Richard J. Durbin

Electoral integrity

Criminal justice

Fiscal policy

Healthcare

Education

Economy and labor

Environment and energy

Immigration

National security and foreign policy

Civil rights and liberties

Social policy

Technology and data

Civil liberties and government power

Government accountability and transparency

Infrastructure and public investment

Durbin co-sponsored Senate Resolution 735 to designate the week of May 10 through May 16, 2026, as "National Police Week."

Durbin stated that Senate Republicans changed the Senate's rules to undermine senators' ability to fulfill their constitutional duty of advice and consent, and he expressed concern that this precedent would allow extreme nominees lacking qualifications but committed to presidential loyalty to be confirmed, citing U.S. attorney nominees Ed Martin, Alina Habba, and Lindsey Halligan as examples.

Durbin moved to proceed to S.J. Res. 147, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection's withdrawal of guidance on abusive financial practices, and spoke in support of the motion, arguing the guidance protected consumers from deceptive conduct in mortgages, credit cards, and other financial products.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor opposing a budget reconciliation bill that would allocate tens of billions of dollars for ICE and CBP, arguing that the bill lacks language to rein in immigration agents and stating that ICE agents should be required to wear visible identification like other police forces.

Durbin expressed disappointment that during Police Week the Senate was considering nominations for U.S. attorneys who had testified before the Judiciary Committee and said things that he believed did not reflect respect for the law, particularly regarding the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Durbin stated that section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act serves as a backdoor for warrantless surveillance of Americans and that the Trump administration conducted more than 23,000 warrantless searches of Americans' private communications in the previous year.

Durbin stated that his staff visited ICE's Dilley family detention facility in Southwest Texas to conduct oversight and found that ICE limited their visit to 2 hours, and he described cases of detained immigrants including 5-year-old Liam Ramos and the El Gamal family who had been detained for nearly a year.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, detailing concerns about warrantless searches of Americans' communications, documenting abuses by the intelligence community, and noting increases in FBI searches and sensitive queries in 2025.

Durbin stated that he was deeply concerned Mr. Davis would not be able to put aside his partisan advocacy if confirmed to the bench, and urged his colleagues to oppose the nomination of Andrew B. Davis to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Durbin stated that FBI Director Kash Patel has weaponized the FBI to serve Donald Trump's political interests, fired dozens of career law enforcement agents who worked on investigations related to Trump, and should be replaced immediately due to his lack of qualifications and dependability.

Durbin stated that Congress had not held public hearings on the invasion of Iran despite the military action lasting approximately 70 days, and noted that the President had provided multiple different explanations for the invasion's objectives.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about the government shutdown, stating that Senate Democrats proposed funding all Department of Homeland Security agencies except ICE and CBP agents, and that Republicans blocked bills to fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard 14 times.

Durbin delivered remarks on the Senate floor honoring Robert Mueller following his death on March 20, recounting Mueller's military service, career as a prosecutor and FBI Director, and contributions to national security.

Durbin opposed Judge John Thomas Shepherd's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, citing his lack of experience on the state bench for just over a year, only 12 years of legal practice with half involving litigation, and less than 5 percent of litigation experience in Federal court.

Durbin announced that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet) is necessarily absent and asked for the yeas and nays on the Shepherd nomination.

Durbin stated that nearly 20 years ago he joined with then-Republican Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon to introduce the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, and described his subsequent work on Iran policy including hosting the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General for inspections updates and meeting directly with Iranian officials to discuss the nuclear agreement.

Durbin marked the 16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act's signing by describing its benefits, including coverage for people with preexisting conditions and allowing young adults to remain on their parents' plans until age 26, and stated that he was proud of his vote for the law but expressed concern that Republican efforts to cut funding for it would result in millions of Americans losing health insurance.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor opposing the SAVE Act, stating that President Trump was demanding Congress pass his legislation and characterizing the bill as making it harder for eligible citizens to vote rather than preventing fraud.

