Press Releases
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Judiciary Committee Hearing On President Biden's Nominee To Lead Atf
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 Steven M. Dettelbach to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Sarah A.L. Merriam to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; Lara E. Montecalvo to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit; Tiffany M. Cartwright to be United States District Judg… Continue Reading
05.25.22
Durbin Calls For Further Senate Action To Address Infant Formula Shortages
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor about the severity of the baby formula shortage and the impact the Abbott's Michigan factory's closure has had on Illinoisans. In February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Abbott's Michigan factory, which produces Similac infant formula, may have been the source of a dangerous bacteria outbreak. As a result, the factory shut down, which combined with existing supply chain issu… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Durbin Statement On Shooting At Robb Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding reports that 14 students and one teacher were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas: "Today's news is heartbreaking and tragic. Fourteen young lives and a teacher gone far too soon. My heart is with the families and friends of these lives lost. "I implore - beg - my Republican colleagues to join Democrats in finall… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Letter Requesting Biden Administration Swiftly Advance NATO Applications For Sweden And Finland
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Baltic Freedom Caucus and the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to expedite the Executive Branch's process to advance Sweden and Finland's applications for NATO membership and pledging to work with the Administration to ensure swift ratification of the Washington Treaty.… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Durbin, D. Davis, Underwood Urge VA To Quickly Implement Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration And Recovery Act Once Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough requesting an update about how the VA plans to implement the Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act after it is signed into law by President Biden. The legislation, led by Durbin, Davis, and Underwood, will help more than 300 Illinois veterans wh… Continue Reading
05.23.22
Durbin Delivers Commencement Address At Augustana College
[MOLINE, IL] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered the commencement address to Augustana College's Class of 2022 during a ceremony Sunday at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline. Durbin reflected on the resilience and hard work of this year's graduates and commended Augustana's commitment to preparing the next generation of peacemakers and problem solvers. "You don't need a lesson in resilience. You are a lesson in resilience-every one of you. You are part of the best-educated and most diver… Continue Reading
05.20.22
Durbin, Senators To FDA Commissioner: Remove All Unauthorized E-Cigarettes From Market Immediately
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a letter with ten Senators to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf urging the FDA to immediately remove all unreviewed e-cigarettes from store shelves until the agency completes its public health review of these vaping products. Currently, addictive, kid-friendly e-cigarettes like JUUL are on the market illegally but are being granted a free pass to be sold due to FDA's decision to grant enforcement… Continue Reading
05.20.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Historic New Federal Investment In Community-Based Medical Residency Program At Lawndale Christian Health Center
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC), located on Chicago's West Side, has been awarded $960,000 in federal funding to support its community-based medical residency program. By training physician residents in a Community Health Center setting, rather than a traditional hospital, this program will help address racial health disparities and workforce shortages by expanding the pipeline of health care pr… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin Presses Social Media Platforms On Their Roles In Promoting Extremist Context
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is pressing Discord and Twitch about the role the platforms play in disseminating extremist content, asking how they are addressing such content and requesting relevant documents. In two letters sent to Discord Co-Founder and CEO Jason Citron and Twitch Co-Founder and CEO Emmett Shear, respectively, Durbin requests information regarding both platforms' actions to identify and remove content that … Continue Reading
05.19.22
House Passes Durbin, Schneider Bipartisan Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 350, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (DTPA), a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in the Senate, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) in the House. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act is designed to combat the growing threat of domestic violent extremist groups and individuals (DVEs), including racially and ethnically motiv… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin Meets With Swedish, Finnish, Lithuanian Leaders
WASHINGTON - Ahead of the NATO Summit in Madrid in June, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine and Baltic caucuses, met with Swedish and Finnish heads of state to discuss Russia's continued war in Ukraine and their countries' interest in joining NATO. Durbin joined Senate colleagues to meet with Her Excellency Magdalena Andersson, Prime Minister of Sweden and His Excellency Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland. In their meeting, Durbin offered his su… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin Statement On Failed Vote To Provide Relief To Small Businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate failed to pass the Small Business COVID Relief Act, legislation that would provide $48 billion in relief to restaurants and other small businesses: "Illinois small businesses, including restaurants, are the lifeblood of our communities. In the face of an unprecedented pandemic, Illinois small businesses showed resilience while Democrats worked persistently to provide them with the a… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin: I Support The Succession Of Sweden And Finland To NATO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Sweden and Finland's intention to apply for rapid NATO membership. Yesterday, Durbin met with members of the Lithuanian Members of Parliament to discuss Russia's continued war in Ukraine, efforts to bolster security across Europe, and Sweden and Finland's interest in joining NATO. Durbin, Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, praised the Baltics includ… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Judiciary Committee Advances Four Bipartisan Bills Supporting Law Enforcement During Police Week
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that the Committee advanced four bipartisan bills, by voice vote, that will help support law enforcement officers and their families by providing more support for mental health needs and helping to make sure officers have the resources and training they need to provide safe and effective community policing. Key Durbin quotes: "Being a police officer has always been a challenge. … Continue Reading
05.19.22
Senate Commemorates National Police Week
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution marking National Police Week and reiterating support for the men and women in law enforcement. The bipartisan resolution was led by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was also cosponsored by 84 of their Senate colleagues. "I could not be more grateful for the bravery federal, st… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin Statement On Senate-Passed Supplemental Aid For Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after the Senate passed an emergency funding package to assist Ukraine following Russia's unjustified and unprovoked war. The legislation provides funding for military and humanitarian aid, public health and medical support for Ukrainian refugees, and emergency food aid around the world. "The $40 billion in emergency aid will help Ukraine withstand the next br… Continue Reading
05.18.22
Durbin Applauds Inclusion Of Important Dietary Supplement Provisions In Bipartisan Senate Committee's FDA User Fee Package
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the inclusion of a modified version of his Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee's recently-released draft Food and Drug Administration (FDA) User Fee package. The Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 requires dietary supplement manufacturers to list their products with FDA. In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), … Continue Reading
05.18.22
Durbin, Grassley, Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill To Broaden War Crimes Jurisdiction
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN), introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, legislation that updates the current war crimes statute to enable prosecution of war criminals in the United States regardless of th… Continue Reading
05.18.22
Foreign Relations Committee Advances Durbin, Grassley Bipartisan Resolution To Celebrate 100 Years Of Diplomatic Relations Between U.S. And Baltic States
WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today advanced a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations with the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) amid increasing Russian aggression in Eastern Eur… Continue Reading
05.18.22
Durbin Meets With eBay CEO To Discuss INFORM Consumers Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with eBay's CEO, Jamie Iannone, to discuss his Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, which passed the House as part of the America COMPETES Act and is currently being conferenced with the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). The bipartisan legislation will combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ens… Continue Reading