Durbin, Kennedy Urge DEA to Continue Reining In Big Pharma's Excessive Opioid Production

WASHINGTON - In a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged DEA to apply its authorities to prevent and limit the pharmaceutical industry's excessively high opioid production levels. Today's letter comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that fatal drug ove… Continue Reading

Durbin Talks Gun Violence Prevention With Highland Park Students

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with members of Highland Park Strong, an organization started by high school students following the mass shooting at the Highland Park 4th of July parade where seven community members were killed and 48 people were injured. During their meeting, Durbin and the students discussed gun safety reform, including banning assault weapons from civilian use. "After the July 4th mass shooting, H… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions District Court Nominees And Director Of Violence Against Women Office Nominee In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Andrew G. Schopler, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; P. Casey Pitts, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California; Gordon P. Gallagher, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado; and Arun Subramanian, to be United States District J… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With Members Of Lithuania’s Parliament

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, met with members of Lithuania's parliament, Žygimantas Pavilionis and Laurynas Kas?i?nas, to discuss the continued congressional support for the Baltic States, as well as ongoing Russian aggression and interference in the region. During the meeting, Durbin offered support to Lithuania as the nation stands firm with Ukraine and faces economic bullying from China for improving their dip… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Judge Douglas To The Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of Judge Dana Douglas to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by a bipartisan vote of 65-31: "Born and raised in New Orleans, Judge Douglas's passion forthe law and public service was inspired by her family's background in law enforcement. After law school, she began her legal career clerking for the Honorab… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing On District Court And Director Of Violence Against Women Office 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 Gordon P. Gallagher, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado; P. Casey Pitts, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California; Andrew G. Schopler, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; Arun Subramanian, to be U… Continue Reading

Durbin Honors Work Of IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson Ahead Of His Retirement

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor recognizing IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson's dedication to the labor movement. Stephenson, a Quad Cities native, is set to retire from his post at the end of this year. "Lonnie started off as an apprentice wireman, and even then, he knew the value of a union," said Durbin. "He rose through the ranks of IBEW Local 145, becoming vice president before taking over as business manager in 1991. Al… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Justice Montgomery-Reeves To The Third Circuit Court Of Appeals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves to serve on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals by a bipartisan vote of 53-35: "Justice Montgomery-Reeves has significant experience as both a litigator and a judge. In recognition of her exceptional legal acumen, the Committee has received many letters of support from her colleag… Continue Reading

Durbin, Grassley, Feinstein, Padilla Press DOJ For More Information On Sexual Misconduct At BOP

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), today sent a follow-up letter to Attorney General (AG) Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Lisa Monaco seeking additional information about sexual misconduct by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) personnel and reiterating that the Department o… Continue Reading

Durbin Urges Colleagues To Pass The Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his colleagues to pass the bipartisan James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The NDAA authorizes nearly $858 billion for the nation's defense and includes a 4.6 percent pay raise for our troops - the largest increase in 20 years, to help military families amid higher living costs. It also supports employment opportunities for military spouses, ch… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Commencement Address At Northeastern Illinois University, Awarded Honorary Doctorate Of Humane Letters

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered the commencement address to Northeastern Illinois University's (NEIU) Class of 2022 during a ceremony Sunday at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. Durbin was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. During his address, Durbin noted that, like many of the graduates, he is the child of an immigrant and he and his brothers were the first generation in their family to attend college. Durbin emphasized that one of the great tests of our ti… Continue Reading

Wilmette, Illinois, Student Interns In Durbin's Washington, D.C. Office

WASHINGTON - Wilmette, Illinois, resident Lauren Mlynek spent this fall interning for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), working behind the scenes in the Senator's Capitol Hill office as an intern. "I started my career on Capitol Hill as a college intern for Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois," Durbin said. "I will never forget that day in February of 1966 when he agreed to hire me as an intern to work in his office. As a student from East St. Louis, Illinois, going to work in the of… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces Fall 2022 Recipient Of The Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program, Nancy Pulido

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced Nancy Pulido, a senior at the George Washington University from Waukegan, Illinois, as the fall 2022 recipient of the Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program. This scholarship, open to students and recent graduates from Illinois or those studying in Illinois, is an opportunity for the students to receive financial assistance while interning in Senator Durbin's office. The program was created in honor of Durbin's former Chief of St… Continue Reading

Wilmette, Illinois, Student Interns In Durbin’s Washington, D.C. Office

WASHINGTON - Wilmette, Illinois, resident Elizabeth Smith spent this fall interning for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), working behind the scenes in the Senator's Capitol Hill office as an intern. "I started my career on Capitol Hill as a college intern for Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois," Durbin said. "I will never forget that day in February of 1966 when he agreed to hire me as an intern to work in his office. As a student from East St. Louis, Illinois, going to work in the o… Continue Reading

Springfield, Illinois, Student Interns In Durbin’s Washington, D.C. Office

WASHINGTON - Springfield, Illinois, native Colin Kerr spent this fall interning for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), working behind the scenes in the Senator's Capitol Hill office as an intern. "I started my career on Capitol Hill as a college intern for Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois," Durbin said. "I will never forget that day in February of 1966 when he agreed to hire me as an intern to work in his office. As a student from East St. Louis, Illinois, going to work in the offi… Continue Reading

Naperville, Illinois, Student Interns In Durbin’s Washington, D.C. Office

WASHINGTON - Naperville, Illinois, native Charlotte Ives spent this fall interning for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), working behind the scenes in the Senator's Capitol Hill office as an intern. "I started my career on Capitol Hill as a college intern for Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois," Durbin said. "I will never forget that day in February of 1966 when he agreed to hire me as an intern to work in his office. As a student from East St. Louis, Illinois, going to work in the o… Continue Reading

Normal, Illinois, Student Interns in Durbin's Washington, D.C. Office

WASHINGTON - Normal, Illinois, native Chandler Huffman spent this fall interning for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), working behind the scenes in the Senator's Capitol Hill office as an intern. "I started my career on Capitol Hill as a college intern for Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois," Durbin said. "I will never forget that day in February of 1966 when he agreed to hire me as an intern to work in his office. As a student from East St. Louis, Illinois, going to work in the off… Continue Reading

Durbin Announces $2.9 Million For Chicago Public Schools And Illinois State Board of Education for Trauma-Informed Care in Schools

CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited George Westinghouse College Prep to discuss the recent awarding of two federal grants totaling $2.9 million to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) fortrauma-informed care in schools. These awards to break the cycle of violence and improve student mental health services are provided by a grant program created by Durbin and U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7) in the 2018 SUPPORT forPatients an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Cassidy Applaud Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Support Leading Rehab Hospitals

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) applaud Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to support rehabilitation facilities that lead the nation in medical research and complex treatment. The Dr. Joanne Smith Memorial Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act recognizes the unique role that a leading class of rehabilitation facilities play in our health care system, by driving innovative research for the entire field, providing a hi… Continue Reading

Durbin, Murray Introduce Legislation to Ensure Victims of Discrimination Can Seek Damages In Court Following Harmful SCOTUS Ruling

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), introduced legislation to clarify that victims of discrimination can seek damages for emotional harm under federal law after the Supreme Court curtailed their ability to do so in its April ruling in Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller. The Clarifying Civil Right Remedies Act of 20… Continue Reading