Durbin Urges FDA To Address Shortage Of Life-Saving Drugs For Cancer Patients

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to use the Agency's authority to immediately address the ongoing shortage of critical cancer drugs that are threatening the lives of patients nationwide. In the letter, Durbin cites two chemotherapy drugs, carboplatin and cisplatin, that are used to successfully treat hundreds of thousands of cancer patients each year in the United States. Both of these d… Continue Reading

Durbin: Putin’s Legacy Will Be A War Criminal And A Failed Leader Who Weakened Russia

WASHINGTON - Following Memorial Day, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor highlighting democratic nations' commitment to defend peace and freedom as Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine continues. Durbin said, "On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives for this country. And on this Memorial Day, we were reminded, once again, that the struggle to defend freedom is never over. The peace and freedom … Continue Reading

Durbin: Not Paying Our Bills Will Result In A Loss Of Trust In The Stability In The United States

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the need to avert a debt ceiling crisis so the United States remains a stable, global leader. During his speech, Durbin addressed Senator Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) call for even higher defense spending than what is specified in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, a bipartisan deal on the debt ceiling that was … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Department Of Transportation For Implementing Key Provisions Of Their Protecting Roadside First Responders Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for implementing a key provision of their Protecting Roadside First Responders Act by proposing a rule to require automatic emergency braking (AEB) on all new light and heavy vehicles. The provision, which was passed in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, aims to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and injuries. Ac… Continue Reading

Durbin, Menendez, Booker Lead Oversight Effort To Hold Companies Accountable For Contracting With Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. Which Unlawfully Employed Migrant Child Labor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), alongside several Senate colleagues, sent letters to nine companies that contracted with Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. (PSSI), which the Department of Labor (DOL) found was unlawfully employing migrant child labor at these host companies' facilities. In the letters, the Senators asked each host company to describe the changes to th… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Immigrant Workers, Agriculture, And Need For Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "From Farm to Table: Immigrant Workers Get the Job Done." The hearing highlighted how immigrant workers are essential to put food on our tables, the need for immigration reform to help American farms and businesses, and the importance of protections and fair wages for both domestic and immigrant workers. Durbin ask… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins NAFSA Annual Conference To Talk About Study Abroad Programs And Immigration

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined NAFSA: Association of International Educators for its annual conference to discuss his longstanding support for international education opportunities for Americans, as well as making an American education more accessible to international students seeking higher education. Durbin delivered remarks at the conference, noting the importance of legislation like his bipartisan Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act, which wou… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Immigrant Workers, Agriculture, And Need For Immigration Reform

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, "From Farm to Table: Immigrant Workers Get the Job Done." The hearing will highlight how immigrant workers are essential to put food on our tables, the need for immigration reform to help American farms and businesses, and the importance of protections and fair wages for both domestic and immigrant workers.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Luján, Risch, And Blackburn Announce New Senate National Labs Caucus

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), James Risch, (R-ID) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today announced the creation of a new Senate National Labs Caucus. The National Lab Network conducts cutting-edge research to advance and deploy technologies that are critical to maintaining sustainable economic growth in the U.S. and safeguarding our national security. The Senate National Labs Caucus will coordinate with its counterpa… Continue Reading

Durbin: Chief Justice Roberts Should Strengthen Supreme Court Ethics Standards Before The Court’s Summer Recess

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about the need for stronger Supreme Court ethics standards before the Court recesses for the summer. Durbin's calls come after ProPublica reporting that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted and failed to disclose years' worth of luxury travel and lodging from prominent Republican donor Harlan Crow, much of which took place during the Court's summer recesses. Durbin no… Continue Reading

ICYMI: Durbin, Whitehouse Sent Follow Up Letter To Harlan Crow Seeking Full Information On Gifts, Travel, And Access Given To Supreme Court Justices

WASHINGTON - Last Friday, 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 Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, sent a follow up letter to Republican megadonor Harlan Crow seeking to identify the full extent of Mr. Crow's gifts of travel and lodging to Justice Clarence Thomas, which other individuals were able to gain personal and private access to … Continue Reading

Durbin Releases Plan to Address Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Illinois

LINCOLN - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a news conference with Illinois health care leaders to release his "Roadmap to Grow Illinois' Rural Health Workforce." The partnership with hospitals, community health centers, medical and nursing schools, community colleges, dentists, physicians, and nurses will organize efforts and provide new funding to address health care workforce shortages and staffing crises in rural Illinois. The full Roadmap report can be viewed here. "The COVID pa… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Northwestern Researcher Who Led Breakthrough In Brain Cancer Treatment

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Adam Sonabend, Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, to discuss a major breakthrough in research into treating glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that is diagnosed in about 12,000 Americans annually, including former U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA). Glioblastoma is difficult to treat as the tumor often cannot be completely r… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets with Northside Refugee & Asylum Seeker Coalition

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with the Northside Refugee & Asylum Seeker Coalition (NRASC) to discuss ways to provide the Coalition with the necessary resources to assist the large number of refugees and asylum seekers in the Chicago area.  This meeting comes amid Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s inhumane practice of busing migrants from Texas to Chicago. “Chicago and Illinois have shown humanity and compassion to thes… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce Legislation Guaranteeing Paid Sick Leave To Workers In America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and 40 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Healthy Families Act of 2023, which would guarantee paid sick leave to workers in America. Today, the U.S. remains one of the only two major countries that does not provide paid time off for short-term illnesses or paid leave for family and medical needs and emergencies. Currently, 34 million workers l… Continue Reading

Durbin Honored With First Focus Award For Career Dedicated To Improving Lives Of Children

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met Miriam Abaya, the Vice President for Immigration and Children's Rights at First Focus on Children, and Kathy Sacco, Vice President for International Children's Policy at First Focus on Children, an organization dedicated to improving the health, education, economic mobility, and safety of children. During the meeting, Durbin was presented with the Champion for Children Award for his unw… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Nancy Abudu To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Eleventh Circuit

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nancy Abudu to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Abudu's confirmation: "Nancy Abudu is a highly experienced litigator who has spent the majority of her career defending the civil rights of all Americans. She's worked on a range of matters, including defending voting rights, protecting religious free… Continue Reading

Durbin: We Are Days Away From A Possible Economic Catastrophe Because Republicans Are Threatening To Default

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today slammed House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy for his threats to default on America's debt for the first time in history unless Democrats agree to slash funding for working families, veterans, law enforcement, and small businesses across the country. "June 1 looms on us unless Congress takes action or the United States will default on its … Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Ruling Ingonzalez V. Google

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's ruling inGonzalez v. Google: "Today's ruling in Gonzalez v. Google is disappointing but unsurprising. The Justices passed on their chance to clarify that Section 230 is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for online platforms when they cause harm. "Enough is enough. Big Tech has woefully failed to regulate itself. Congress must s… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Four Bills Supporting Law Enforcement, Public Safety

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on a bipartisan basis to advance four bills supporting law enforcement to the full Senate during National Police Week. "The bipartisan bills that we advanced today show our police officers who serve with dignity and integrity that we appreciate their service and stay committed to finding the best ways to support their profession. Officers are faced with challenges every single day, both on duty and off, as they tackle the physical, mental… Continue Reading