Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $20.9 Million For Variety Of Illinois Health Care Programs And Initiatives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $20,946,896 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "Illinois has a wide-range of programs and initiatives dedicated to Illinoisans health and well-being. To keep these programs up and running for residents, the federal government has made a significant investment in these vital services that will assist in ensuring vaccines are r… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4.6 Million For Medical Research In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4,659,710 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) medical research grant funding for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support advancements in sectors ranging from maternal health care to communicative disorders. "Illinois is home to world-class medical research institutions, but they cannot reach medical break… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.9 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $4,957,465 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support Head Start services for children under the age of five in receiving wrap-around support in early learning and development. The two recipients of these grants are Community Action Agency for McHenry County, Inc., receiving $2,919,470, and Proviso Leyden Council for Community Actions, Inc., re… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions FBI Director Wray During Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked questions during the Senate Judiciary Committee's oversight hearing with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray. This is the Committee's second annual FBI oversight hearing since Senator Durbin became Chair, and FBI Director Wray's third appearance before this Committee during the past two years. Durbin asked Director Wray about mass shootings and military-styl… Continue Reading

Senate Confirms Roopali H. Desai To The Ninth Circuit

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Roopali H. Desai to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with a bipartisan vote of 67-29. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Desai's confirmation: "It comes as no surprise that Ms. Desai's nomination has received high praise across the political and ideological spectrum, as well as from state judges, law enforcement officials, and thre… Continue Reading

Durbin, Rubio, Tillis, Shaheen Call On Secretary Blinken To Impose Magnitsky Law Sanctions On Russian Officials Responsible For Poisoning And Jailing Of Opposition Leader Vladimir Kara-Murza

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to swiftly impose Magnitsky law related sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the arrest, jailing, and poisoning of Russian-opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza. The Senators' letter comes after the unanimous passage of their res… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing With FBI Director Wray

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Key Quotes: "Director Wray, when you appeared before the Committee last March-just two months after the January 6 attack on the Capitol-you told us that domestic terrorism "has been metastasizing around the country for a long time now, and it's not going… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Advances Two Circuit Court Nominees, Four District Court Nominees, And One U.S. Attorney

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Rachel Bloomekatz, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; Doris L. Pryor, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Gina R. Méndez-Miró, to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico; Maria del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán, to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico; Ana C. Reyes, to be United States District Judge for the Dis… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Honoring Our PACT Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act, legislation that will expand eligibility for health care for veterans suffering from toxic exposure in the line of duty: "When Americans sign up to serve our country in the military, we promise that we will not leave them behind. The Senate honored our veterans' service today with the passage of the PACT Act, which will give new hope… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Senate Approving Sweden And Finland's Membership In NATO

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate ratified the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): "With Russia's outrageous and barbaric actions in Ukraine and ongoing threats to others in Europe, the importance of NATO couldn't be more apparent. Today, the Senate overwhelmingly approved NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, adding two essential democratic partne… Continue Reading

Durbin Enthusiastically Supports Finland And Sweden Accession To NATO

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, applauded the Senate's upcoming vote to approve Sweden and Finland's membership to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During his speech, Durbin reflected on his recent trip to Lithuania and the NATO summit in Madrid. "I stand in solid support of the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO," said Durbin. "I visited Lithuania… I met wi… Continue Reading

Durbin Meets With New BOP Director

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a lead author of the landmark First Step Act, today met virtually with Colette Peters, the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). During their meeting, Durbin asked Peters to commit to root out misconduct and to implement badly needed reforms-including the continued implementation of the First Step Act-at BOP, and emphasized his expectation that BOP will cooperate with the Judici… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions Witnesses In Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Threat To Election Workers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Protecting Our Democracy's Frontline Workers." The hearing included testimony from officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on threats to election workers for the first time since the 2020 election-and the first formal update to Congress since DOJ's annou… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls For DOD IG To Investigate Missing Text Messages From Trump's Defense Department Leadership In Lead Up To January 6 Insurrection

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today released the following statement regarding a report that text messages for former President Donald Trump's then-Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, former chief of staff Kash Patel, and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy are missing for a key time period leading up to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The… Continue Reading

Judiciary Committee Releases Testimony Of Secretaries Of State Who Endured Threats Following The 2020 Election

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee released prepared testimony from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver during today's hearing entitled "Protecting our Democracy's Frontline Workers." In 2022, Benson received a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her work during the 2020 election, when she received an onslaught of threats, including by armed protestors at her house. Toulouse Oliver similarly received a number of t… Continue Reading

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Threat To Election Workers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Protecting Our Democracy's Frontline Workers." This hearing will include testimony from officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on threats to election workers for the first time since the 2020 election-and the first formal update to Congr… Continue Reading

Durbin Raises Questions About Cryptocurrency On Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) raised questions about cryptocurrency and the dangers it poses to personal finances. Durbin began his speech by highlighting various celebrities who have promoted cryptocurrency companies, including NBA star LeBron James and comedian Larry David, in commercials during the Super Bowl. During these commercials, LeBron James promoted Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Singapore, while Larry … Continue Reading

Durbin: Justice Department Must Take Over Investigation Of Missing Text Messages From Trump's Homeland Security Leadership And Secret Service In Lead Up To January 6 Insurrection

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, continued his calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the missing text messages from former President Donald Trump's Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, as well as Secret Service officials, in the lead up to the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Last Friday, Durbin sent a letter to A… Continue Reading

Durbin: Al-Zawahiri Is Dead And The World Is Safer Because Of It

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the death of al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was targeted by a U.S. drone strike. Al-Zawahiri, one of the world's most wanted terrorists, helped orchestrate the September 11th, 2001, attack that claimed the lives of 3,000 Americans. Al-Zawahiri had been the head of al-Qaeda since President Obama's similarly successful targeting of Bin Laden 11 years ago. He had been rumored variousl… Continue Reading

Senate Unanimously Passes Critical Law Enforcement Legislation

WASHINGTON - Last night, the Senate unanimously passed six bills that will support law enforcement officers and their families by providing additional support for mental health needs and ensuring that officers have the necessary resources and training to provide safe and effective community policing. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement commending the bills' passage: "With every disturbance call, every domestic … Continue Reading