Richard J. Durbin
Senator for Illinois · Democratic · United States
“But the fact of the matter is, there is scarcely a peep when Senator Curtis, a Republican Member of the Senate, made what is a perfectly reasonable suggestion--that Congress look into any possibility of corruption and self-dealing when a member of the President's family receives such a lavish gift from a Russian oligarch.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
“He proceeded to also tell how he had turned down many opportunities for payment, salaries, fees, rewards that were available to former Presidents even in the early 1950s.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
“Democrats fought for pocket rescission protection in the continuing resolution we passed earlier this year to prevent the White House from doing exactly what they have done. Not surprisingly, Republicans in the Senate and the House refused to stand for the law for fear that they would anger their President.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
“Still, Republicans on the committee have made no effort to obtain a copy of volume 2 of Jack Smith's report, which details the findings from the criminal investigation into President Trump's alleged mishandling of classified materials. You remember the classified information that was found near the bathroom in Mar-a-Lago? I remember it.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
“Think about that for a second. Here are this President and his family, who are making billions of dollars--if you include the family-- from investments that directly relate to his office.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, before I start my remarks this afternoon, I would like to make note of two interesting events this weekend. I was asked to speak at a dinner in St. Louis right across the river from my hometown of East St. Louis, and it was known as a Harry Truman dinner.”
Senate28 September 2026Source ↗
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“In fact, two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said they want in writing, from Todd Blanche, a promise that he would never create this fund to reward cop beaters and demonstrators in the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It went forward in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the negotiations between two Republican Senators and Todd Blanche continued until the beginning of this week when it was announced they had reached an agreement. Sadly, that agreement--the so-called agreement not to create the Anti-Weaponization Fund--is written in a way it wouldn't pass law school Contracts 101. There is no signature on any of these pages of promises when it comes to future activity. They say: We are rescinding the previous order, but there is nothing to stop a new order from taking place.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“We are giving money to people who were convicted of a crime of attacking the Capitol, disrupting the business of the Senate, injuring 149 Capitol policemen? We are going to give them not only a pardon, but some sort of financial compensation? That was the plan: The Anti-Weaponization Fund. And who was the person who executed that plan? Todd Blanche, the person who is seeking to become the next full-time Attorney General of the United States. The controversy involving that particular proposal is well-known. Not only was there a bad reaction among Democrats to this idea but many Republicans as well. Some of them kept their opposition behind closed doors. I understand. But others were very vocal about it.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“President Trump believes--and Todd Blanche believed at one point--that the people who attacked the Capitol, the people who breached the Capitol, who crashed through the doors, broke down the windows, threatened individuals inside, should receive financial compensation for doing it. Financial compensation. And you say to yourself: They got a full, unconditional pardon by President Trump. Now they want money too? And the answer is not only yes, but, unfortunately, they have done it with some pride. The Trump administration proposed an Anti-Weaponization Fund. And just to give it a cute little twist, they appropriated $1,776 billion for that purpose. Well, it didn't go over very well with Congress because as we read this decree by the Trump administration, people said: Wait a minute.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“I don't know whether he did or not. But that is the sort of thing that went on for 4 or 5 hours while an effort was made to mobilize police and state troopers and others to reclaim the Capitol Building from the demonstrators. The reason I bring up this event years later is because there is an important issue to be voted on this week by the U.S. Senate, and that is the choice of the next Attorney General of the United States. The Acting Attorney General is Todd Blanche, who was President Trump's personal lawyer when he was charged with crimes and who has been Deputy Attorney General for months now. He is seeking a full-time position. One of the items of controversy is pretty easy to explain.