million in new federal funding CRED will be receiving through the U.S. Department of Justice for a Community Violence Intervention project to reduce gun violence. Chicago CRED will use this federal funding to expand the capacity of community-based organizations that provide community violence inter… Continue Reading

Durbin Files Amicus Brief In Support Of Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Durbin Amendment, filed an amicus brief in the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in support of the recently enacted Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA).  IFPA, which was signed into law on June 7th, bars the charging of interchange fees on the tax and tip portions of credit and debit card transactions.  Last month, the Illinois Bankers Association, alon… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement Marking One Year Since The October 7 Hamas Terrorist Attack On Israel

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement marking one year since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel: “On October 7, 2023, we witnessed a horrific terrorist attack on Israel when Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, nearly 100 of whom are still being held in unimaginable conditions.  One fact tells the grim story: more Jews died on October 7 than any time since the Holocaust in a premeditated sla… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Gibson City Hospital To Highlight Federal Funding For Rural EMS Services

GIBSON CITY – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with leadership staff at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services (GAHHS) to discuss the recent enactment of Durbin’s Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Reauthorization Act. Thanks to Durbin’s legislation, GAHHS has received nearly $500,000 in SIREN grant funding for their ambulance service.  The SIREN Reauthorization Act extends funding for five additional years for SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencie… Continue Reading

Durbin, Collins Praise President Biden For Signing Their Bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act Into Law

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), today praised President Biden for signing their bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act into law yesterday.  The legislation will 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 (SA… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $200K In Federal Funding For Arts Programming In Illinois

CHICAGO — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $222,400 in federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts through the ArtsHERE grant program for two Illinois organizations. Free Spirit Media, which works with young creators primarily from the West and South sides of Chicago, will receive $110,000 for their Reimagining Evaluation project to create new evaluation tools rooted in storytelling, reflection, social justice, and… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Meeting With United States Senators

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 United States Senators: “President Zelenskyy’s message remains clear: without continued U.S. support, Ukraine will lose the war.  Allowing a Putin victory in Ukraine would surrender U.S. leadership around the world, undermine the hard-fought stability in Europe that emerged after two devasting world wars, … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor & Interim Leader Of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus

NEW YORK – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who was recently selected to lead the Bangladeshi caretaker government following the resignation of former authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  Durbin first met Dr. Yunus more than 20 years ago during a trip to Bangladesh. “Dr. Yunus’ ideas changed the world and helped earn him a Nobel Peace Prize.  Tragically, his ideas also earned him the wrath of then-Bangladeshi Prim… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Protect Your Points Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Protect Your Points Act, legislation that would strengthen consumer protections by requiring greater transparency from airlines’ frequent flyer, points, and loyalty programs.  The Protect Your Points Act will give the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explicit authority to ensure that airlines do not bait and switch consumers by offering them an enticing rewards prog… Continue Reading

Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Amend National Child Protection Act To Expand Nationwide Background Check Access

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a bipartisan bill to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 (NCPA) to ensure that individuals with unsupervised access to children, such as those under contract with a school, are, once again, authorized to have a national background check. Since 1993, the National Child Protection Act/Volunteers … Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Biden-Harris Executive Actions To Curb Gun Violence And Save Lives

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on President Biden and Vice President Harris’s new executive actions to help curb gun violence and save lives: “Gun violence is a uniquely American crisis. As they have since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris are taking actionable steps to help curb this crisis and save lives. Congress was part of that effort by passing the most significant gun safe… Continue Reading

Durbin, Young Celebrate Their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act Heading To President's Desk

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) celebrated U.S. Senate passage of their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, which will now head to the President’s desk for his signature. The legislation extends funding for public health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability, and increase quality of life for the two-and-a-half million America… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez, Underwood Celebrate Senate Passage Of Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) celebrated Senate passage of a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy who was murdered as a victim of a hate crime in Plainfield, Illinois, on October 14, 2023. The lawmakers introduced the resolution earlier this year. “Wadee Alfayou… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Passage Of Short-Term Government Funding Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the government through December 20: “It’s disappointing that the best we can do is ‘keep the lights on’ when funding the government.  Congress should be addressing issues that are important to the American people, not kicking the can down the road once again.  Democrats want to… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees In 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 Sarah Morgan Davenport, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico, about her unique background.  Durbin also began his remarks by highlighting the rigorous vetting process nominees undergo to be considered for a judicial nomination. “Among our nominees is Ms. Davenport, who graduated from… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Judiciary Committee Hearing On Six 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 Anthony J. Brindisi, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York; Elizabeth C. Coombe, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York; Sarah Morgan Davenport, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Distri… Continue Reading