Henry A. Wallace
vice president of the United States from 1941 to 1945
Dick Durbin is a long-serving US Senator from Illinois, having held the seat since 1997. He is currently the Senate Majority Whip and chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Durbin has played a key role in various political processes, including the recent Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court nomination hearings.
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About the Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph Durbinis an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin is in his fifth Senate term and has served as the Senate Democratic whip since 2005and as the Senate majority whip since 2021. He chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and led the Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court nomination hearings.
Durbin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. He graduated from the School of Foreign Service and the Georgetown University Law Center. Working in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s, he made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor of Illinois in 1978. He later maintained a private law practice and co-owned a pub in Springfield. Durbin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Springfield-based 20th congressional district.
After serving seven House terms, Durbin was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 and reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. He has served as the Senate Democratic whip since 2005–under Harry Reid until 2017, and under Chuck Schumer since 2017. During that time, he had two stints as Senate majority whip (from 2007 to 2015, and since 2021), and two as minority whip (from 2005 to 2007 and from 2015 to 2021). As of 2024, Durbin is the longest-serving Senate party whip in U.S. history. He is the dean of Illinois’s congressional delegation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dick Durbin is a member of the Democratic Party and has served as the senior United States senator from Illinois since 1997.
Dick Durbin has served as a US Senator from Illinois for over 25 years, having been first elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020.
Dick Durbin has served as the Senate Democratic Whip since 2005, which is the second-highest position in the Democratic leadership in the Senate. He has also served two stints as Senate Majority Whip, from 2007 to 2015 and since 2021.
Dick Durbin currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which plays a key role in the Supreme Court nomination process, as evidenced by his leadership of the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings.
Dick Durbin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Before becoming a US Senator, Dick Durbin worked in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s, made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor of Illinois in 1978, and maintained a private law practice and co-owned a pub in Springfield, Illinois.
Dick Durbin has served in Congress for over 40 years, first being elected to the US House of Representatives in 1982 and then being elected to the US Senate in 1996.
12 Quotes by Dick Durbin
- 1.
It is unacceptable that disabled veterans in Illinois rank at the bottom of the list when it comes to disability pay. We owe our disabled veterans more than speeches, parades and monuments.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 2.
It simply isn’t fair for senators to cut to the front of the line when seniors around the country have been forced to wait for hours to get a flu shot.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 3.
There is no room for legal hair-splitting when it comes to the humane treatment of detainees – not in a nation founded on the rule of law and respect for human rights.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 4.
If we do nothing, as the Republicans suggest, we’re going to see health care costs reach a point where small businesses can’t afford it and families can’t afford it. We’re going to see people turned down from pre-existing conditions. We’re going to find the Medicare doughnut hole – a gap in coverage that’s going to hurt a lot of seniors.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 5.
Unfortunately the Republican tax cut will deny important revenues to many states facing their own deficits. This will create greater pressure for higher state and local taxes.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 6.
These are men and women who are willing to risk their lives in defense of their country. And the fact that their orientation – sexual orientation’s been held against them is a blot on our nation’s reputation.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 7.
You know, the purpose of reconciliation is to avoid the filibuster. The filibuster is an effort to talk something to death.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 8.
We will have health care reform in America.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 9.
We all join the President in applauding the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform. But we must continue to provide them the tools they need to accomplish the difficult tasks they face.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 10.
Millions of Americans take vitamins safely every day, including me. Vitamins and mineral supplements taken in recommended doses are safe. It’s the designer supplements that are worrisome.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 11.
We can’t do much about ensuring that the homeland is safe if our local police and sheriffs’ departments don’t have the personnel they need to keep our streets and neighborhoods secure.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois
- 12.
Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois.
Dick DurbinUnited States Senator from Illinois