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 Jeremy C. Daniel, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Brendan Abell Hurson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland; and Darrel James Papillion, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Key Durbin quote… Continue Reading

Durbin: Democrats Won’t Rest Until We Restore Access To Women’s Reproductive Health Care Nationwide

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on the state of reproductive rights in America and steps he's taking to shine a light on the serious threats to abortion rights nationwide, including his upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the issue. The remarks come after a federal judge in Texas, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, attempted to block the use of the medication abortion pill mifepristone-which the Food … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Democrats To File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court To Prevent Dangerous Ruling From Restricting Access To Mifepristone Nationwide & Upending FDA Approval Process

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, in support of the Biden Administration’s appeal of a federal district court ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone as well as the decision by the U.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Urge Chief Justice Roberts To Investigate Justice Thomas’ Undisclosed Gifts And Take Action To Prevent Further Misconduct

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts calling on the Chief Justice to investigate a ProPublica report that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted and failed to disclose 20 years' worth of lavish gifts and luxury travel from prominent Republican donor Harlan Crow. In the letter, the Senators announce that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hol… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement After Federal Judge Blocked Access To The Medication Abortion Pill Mifepristone

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement after a federal judge in Texas blocked the use of the medication abortion pill mifepristone-which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more than 20 years ago as safe and effective: "This evening, a single federal judge in Texas issued a decision that seeks to deny millions of women across the country access to an FDA-approved medication that has bee… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center To Announce $1 Million For Facility Renovation And Expansion

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Chicago Children's Advocacy Center (CCAC) to discuss the $1 million in federal funding he and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured through Congressionally-directed spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus appropriations bill for CCAC to renovate and expand their facility to better meet the needs of child victims and witnesses of violence and to expand its capacity to provide mental health services. "Too many young people carr… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Reports Of Justice Clarence Thomas’ Acceptance Of Undisclosed Luxury Gifts From Republican Megadonor

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on reports of 20 years' worth of undisclosed gifts and troubling ethical conduct by Justice Clarence Thomas: "The highest court in the land shouldn't have the lowest ethical standards. Today's Pro Publicareport reveals that Justice Thomas has for years accepted luxury travel on private yachts and jets and a litany of other gifts that he failed to disclose. This beh… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry To Announce $700,000 To Expand Services To Food-Insecure Residents In The Region

AURORA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry to discuss the $700,000 in federal funding he secured through Congressionally-directed spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus appropriations bill for their new Mobile Meals Program that will expand their services to food-insecure residents in the region. This funding will allow them to purchase a mobile van to distribute meals to residents. "We live in the richest nation in the world, yet over 35… Continue Reading

With Violent ‘Air Rage’ Incidents Still At Elevated Levels, Durbin Joins Colleagues To Renew Bipartisan Push To Ground Unruly Passengers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin joined U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) to unveil the bipartisan and bicameral Protection from Abusive Passengers Act. This legislation is designed to improve air travel safety by holding unruly passengers accountable if they assault a crewmember or fellow passenger. Despite the mask mandate on planes ending in April of last year, the Federal Aviation Administration … Continue Reading

Durbin Visits OSF Heart Of Mary Medical Center To Highlight Efforts To Lower The Price Of Insulin And Other Prescription Drugs

URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center to highlight Democratic efforts to lower the price of insulin and other prescription drugs. Last year, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which in caps the cost of insulin at $35 per month under Medicare, caps annual out-of-pocket spending for drugs at $2,000 for seniors, enables Medicare to negotiate for lower prices with Big Pharma, and penalizes manufacturers who hike drug prices higher th… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Urge Office Of Personnel Management To Address Delays In Delivering Federal Retirement Benefits

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) led nine of their colleagues in sending a bicameral letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) urging the agency to address the delay with processing and delivering federal retirement benefits to federal employees.  OPM, which manages government employees’ health insurance and retirement benefit programs, has a substantial retirement claim inve… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Lead Illinois Delegation In Urging President Biden To Grant Federal Disaster Declaration For 5 Illinois Counties Following Severe Weather

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging the White House to grant Governor JB Pritzker's request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for five counties. The letter follows tornadoes, high winds, hail, and flash floods that caused widespread damage across Boone, Crawford, DuPage, Marion, and Sanga… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce “No Check, No Sale” Bill To Close The Charleston Loophole

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to introduce the Background Check Completion Act, legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of gun sales… Continue Reading

Durbin Visits Hillside To Discuss The Importance Of Passing Fire Grants And Safety Act

HILLSIDE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Hillside to discuss the importance of passing the 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. These grant programs help with staffing and hiring as well as training and equipping personnel and are set to expire after September 30. In order to ensure there is no lapse in funding, the U.S. Senate is sch… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Introducing Legislation To Boost Gun Violence Prevention Research At CDC, Urge Stronger Action On Gun Safety In Wake Of Tragic School Shooting

WASHINGTON - As the nation reels from yet another tragic school shooting this week, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) to reintroduce legislation to fund research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and address the n… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Trump Indictment By Manhattan Grand Jury

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Trump by a Manhattan grand jury: "While there are many unknowns, we know a few things to be true: the Manhattan District Attorney must be allowed to continue his investigation without interference; any attempt to undermine this process is contrary to the rule of law; and political violence or threats of violence … Continue Reading

Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Lower Mandatory Sentences For Certain Drug Offenses

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the bipartisan Smarter Sentencing Act to modernize federal drug sentencing policies. "Outdated policies stemming from the failed War on Drugs continue to impose lengthy, one-size-fits-all sentences for many nonviolent drug offenses. It's costly, overcrowds our prisons, and strains budgets at the expens… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Criminal Justice Reform Priorities With The Marshall Project

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with the Board of Directors of The Marshall Project to discuss criminal justice reform priorities in Congress. During the meeting, Durbin discussed a broad range of issues and policies aimed at ensuring a fair system of justice for all and protecting public safety, including gun violence prevention, bringing diverse perspectives to the federal bench, building on the successes of his bi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2.3 Million For School-Based Mental Health Training

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program for DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the Illinois State Board of Education. This funding, which was provided by last year's landmark gun violence reduction law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, will support the training of school-based mental health service pro… Continue Reading

Durbin To Republican Colleagues: Stop Blaming DHS And Start Working With Democrats To Reform Our Broken Immigration System

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about Tuesday's Judiciary Committee oversight hearing-the Committee's second oversight hearing of the year and the second oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since Durbin became chair in 2021. During his speech, Durbin called out his Republican colleagues for criticizing DHS Secretary Mayorkas-and President Biden-for the chal… Continue Reading