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“And with the power under the Constitution to pardon those who committed crime, on his first day in office in his second term, President Trump gave a full and unconditional pardon to every one of the convicted demonstrators who stormed this building. If you remember the scenes afterwards, it wasn't just an orderly procession of people visiting this building. They crashed through doors. They broke windows. They did their darndest to cause as much damage as possible. C-SPAN, which televises what happened here, kept the cameras running, and we were able to see them scramble into the Senate Chamber, pose for pictures sitting in the chair of the Presiding Officer, and riffle through our desks. I watched as some person--I still don't know who it was--went through my desk to look and see if there were some things that he could take that day.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“President, 10 minutes later, the Capitol Police came and said: Disregard that earlier alert, leave in an orderly fashion, file through those doors, and follow us to a safe location. So we abandoned the Senate Chamber and the Capitol and left to go to a building nearby and wait out this ordeal, which was going on in the Senate. What happened you can witness yourself on videotape. It is all there. About 150 of our Capitol Police were assaulted by these demonstrators-- some seriously injured, others pushed to the brink psychologically, which led to their deaths a day or two later. It was a horrible scene. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that we were able to return to the Senate to complete our business with the electoral vote.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Vice President Pence was presiding, and I noticed something curious: Those doors opened and members of the Secret Service came in and grabbed--literately grabbed-- the Vice President to pull him out of that chair; took him out that door. And here we sat with no announcement, nothing, but we knew something was going on outside with this rally that had been directed up this way. In a few minutes, a representative of the Capitol Police spoke to us in the Chamber and said: Stay calm. Stay where you are. We are going to make the Senate Chamber a safe place for you to stay no matter what happens in the rest of the building. So some of us relaxed in our chairs and looked around and waited for the next development. The next development took about 10 minutes. Mr.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“To those who are here today witnessing this session and visiting the Capitol, you are lucky. You are protected by one of the best security forces, police forces, in the Nation, the Capitol Hill Police. Most Americans don't know much about them. Those of us who serve in Congress know a lot about them. These are men and women who keep you safe and me safe in the Capitol Building and make sure that the visitors have peace of mind when they come and go. We want to maintain the availability of this building to visitors from certainly the United States, but from all around the world. And these men and women--some in uniform, some in ordinary dress--make sure that happens. Well, on January 6, 2021, there was a special emphasis on security.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I am nearing the end of my Senate term, and I am reflecting on some historic events which I have witnessed at this table, at this desk. One of the most historic I remember--and specifically the date--January 6, 2021. The reason why that day was important was that the votes all across America had been counted to see who was elected President in the 2020 election, and the process involved certification by the House and the Senate of the electoral votes that were to be counted. In the past, it has been almost a pro forma event, hardly noticed by anyone. But on January 6, 2021, it was much different--much different. The Presiding Officer of the Senate for that electoral vote count is the Vice President of the United States; in this case, it was Vice President Pence. There was more security than usual in the Capitol Building.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“I am still not giving up completely. Miracles do occur. But I had to step up and make a proposal with Senator Cassidy to get my colleagues into conversation. The conversation about Social Security has increased dramatically since we started this effort, and I think it should. The sooner, the better. The more expensive it becomes the longer we wait. I yield back to Senator Cassidy.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“The solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it. Too many people are counting on it. I bet you the folks who gathered here today have many relatives of their own who count on Social Security--either because they are disabled or elderly. I understand that in my own family. I think everybody does. So it is a great day in the Senate when a Democrat and a Republican stand on the floor and don't criticize one another but actually talk about working together. It has been a real pleasure for me, I would say to Senator Cassidy, to be part of the Cassidy-Durbin team. We are both ending our Senate careers on January 3 of next year. We hoped that this would be one of the things we could achieve before we left.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“We still need 60 votes to ultimately pass any change to Social Security. Well, Democrats don't have 60 votes; Republicans don't have 60 votes; but together, we think we can reach that goal. Now, I have been a little disappointed, but not surprised, that some of my colleagues that I have talked to about this said they thought it was a good idea, but on reflection they have decided it is too risky, that we are moving things too fast. The Senate has never been accused successfully of moving too fast on almost anything. We take our time. That is why we are here. The Senate is different than the House, and I served in both and respect both. So to my colleagues who oppose this approach and say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy. It costs money over time. It costs benefits over time.