Press Releases
Durbin, Rubio Applaud Committee Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Authorization on Global Basic Education
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today announced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) advanced their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act of 2017 for an additional five years to equitably expand access to basic education for children around the globe. The legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Karen Bass (D-CA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ). … Continue Reading
December 07, 2022
Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass Immigration Reform Legislation Before The End Of The Year
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, spoke on the Senate floor today about the reported immigration deal between Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), as well as the urgency of passing the Dream Act this Congress to protect Dreamers from deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers to thrive in the United States. … Continue Reading
December 07, 2022
Durbin, MLB Announce New Netting Requirements For All Professional Development League Clubs To Increase Fan Safety
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a new requirement today to have extensive protective netting in place at all Professional Development League (PDL) ballparks. The fan safety initiative was adopted at the 2022 Winter Meetings after being unanimously approved by the MLB PDL Executive Board. In June 2019, after repeated incidents of MLB fans being hit by foul balls, Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to MLB … Continue Reading
December 07, 2022
Durbin Highlights Resilience of Ukrainian People Amid Putin's War
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 and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reflected on the resilience of the Ukrainian people and continued allied unity amid Putin's unprovoked and illegal war. Yesterday, Durbin hosted members of the Ukrainian Parliament to receive an update on Putin's war, and discuss calls for a special tribunal to hold Russian leaders accountable for the crime of … Continue Reading
December 07, 2022
Durbin Calls On Senate Colleagues To Include Measures To Regulate Dietary Supplements In Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech that called on his Senate colleagues to include provisions from his bipartisan Dietary Supplement Listing Act in the end-of-year omnibus appropriations bill. In his remarks, Durbin emphasized that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must exercise more oversight over the dietary supplement industry in order to empower consumers and protect public health. "More than seventy-five … Continue Reading
December 07, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster Applaud Final Passage Of Bill To Rename Will County Post Office In Honor Of Larry Walsh, Sr.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today applauded last night's Senate passage of H.R. 700, legislation to rename the U.S. Post Office facility located at 303 E. Mississippi Ave. in Elwood, Illinois, after former Will County Executive Lawrence M. "Larry" Walsh, Sr. The bill will now head to President Biden's desk for his signature. A longtime farmer, Walsh began his political career in 1970, … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Senate Confirms Nomination of David Davis to Serve As U.S. Marshal for the Southern 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 U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of David C. Davis to serve as United States Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois: "David Davis has decades of experience in the U.S. Marshals Service-serving and protecting the people of the Southern District-as well as the integrity and judgment to serve with … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Durbin Meets With Members of the Ukrainian Parliament
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today hosted members of the Ukrainian Parliament to receive an update on Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine, and discuss calls for a special tribunal to hold Russian leaders accountable for the crime of aggression. Senator Durbin was joined by Ambassador-at-Large, Anton Korynevych; Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), also Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus; as … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Durbin Speaks With Lithuanian Prime Minister
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, today met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyt? to discuss persistent threats against Eastern Europe as Russia continues its brutal war against Ukraine. In their meeting, they also discussed Lithuania's leadership in the region and neighboring Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's support for Putin's war. Durbin also offered support to Lithuania as the nation faces … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Durbin Discusses Need for Efforts to Combat Antisemitism and Importance of Two-State Solution With Illinois Members of J Street
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois members of J Street to discuss the recent uptick in antisemitism across the nation and the dangers posed by online hate against religious minorities. In the meeting, Durbin discussed his ongoing efforts to protect targeted populations from harassment and physical violence. They also discussed the continued need for a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. "Attacks against America's Jewish … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield to discuss Ukraine's continued resilience and determination to repel Russia's unprovoked and illegal war. They also discussed the need to bring political stability to Haiti and the recent peace agreement ending the conflict in Ethiopia. Later today, Durbin is hosting Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova and members of the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Durbin Honors Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White's Service With Speech On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) took to the Senate floor to honor Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White as he prepares to retire after six terms in the position. "Secretary White is a rare leader: a living legend and a truly humble man. He loves his work because he works for who he loves, the people of Illinois. Throughout his life, he has been a model of integrity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to public service...On behalf of everyone in Illinois, I want … Continue Reading
December 05, 2022
Senate Confirms Judge Doris Pryor to the Seventh 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 Doris Pryor to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals by a bipartisan vote of 60-31: "Judge Pryor has significant federal experience and a proven track record of neutral decision-making on the bench. She was unanimously rated 'Qualified' by the American Bar Association, and she has received blue … Continue Reading
December 05, 2022
Durbin Statement on Sinema-Tillis Immigration Deal
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, released the following statement regarding the reported immigration deal reached between Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC): "As the author of the original Dream Act more than 20 years ago, I applaud every good faith effort to give these deserving individuals a path to citizenship. I've been in touch with my colleagues and will carefully review … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, Underwood Introduce Legislation To Name Fermilab Research Center After Renowned Physicist Dr. Helen Edwards
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today introduced legislation to rename Fermilab's Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) after the late Dr. Helen Edwards, who worked at Fermilab as a particle physicist for 40 years. The newly-constructed IERC, which was recently authorized for official use, will be home to new office and lab space that will host an … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Durbin Meets With Springfield Naacp And Religious Leaders To Discuss Protecting Historic 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Springfield NAACP, including President Teresa Haley, and religious leaders to discuss federal efforts to protect the 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site. Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument Act to establish the site as a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. In January 2021, Durbin and Duckworth penned a letter to then-President-Elect … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation to Avoid a Rail Strike
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to avert a potential railroad strike: "While I am disappointed that not enough of my Republican colleagues would support legislation to increase paid sick leave for union rail workers, I'm relieved that we could come together to quickly pass the labor agreement in order to prevent a rail strike-which would have been devastating to the American economy and put … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Durbin Questions CFTC Chairman At Agriculture Committee Hearing on Crypto Amid FTX Collapse
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), today, in a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing, questioned the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Rostin Behnam about the recent collapse of FTX. On November 11, FTX-one of the world's largest crypto trading platforms-filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, resigned. "How long will it take to unpack the FTX mess to understand what happened and where it stands," … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Following White House Briefing On Ukraine, Durbin Reiterates The Need To Support Our Ally
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, urged his colleagues to continue to support Ukraine amid Putin's unjustified and unprovoked war. During his speech, Durbin reiterated our commitment to Ukraine and emphasized that the NATO alliance is stronger than ever. Yesterday, Senate leadership and key Committee Chairs and Ranking Members were briefed by the White House about Russia's ongoing invasion … Continue Reading
December 01, 2022
Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations of Three Circuit Court Judges & Nine District Court Judges
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Anthony Devos Johnstone, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Maria Araújo Kahn, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; and Julie Rikelman, to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit. The Committee also advanced the nominations of Daniel J. Calabretta, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California; Matthew L. Garcia, to be United … Continue Reading