Durbin Questions Circuit & District Court Nominees In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda A. Hunt, both nominated to be United States District Judges for the Northern District of Illinois, at today's Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. "Judge Hibbler was one of my first recommendations to the federal bench. He was an extraordinary jurist and extraordinary person. And I would think it would be a great, positive experience to serve as his … Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With National Association Of Letter Carriers As Postal Workers Face Uptick In Armed Robberies

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Brian Renfroe, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), to discuss the steep increase in armed robberies against postal workers. During their conversation, Durbin and Renfroe spoke about ways to improve safety protocols for letter carriers. "Letter carriers perform an essential service of our government, but delivering mail has become an increasingly dangerous job. It's shameful that Postmaster Ge… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9.5 Million in DOJ Grants from Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $9,527,496 in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for the Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP). The purpose of the SCIP will be to identify and implement programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. "Intervention programs are the gateway to breaking the cycle of violence in our communities," s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $9.5 Million In DOJ Grants From Bipartisan Safer Communities Act For Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $9,527,496 in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for the Illinois State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP). The purpose of the SCIP will be to identify and implement programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. "Intervention programs are the gateway to breaking the cycle of violence in our communities," s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Blumenauer Introduce The Bicycles For Rural African Transport Act

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) introduced the Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act, legislation that would establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a rural mobility program, using affordable, sustainable bicycles to support access and key development objectives. "U.S. foreign assistance makes up less than one p… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing On Circuit & 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 Michael Delaney, to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit; Jeffrey Cummings, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Marian F. Gaston, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; Wesley L. Hsu, to be United States Dist… Continue Reading

Durbin Highlights Johnson & Johnson’s Shameful ‘Texas Two-Step’ Maneuver On 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, called out big corporations for their exploitation of bankruptcy to dodge accountability, and decried Johnson & Johnson's attempt to use a corporate bankruptcy maneuver known as the "Texas Two-Step" to avoid facing claims from cancer-stricken customers. Last month, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the bankruptcy filing by a shell company created by … Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Bolstering Health Care Workforce With Chicago Medical Society

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with members of the Chicago Medical Society to discuss the challenges physicians face in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including short-staffing and burnout. During their meeting, Durbin spoke about his efforts to bolster the health care workforce by pursuing federal funding to expand residency slots for Illinois hospitals, build the pipeline of health professionals through the National Health Service Corps, and secure additional … Continue Reading

Durbin Marks 5th Anniversary Of Parkland Mass Shooting & 15th Anniversary Of NIU Mass Shooting On Senate Floor

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 fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead and another 17 wounded, and the fifteenth anniversary of the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, that left five students dead and more than 20 injured. Durbin also spoke about the mass shootin… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate 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 questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Protecting Our Children Online." The hearing examined 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. Durbin first questioned Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO for the National Center for Missing & Explo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Lindsay Jenkins To Serve As District Court Judge 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 voted to confirm Lindsay C. Jenkins' nomination to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Northern District, Durbin and Duckworth forwarded the names of in… Continue Reading

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