Dick Durbin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Durbin
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Senate Minority Whip | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Leader | Chuck Schumer |
| Preceded by | John Thune |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 20, 2021 |
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| Leader | Harry Reid Chuck Schumer |
| Preceded by | John Cornyn |
| Succeeded by | John Thune |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Leader | Harry Reid |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Trent Lott |
| Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Lindsey Graham |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Leader | Chuck Schumer |
| Preceded by | John Thune |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Leader | Harry Reid |
| Preceded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Succeeded by | John Cornyn |
| Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Lindsey Graham |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Grassley |
| United States Senator from |
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| Assumed office January 3, 1997 Serving with Tammy Duckworth
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| Preceded by | Paul Simon |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 20th district |
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| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Findley |
| Succeeded by | John Shimkus |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Joseph Durbin
November 21, 1944 East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Loretta Schaefer
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Georgetown University (BS, JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944), often called Dick Durbin, is an American lawyer and politician. He has been a United States senator for Illinois since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Senator Durbin is currently in his fifth term in the Senate. Since 2005, he has served as the Senate Democratic Whip. This is the second-highest leadership role for Democrats in the Senate. Since January 2025, he has been the Senate Minority Whip. He is the longest-serving Democratic whip since this position was created in 1913. From 2021 to 2025, Durbin led the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also oversaw the hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson to become a Supreme Court Justice.
Durbin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. He studied at Georgetown University and its law school. In the 1970s, he worked as a state legal advisor. He also had his own law practice and co-owned a pub. In 1982, Durbin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Illinois's 20th congressional district.
After serving seven terms in the House, Durbin was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. He was reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. He has been the Senate Democratic whip since 2005. He worked under Harry Reid until 2017 and then under Chuck Schumer. During this time, he was the Senate majority whip from 2007 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2025. He was the minority whip from 2005 to 2007, 2015 to 2021, and since 2025. As of 2024, Durbin is the longest-serving Senate party whip in U.S. history. He is also the most senior member of Illinois's group of lawmakers in Congress. On April 23, 2025, he announced he would not run for reelection in 2026.
Early Life and Education
Dick Durbin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. His father was Irish-American, and his mother was born in Lithuania. He finished high school in East St. Louis in 1962. During high school, he worked at a meatpacking plant.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1966. While in college, Durbin worked as an intern for Senator Paul Douglas. He also helped with Douglas's reelection campaign in 1966. Durbin started using the nickname "Dick" after Senator Douglas mistakenly called him that.
Durbin earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1969. He then started a law practice in Springfield. He was a legal advisor for Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon from 1969 to 1972. After that, he was a legal advisor for the Illinois State Senate Judiciary Committee until 1982. From 1976 to 1981, he co-owned a pub, which he said taught him a lot about running a business.
In 1978, he ran for lieutenant governor but was not successful. He also worked as a professor teaching medical law for five years.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
In 1982, Durbin won the Democratic nomination for the Illinois's 20th congressional district. This district included Macon and most of Springfield. He won by a small number of votes against Paul Findley, who had been in office for 22 years. The district lines had been changed, adding more Democratic voters. Durbin's campaign focused on unemployment and financial problems for farmers. He said that electing him would send a message to Washington that economic policies were not working.
Durbin was reelected six times. He usually won easily, getting more than 55% of the votes in every election except in 1994.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
In 1996, Durbin became the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. He ran to replace the retiring Senator Paul Simon, who was a long-time friend. Durbin won the general election by a large margin. He was reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020, winning each time by at least 10 points.
Senate Committee Roles
As of 2025, Senator Durbin serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Committee on Appropriations
- Committee on the Judiciary (where he is the Ranking Member, meaning the top Democrat)
Leadership Roles
In November 1998, Durbin was appointed Assistant Democratic Whip. After the 2004 election, he became the Democratic Whip for the 109th Congress. He was the first senator from Illinois to be a Senate Whip since the 1950s.
Durbin served as assistant minority leader from 2005 to 2007. When Democrats became the majority party in the Senate, he became the assistant majority leader, also known as the majority whip. In 2021, Durbin became Senate Majority Whip again for the 117th Congress. He also became the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This was the first time a whip from either party also chaired this committee.
In 2025, Durbin supported a Republican budget plan, which was a different move from his party's usual stance.
Key Political Views
Durbin is known for his liberal political views. In 2006, he was rated as one of the most liberal U.S. senators.
Social Issues
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Criminal Justice Reform
In 2017, Durbin helped introduce the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act. This law aimed to ban the shackling of pregnant women in prison. It also sought to improve visitation policies for parents and provide health products like tampons.
In 2018, Durbin voted for the First Step Act. This law aimed to reduce the number of people returning to prison. It did this by expanding job training and early-release programs.
Gun Control
Durbin strongly supports gun control. He has received low grades from gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association of America. He supports a national ban on assault weapons.
After mass shootings, Durbin has often called for stronger gun control laws. He believes Congress must act to prevent more deaths from gun violence. In 2019, he helped introduce a bill to require background checks for all firearm sales and transfers.
Immigration
Durbin is a strong supporter of the DREAM Act. This bill would allow certain students who came to the U.S. as children without legal permission to gain permanent residency. To qualify, they must have arrived as children, graduated from a U.S. high school, lived in the country for at least five years, pass a background check, and complete two years of college or military service.
