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Showing 562 posts from Richard J. Durbin.
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- RD
The Trump Admin purged DOJ & FBI of qualified employees because they worked on investigations into the President. The Department is now warning that DOJ is critically understaffed while we are engaged in a conflict with Iran. The President’s revenge campaign is making you less safe.
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- RD
The Department of Justice exists to bring safety and peace to America. But the President has used it to wage a campaign of retribution. The next Attorney General must restore the Department to its original mission.
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- RD
Unions are the bedrock of the American Dream. A union job in a meat packing plant put me through college. It was hard work, but it taught me lessons I would never forget. Six decades later, I am honored to receive a lifetime membership card from the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 881.
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- RD
O’Hare is the nation’s busiest airport, and it should have the resources and federal support that matches its status. Yesterday, I joined @duckworth.senate.gov to speak with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford about how FAA can invest in O’Hare to ensure it remains in a league of its own.
- RD
I asked GAO to investigate FDA and DOJ’s progress in combatting illegal & addictive vapes. The conclusion is troubling. Insufficient coordination, a lack of enforcement, and diversion of resources to mass deportations. More must be done to protect our children from the grips of big tobacco.
link:https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/10/illegal-vapes-gao-report-shows-insufficient-enforcement-fda/?utm_campaign=twitter_organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
- RD
Someone is dying in ICE custody every week. Republicans want to use the reconciliation process to give ICE a blank check. I say: Let’s negotiate basic reforms instead.
- RD
Congratulations to the Hungarian people on a smooth election process. The United States welcomes a closer relationship with our NATO ally and Hungary’s new government in standing up to Putin and helping Ukraine.
- RD
President Trump’s 2027 budget includes cuts to energy assistance, cancer research, and infrastructure to help pay for more funding for ICE and his mass deportation agenda. The President’s animus toward immigrants will mean less assistance for the Americans who need it most.
- RD
The United States is $39 trillion in debt. Yet President Trump plans the largest increase in defense spending since the Korean War, adding another $6.9 trillion over the next 10 years, including funding for his dubious war with Iran.
- RD
NIH research has supported nearly every new drug in the past decade, but President Trump wants to cut its budget by $5 billion next year. The President’s cuts will take cures away from patients and hope away from families.
- RD
Justice Department attorneys aren’t Donald Trump’s personal attorneys. They’re OUR attorneys. And they work for our country—not just him.
- RD
This is a power grab by a weaponized Trump Justice Department. State bar associations investigate ethical misconduct of all barred attorneys. The Trump DOJ can’t be trusted to investigate DOJ attorneys. State bars should continue to independently investigate.
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- RD
President Trump’s proposed budget is a perfect encapsulation of his priorities. Cuts to programs that help Americans afford their groceries, energy bills, & rent. More funding for his war with Iran and mass deportations. This budget puts the President’s ego first and Americans last.
- RD
Trump’s profane Easter diatribe was an embarrassment to our nation and to the troops he is charged with leading. Is there one Republican Senator who will call this indecent display out?
- RD
It has been more than one week since Senate Democrats convinced our Republican colleagues to join us to pass a bill that would fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard. But House Republicans continue to block this bill.
- RD
Wishing a happy Easter to families in Illinois, and those celebrating around the world. May your day be filled with joy and love.
- RD
Best of luck to the Fighting Illini as they take on UConn tonight to make it to the NCAA Championship Game. Illinois is rooting for you!
- RD
ICE put in a request for local police to hold this refugee and keep him from his family beyond his release date. But no one at DHS took responsibility or provided him with even a basic level of compassion. Deaths like these are the tragic results of this Administration’s cruelty.
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- RD
Congratulations to NASA on the successful launch of Artemis II returning America to the Moon. Illinois is home to manufacturers and universities that are proud contributors to many NASA missions, including Artemis.
- RD
Yesterday, Congressional Republicans announced that they finally agreed to stop obstructing a bill that would end the TSA & FEMA shutdown. But today, House Republicans chose NOT to pass the bill they JUST agreed on. Because of their chaos government employees will continue to miss their paychecks.
- RD
President Trump’s tariff taxes have hurt American farmers, businesses, and families. On the one-year anniversary of the President’s so-called “Liberation Day,” it is clear that the President’s tariffs have accomplished nothing but create hardships for working families.
- RD
Read my statement on the President firing Attorney General Bondi.
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- RD
One year ago today, the President announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs to restore domestic manufacturing & lower prices. One year later, manufacturing jobs are down by 98,000 & consumers have paid $1,000 more on their purchases because of Trump’s tariffs. His policy has been a complete failure.
- RD
The data is clear. The majority of people detained during ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ had no criminal history. The Trump Administration’s mass deportation operations terrorized our city, separated families, and endangered U.S. citizens—all to detain and deport mostly nonviolent immigrants.
link:https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/31/operation-midway-blitz-in-charts-roughly-3800-detained-and-2500-deported-most-with-no-criminal-record/?utm_campaign=mrf-twitter-chicagotribune&mrfcid=2026033169cbcc274b4c066046a9c1be
- RD
President Trump’s address tonight does not change reality. The Iranian regime is still intact, and it maintains the power to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and skyrocket oil and gas prices. The President’s war with Iran is NOT what Americans voted for.
