Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph "Dick" Durbinis the senior United States Senator from Illinois, in office since 1997. He has been the Assistant Minority Leader, the second highest position in the Democratic Party leadership in the Senate, since 2015...
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth21 November 1944
believe years issues
I have thought about this issue of abortion time and again. It is not an easy issue for most people.I came to believe over the years that a woman should be able to make this agonizing decision with her doctor and her family and her conscience, and that we should be very careful that we don't make that decision a crime except in the most extreme circumstances.
war issues president
There is also the issue of personal privacy when it comes the executive power. Throughout our nation's history, whether it was habeas corpus during the Civil War, Alien and Sedition Acts in World War I, or Japanese internment camps in World War II, presidents have gone too far.
thinking issues people
We are dealing with the question of the 11 million people paying their taxes, having a path to legalization and, then, ultimately, to citizenship - tough issues, but we are coming together and I think we can do it.
illinois issues use
Illinois Senator Paul Simon, once said "The test for a Supreme Court nominee is not where he stands on any one specific issue. The test is this: Will you use your power on the court to restrict freedom or expand it"?
heart issues justice
Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has been the critical decisive vote on many issues that go to the heart of who we are as a nation.
issues giving long
We have a long way to go, some tough issues ahead of us, and I'm sure there will be some obstacles in the path ... But the good faith effort that's being put into this absolutely is encouraging to me and gives me hope.
court forward goes issues justices sandra seen thomas time
If he issues rulings as Sandra Day O'Connor did, it will be no issue at all. But if he goes to the court and comes forward with rulings such as we've seen from Justices Scalia and Thomas time and again, it will be an issue.
consumers coverage families health losing millions necessary risk
it would have put millions of American consumers and families at risk of losing coverage for necessary health care.
mend patriot
We do not want to end the Patriot Act. We want to mend the Patriot Act.
create environment helped likely permissive
At the very least, Mr. Gonzales helped to create a permissive environment that made it more likely that abuses would take place.
hands opportunity
This opportunity is slipping through our hands like grains of sand.
basic candor looking time
There's more candor this time around, which helps, but I'm still looking at some of the basic questions,
largest level magnet talent
We are the largest magnet for this level of talent in the world.
against balance basic favor personal power privacy protecting scales tip
I worry... he will tip the balance of the scales of justice. He will tip the balance against protecting our basic privacy and personal freedoms. He will tip the balance in favor of presidential power even when it violates the law.