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Showing 637 posts and replies from Richard J. Durbin.
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- RD
Pleased to join Rosecrance today at the ribbon cutting ceremony for their Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center in Champaign, for which I secured a $1 million earmark.
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Reverend Dr. Anthony Paulson wrote to me about his parishioners in Southern Illinois who are suffering under higher prices. People like him are always on my mind when issues of affordability arise, but are being ignored by this President.
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Yesterday, I joined Respiratory Health Association in Chicago to discuss recent actions by FDA that will unleash a new wave of youth e-cigarette addiction. More than 90% of kids who vape are doing so because of the sweet flavors. Big Tobacco, with this Admin’s blessing, are poisoning our kids.
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- RD
Congratulations to the Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse team, who won their 9th NCAA D1 championship title last Sunday! Go Wildcats!
- RD
Over my time in Congress, I have had more than 3,000 interns serve in my office, and even more staff. Some, like Illinois State Senator Mike Simmons & Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner, have gone on to serve as elected officials. It has been my honor to help them get their foot in the door.
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I have been and will always be committed to passing the Dream Act. These young folks just want to be part of America, and I want to give them that opportunity.
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My mom’s naturalization certificate sits on the credenza behind my desk in the Capitol, so anyone who walks into my office knows that I am proud to be the son of an immigrant.
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One of the fundamentals of a democracy is that losers will accept the results of a free and fair election. The President and his allies’ attacks on Americans’ voting rights and continued election denialism are challenging this principle in ways never seen before.
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I am deeply honored to address a Joint Session of the Illinois General Assembly, the place where my time in public service all began. Watch my remarks LIVE at the link below at 12PM CT / 1PM ET:
link:https://www.ilga.gov/House/AudioVideo
- RD
Trump’s alliance with Big Tobacco is exposing another generation of kids to nicotine addiction, sickness, and early death. Read my op-ed in STAT below about how Big Tobacco used their money and influence to push the President to abandon children’s health.
link:https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/27/flavored-vapes-e-cigarettes-fda-trump-durbin/?utm_campaign=twitter_organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
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I am very pleased that Ricardo has been released from ICE detention & is reunited with his mother. But he should never have been taken from his family in the first place. We must end the Trump Administration’s mass deportation operation & stop these cruel attacks on immigrants & our communities.
link:https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/26/ice-cps-student-released/
- RD
Journalist Sonia Dahmani’s conditional release was modest but welcome progress. Yet legal harassment continues, including yesterday’s sentence on nonsense charges, raising further concerns about basic freedoms in Tunisia under President Saied. Political charges against her & others must be dropped.
link:https://cpj.org/2026/05/cpj-condemns-tunisias-judicial-harassment-of-sonia-dahmani-after-fresh-conviction/
- RD
Just one week after tobacco giant Reynolds donated $5 million to MAGA Inc. and dined with Trump at his golf club, President Trump directed FDA to authorize the sale of flavored vapes. This corruption is poisoning our kids and unleashing a new wave of addiction on America.
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Happy Memorial Day. Today, we recognize the men and women in uniform who lost their lives in service of our country. My deepest thanks goes to these brave service members who made the ultimate sacrifice.
- RD
I joined Senator Grassley to demand Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth immediately release stalled funding for Ukraine and the Baltics. These nations are facing the brunt of Russian aggression, and our failure to stand by them will only embolden Putin and his war machine.
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I led all Illinois Congressional Democrats in a letter urging Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to approve Illinois’ Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program Final Proposal. Farmers, schools, and businesses in Illinois are depending on these funds, and they shouldn’t have to wait any longer.
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I asked leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health to answer a simple question: is it good for our kids for the Trump Administration to unleash new, flavored vaping products on the market? All of them answered no.
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This week, @duckworth.senate.gov and I hosted our monthly constituent coffee. It is always a pleasure to hear from Illinoisans and give them an insight into Congress.
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Today, Republicans left town without funding Trump’s mass deportations, billionaire ballroom, or his January 6 slush fund. We will remain ready to challenge these horrendous wastes of taxpayer dollars when they return.
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I joined @hirono.senate.gov to call on the Education Department to strengthen oversight of predatory for-profit college programs that leave students with mountains of debt and degrees with little economic value. We must do more to protect our students.
- RD
Threats don’t respect international borders. The Trump Administration’s sweeping and self destructive foreign aid cuts have left the Democratic Republic of Congo and the U.S. struggling to contain an Ebola outbreak. An utterly predictable result from the chaos of DOGE.
link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/05/21/ebola-responders-say-aid-cuts-under-trump-left-them-unprepared-outbreak/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
- RD
The Trump-Blanche Justice Department announced last month it’s bringing back firing squads last month. A total step backwards. I just introduced a bill to ban the federal death penalty once and for all.
- RD
Violence and trauma touches all too many Americans. Today, I joined Alliance for HOPE to discuss federal initiatives that give survivors and their families the tools they need to heal and rebuild their lives.
