Dick Durbin

This immigration bill will offer an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States and go to work. But I believe there should be one guiding principle behind this bill: First offer the jobs to Americans. Those…

Let me take this moment as in morning business to salute Senators Barbara Boxer and Inhofe of Oklahoma for passage of the Water Resources Development Act. If I am not mistaken, it has been 6 years that we have been trying to do this--maybe…

To watch the U.S. Senate, on the anniversary of the Nuremberg trials, step away from the great principles enshrined at that time is one of the saddest days I've ever seen in . . . my almost 30 years in serving in this body.

Over 25 years ago, a member of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health said in a statement to Congress, ``Children are one-third of our population and all of our future.'' We must protect the health and welfare of our nation's…

I think that only makes sense. The third thing we say is that the Food and Drug Administration has to actively promote more objective scientific experts without conflicts of interest. I don't think this is a radical proposal. Don't we want…

When the president receives this bill early next week, I hope he will ask himself some basic questions. How many lives, how many wounds, how many soldiers must America sacrifice waiting for the Iraqis to accept their responsibility?

As a matter of fact, it turns out the FDA is the weakest link in a very weak chain. We have 12 to 15 different federal agencies responsible for food safety, 30 different laws, 40 to 50 different committees on Capitol Hill. This system is…

I can tell you that it's understandable, because the FDA has very limited powers and very limited resources facing an almost unlimited challenge with global imports.

Well, unfortunately, we're now seeing that some of these food products are making it into livestock, in this case, into hogs that have been slaughtered and now being recalled. So we know that it's getting way too close to the human food…

Well, clearly, they have to give us visas at some point. If they refuse to cooperate with the United States, we can't compromise the health and safety of the people that live here and the pets that they love.

The value of this food product is based on the protein content. Protein is measured chemically by the presence of nitrogen. This chemical melamine, which has no place in a human or pet food product, is inserted into the product to show…

I wish we knew the answer. We've written the Chinese ambassador and said why won't you give them a visa to the FDA inspectors so they can go over and take a look at this plant in China? And they haven't done it. For weeks they've refused…

I was reluctant to do this, but I am going to refer to a couple of votes of the Senator from Oklahoma. His amendment was to sunset the entire Department of Homeland Security. Also, on two separate occasions he voted against pay-as-you-go…

In addition to any other amounts authorized to be appropriated for the U.S. Marshals Service, there are authorized to be appropriated for the U.S. Marshals Service to protect the judiciary $20 million for each of the fiscal years 2007…

What I am suggesting is, other committees may take this up as well on an interim basis. But the bills that are going to move on the floor of the Senate are the appropriations bills. Now that the budget resolution is passed, our major…

All of the authorization in the world notwithstanding, unless you appropriate the money from the Treasury for the project, it is just a good idea that might happen.

I was fortunate enough to serve on the Intelligence Committee for 4 years... If our intelligence does not get it right, we are more vulnerable.

What has happened over last several weeks is unacceptable. What we have found is a threat to the lives of pets -- dogs and cats -- across America. A threat that should have been minimized and maybe even avoided.

What's happened over the last several weeks is unacceptable. What we have found is a threat to the lives of pets, dogs and cats, across America, a threat that should have been minimized and maybe even avoided.

I think when you have a company that discovers a problem that's killing animals and they don't report it for three weeks to the Food and Drug Administration, it is, at best, gross negligence.

I rise to speak about S. 888, the Genocide Accountability Act. It is a bipartisan bill I have introduced with Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and Senator John Cornyn of Texas. This Genocide Accountability…

Very fortunate to be in Montgomery County, Maryland.

I think, I want to salute again my chairman, it sounds like I'm doing my best to get on his good side, but he had been a national leader on IDEA from the start.

We're lucky to have him.

I hope we can interest some people in it.