On World Day Against Child Labor, Durbin, Delauro Introduce Bill To Ban Child Labor On Tobacco Farms

WASHINGTON - In observation of World Day Against Child Labor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today reintroduced legislation to protect child workers from the dangers of exposure to tobacco plants, including nicotine poisoning. The Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to prohibit children under the age of 18 from working in tobacco fields and coming into direct contact with tobacco plants or dr… Continue Reading

Durbin, Boyle Introduce Bicameral Legislation To End Cycle Of Republican Default Brinkmanship

WASHINGTON - After Republicans manufactured another near catastrophic default crisis, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02) introduced the Debt Ceiling Reform Act, legislation to permanently end the weaponization of the debt ceiling while protecting Congress's oversight responsibilities. The Debt Ceiling Reform Act authorizes the Treasury Department to continue paying t… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump Indictment By The Justice Department In Classified Documents Case

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump by the Department of Justice on his alleged mishandling of classified documents he took when leaving office and then obstructing the government's efforts to reclaim them: "While this historic and very serious case continues to play out, Special Counsel Smith must be allowed to continue his investigation … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump Indictment By The Justice Department In Classified Documents Case

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump by the Department of Justice on his alleged mishandling of classified documents he took when leaving office and then obstructing the government's efforts to reclaim them: "While this historic and very serious case continues to play out, Special Counsel Smith must be allowed to continue his investigation … Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Two Circuit Court Nominations To Full Senate

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance two circuit court nominations to the full Senate: Judges Ana de Alba to the Ninth Circuit and Irma Carrillo Ramirez to the Fifth Circuit. "We continued our work advancing highly qualified, diverse candidates to lifetime appointments on the federal bench at our executive business meeting. The two nominees advanced today - including one who would be the first Latina to serve on the Fifth Circuit - are accomplished litigators and… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On His Colleagues To Support Bipartisan Package Of Bills To Protect Kids From Online Sexual Exploitation

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support a package of bipartisan bills that aim to stop the exploitation of children online. In his remarks, Durbin described how social media companies design their products to keep children hooked to their platforms, and discussed the serious, even deadly, harms that children face online, as well as the inadequate efforts of Big Tech compa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Warnock Statement On Supreme Court Decision Striking Down Alabama Congressional Map

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) today released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that Alabama had diluted the power of Black voters and violated theVoting Rights Act by drawing a congressional voting map with a single district in which they made up a majority: "The Court's decision today to affirm decades of precedent and uph… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Schatz, Pocan To Reintroduce Legislation To End Student Loan Debt Crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) to reintroduce the Debt-Free College Act, legislation that will reverse the growing student debt crisis in the United States. The bill restores a path to an affordable college education by providing incentives to states through matching grants to increase investments in public higher education and providing students with debt-free college. "Americans ar… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, to discuss the renewable energy investments underway on the island, critical workforce shortage issues, and the nutrition assistance limitations of the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP). They also discussed Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory and options for Puerto Ricans to determine their own political future. Last Congress, Durbin was a cosponsor of the Puerto Rican Self-De… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions District Court Nominees At Latest Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Loren AliKhan, nominated to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia; Susan DeClercq, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Julia Munley, nominated to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; and Vernon Oliver, nominated to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticu… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On District Court 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 Loren AliKhan, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia; Susan DeClercq, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Julia Munley, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; and Vernon Oliver, to be United States D… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $34 Million For Variety Of Illinois Health Care Programs And Initiatives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $34,248,791 million in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "This federal funding will help Illinois fortify its diverse array of health care programs that are dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of our residents," said Durbin. "From efforts to prevent infect… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $13 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $13,306,253 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support Head Start services for children under the age of five in receiving wrap-around support in early learning and development. "This significant federal investment lays the groundwork for a lifetime of achievement for our children, bolstering their early learning, health, and overall well-be… Continue Reading

Durbin, Marshall, Welch, Vance Introduce Bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Peter Welch (D-VT), and J.D. Vance (R-OH) today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Credit Card Competition Act of 2023, legislation that would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market which is currently dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly.  Building off of debit card competition reforms enacted by Congress in 2010, the b… Continue Reading

Durbin Fires Back After Harlan Crow Refuses To Voluntarily Cooperate With Information Requests Regarding Gifts To Justice Thomas

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired back after receiving a letter from a law firm representing Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow refusing to share key information regarding gifts and travel given to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. "Sadly, he [Harlan Crow]'s made it clear that he refuses to voluntarily cooperate. Harlan Crow has based this refusal on a dangerous, undemocratic argument t… Continue Reading

Durbin Marks 10th Anniversary Of Hadiya Pendleton’s Death, Calls Out Republicans For Attempts To Dismantle Existing Gun Safety Laws

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed outside a park on the South Side when she was only 15 years old. Stressing that gun deaths like Hadiya's are far too common in America, Durbin went on to denounce Republican efforts to weaken gun safety laws. "It was ten years ago roughly when the [second… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On The Administration To Grant Tps To Recent Venezuelan Migrants

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor urging the Biden Administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for recent Venezuelans fleeing dire conditions in their home country. Last month, Durbin met with opposition leader and former interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, who recently fled Venezuela for his and his young family's safety. Durbin noted the extreme conditions that Venezuelans, including those he recently met in Chicag… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Democratic Members Of Illinois Delegation Again Urge Census Bureau To Correct Illinois Undercount In Its Ongoing Population Estimates

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with the 14 Democratic members of the Illinois delegation, today sent a follow-up letter to U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Santos urging him to account for the estimated undercount of Illinoisans in the 2020 Decennial Census as the Census Bureau prepares to release its annual Population Estimate. In the Census Bureau's Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) that was released last May, Illinois wa… Continue Reading

Durbin, Whitehouse Statement On Harlan Crow’s Continued Refusal To Provide Key Information Regarding Gifts And Travel Given To Justice Thomas

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, released the following statement after receiving a letter from a law firm representing Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow refusing to share key information regarding gifts and travel given to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The letter… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Garcia, Ramirez Announce $8 Million For Rail Safety In Franklin Park

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4), and U.S. Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3) today announced $8 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program for Franklin Park, Illinois, to complete project development and final design for a grade separation of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Kansas City Sou… Continue Reading