U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement at a committee nominations hearing in Washington on December 17, 2025. The hearing focused on the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees and addressed recent actions by President Trump.
Durbin began his remarks by highlighting the importance of the Senate’s role in providing oversight over the executive branch. “The Senate, as part of the legislative branch, must provide advice and consent on presidential nominees. It is a responsibility that goes back to our nation’s founding…To ensure the president could not become a despot like King George III, our Founders designed a system of checks and balances [that] separated the federal government’s powers among its three branches.”
He stressed that this process is essential for maintaining balance within government: “The Senate’s role in providing advice and consent on presidential nominees is one critical check on the executive branch. Today’s hearing is a step in that process. And it has never been more important that the Senate exercise this role—because the President is determined to push the bounds of his power at every opportunity.”
During his statement, Durbin criticized immigration enforcement tactics under President Trump: “Across the country, immigration agents are racially profiling and arresting American citizens—even veterans. At a spotlight forum last week, I spoke about how one Chicagoan—a U.S. citizen on her way to work—was physically assaulted, arrested, and detained for several hours after ICE agents crashed into her car and pointed their weapons at her… [This] is not conduct that we can or should tolerate in the United States.”
He also addressed reports of extrajudicial killings off Venezuela's coast: “But the Trump Administration’s unlawful and un-American actions are not limited to our own shores or our fellow citizens. The President has ordered extrajudicial killings of at least 95 people off the coast of Venezuela. Yesterday, our self-styled ‘Secretary of War’ essentially told Senators to ‘go to hell’ when we asked to see videos of the episode where two stranded victims may have been executed in violation of international, legal standards.”
Durbin continued: “The Trump Administration alleges that these individuals are ‘narco-terrorists.’ Drug trafficking is a serious crime and should be prosecuted. But that is not what is happening here. Instead, President Trump is engaging in the summary executions of criminal suspects. That is a violation of law—in both peacetime and wartime.”
Regarding oversight efforts by Congress, he said: “Today’s hearing is part of our effort to fulfill our obligation. But we must also conduct oversight and hold accountable a President who too often ignores the limits of power… We are now about to finish this calendar year with the Department of Homeland Security spurning every effort made to bring and hold her [Secretary Noem] accountable for what’s happening [in regard to immigration raids across the country].”
Durbin referenced longstanding bipartisan practices related to judicial nominations: “In closing, I want to note that multiple nominees on today’s panel are here because of this Committee’s longstanding, bipartisan tradition of requiring blue slips from Senators supporting district court nominees from their states.”
He disputed claims made by President Trump about these procedures: “Just this week, the President falsely claimed, ‘if you have one Democrat in a state, it is not possible to appoint because of blue slips.’ In fact, this year the Committee has reported—and the Senate has confirmed—numerous judicial and U.S. Attorney nominees from blue states with the support of Democratic Senators.”
On maintaining institutional norms Durbin stated: “[Blue slips] simply require that President Trump do what every other President before him has done—work with home-state Senators to identify well-qualified nominees who will follow the law. Blue slips remain a critical part of this body’s advice and consent [responsibility] even when they frustrate the party in power. I want to thank Chairman Grassley for continuing to follow this practice.”
The nominations considered during Wednesday's hearing included Daniel Edward Burrows for Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy; Megan Blair Benton for U.S District Court Judge (Western District Missouri); Brian Charles Lea (Western District Tennessee); Justin Ross Olson (Southern District Indiana).
The Senate Judiciary Committee oversees judicial nominations as part of its mandate within federal government operations; it plays an active role reviewing legislation related to legal matters such as civil rights or public safety while conducting oversight over agencies including federal law enforcement.
Recordings—including video footage—of Durbin's full opening statement were made available following his remarks.
