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.
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.
asked basic compass declined judge life moral questions roberts whenever
Whenever we asked Judge Roberts basic questions about his moral compass and his life experience, he declined to answer.
across army army-and-navy assistance country cutting direct dramatic government helping hurricane money outpouring red salvation second support talking tape victims whether
Whether we're talking about Red Cross, or Second Harvest, Salvation Army or other groups, this is direct assistance right to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We need to do our part at the government level, but this dramatic outpouring of support across the country to the Red Cross and other agencies, is money well spent. It's money that really is effectively cutting across a lot of red tape and helping people,
rights judging would-be
Judge Samuel Alito, millions of Americans are concerned about your nomination. They're worried that you would be a judicial activist who would restrict our rights and freedoms.
years people birth-control
Hard to imagine 40 years ago people could be convicted of a crime, fined, sent to prison for using the most common forms of birth control.
government names doctors
We see it in attempts on Capitol Hill to impose gag rules on rules on doctors on what they can say to their patients about family planning. And we certainly see it now with an effort by the government to tap our phones; invade our medical records, credit information, library records and the most sensitive personal information in the name of national security.
believe government abortion
As a government lawyer, Samuel Alito wrote that he personally believe very strongly the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion.
taken rights president
In going too far, they [presidents] have taken away the individual rights of American citizens.
rights speaks-out court-judges
We want to make certain that every American who stood in silent tribute to Rosa Parks hopes that the Sepreme Court Judge will break silence and speak out clearly for the civil rights that define our unity as a nation.
judging march well-known
The courage of federal Judge Frank Johnson is well-known.He was the one that gave the legal authority for the right to march from Selma to Montgomery, and he suffered dearly for it. He was ostracized and rejected. His life was threatened as a result of it.