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Richard Durbin, commonly known as Dick Durbin, is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he has held various leadership roles, including Senate Majority Whip. Durbin has been a prominent advocate for issues such as healthcare reform, immigration policy, and gun control. He has also played a significant role in negotiations on budget and appropriations matters in the Senate.
Today, Senator Hagel and I introduced the bipartisan Global Climate Change Security Oversight Act. We were joined by Senator Feinstein. Our bill states that the consequences of global climate change represent a clear and present danger to…
Senator Grassley said that an amendment which I added in the Appropriations Committee, in his words, would ``lead to anarchy in the Medicaid financial arrangements.'' He said it would prevent CMS from taking any action relating to the…
the amendment which we are going to vote on very shortly in the Senate is a historic amendment. It is an amendment which I think will be followed very carefully not just in the United States but around the world, particularly in Iraq…
I come to the floor to join Senator Dodd and Senator Kennedy in introducing the Re-empowerment of Skilled Professional Employees and Construction Tradesworkers Act, also known as the RESPECT Act. This legislation will amend the National…
I thank Senator Leahy for allowing the creation of this new subcommittee in Judiciary that is known as Human Rights and the Law. It is the first time in the 218-year history of the Senate such a committee has been designated, and I am…
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…
today, my colleagues, Senator Gordon Smith, Senator Frank Lautenberg, and I join together to introduce bipartisan legislation to use economic and diplomatic measures to help convince the Iranian Government to turn away from its path toward…
Imagine a President coming before a joint session of Congress and using his bully pulpit to call for a fundamental change in the way we fund political campaigns in America. Imagine a President saying we need to buy back our democracy by…
when we talk about college affordability, the discussion typically focuses on tuition costs, Pell grants and student loans. But we cannot talk about college affordability without also including college textbook costs in the same…
In addition to these fallen heroes, thousands of our troops have come home with serious injuries, disabilities--blindness, amputations, and the signature injury of this war, traumatic brain injury. We have been outraged in recent weeks to…
It was over a century ago that the U.S. Department of Justice undertook plans to fire certain Federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alabama for political reasons. It was August 9, 1904, when Republican President Theodore…
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.
There are many things pulling at us, in the position I have in the Senate, and the work that we have to do in so many other places.
In the past 10 years there's been a dramatic increase at NIH in terms of research funding for autism spectrum disorders.
In order for those people to commit their lives and careers to that research, they have to feel that funding for research is somewhat reliable, and predictable in the years to come, is that not true?
You name it. They all come with the same basic question--how can they possibly rationalize this amount of money for this issue of such gravity.
I rise to commend the great State of Illinois for receiving the National Award for Passing Most Local Smokefree Laws in 2006. This honor was awarded to Illinois by the national organization Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. Last year, a…
I rise today to honor Dr. Muhammad Yunus for his contributions to the fight against global poverty. Today, joined by my colleague Senator Bennett of Utah as well as Senators Clinton, Kerry and Harkin, I introduced the Muhammad Yunus…
Substance abuse continues to claim victims, destroy families, and eat away at communities. Today, many communities in Illinois and across the country are struggling with the methamphetamine epidemic. Drug treatment centers in Illinois…
the question is: What is our duty? We know what the duty of our soldiers will be when they raise their hand and take an oath to serve our country. They agree to risk their lives for America. They follow orders. They follow the lead of…
Who wants America to come home at this point? The American people do. The Iraqi people want us to leave. In fact, the Iraqi leadership has said it is time for us to start withdrawing our troops. The resistance to bringing our troops home…
now is the time to implement the unfinished recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. I commend Senators Lieberman and Collins for their leadership and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for its work on this…
Politicians like Dick Durbin
