U.S. Senate Committee On The Judiciary

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Recent News About U.S. Senate Committee On The Judiciary

  • Senate Republicans demand answers on Afghan national's vetting process

    Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the vetting process for Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi. Recent media reports suggest Tawhedi, who was arrested in connection with a plot to carry out a violent attack on behalf of ISIS in the United States on Election Day, was not vetted for a special immigrant visa as previously claimed by the Biden-Harris Justice Department.


  • Durbin Meets with NCAA President to Discuss Name, Image, Likeness Policy in Collegiate Sports

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently met with NCAA President Charlie Baker to address the issue of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for college athletes. The meeting aimed to discuss proposals for modernizing Division I athletics in light of the evolving landscape of collegiate sports.Durbin emphasized the importance of fair compensation for college athletes, stating, "College sports is a big business that generates even bigger profits, yet little of this money makes its way to the athletes who made these...


  • Iowa senator: 'Staffing at federal prisons is a crisis'

    What a difference a year can make, at least for for the Senate Judiciary Committee in its hearing last month for Federal Bureau of Prisons oversite


  • Merrick Garland asked to rescind school board memo

    Several Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have formally requested Attorney General Merrick Garland to rescind his school board memo and discontinue the directives for the FBI to work with local and state law enforcement.


  • Garland fails to provide Senate information that prompted school board memo encouraging federal intervention

    Attorney General Merrick Garland has missed the deadline to provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with the information he used to issue a memo urging the Department of Justice to assist in local school board concerns nationwide.


  • Durbin, Graham React to President Biden Signing their National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act Into Law

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) expressed their appreciation to President Biden for signing into law their bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act. The legislation, which reauthorizes relief for an additional four years for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship, will protect a long-standing bipartisan carveout from means-testing restrictions in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases."Declaring bankruptcy is a difficult choice for any American,...


  • Durbin, Booker Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of the First Step Act on Senate Floor

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and U.S. Senator Cory Booker came together on the Senate floor to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation aimed at making the justice system fairer and communities safer. The First Step Act, signed into law by former President Donald Trump in December 2018, was the result of the collaborative efforts of Durbin, Booker, and Senators Chuck Grassley and Mike Lee.Durbin expressed his satisfaction with the passage of the First Step Act, stating, "The First Step Act passed...


  • Durbin, Graham Applaud Passage of National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have expressed their satisfaction with the passage of the bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act. The legislation, which reauthorizes relief for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship, has received the approval of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2023 will extend the provisions of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008...


  • Durbin Calls for Investigation into Systemic Failures at Customs and Border Protection Resulting in Deficient Medical Care

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is urging further investigation into systemic failures at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding the provision of medical care to migrants in custody. Durbin's call for action comes in response to a report by a CBP employee whistleblower, which revealed years of deficient medical care and CBP's failure to ensure proper oversight. The tragic death of Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, an 8-year-old girl with sickle cell and congenital heart disease, in CBP custody in Harlingen, Texas,...


  • Durbin Questions Circuit, District Court Nominees at Latest Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

    During the Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) questioned the nominees for United States Circuit Judges and United States District Judges. Durbin first questioned Nicole G. Berner, who was nominated to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. Durbin asked Berner about her role as an advocate, to which she responded that she understands the difference between the role of a judge and an advocate. She assured that if confirmed, she would approach each case with an open mind and without personal bias....


  • Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Five Judicial Nominations

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of five judicial candidates. The nominees include Nicole G. Berner for the Fourth Circuit, Adeel Abdullah Mangi for the Third Circuit, Amy M. Baggio for the District of Oregon, Cristal C. Brisco for the Northern District of Indiana, and Gretchen S. Lund also for the Northern District of Indiana.Durbin began by acknowledging the committee's busy year, having held 35 full committee hearings and 22...


  • Junior Senator from Ohio Continues to Block Durbin’s Attempt to Confirm U.S. Attorney Nominations on the Senate Floor

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has once again faced opposition from U.S. Senator J.D. Vance in his efforts to confirm U.S. Attorney nominations on the Senate floor. Durbin requested unanimous consent to schedule confirmation votes on two U.S. Attorney nominations, Rebecca C. Lutzko and April M. Perry, but Vance objected to the request.Durbin had previously attempted to confirm these nominees along with two others in September, but Vance objected to the request at that time as well. While the other two nominees eventually...


  • Durbin Calls for Accountability for Corporate Criminals in Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a powerful opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on "Cleaning Up the C-Suite: Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals." Durbin's statement comes on the heels of the reintroduction of the Corporate Crime Database Act, a bill that aims to collect comprehensive data on federal corporate criminal enforcement actions.Durbin highlighted the alarming decline in federal prosecutions of corporate crime under both the Trump and Biden...


  • Durbin Questions DOJ Officials on Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals

    U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a hearing entitled "Cleaning Up the C-Suite: Ensuring Accountability for Corporate Criminals" on December 12, 2020. During the hearing, Durbin questioned Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and witnesses, seeking answers about holding individuals accountable for corporate crimes.Durbin first directed his questions to Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, regarding the prosecution of Lafarge, a company that paid millions to terrorist groups for permission to...