In 2013, Durbin was part of the "Gang of Eight" senators. This bipartisan group worked on ideas for a complete immigration reform plan.
In 2018, Durbin asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to avoid detaining pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. In 2018, he also said that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen should resign over the family separation policy at the border.
Tobacco Regulation
In 1987, Durbin introduced a bill to ban smoking on airline flights of two hours or less. This bill became law in 1988. In 1989, smoking was banned on all domestic airline flights.
In 1994, Durbin proposed that schools receiving federal money for drug prevention must teach students about the dangers of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. He also wanted schools to teach students how to resist peer pressure to smoke.
In 2008, Durbin called for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee the tobacco industry. This would require companies to share what's in their products and restrict advertising. Durbin's father died of lung cancer, which influenced his strong stance against tobacco.
Freedom of Expression
In 2010, Durbin supported the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act. This bill aimed to fight media piracy by blacklisting websites. However, some people worried it might limit First Amendment rights and lead to censorship.
Economic Issues
Child Care Support
In 2019, Durbin and other senators introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act. This bill aimed to create many new child care jobs. It would also ensure that families with lower incomes would not pay for child care. The bill also supported access to high-quality preschool for young children.
2008 Financial Crisis
In 2008, Durbin attended a meeting with government leaders about the financial crisis. He was urged to create laws to help banks in trouble.
In 2009, Durbin introduced a bill to cap annual interest rates at 36%. This was meant to stop unfair lending practices. He also stated that banks were responsible for the 2008 financial crisis.
Trade Policies
In 2005, Durbin changed his long-held position on sugar tariffs and price supports. He now supports ending these programs.
In 2006, Durbin worked to keep a tariff on imported ethanol. He argued that domestic ethanol production was enough and expanding.
Environmental Protection
Durbin supports environmental protection, especially for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Environmental groups like the League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club have given him high ratings for his work.
Transportation
Durbin has been a strong supporter of funding and improving Amtrak train services.
Foreign and Military Policy
China
In 2017, Durbin and other senators wrote to President Trump. They asked him to discuss the issue of government-subsidized Chinese steel. They noted that this steel was being sold in the American market below cost, harming the U.S. steel industry.
Darfur
Durbin has been very active in addressing the genocide in Darfur. In 2005, he co-sponsored a bill that would deny visas to those responsible for the genocide. He has supported all laws related to Darfur.
Myanmar
In 2017, Durbin spoke out against the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. He called for a stronger response to this crisis.
Guantanamo Bay
In 2005, Durbin made comments comparing the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to actions by "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime." He later apologized to the military for his words, saying they were "a very poor choice of words."
Guantanamo Interrogation Criticism
On June 14, 2005, Durbin read a report from an FBI agent in the Senate. The report described harsh interrogation techniques used at Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay. These included chaining detainees in uncomfortable positions, extreme temperatures, and loud music. Durbin said that if he hadn't told people it was about American actions, they would think it was done by terrible regimes like the Nazis.
His comments caused a lot of criticism. Some accused him of insulting the United States. Durbin initially did not apologize, but on June 21, 2005, he said that sometimes "words fail us."
Iraq War
In 2002, Durbin was one of the few senators who read a classified report about Iraq's weapons programs. He then announced he would vote against the resolution to authorize war on Iraq. On October 11, 2002, Durbin was one of 23 senators who voted against the resolution to go to war in Iraq.
In 2007, Durbin said that as an intelligence committee member, he knew in 2002 that the Bush Administration was misleading Americans about the war. However, he could not reveal this due to secrecy rules.
Russia
In 2018, Durbin led a resolution warning President Trump not to let the Russian government question U.S. diplomats. The resolution passed with a 98-0 vote.
Saudi Arabia
In 2019, Durbin and other senators signed a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia. They asked for the release of human rights activists and writers who had been detained.
Israel-Palestine
In 2019, Durbin supported a Senate resolution that backed a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. He also opposed a proposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank. In November 2023, Durbin was the first U.S. senator to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
In March 2024, Durbin urged the Biden administration to recognize a "nonmilitarized" Palestinian state after the war in Gaza ended. In April 2025, Durbin voted for resolutions to cancel the sale of bombs and other weapons to Israel.
Drone Warfare
In 2013, Durbin led a hearing about the use of drones for targeted killings. He said that the U.S. needed to carefully consider the benefits and costs of such actions.
Personal Life
Family Life
Dick Durbin and his wife Loretta have three children: Christine, Jennifer, and Paul. Sadly, Christine passed away in 2008 at age 40 due to a heart condition.
As of 2023, Durbin's net worth was reported to be $10 million. In June 2024, he had hip replacement surgery.
Conflict of Interest Concerns
Durbin's wife worked as a lobbyist. In 2014, it was reported that some of her clients received federal funding that Durbin had supported. For example, her lobbying firm received a contract with a housing group around the time Durbin helped that organization get federal money. The Durbins have stated they try to avoid conflicts of interest.
Religious Views
Durbin is a Roman Catholic.
Film and Television Appearances
| Film | |||
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Pricele$$ | Himself | Documentary |
| 2015 | The Gettysburg Address | Himself | Documentary |
| 2022 | Loan Wolves | Himself | Documentary |
Images for kids
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Dick Durbin's signature
See also
In Spanish: Richard Durbin para niños
