Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Thomson Prison Population Changes

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 regarding a recent decision by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to temporarily move some inmates from USP Thomson: "We have been informed by the Department of Justice that Bureau of Prisons leadership is taking corrective action to address deeply troubling findings of a recent review of the … Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On Children’s Online Safety

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 "Protecting Our Children Online." The hearing will examine the challenge of ensuring online child safety and privacy, with witnesses testifying to the risks, threats, and harms that children face in the online world. Key quotes: "The online world offers tremendous opportunities and benefits. But, it also po… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Confirmation Of 100th Judge During The Biden Administration

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the confirmation of the 100th lifetime judicial appointment during the Biden Administration, including one to the Supreme Court, 30 to the circuit courts, and 69 to the district courts: "With the confirmation of Gina Méndez-Miró to the District of Puerto Rico, the Senate has now confirmed 100 judges during the Biden Administration. T… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Cindy Chung To The Third Circuit Court Of Appeals

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung to the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Ms. Chung's confirmation: "Ms. Chung brings a wealth of experience to the bench. The daughter of South Korean immigrants who called Pittsburgh their first home in America, she has served Pennsylvanians as a United States Attorney and career prosecuto… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Hirono Introduce Bill to Protect Children's Online Privacy

WASHINGTON - As the collection of personal information by internet companies is encroaching more and more on the privacy of every American, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) today introduced legislation to strengthen online privacy protections for children when websites collect their personally identifiable information. The Clean Slate for Kids Online Act would give every Amer… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges DOJ, FTC to Investigate Interlocking Directorates in the Life Science Industry

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) encouraging them to use the authorities granted to them under the Clayton and FTC Acts to appropriately investigate interlocking directorates in the life science industry and take all necessary steps to combat this anticompetitive practice. An interlocking directorate occurs when an individual simultaneously ser… Continue Reading

Durbin, Sanders, Murphy, Smith Urge Department of Education to Inform Potential Students of Low-Financial Value Postsecondary Programs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Tina Smith (D-MN) led a group of four Senators in sending a letter to the Department of Education (Department) to provide input about the Department's process for compiling a list of low-financial-value postsecondary programs. This list would serve as a warning sign for students, parents,… Continue Reading

Durbin, Graham Introduce The Dream 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, introduced the Dream Act of 2023, which would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence. Durbin and Graham have introduced identical legislation in the last three sessions of Con… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Defense Department IG Report Regarding Use Of Messaging Apps On Mobile Devices

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Department of Defense's (DoD) Inspector General released a report regarding the use of mobile applications on DoD mobile devices, which is in response to questions Durbin raised about text messages that may have been deleted by departing DoD officials at the end of the Trump Administration concerning the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Cap… Continue Reading

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Twenty-Four Judicial Nominees, Five Bipartisan Bills To Lower Prescription Drug Costs

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced twenty-four judicial nominations, as well as five bipartisan bills to help lower prescription drug prices to the full Senate. "The judicial nominees advanced to the full Senate today build upon our Committee's progress confirming highly qualified judges," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I look forward to my colleagues in the full Senate having the opportunity to vote to confirm … Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Trade With National Confectioners Association

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today met with representatives from the National Confectioners Association (NCA), Ferrara Candy, Bazooka Candy, and Haribo USA to discuss the current federal sugar program that limits the amount of sugar imported or grown domestically, keeping consumer sugar prices higher than elsewhere in the world. During their meeting, Durbin and the confectioners spoke about the benefits of the Sugar Ref… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Bill to Repel AUMFs, Formally Ending Gulf and Iraq Wars

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and combat Veteran U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) and U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), and Tom Cole (R-OK-04) to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs), formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars, and reassert Congress' Constitutional role in … Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Judge Benjamin To U.S. Circuit Court For The Fourth Circuit

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin to the United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Judge Benjamin's confirmation: "A prominent jurist, Judge Benjamin brings the whole package: she has deep ties to South Carolina's legal community, has presided over at least 300 trials, and has significant experience litigating in fed… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Nomination Of Colleen Lawless To Serve As District Court Judge For The Central 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 Judge Colleen Lawless to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois: "We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has once again advanced the nomination of Judge Colleen Lawless to fill a judicial vacancy … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Irish Deputy Prime Minister

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Micheál Martin to discuss U.S.-Irish relations, continued allied support for Ukraine, and the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland. They also discussed Durbin's legislation to add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program. The bill would allow Irish nationals annual access to any unused E-3 visas from the previous fiscal year. In exchange, Ireland intends to prov… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Colleagues In Reintroducing Bicameral Bill Requiring Supreme Court Justices To Follow Code Of Ethics

WASHINGTON - As public confidence in the Supreme Court falls to an all-time low, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), and colleagues to reintroduce the Supreme Court Ethics Act, requiring the Judicial Conference of the United States to create a code of ethical conduct for the Supreme Court of the United States. "The Supreme Court of the Unites States ought to be th… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Lead Members Of Chicago Delegation In Letter To DOT, OMB To Encourage Full Support Of The Red Line Extension

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OM… Continue Reading

Durbin, Padilla Request Biden Admin Consider Recommendations To Recently Announced Migrant Initiative At Southwest Border

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, today sent a letter to President Joe Biden to offer suggestions regarding the Administration's recently announced initiative to give migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela a safe and orderly pathway to the United States, and to surge resources to humanely pr… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenthal, Brown, Reed, Feinstein Call On Department Of Labor To Regulate Child Labor On Tobacco Farms

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Deputy Secretary Julie Su urging them to use the rulemaking process to protect child workers from the dangers of working in tobacco fields. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, children at the age of 12 can begin working unlimited hours on tobacco farms with parental per… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Biden’s State Of The Union Address

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Biden's State of the Union Address: "Thanks to President Biden and Congressional Democrats, we have made tremendous progress over the past two years. In February 2021, we were in the throes of a global pandemic and reckoning with a deadly insurrection in the Capitol that had taken place just one month earlier. Two years later, we have seen record-breaking job creation, new roads and bridge… Continue Reading