Durbin stated that he opposes Anna St. John's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and asked his colleagues to join him in opposing it.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 4107, a bill to amend section 5 of the Clayton Act to include proposed voluntary dismissals in the court's consideration of proposed consent judgements and clarify the public interest.

Durbin stated that the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 to strike down 70 percent of Trump's tariff taxes, that the average American family paid more than $1,700 in tariff costs last year, that a New York Fed report found 90 percent of the economic burden fell on Americans, that U.S. factories employ 72,000 fewer people than in April 2025, and that Trump's tariffs have made farming in Illinois unprofitable.

Durbin delivered a tribute to Ralph M. Oakley recognizing his contributions to broadcast journalism and his leadership during Quincy, Illinois's 1993 flood disaster.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about the Department of Homeland Security, describing it as an agency with unclear checks on its power and citing the case of Ruben Torres, who was detained by ICE agents in a Home Depot parking lot in October despite having no criminal record, and whose daughter Ofelia died of cancer shortly after a judge ruled against the government in his detention case.

Durbin cosponsored S. 3893, a bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to reauthorize and reform certain authorities and to provide greater transparency and oversight.

Durbin stated that he would oppose the nomination of Daniel E. Burrows to be Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy and urged his colleagues to join him in opposing the nomination.

Durbin stated that he strongly opposed Justin R. Olson's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana due to Olson's refusal to condemn hateful rhetoric used by his client regarding transgender individuals.

Durbin stated that Brian Lea has demonstrated clear partisanship through his legal career, including defending the Trump administration in lawsuits and representing the Republican National Committee, and announced his opposition to Lea's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

Durbin described the shooting of Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old Chicago teacher, by ICE and Border Patrol agents who shot her five times after she beeped her horn at their vehicle, and recounted how she was charged with ramming a federal vehicle despite evidence suggesting the vehicle was moved to Maine to conceal damage to the agents' car.

Durbin announced he would vote in opposition to Nicholas Jon Ganjei's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and stated his concerns about Ganjei's support for the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor regarding Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement operations, describing two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis and stating that the operations have brought chaos and fear rather than targeting dangerous criminals as promised.

Paul Amdt. No. 4272

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4236

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4234

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4286

Sanders Amdt. No. 4290

Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 4287

H.R. 7148, as Amended

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 7148

Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3627

Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6938

H.R. 6938

Is the Point of Order Well Taken Re: To the Privilege Status of S.J. Res. 98

Motion to Proceed to S.J. Res. 84

Durbin introduced the DISRUPT Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2025 and spoke about the negative impacts of cell phones and social media on children, citing examples of young people who had taken their own lives after exposure to harmful content on these devices.

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6938

Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 98

Confirmation: Alexander C. Van Hook, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana

Durbin submitted a statement to the Congressional Record describing a Supreme Court order in Trump v. Illinois that rejected the Trump administration's request to stay a temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, and detailing the costs and consequences of the deployment.

Motion to Proceed to S.J.Res. 86

Durbin stated that he attended a classified briefing about Venezuela's removal of President Maduro from power and explained his 2018 visit to Caracas where he met with Maduro and advised him to allow international observers at his election.

Durbin stated that seniors will save a total of $1.5 billion in annual out-of-pocket costs on 10 expensive drugs under Medicare starting in 2026, including nearly 300,000 seniors in Illinois, and that 129 Illinois hospitals surveyed responded that they will struggle greatly with Medicaid cuts from the Republican budget bill.

Confirmation: Joshua Simmons, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency

Confirmation: Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy

Durbin stated that Sara Bailey, nominated to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy, lacks serious qualifications for the role and urged his colleagues to oppose her nomination.

Confirmation: Keith Bass, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

Durbin reflected on lessons from the Holocaust museum in Skokie, Illinois, and offered prayers for victims of shooting attacks at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, while highlighting the heroic actions of Ahmed al-Ahmed and Spencer Yang.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, stating that 22 million Americans would face doubled or tripled insurance premiums without congressional action, and called for bipartisan cooperation on a clean extension of the credits.

