Dick Durbin

It is not just simply because of their love for our system of government.

In the weeks and months to come, countless advocacy groups and special interests will try mightily and savagely and heavily to exempt themselves from shared sacrifice and common purpose.

The American public is experiencing a crisis of accountability.

We will also discuss the Fair Elections Now Act, a comprehensive proposal which I have introduced to fundamentally reform the way that these Congressional campaigns are financed.

I thank the Senator from Texas and her cosponsor, the Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Casey. They expressed the deep-felt sentiments of all of us. I am happy to be a cosponsor of this legislation. I can assure the Senator from Texas that we…

Senators should expect a rollcall vote at approximately 12 noon on the confirmation of the Kronstadt nomination. The Briccetti nomination will be confirmed by consent. ____________________

Let's make it clear where we are at this moment in time. There is an agreement. There is agreement on the budget number. It was an agreement reached between the President with Speaker Boehner and with Senate Majority Leader Reid--an…

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 11:57 p.m., adjourned until Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at 10 a.m…

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 9:45 p.m. adjourned until Friday, April 8, 2011, at 11 a.m.

I rise to speak in morning business, even though it is the evening--the nature of the Senate rules and procedure. During the course of the day, we have had a number of colleagues coming to the floor and talking about the looming shutdown…

I commend my colleague from Alaska. I do not know the particulars of his bill, but as I listened to his description of it, it is long overdue. Simplifying this Tax Code so the average American believes it is fair and understandable is…

We are hopeful we can reach an agreement on the budget tomorrow. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled. ____________________

Last year, the Supreme Court issued a decision in a case named Citizens United v. FEC. In this sweeping decision that ignored decades of precedent, the Supreme Court held that corporations and unions could spend as much money as they want…

We are now in the countdown phase as to whether this government of the United States of America--the most prosperous Nation in the world--is going to shut down, turn out the lights, close its doors, and walk away. That could happen…

Like the majority leader, I was here the last time there was a government shutdown. I never believed it would reach that point. I certainly didn't believe it would be a long shutdown, but it turned out to be over 2 weeks before it was…

Three years ago, a mentally disturbed gunman walked into a campus lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and shot 22 students, killing 5 of them. Northern Illinois University is not the first college to experience this kind of…

It is my understanding that the Democrats have the first half of morning business. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is correct.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent the Senate recess until 10 a.m. tomorrow. There being no objection, the Senate, at 7:10 p.m., recessed until Thursday, April 7, 2011, at 10 a.m…

They had $17 billion in profits and a 4-percent profit margin. That sounds like a lot and it is, but not compared to the big banks. JPMorgan Chase, one of the largest issuers of debit cards, had $17.4 billion in profits last year. That is…

We continue to work to complete action on the small business bill. We also hope to deal with the continuing resolution by the end of the week. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled. ____________________

I rise to speak about the issue of Wall Street reform, which I know is near and dear to the Senator from New York, who represents Wall Street. I do believe what Congress achieved last year on Wall Street reform was wise not only for our…

I continue to receive letters weighing in on the issue of interchange fee reform. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record letters or statements from the following organizations: the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Main Street…

Paul Ryan is a Congressman from Janesville, WI. I know it because it is right across the border from Illinois. I have relatives and friends who live in the area. I like Paul. I served with him on the Bowles-Simpson deficit commission. We…

Following any leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business until 11 a.m., with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority controlling the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to…

That is exactly right, I say to the Senator from Florida, and there were people who were critical of us and said we were, unfortunately, cutting Medicare benefits, which we were not. The Senator may recall that one of the first amendments…