Dick Durbin is the senior United States Senator from Illinois, having served in the Senate since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, he was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1944 and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Before his election to the Senate, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for ten years representing the Springfield area. He was elected Senate Democratic Whip in 2004 and held that position for nearly two decades, making him one of the longest-serving members of the Senate Democratic leadership in history.
Durbin chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been a central figure in Senate deliberations on immigration, criminal justice, and judicial nominations. He is the author of the DREAM Act and has been one of Congress's most persistent advocates for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. His long tenure and leadership experience have made him one of the most influential Democratic senators, known for his skills as a floor manager and dealmaker across a wide range of legislation.
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Commodities, Derivatives, Risk Management, and Trade
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety
- Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Department of Defense
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on the Judiciary — Ranking Member
- Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism — Ranking Member
- SRES. 748: A resolution condemning the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service settlement agreement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, under which $1,776,000,000 in taxpayer money may be used to financially benefit individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers on January 6, 2021, and President Trump, his family, and his political allies. — Introduced
- S. 4608: A bill to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for any violation of Federal law, and for other purposes. — Introduced
- S. 4566: A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require coverage under State plans under the Medicaid program for annual lung cancer screening with no cost sharing for individuals for whom screening is recommended by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, to expand coverage under Medicaid of counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use, and for other purposes. — Introduced
- S. 4541: A bill to ensure that significantly more students graduate college with the international knowledge and experience essential for success in today's global economy through the establishment of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program in the Department of State. — Introduced
- SRES. 728: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Jimmy Lai, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Ekpar Asat detained by the People's Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jingping. — Introduced