Durbin stated that President Trump's medical research cuts resulted in 3,500 fewer medical research grants and reduced funding for mental health by 31 percent, brain diseases by 26 percent, and cancer research by 19 percent.

Durbin stated that President Trump admitted yesterday at a Pennsylvania rally to using a slur to disparage Haiti and African nations during a 2018 White House meeting, confirming Durbin's previous account of the President's language that the White House had initially denied.

Durbin recounted a conversation with a waitress named Sara at Lou Mitchell's restaurant in Chicago who expressed concern about a $300-$400 monthly increase in her health insurance costs under the Affordable Care Act and stated that a congressional vote on Thursday would determine whether she receives a tax credit to help pay her premiums.

Durbin stated that Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump have used Chicago as their personal playground for militarizing immigration operations through Operation Midway Blitz, and that of more than 600 immigrants arrested in an ongoing lawsuit, only 16 had significant criminal histories.

Durbin stated his opposition to the nomination of William J. Crain to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and urged his colleagues to join him in opposing the nomination based on Crain's judicial record.

Durbin announced his opposition to Robert Chamberlin's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, citing his positions on fetal personhood legislation, healthcare provider conscience protections, and gun manufacturer liability as reasons he could not support the confirmation.

Durbin came to the floor to ask the Senate to pass the STOP CSAM Act, bipartisan legislation designed to allow survivors of child exploitation and their families to bring legal action, and described cases of children who died by suicide after being targeted by predators on social media platforms.

Durbin announced he would vote in opposition to James D. Maxwell II's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, citing concerns about two opinions Maxwell authored while on the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Durbin spoke about the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service, discussing its history since its founding before the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln's service as a postmaster in New Salem, Illinois, and the importance of USPS rural home delivery service to Illinois communities.

Durbin spoke in the Senate about immigration policy, sharing his mother's naturalization story from Lithuania and discussing four basic immigration principles: an orderly border process, preventing dangerous persons from entering, removing those who are dangers to their communities, and creating a process for people with good intentions to work and become part of America.

Durbin announced that three Senators from Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Arizona were necessarily absent from the cloture vote on the Lindsey Ann Freeman nomination.

Durbin announced he would vote in opposition to David Alan Bragdon's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina based on concerning views Bragdon expressed on his college website regarding abortion, birth control, and welfare.

Durbin addressed the Senate about Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, describing federal agents' use of excessive force including pepper balls, tear gas, zip ties on women and children, and physical tackling of peaceful protesters, and citing a federal judge's finding that the use of force "shocks the conscience."

Durbin spoke about his personal experience lacking health insurance as a law student and discussed his efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act 15 years ago when President Obama was in office, noting that no Republican votes were cast in support of the bill.

Durbin stated that enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act are set to expire on January 1, described a constituent named Jess who would face increased healthcare costs if the credits expire, and said that Leader Thune gave him his word that he would hold a vote in the Senate to extend these subsidies.

Durbin stated that President Trump's economic policies are driving up grocery prices and cited constituent complaints about high food costs, polling data showing Americans blame Trump for inflation, and administration policies including SNAP cuts and restrictions on immigrant workers as contributing factors.

Durbin stated that the United States has approximately 10,500 air traffic controllers nationwide but needs 14,000, noted that controllers at O'Hare work 6 days a week for 10 hours per day under stressful conditions, and called for bipartisan action to hire more controllers and implement new technology.

Durbin asked for the yeas and nays on the Tung nomination and announced that the Senators from New Jersey and Minnesota were necessarily absent.

Durbin stated his opposition to Eric Tung's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and urged his colleagues to join him in opposing the nomination.

Durbin requested the yeas and nays on S.J. Res. 88, a joint resolution to terminate the national emergency declared to impose global tariffs.

Durbin stated that Edmund LaCour is a judicial nominee selected by President Trump for his extreme views, detailed his record on voting rights cases, abortion restrictions, transgender rights, and the death penalty, and announced his opposition to LaCour's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Durbin stated that he would oppose Jordan Pratt's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and urged his colleagues to join him in doing so.

