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Showing 506 posts and replies from Richard J. Durbin.
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- RD
Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, incinerated, or worse—finding its way into our rivers, lakes, and oceans. I introduced the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets into waterways and address the plastic problem that is plaguing our nation’s wildlife.
- RD
Colin McDonald is more interested in scoring political points for Donald Trump and the enriched fraudsters he has pardoned… than he is in actually fighting fraud. This “division” is just another vessel for political retribution. I vote no on his nomination.
- RD
President Trump’s constant impulsiveness is something we’ve come to expect from him. But his instability poses real risks to America’s economy and our service members abroad.
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- RD
Jack Smith offered to testify publicly under oath. Senate Judiciary Republicans would rather pursue a baseless partisan witch-hunt. A complete waste of time.
- RD
Replacing nurses with robots. Claiming AI will fix doctor shortages. The Trump Admin’s sick view of rural health care overpromises & underdelivers. These flashy claims don’t make up for the tens of billions of dollars they’re taking away from rural hospitals & clinics.
link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/03/23/rural-health-ai-medical-tech/
- RD
Kristi Noem’s legacy will be failure. She slipped on ICE. I’m unconvinced that Senator Mullin has the knowledge, skill, or the right advisors to rein in ICE abuses and say “no” to Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant instincts. I voted NO.
- RD
I went to the Senate floor to read Republicans’ own words about why they support the SAVE America Act into the Congressional Record. They have made it clear, Republicans are pushing this bill to increase their chances of winning in November.
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- RD
I voted no on Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be DHS Secretary. I will not vote to install another yes-man to enable Donald Trump.
- RD
Assistant principals set the tone for schools, cultivating a positive learning atmosphere for students while providing essential support to staff. Their work deserves recognition, which is why I introduced a resolution to declare the week of April 6 as National Assistant Principals Week.
- RD
ICE and Border Patrol already have a larger budget than the marines. But Senate Republicans are making you wait for hours at the airport to give them even more money to wage their terror campaign.
- RD
Senate Republicans could fully fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard today. All they have to do is agree to our request to fund these agencies immediately while we negotiate a deal on ICE and Border Patrol.
- RD
The SAVE America Act would make it harder for millions of Americans, including married women, seniors, and veterans to vote. That is an affront to our democracy, and I will be voting no.
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- RD
Robert Mueller devoted his life to the service of our country. He earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Vietnam & he led the FBI with professionalism rising above the fray of partisan politics. May his legacy of integrity be a guiding light for all those who enter public service.
- RD
Senate Democrats have come to the Senate floor to fund FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard nine separate times. Republicans blocked each attempt because they wanted more money for mass deportations.
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- RD
President Trump is pushing the SAVE America Act because he knows his only chance of winning in 2026 is to disenfranchise the millions of Americans who are fed up with his chaotic, cruel presidency.
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- RD
The President claims that the SAVE America Act is necessary to stop noncitizen voting. So I looked at the data. The Bipartisan Policy Center analyzed the Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database and found only 77 cases of noncitizens successfully casting ballots in elections over 24 years.
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- RD
Last year, electric and gas utility companies requested to raise their rates by $31 billion, the largest increase on record. But instead of doing everything he can to make power more affordable, President Trump cut the clean energy grants that would have helped lower electricity prices.
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- RD
Loretta and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Jimmy Gracey, who tragically lost his life earlier this week. May his memory always be a blessing.
- RD
I spoke with National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Anthony Letai to express my hope that NCI will be focused on its core mission to reduce cancer suffering & death by acting swiftly to support new and existing scientific research that will save lives, absent political interference.
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- RD
Men and women in uniform swore an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. The SAVE America Act would mean these service members would no longer be able to show just their military ID to register to vote.
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- RD
The Trump Administration’s mass deportation operation detained a DACA recipient as he was delivering milk to his baby in NICU. ICE is tearing families apart and traumatizing children. Congress MUST stand up for Dreamers.
link:https://www.ms.now/news/ice-detains-daca-recipient-premature-baby
- RD
2008 proved that we cannot leave Americans on the hook to save a failed industry. That’s why today I’m introducing the No Bailout for Crypto Act to ensure that taxpayers aren’t left holding the bag when the crypto industry inevitably crashes.
- RD
Someone is dying in ICE custody every week, if not more frequently. This is a crisis.
- RD
Protecting Americans from PFAS is a matter of health—which is why I joined @mccollum.house.gov to introduce the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act. This bill will help phase out the unnecessary uses of PFAS and protect consumers & our environment from the hazards of these chemicals.
- RD
I joined @duckworth.senate.gov and a bipartisan group of 38 senators to call on the Trump Admin to stop delaying the release of energy assistance funding for families in need. As utility prices skyrocket, it is more important than ever that we help Americans afford their energy bills.
