Durbin Visits Big Brothers Big Sisters To Announce $500,000 To Expand Youth Mentoring Efforts

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago (BBBSCHI) to discuss the $500,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally-directed spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus appropriations bill for the expansion of their youth mentoring efforts to include the West and far South Sides of Chicago and south suburban Cook County. "Too many children grow up facing life's challenges without a strong support system,"said Durb… Continue Reading

Durbin Applauds Senate Passage Of Fire Grants And Safety Act

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, applauded the Senate passage of the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act,which would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program through Fiscal Year 2030. These programs help with the staffing, hiring, training, and equipping of emergency personnel, but without House passage of t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Introduce Bill To Require Price Transparency In Prescription Drug Advertisements

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today reintroduced the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, a bill that would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs, in order to empower patients and reduce spending on medications. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on the impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising which found that prescription drugs advertis… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations Of Jeffrey Cummings & Lashonda Hunt To Serve As District Court Judges For The Northern District Of Illinois

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 released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nominations of Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda Hunt to serve as District Court Judges on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: "We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced the nominations of Judge Jeffrey Cummings and Ju… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley Reintroduce Criminal Justice Reform Bills

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the lead sponsors of the landmark First Step Act (FSA), reintroduced three pieces of criminal justice reform legislation today to further implement the FSA and advance its goals. The First Step Act, which was signed into law in 2018, is bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by reformin… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Nine Nominees For Confirmation By Full Senate

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced nine nominations on a bipartisan basis for consideration by the full Senate. "First and foremost, on behalf of all members of the Committee, I wish Senator Feinstein a speedy recovery and return. Our Committee continues to advance diverse, highly-qualified nominees for confirmation to the federal bench, and that mission remains as strong as ever. I appreciate the bipartisan support earned by each of today's nominees, and we will conti… Continue Reading

Durbin Invites Chief Justice Roberts To Testify Before The Judiciary Committee Regarding Supreme Court Ethics

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts inviting him, or another Justice whom he designates, to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to testify at a public hearing regarding Supreme Court ethics reform. "Your last significant discussion of how Supreme Court Justices address ethical issues was presented in your 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Jud… Continue Reading

Durbin Unveils New Efforts To Protect Children’s Online Safety On The Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, unveiled new efforts 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 social media companies to protect children against these harms. … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With U.S. Citizenship And Immigration Services Director Jaddou

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). During the meeting, Durbin discussed a broad range of issues and initiatives aimed at processing increasing asylum caseloads, reducing immigration backlogs, and supporting communities that receive migrants. "I appreciated sitting down with Director Jaddou today to discuss how we can bolster our count… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Accountability For Russian War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity In Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Holding Russian Kleptocrats and Human Rights Violators Accountable for their Crimes Against Ukraine." Durbin first asked Monaco about U.S. support for the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the atrocities committed in Ukraine. Durbin and Judiciary Committee Ranking Me… Continue Reading

Durbin Introduces Stop CSAM Act To Crack Down On The Proliferation Of Child Sex Abuse Material Online

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Strengthening Transparency and Obligation to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act), legislation to crack down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online. To combat this horrific crime, the STOP CSAM Actsupports victims and increases accountability and transparency for online platforms. "In almost every aspect of the … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Hispanic Association Of Colleges And Universities

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with leaders from several of Illinois' Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are members of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. During the meeting, Durbin spoke in favor of allocating additional federal funding to Department of Education programs that support HSIs and Hispanic students. Durbin also advocated for a legal path to citizenship for undocumented students and additional support for HSIs to h… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Accountability For Russian War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity In Ukraine

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 delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Holding Russian Kleptocrats and Human Rights Violators Accountable for their Crimes Against Ukraine," featuring testimony from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. Yesterday, Durbin and Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General An… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Supporting Workers With Secretary Of Labor Nominee Julie Su

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su regarding her nomination as Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). During the meeting, Durbin and Su discussed the importance of investing in workforce development initiatives and apprenticeships, and concerns with retirement plans that offer investments in crypto. In March, Durbin along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to DOL urging the … Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Meet With Ukrainian Prosecutor General

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with members of the Committee, hosted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to receive an update on Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine, and specifically on reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The meeting comes before tomorrow's Senate Judicia… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Route Safety With Illinois Association Of Letter Carriers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Association of Letter Carriers to discuss protecting postal workers from armed robberies while out on their delivery routes. During the meeting, Durbin spoke about his efforts to pressure U.S. Postal Service (USPS) leadership to address the uptick in armed robberies. "Letter carriers perform an essential service of our government, and they deserve to feel safe when they are on the job," said Durbi… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Judiciary Subcommittee On Intellectual Property Hearing On Foreign Threats To U.S. Innovation & Economy

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 Intellectual Property (IP) hearing entitled, "Foreign Competitive Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership." Today's bipartisan hearing examined the risks posed by nation-state adversaries, especially China, to American innovation and economic leadership. Durbin first mentioned his INFORM Consumers Act, which is des… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Infrastructure Priorities With Champaign County First

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with representatives from Champaign County First to discuss the region's infrastructure priorities and recent federal funding that Durbin secured for the projects. This includes Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 earmarks for projects in the area: $3.78 million for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District to increase its electric bus fleet as well as $1 million for mapping the underground geology of the Mahomet Aquifer, the primary sou… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Association Of Illinois Electric Cooperatives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today met with Craig Sondgeroth, President of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC), and their members who represents 25 different distribution co-ops and five generation/transmission co-ops that serve most of Illinois. During their meeting, the Senators spoke about the $2.3 billion in federal funding, provided by C… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For Supreme Court Ethics Reform On The Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor on the need for Supreme Court ethics reform, including a clear, enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices, in light of recent revelations by ProPublicaof Justice Clarence Thomas' previously undisclosed gifts from and transactions with far-right billionaire and Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow. ProPublica found that Mr. Crow has given Justice Thomas ne… Continue Reading