Durbin stated his strong opposition to Stephen Chad Meredith's nomination to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, citing his positions on reproductive rights and lack of candor regarding his involvement in pardons issued by then-Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin.

Durbin announced that Senator Duckworth from Illinois was necessarily absent.

Durbin stated that the Trump administration had frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion across 87 Democratic districts compared to $738 million across 14 Republican districts since the start of the Republican-led shutdown.

Durbin stated he would vote in opposition to William W. Mercer's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana and cited several reasons including Mercer's opposition to eliminating Montana's statute of limitations for civil lawsuits by sexual abuse victims, his record as U.S. attorney, and his role in the U.S. attorney firing scandal during the George W. Bush administration.

Durbin announced his opposition to Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe's nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and urged his colleagues to oppose it as well.

Durbin stated that Jennifer Lee Mascott was nominated for her loyalty to President Trump and her extreme views on presidential power, and urged colleagues to oppose her nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Durbin stated that the Trump administration's OMB Director Russell Vought and the U.S. Department of Transportation illegally froze $2 billion in grants for Chicago, including $1.9 billion obligated for the Red Line extension, and that the administration canceled $7.5 billion in Department of Energy grants including 33 Illinois projects worth almost $700 million.

Durbin stated that Republicans shut the government down to avoid addressing their healthcare crisis, that the President's bill cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and will rip health insurance away from 10 million Americans, that if the Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits expire more than 20 million Americans will see their premiums go up and 4 million more will lose coverage, and that the murder rate in Illinois has been lower than the murder rates in Missouri, Louisiana, and Alabama.

Durbin announced that Senator Schumer from New York was necessarily absent.

Durbin responded to comments from the Senator from Wyoming by discussing Democratic proposals to reestablish the tax credit for Americans buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and defending the restoration of $1 trillion in Medicaid spending in the Democratic budget proposal.

Durbin was listed as a co-sponsor of S. Res. 400, a resolution expressing support for designation of the week of September 14 through 20, 2025, as "National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week."

Durbin co-submitted Senate Resolution 398 condemning the treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu by the Government of Azerbaijan and urging his immediate release.

Durbin stated that President Trump should recognize Putin as a threat to America's reputation and the President's legacy, and called for Congress to pass a Russian sanctions bill with 85 cosponsors.

Durbin stated that the expiration of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits at the end of the year would cause insurance premiums to spike and result in millions of Americans losing healthcare coverage.

Durbin stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is in crisis due to the removal of dozens of senior FBI officials under Director Kash Patel, describing it as political retribution and noting that former Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll filed a lawsuit accusing Patel and other Trump officials of orchestrating a politically motivated purge.

Durbin announced that the Senator from New Hampshire (Ms. Hassan) is necessarily absent.

Durbin offered a bipartisan amendment to authorize the Baltic Security Initiative as part of the National Defense Authorization bill.

Durbin announced his opposition to the nomination of Maria A. Lanahan to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and detailed his objections based on her litigation record regarding reproductive rights and humanitarian parole cases.

Durbin announced he would vote in opposition to Edward L. Artau's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, citing concerns about Judge Artau's impartiality based on his concurring opinion in a case involving President Trump's lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board.

Durbin posted remarks in the Congressional Record stating that President Trump's social media post about deportations in Chicago and references to a "Department of War" constitute an unprecedented and dangerous threat, and that deporting innocent people without criminal backgrounds is not a solution to reducing crime.

Durbin stated that the big beautiful Trump budget bill would cause 4 million Americans to lose dental insurance due to $900 billion in Medicaid cuts, and up to 17 million Americans to lose health insurance, while rural hospitals and nursing homes face closure.

Durbin announced that the Senators from New Jersey and Vermont were necessarily absent and called the roll on the cloture motion for Maria A. Lanahan's nomination.

Durbin announced that the Senator from Vermont was necessarily absent during the roll call vote on the cloture motion for Edward L. Artau's nomination as United States District Judge.

