Senate Confirms Julie Rikelman To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The First Circuit

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Julie Rikelman to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Rikelman's confirmation: "Julie Rikelman is a highly skilled litigator who has almost 25 years of experience in private practice, as in-house counsel, and in public interest law. She's worked on a wide range of matters at both the trial and appellate l… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $7.9 Million To Support Background Checks For Gun Sales

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 announced a total of $7,904,683 in Department of Justice (DOJ) awards to assist state record repositories and state courts in sharing eligible National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) records to improve the firearm background check system in Illinois. The funding, awarded through DOJ's National Criminal History Improvement Program and … Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Reauthorize Missing Children’s Assistance 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 introduced the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023, which renews funding for the Missing Children's Assistance Act (MCAA) through Fiscal Year 2028 and updates the statute concerning the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). "NCMEC has been leading the figh… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $6.6 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $6,651,233 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from neurological disorders to cancer research. "Federal investments in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatment… Continue Reading

Durbin Leads Colleagues In Urging Department Of Education To Reinstate The Gainful Employment Rule

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led six of his colleagues in sending a public comment letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, urging him to reinstate the Gainful Employment Rule. The proposed Gainful Employment Rule uses a debt-to-earnings (DTE) ratio and an earnings premium (EP) test to determine whether career education programs, including all programs at for-profit colleges, are providing value and preparing their students for "gainful emp… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Kaskaskia Regional Port District, Highlights Coming Improvements Made Possible by Federal Funding

NEW ATHENS - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited the Kaskaskia Regional Port District (KRPD) to highlight the upcoming upgrades planned for KRPD, which were made possible by the $8 million federal grant Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured for the project through the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The grant will improve safety, efficiency, and reliability of the rail corridor that connects Lenzburg to … Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Introduction Of Senate Resolution Honoring Juneteenth

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in introducing a Senate resolution in honor of Juneteenth. Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is also known as "Emancipation Day," "Jubilee Day," and "Juneteenth Independence Day." On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced that, in accordance with the Emancipation Procl… Continue Reading

Durbin Celebrates 11th Anniversary Of DACA, Calls On Congress To Finally Pass The Dream Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead author of the Dream Act, today celebrated the 11th anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and called on Congress to finally pass the Dream Act to give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. Twenty-two years ago, Durbin first introduced the Dream Act-bipartisan legislation that would give undocumented immigrants who grew up in this count… Continue Reading

Durbin, Collins Applaud Committee 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), today applauded the advancement of their bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act out of committee with a 20-1 vote. The legislation would extend funding through SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide. The funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Bipartisan Bill To Preserve Strong, Independent Journalism And News Organizations

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Kennedy (R-LA), to the full Senate on a bipartisan vote of 14-7. The bill would allow news organizations to jointly negotiate fair compensation by Big Tech companies that profit from their news content. "We all know the vital role that local newspapers and broadcasters play in informing the public, ensuring accountability, a… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Director Of The National Cancer Institute & NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, current Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and nominee to serve as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During their meeting, they discussed House Republican threats to cut NIH funding, women's health research, shortages of critical cancer drugs, and the rising costs of prescription drugs. "The National Institutes of Health is the preeminent medical research i… Continue Reading

Durbin, Gillibrand, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Allow Victims Of Age Discrimination To Seek Justice And Accountability

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), along with Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), announced the introduction of the bipartisan Protecting Older Americans Act. The legislation would invalidate forced arbitration clauses that prevent age discrimination victims from seeking justice and public accountability. Forced arbitration, or pre-dispute arbitration, occur… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Credit Card Competition Act With National Restaurant Association

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Michelle Korsmo to discuss the impact of credit card swipe fees, one of the highest operating costs for restaurants. Durbin recently reintroduced his bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, which would require the largest banks in the country to offer two networks to be used to process credit card transactions with one being a network outside of the Visa-Mastercard d… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Supreme Court Ethics Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing entitled, "Ensuring an Impartial Judiciary: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023." Today's hearing is the third hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee has held this year on the topic of judicial ethics. Durbin first asked Donald K. Sherma… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Committee Hearing On Ensuring The Safety And Well-Being Of Unaccompanied Children

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children." Today's hearing examined the exploitation of unaccompanied non-citizen children in the United States, existing protections under the law, and the need to ensure that the United States protects these vulnerable children. Durbin first questioned Venus Bradl… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Supreme Court Ethics Reform

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 Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing entitled "Ensuring an Impartial Judiciary: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023." Today's hearing is the third hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee has held this year on the topic of judicial ethics. "It was February 2012 when… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On Ensuring The Safety And Well-Being Of Unaccompanied Children

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 entitled "Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children." Today's hearing will examine the exploitation of unaccompanied non-citizen children in the United States, existing protections under the law, and the need to ensure that the United States protects these vulnerable children. Key quotes: "During t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Cut Taxes For Illinois Workers & Families

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in reintroducing the Working Families Tax Relief Act. At a time when costs are higher than ever for parents and wages have failed to keep up with inflation, the Working Families Tax Relief Act would cut taxes for workers and families by expanding the Child Tax Credit … Continue Reading

Senate Passes Durbin, Cruz Bill To Rename Cuban Embassy Street After Murdered Dissident Oswaldo Payá

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) praised the Senate's unanimous passage of bipartisan legislation they authored to rename the street outside of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as "Oswaldo Payá Way" after the Cuban dissident leader who was murdered by the Cuban dictatorship. Earlier this week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released its findings in the suspicious death of Payá that confirmed the Cuban gover… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witness During Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Artificial Intelligence And Human Rights

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law hearing entitled, "Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights." After highlighting the Judiciary Committee's work unanimously reporting five bills designed to stop the exploitation of kids online, Durbin questioned Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, about his Strengthen… Continue Reading