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I welcome the change in Guatemala’s attorney general, and I hope that under new leadership, the Guatemalan government will finally drops any remaining charges against anti-corruption journalist José Rubén Zamora and anti-corruption prosecutor Virginia Laparra.
link:https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/guatemalas-president-names-gabriel-estuardo-garcia-new-attorney-general-2026-05-06/?taid=69fac62c16d544000169cc15&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
- RD
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the worst of the worst. It’s only reserved for the poorest of the poor. It’s time to end the federal death penalty once and for all. I just introduced a bill to BAN it.
- RD
Russia, under the bloody leadership of Vladimir Putin, has committed terrible wartime atrocities—one of the most horrific being the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children. Lantratova’s appointment is a cynical slap in the face to Ukraine.
link:https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/putin-appoints-child-abduction-suspect-human-rights-chief-53p9cxk2v?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1779093343
- RD
I was honored to receive an award from Every 100th Heart for working to support patients with congenital heart conditions. Every 15 minutes in America, a baby is born with a heart defect. I have been proud to secure $82 million for the CDC’s research to better understand & treat these conditions.
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Americans are facing rising housing, utility, grocery, and health care prices. What are Congressional Republicans focused on this week? Funding President Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom.
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The Trump Administration just authorized the sale of flavored vapes across the country, even though these products addict children & expose them to harmful chemicals. I sent a letter to RFK Jr. demanding that he push back on this corrupt decision if he really is committed to his MAHA agenda.
link:https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-senator-durbin-urges-rfk-jr-resist-easing-vape-rules-2026-05-20/
- RD
I was able to visit with Barney last year during a trip to Boston. He was one of the brightest members I have ever had the pleasure of serving with. He will be missed.
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I am pleased to see the Senate finally step up to its constitutional duty and advance a resolution requiring Congress to approve further military action against Iran. Consumer prices are up, Iran’s regime hasn’t moderated, and service members are at risk. We need oversight of this war now.
link:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-19/us-senate-signals-intensifying-opposition-to-trump-s-war-in-iran?taid=6a0cdb0e5bba4e0001a523a3&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
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Protect voting rights. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
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Over the weekend, Senate Democrats successfully challenged Republicans’ attempt to give $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to President Trump’s ballroom. This is a big win, and we’ll continue to fight against such a colossal waste of resources as they scramble to redraft.
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Sam represented the best of our city and our country. He came here as an immigrant, and through his hard work and hospitality made a name for himself and his family. Sam will be dearly missed.
quote:at://did:plc:jszy2fvtipwprnjhe7pxytfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvrtvlqg22q
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It’s up to Congress to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.
- RD
Donald Trump’s weaponized Justice Department just settled with… Donald Trump. What’d he get? A slush fund of $1.776 billion dollars for himself, his allies, and violent insurrectionists. He’s out for himself—not you.
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My father died of lung cancer when I was 14. Today, I introduced the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act with @hirono.senate.gov to expand access to lifesaving lung cancer screenings and to spare others from suffering like my father did.
- RD
Keep speaking out. Public outcry works.
- RD
Keep speaking out. Public outcry works.
- RD
Keep speaking out. Public outcry works.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5iul3wec2k
- RD
If you can’t acknowledge what happened on January 6th, then what the hell good are you? These Trump U.S. Attorney nominees are terrible.
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Republicans just mass confirmed 49 Trump nominees with one vote—including a handful of U.S. Attorneys. They even confirmed scandal-ridden Darin Smith, who is facing serious misconduct allegations for tainting a grand jury, jeopardizing prosecutions of serious violent crimes.
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Everyone deserves clean and safe drinking water, but the Trump Administration is seeking to reverse the rules that protect Americans from toxic forever chemicals. What happened to the MAHA agenda?
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Darin Smith violated defendants’ due process rights, and because of it, he jeopardized prosecutions of serious violent crimes. He’s wholly unqualified to be confirmed later today. Senate Republicans must answer for this.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5k5i5qxs2k
- RD
FDA must reverse its recent authorization of flavored e-cigarette products that appeal to children. We cannot allow President Trump and the tobacco lobby to unleash a new wave of addiction on the next generation of kids.
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Darin Smith is wholly unqualified to be a U.S. Attorney. And he’s part of a partisan package of ~50 Trump nominees that Senate Republicans are pushing through today. He should NEVER be confirmed.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm4zfyyrkk2k
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When President Trump’s term is mercifully up, he can rest assured that statues of him will likely be erected, and forever enshrined, at the headquarters of the few who actually benefitted from his tenure: tobacco giants Reynolds American and Altria.
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It’s National Police Week. Chicago is mourning the loss of Officer John Bartholomew, who died in the line of duty last month. I just paid tribute to him and his family—and all officers who defend us every day.
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President Trump reducing U.S. troop rotations in NATO countries sends exactly the wrong message to Putin as he tries to get Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Moreover, Poland is one of the most pro-U.S. NATO allies on the front lines of the larger Russian threat.
link:https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-scraps-deployment-4000-troops-poland-2026-05-14/?taid=6a06cca5717bd400015f22f1&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
- RD
Senate Republicans just moved forward with nearly 50 nominees without consent or agreement from Democrats. They’re rushing them through because they’re unqualified. Shameful.