Durbin stated that the so-called Big Beautiful Bill will cut Medicaid by $1 trillion over 10 years, cause up to 17 million people to lose healthcare, increase dental insurance premiums by as much as 90 percent, result in 4 million Americans losing dental insurance, add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, and provide working families making less than $35,000 a year with only $150 in annual tax breaks while billionaires like Elon Musk receive over $300,000 in tax cuts.

Durbin urged his colleagues to examine Jeanine Pirro's record and oppose her nomination to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Durbin co-sponsored Senate Amendment 3272, which proposed additions to S. 2296 including provisions on fentanyl exposure prevention for first responders, reauthorization of support for officers in crisis, and reauthorization of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008.

Durbin announced that three senators from Arizona and Michigan were necessarily absent during the cloture vote on the nomination of Tyler Clarkson to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.

Durbin announced that three Senators were necessarily absent and voted nay on the cloture motion for the nomination of Matthew Kozma.

Durbin came to the floor to discuss political prisoners jailed by authoritarian regimes, specifically mentioning Ahmed Mansoor imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates, and appealed to UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nuhayyan to release Mansoor on humanitarian grounds.

Durbin, as ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the record stating he knows of no information implicating the President in wrongdoing with Jeffrey Epstein while calling for disclosure of the Epstein files to the American people and expressing concern about an unusual private meeting between a Department of Justice official and imprisoned Ghislaine Maxwell.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 2468, a bill to amend section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to render available to certain long-term residents of the United States the benefit under that section, and co-sponsored S. 2476, a bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to prohibit the exclusion of individuals from service on a Federal jury on account of disability.

Durbin called for a drastic change of course in Gaza, including an end to the blockade of humanitarian assistance, alongside Senators Reed, Shaheen, Warner, Coons, and Schatz.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 2468, a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit individuals who have lived in the United States continuously for at least 7 years to file for lawful permanent residence.

Durbin was listed as a co-sponsor of S. 2468, a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit long-term residents of the United States to file for lawful permanent residence.

Durbin asked for the yeas and nays on the Hansell nomination and voted nay.

Durbin expressed concern about the pending Senate confirmations of Joshua Divine and Cristian Stevens to federal judgeships, citing Divine's stated support for literacy tests at the ballot box, his self-identification as a "zealot" for the anti-choice movement, and his positions on abortion and in vitro fertilization.

Durbin explained that he opposed a $9 billion rescissions bill that would cut $8 billion from foreign aid and $1 billion from public broadcasting, stating that nongovernmental organizations and humanitarian groups had told him the cuts would cost lives by denying people food, clean water, and medicine.

Durbin announced his intention to make a motion to recommit H.R. 4 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to remove rescissions that would undermine public broadcasting infrastructure supporting emergency alert systems.

Durbin requested unanimous consent to grant floor privileges to four law clerks of the Senate Judiciary Committee until July 31, 2025.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor to oppose the nomination of Whitney D. Hermandorfer to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, stating that she led advocacy efforts supporting President Trump's policies including his unconstitutional executive order on birthright citizenship and refused to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election.

Durbin explained his vote in favor of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan in response to 9/11 and discussed the temporary protected status granted to Afghan civilians who assisted American forces.

Durbin expressed condolences to the families of 27 campers and counselors who died in flash floods at Camp Mystic in Central Texas, noted that over 100 people had perished in the flooding, praised first responders and volunteers, and called on the Senate and House to provide disaster assistance to the victims regardless of political affiliation.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor opposing the Big Beautiful Bill Act, stating that it would result in the loss of health insurance for 17 million Americans, cuts of more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, $200 billion in cuts to SNAP, and the potential closure of over 300 rural hospitals and 500 nursing homes.