- RD
Chag Pesach Sameach! Tonight, Jewish families across the world will begin to gather for the Passover Seder to tell the story of liberation and pray for a peaceful future.
- RD
Cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid wasn’t enough for Congressional Republicans. Now they’re considering cutting your health care to fund President Trump’s war with Iran. Americans are paying the price for this Administration’s erratic foreign policy.
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- RD
April is National Social Security Month. Created to lift America out of the Great Depression, Social Security remains a bedrock promise of retirement. It is our foundational responsibility to ensure that Americans can continue to rely on the earned benefit of Social Security for generations to come.
- RD
Today’s Supreme Court case is personal. I am the son of an immigrant, and the children of Dreamers and immigrants make this country great. Protect birthright citizenship.
- RD
Congress made its argument to the Supreme Court. Birthright citizenship is the law of the land. SCOTUS must rule accordingly.
- RD
At the root of our nursing shortage is too few faculty. I secured funding to help McKendree University launch a program to train nursing educators. This spring, the first class of master-level nurses will graduate. Yesterday, we celebrated this progress in supporting our rural nursing workforce.
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- RD
Tens of thousands of cases, including investigations into drug trafficking, white-collar crime, and terrorism have been dropped by the Trump Administration to make way for its mass deportation campaign. Americans are less safe because of the President’s anti-immigrant agenda.
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- RD
It’s outrageous: the U.S. and New Zealand are the only two developed nations that allow drug ads on TV. I joined Senator Marshall to urge FDA to review certain drug ads before they are aired so patients are not misled by the flood of deceptive telehealth & Big Pharma commercials.
- RD
People are dying in ICE custody. 14 people died this year. 30+ died last year. ICE needs serious reforms.
- RD
Today, gas prices hit $4 a gallon, the highest price in nearly four years. President Trump’s war with Iran is costing Americans at home, & endangering our service members abroad. Yet Congressional Republicans want to give this Admin a blank check for a war that seems to have no end strategy.
- RD
I joined @duckworth.senate.gov to demand answers for why President Trump pulled America into a war with Iran, while at the same time easing sanctions on the very same adversary and Russia. This conflict is costing Americans money and service members their lives. We need answers now.
- RD
I joined Senator Blackburn to reintroduce our bipartisan Rural America Health Corps Act. This bill would provide new funding and support for rural communities so we can attract & retain doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, & behavioral health specialists in every corner of our state.
- RD
Read my statement on the Senate passage of legislation to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the exception of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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- RD
The price of coffee, ground beef, and so many other groceries is through the roof because of Trump’s tariff tax. His economic policies are creating hardship and stress for millions of Americans.
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- RD
Today, I met with Putnam & Clark County EMS chiefs Jackson and Bramlett to discuss how Congress can champion the work done by ambulance crews. I passed the SIREN Act in 2018 to fund equipment & recruitment for rural EMS agencies. I’m glad these grants are helping first responders answer the call.
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- RD
Today, I spoke with Victor Peng, Interim CEO of PsiQuantum, about how the federal government can be a champion for quantum technology. Illinois is leading the charge when it comes to quantum computing, and it’s critical that we continue to invest in R&D to keep the momentum up.
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- RD
Today, I met with Illinois State University President Dr. Aondover Tarhule to discuss ISU’s growth of STEM majors. Supporting STEM is one of the best investments we can make in our future, and I am committed to helping universities like ISU remain at the forefront of research and workforce training.
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- RD
Pleased to see that the House Health Subcommittee is holding a hearing on my Prohibiting Tianeptine & Other Dangerous Products Act, which would protect consumers from dangerous ingredients in supplements. As the House considers this legislation, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.
- RD
Kash Patel could never be the qualified, diligent, and stable FBI Director that Robert Mueller was. I won’t let Director Mueller’s memory be tainted by a vengeful President and his loyalist lackey.
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- RD
Georgia-Pacific is trying to use bankruptcy maneuvers to evade accountability. Its asbestos-containing products hurt thousands of victims. The Supreme Court must reject this ploy, or it could become a playbook for corporate scheming.
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- RD
Millions of Americans, including myself, participate in airline rewards programs. But these programs need oversight. I introduced the Protect Your Points Act to ensure that these programs remain transparent & that airlines cannot take advantage of customers through bait and switch tactics.
- RD
You know that Spring has sprung when the Cubs return! Happy opening day to the Chicago Cubs, and best of luck in the season ahead. #Gocubsgo!
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- RD
I met with leadership from the Morton Arboretum, located in DuPage County, to discuss how we can protect their 1,700 acres of forest and greenspace. We must preserve America’s forests so they may continue to play an essential role in both the environment and recreation for generations to come.
- RD
Congress isn’t doing much legislating these days. Protecting kids from the dangers of social media is popular and bipartisan. Just a suggestion for the Republican leaders.
- RD
These back-to-back decisions in New Mexico and California show that Big Tech has become Big Tobacco. Now, it’s time for Congress to sunset Section 230 once and for all.
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