Durbin Statement On President Biden's Executive Order On Effective, Accountable Policing

WASHINGTON - On the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on President Biden signing an Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and strengthen public safety: "Two years ago, George Floyd died on the streets of Minneapolis with the knee of a police officer on his neck-an image that haunts me to this day. The injustice of his killing is undeniable… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions USAID Administrator At Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing about USAID's Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget request. Durbin began his questions by asking about Haiti, which continues to face security issues and struggles to recover from multiple natur… Continue Reading

Durbin Questions President Biden's Nominee To Lead ATF During Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Steven M. Dettelbach, nominated to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) during a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. Durbin asked Mr. Dettelbach about the killing of Chicago Police Department Officer Ella French last year. The gun that killed Officer French was bought in a straw purchase by an Indiana man on behalf of another … Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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