Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Justice and Civil Rights
Durbin Applauds President Biden's Formal Apology To Native Communities For Federal Government's Role In Native American Boarding Schools
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded President Biden’s formal apology for the U.S. government’s actions in establishing and running hundreds of Federal Indian Boarding Schools: “Today, President Biden is taking a major step forward in our nation’s reckoning with the deeply painful history of Native boarding school policies that caused irreparable damage to Native communities. The scars of these unjust, hateful actions—the federal government’s attempts to e… Continue Reading
10.10.24
Durbin Joins 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument Commemoration
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) last night attended a ribbon cutting ceremony to designate the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a National Monument alongside U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13). This designation ensures the historic site will be preserved to tell the story of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908—a critical event in American history that spurred the creation of the National Association for the Advancemen… Continue Reading
09.25.24
Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez, Underwood Celebrate Senate Passage Of Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) celebrated Senate passage of a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy who was murdered as a victim of a hate crime in Plainfield, Illinois, on October 14, 2023. The lawmakers introduced the resolution earlier this year. “Wadee Alfayou… Continue Reading
09.17.24
Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Stemming The Rise Of Hate Crimes
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” The hearing examined the threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all Americans, including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Building on the Committee’s work… Continue Reading
09.17.24
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Committee On Rise Of Hate Crimes In America
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” The hearing will examine the threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all Americans, including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Building on the Comm… Continue Reading
07.18.24
Durbin Statement On Sonya Massey
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement in response to the announcement of charges in the death of Sonya Massey: “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Sonya Massey during this difficult time. Our law enforcement officers are called on to protect and serve their communities with honor and courage, but any who fail to follow the high standards they have sworn to uphold must be held accou… Continue Reading
06.25.24
Durbin Statement On Surgeon General Advisory Highlighting Firearm Violence As Urgent Public Health Issue
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement on a new U.S. Surgeon General Advisory calling the American people’s attention to firearm violence as an urgent public health issue that demands response: “The Surgeon General’s advisory sounds the alarm on gun violence, a uniquely American crisis. I’ve worked with doctors treating gunshot victims, spoken with survivors about the physical and emotional scars from… Continue Reading
06.24.24
On The Two-Year Anniversary Of The Dobbs Ruling, Durbin Recommits To Protecting Women's Reproductive Freedom
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court: “For the past two years, the Dobbs ruling has sown chaos, fear, and division. Abortion is now completely banned in 14 states, leaving large swaths of the country without care. Some statewide bans include jail time for health care providers who perform a… Continue Reading
06.21.24
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Ruling In United States v. Rahimi
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling today in United States v. Rahimi, which ruled that when an individual has been found by a court to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another, that individual may be temporarily disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment: “Today, the Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment is not limitless and rejected a… Continue Reading
06.20.24
In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Applauds President Biden's Executive Actions For Undocumented Immigrants
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded President Joe Biden’s executive actions to offer relief to hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including allowing undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to seek protection and streamlining the process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) holders and other immigrants to change their immigration status. In March, Durbin led a group o… Continue Reading
06.14.24
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Bump Stocks Ruling
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling today in Garland v. Cargill, which ruled a bump stock does not convert a rifle into a machine gun: “This ruling is deeply disappointing. Like Justice Sotomayor notes in her dissent: ‘When I see a bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.’ A bump stock effectively turns a se… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Reveals Omissions Of Gifted Private Travel To Justice Clarence Thomas From Harlan Crow
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released exclusively obtained information from Harlan Crow on his gifts of free luxury travel to Justice Clarence Thomas, which was omitted from Justice Thomas’ financial disclosure, despite last week’s amendment to his 2019 financial disclosure report. A report on the Senate Judiciary Committee Majority’s Supreme Court ethics investigation will be released later this summer. In documents o… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Delivers Floor Speech Calling On His Colleagues To Protect IVF Access Ahead Of Right To IVF Act Vote
WASHINGTON – Ahead of the Right to IVF Act vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to vote for this crucial legislation. The legislation, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, establishes a clear and enforceable nationwide right to receive, provide, or cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) services and other assisted reproductive technologies. It also expands insurance coverage for such care. During h… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Statement On Senate Republicans Voting Against The Right To IVF Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against the Right to IVF Act. The legislation, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, establishes a clear and enforceable nationwide right to receive, provide, or cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) services and other assisted reproductive technologies. It also expands insurance coverage for such care. “Whether, when, and how to expand… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Statement On The Supreme Court's Decision On FDA v. Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision on Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which held that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) actions regarding the regulation of the abortion pill mifepristone: “In acknowledging that a group of anti-abortion activists has no standing to d… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Bipartisan Bill To Authorize Dozens Of New District Court Judgeships
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act, which would authorize 63 new permanent district court judgeships and three new temporary district court judgeships. “As dockets become overburdened, it’s important that Congress uses its authority to ensure the federal judiciary remains efficient. These new district court judgeships will help alleviate the caseloads for overburdened districts and ensure the… Continue Reading
06.12.24
Senate Republican Blocks Durbin's Attempt To Tackle Nonconsensual, Sexually-Explicit Deepfakes
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, requested unanimous consent (UC) today on the Senate floor to pass his bipartisan Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act), legislation that would hold accountable those responsible for the proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually-explicit “deepfake” images and videos. Despite broad support for the legislation, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) objected.… Continue Reading
06.05.24
Durbin, Capito, Booker Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Enhance Reentry Programs, Promote Public Safety
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2024 to reauthorize critical reentry grant programs from the Second Chance Act of 2008, which was most recently reauthorized as part of Durbin’s First Step Act in 2018. The legislation would reauthorize critical programs to reduc… Continue Reading
06.05.24
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Judiciary Committee Hearing On Four Judicial 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 Embry J. Kidd, nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit; Joseph Francis Saporito Jr., nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Adam Abelson, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland; and Meredith Vacca, nominated to be U… Continue Reading
06.04.24
Durbin Urges His Colleagues To Support The Right To Contraception Act Ahead Of Vote On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON – During the week marking the 59th anniversary of the landmark Griswold v. Connecticut decision, in which the Supreme Court ruled that all married Americans have a constitutional right to use contraception, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support the Right to Contraception Act when it comes before the Senate tomorrow. This bill, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, would protect the rights of patients to access … Continue Reading