Durbin stated that the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats successfully challenged several controversial Judiciary provisions from the Republican "One Big Beautiful Bill," including a provision that would have limited individuals' ability to challenge Trump administration Executive actions, which the Senate Parliamentarian struck.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 2192, the Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act, introduced by Mr. Padilla.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 2192, the Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act, which would prohibit Federal departments and agencies from contracting with federally licensed firearms dealers with a high number of short time-to-crime firearm traces.

Durbin voted nay on the cloture motion to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Kenneth Kies to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

Durbin stated that he supports Senator Tim Kaine's War Powers Resolution, which requires a prompt debate and vote prior to using additional U.S. military force against Iran.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the shooting of two Minnesota Democratic state legislators and called on leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against political violence and the radical language used by some colleagues online and in their tweets about the incident.

Durbin stated that he would vote no on the GENIUS Act, legislation to regulate the stablecoin market.

Durbin stated he was absent for rollcall vote No. 321 on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1582 and would have voted nay had he been present.

Durbin announced that the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff) is necessarily absent.

Durbin introduced the DREAM Act in 2001 with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and has repeatedly reintroduced it in various forms of legislation and as amendments over the years.

Durbin was listed as a co-sponsor of S. 2012, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025, introduced by Senator Collins.

Durbin co-sponsored an amendment submitted by Ms. Warren intended to be proposed to S. 1582 that would preserve the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority to enforce federal consumer financial laws with respect to payment stablecoin issuers.

Durbin announced that Senators Bennet, Ossoff, Reed, and Schiff were necessarily absent and voted nay on the cloture motion for David Fotouhi's nomination as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor opposing President Trump's proposed rescissions of foreign assistance programs, stating that these cuts targeted bipartisan international programs that represent less than 1 percent of the federal budget to fund tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

Durbin described how cryptocurrency scams work, citing FBI data showing that crypto-related crime increased 66 percent in 2024 with Americans losing $9.3 billion to crypto scams, and explained how scammers use crypto ATM machines to defraud seniors by posing as government officials demanding payment for missed jury duty.

Durbin joined Mr. Schmitt and other senators in submitting Senate Resolution 253 to congratulate His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election to the papacy.

Durbin co-sponsored S. 1829, a bill to combat the sexual exploitation of children by supporting victims and promoting accountability and transparency by the tech industry.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor to explain that a reconciliation bill would dismantle the American dream by cutting Medicaid and other essential services to fund tax breaks for wealthy people.

Durbin stated that the Department of Justice canceled more than $800 million in violence prevention, public safety, and victim services grants, including community violence intervention funding, last month.

Durbin co-sponsored Senate Resolution 220 to designate the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week."

Durbin announced that the Senators from Arizona and Vermont were necessarily absent.

Durbin asked for the yeas and nays on the Phelan nomination and announced that five Democratic senators were necessarily absent.

Durbin co-sponsored Senate Amendment 1285 to H.R. 1968, which proposed to increase an appropriations amount from $40,395,072,000 to $41,576,684,000 and strike certain language regarding a $1,695,436,000 allocation.

Durbin announced that the Senators from Illinois (Duckworth) and Vermont (Sanders) were necessarily absent and voted nay on the cloture motion regarding William Pulte's nomination as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Durbin stated that federal judges have issued orders blocking unlawful Trump administration actions, and that administration officials and allies have made statements criticizing federal judges and judicial review, including claims that public officials are not bound by court decisions and that a President can defy court orders.

Durbin announced that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) is necessarily absent and requested the yeas and nays on the Blanche nomination.

Durbin spoke on the Senate floor to discuss the chaos created by the announced proposed freeze on Federal funding and loans, describing specific impacts such as a rural water project in Christian County, Illinois, and stating that the freeze is unconstitutional because it violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

Durbin came to the Senate floor to discuss the Trump administration's decision to purge Department of Justice officials and expressed concerns that Pamela Bondi's record suggests she will aid in packing the Department of Justice with loyalists seeking retribution against President Trump's political rivals.

Durbin spoke regarding the nomination of Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security, discussing the Department of Homeland Security's creation and responsibilities, his personal background as the son of an immigrant mother, and the importance of immigration to the nation.