- RD
Our economy lost 92,000 jobs last month. President Trump’s chaotic tariffs, mass firings of federal employees, and federal grant cuts have weakened our economy and forced Americans to pay more for essentials.
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- RD
After cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid, Republicans for the SECOND time voted against a resolution that would require Congress to approve further military action against Iran. Republicans are spending nearly $2 billion a day on this war, putting American service members and our economy at risk.
- RD
As President Trump’s tariff policy and war in the Middle East hurts our farmers, I met with members of the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss how Congress can support Illinois farmers and promote policies that will bring certainty and predictability back to our farm economy.
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- RD
Americans don’t need to go through more paperwork and bureaucracy to vote. But that is exactly what the SAVE America Act would straddle seniors, veterans, and millions of other U.S. citizens with.
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- RD
I joined Senator Grassley to introduce the Baltic Security Assessment Act to encourage coordination between Congress and the Admin on threats posed to the Baltics. The U.S. must remain steadfast in support of our Baltic allies and the NATO alliance in the face of Russian and Chinese threats.
- RD
I met with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System leadership to discuss how Congress can improve fire & EMS services in Illinois. I was proud to help pass the SIREN Act to boost rural EMS funding & am committed to ensuring our firefighters have the resources they need.
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- RD
I remember sitting in the Oval Office with Donald Trump when he said some immigrants come from “sh*thole” countries. He denied it for years. Until he admitted he was lying. That’s un-American. This smart, kind witness is a proud American.
- RD
I remember sitting in the Oval Office with Donald Trump when he said some immigrants come from “sh*thole” countries. He denied it for years. Until he admitted he was lying. That’s un-American. This smart, kind witness is a proud American.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhe2fnxmbc2o
- RD
As a proud son of a Lithuanian immigrant, I was honored to receive the Joint Baltic American National Committee’s Baltic Freedom Award. The Baltics are some of NATO’s strongest defenders, and they need American support in light of Russia’s ongoing threats in the region.
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- RD
DHS has already admitted that it is arresting and deporting DACA holders. Now, new reporting suggests its delays in DACA renewal applications will subject even more to potential arrest and detention. This is unacceptable.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfrqpl5is22b
- RD
Gideon v. Wainright is a staple case taught in constitutional law. All because Clarence Gideon wrote to the Supreme Court that he deserved counsel.
- RD
Gideon v. Wainright is a staple case taught in constitutional law. All because Clarence Gideon wrote to the Supreme Court that he deserved counsel.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdndlk7c22o
- RD
President Trump’s war with Iran sent gas and diesel prices through the roof, all without any clear or coherent endgame. You are paying more at the pump because of the President’s foreign policy whims.
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- RD
President Trump terminated more than $8 billion in grants for clean energy projects and grid upgrades, making you pay more for your power bills. We cannot cut off an affordable supply of new power as demand continues to rise.
- RD
Today, we lost a brave firefighter in Mike Altman, a 4th generation firefighter who passed away after being injured responding to a fire in Chicago. Loretta and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we thank Mike for his service.
- RD
DACA recipients are losing their work authorization and status, not because they did anything wrong, but because the Trump Administration refuses to process their claims in a timely manner. Dreamers deserve better than the undue stress and anxiety that these delays create.
- RD
Tonight, my colleagues and I said goodbye to Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd, who is stepping down from his position at the end of the month. Rudd has been an indispensable partner in strengthening the longstanding ties between our two nations, and he will be missed on the Hill.
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- RD
Senate Republicans just rushed to confirm Anna St. John, a partisan judicial nominee with serious impartiality concerns. She even testified against our bipartisan bill to end forced arbitration in the workplace and allow sexual harassment and assault victims their day in court. Shameful.
- RD
Paramilitary forces are occupying our cities due to President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. It’s terrorizing children—and it’s destroying families. It needs to end.
- RD
Paramilitary forces are occupying our cities due to President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. It’s terrorizing children—and it’s destroying families. It needs to end.
quote:at://did:plc:x4kq5wkbme72y7yhjat4dkgq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhbr2gr37s2e
- RD
I met with Breakthrough T1D today to discuss the importance of federal research funding to improve care for Americans with type 1 diabetes.
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- RD
I am thrilled that the Senate just unanimously passed my resolution with @duckworth.senate.gov commemorating the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. I was honored to introduce this resolution for this civil rights giant.
- RD
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May your day be filled with joy, revelry, and lots of craic.
- RD
One Illinois data center could consume as much power as 30% of all the households in our state. We must have an honest analysis of the electricity—and water—needs of these data centers as we consider their construction.
- RD
RFK Jr’s changes to our nation’s childhood vaccine schedule fly in the face of science and threaten the lives of kids nationwide. This ruling offers a temporary reprieve from the madness, but I’m afraid the damage has already been done.
link:https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/16/kennedy-childhood-vaccine-changes-blocked-judge/