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“I might add--I was going to show it, but I think it violates the Senate rules. The Senate is a Chamber of tradition. Down here, a few of you can see it, is a brass spittoon--a brass spittoon. It has been held onto as part of the tradition of the Senate. Well, we have traditions in the rules that make things almost impossible to pass except after a long period of time. Weeks go by sometimes; days certainly go by, trying to get from a measure on the floor to an actual vote. The Senate rules are not kindly. They are tough. So the bill that I introduced basically cuts through some of this redtape and delay and says we will move after several weeks to consider alternatives to Social Security. The bottom line is: It isn't enough to get a majority in the Senate under the current rules, and it isn't changed at all under our proposal.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“And you know what we got for it: 2032--1983 to 2032, we kept our word--50 years. It is not too much to ask this Congress to fix Social Security and keep it solvent for 50 years. We can do it. And the longer we wait to do it, the more difficult it becomes. I look back on voting for that, and I thought it was the end of my political career, which was only a few months old, but it turned out no Member of Congress--Democrat or Republican--in 1983 and 1984 lost an election because they voted for Social Security changes. The American people expect us to make the best choices we can, and they accepted what we did. We bought 50 years of solvency--that is an amazing thing when you consider how important this program is. And so what Senator Cassidy and I have suggested is a process which basically says we won't go by the old Senate rules.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“I have seen some glorious things happen in this Chamber on a bipartisan basis, but it takes a couple Senators, maybe more, to stand up and say: We have got to do something that is risky and controversial but important. This is not the first time I have faced Social Security. When I was a Member of the House elected in 1982, came to serve in 1983, I was told that in a matter of months Social Security would run out of money. Imagine that. You are a brandnew Member of Congress scared to death you won't be reelected, and they tell you, you have got to make a big change in the biggest social program in America. It scares you to death. But you know what? We did it. Our goal was simple: 50 years of solvency in Social Security. Can we change Social Security and guarantee 50 years of solvency? We made a lot of changes.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“And the bill that I have introduced with Senator Cassidy basically doesn't pick a solution--although we can come up with a couple. It doesn't pick a solution. It just says: Don't waste any time. Start talking about it; start debating it; let the American people engage in this conversation with you; and vote on some alternatives. Now ``vote'' is a word that used to be part of being a Senator. Not so much anymore. Except when it comes to nominations, there aren't a lot of votes on substantive issues around this Chamber. I know a little bit about this. I have given more than half of my life to Congress: 14 years in the House, 30 years in the Senate. I know what you are saying: It sounds like a career politician. Well, maybe I am--and proud of it and particularly proud of serving in this Chamber.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“What a treat it is to be on the floor of the Senate with a colleague from the Republican side of the aisle working together-- together--to try to solve the problem. It doesn't happen much around here. You see these empty desks? They are empty almost all the days, week in, week out, month in, month out. We do important things like nominations. There is nothing that is trivial about that. But we don't tackle the issues that really affect people at home with their families. Here is one: Social Security. Mr. President, 75 million Americans rely on it. Half of them, it is their only source of income, so a Social Security check means a lot. So the experts on Social Security tell Dr. Cassidy and myself that just in a few years--6 years--Social Security will be unable to make full promised payments.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Senate Democrats will keep fighting to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible for all, including farmers, rural communities, and working families across Illinois and America. I yield the floor.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Instead of building grand ballrooms in the White House, outfitting new aircraft as Air Force One, and starting an unnecessary war with Iran, the President should be focused on what matters most to Americans: bringing down the cost of living. We should immediately restore the enhanced premium tax credits that made coverage affordable and protect Medicaid and the rural hospitals that communities depend on. We should also be working together to lower healthcare costs, not forcing farm families and other families like Ben's to shoulder thousands more in costs each year. Ben told me: Something has to change. He is right. In less than 100 days, he will have his chance to speak as an American about the future and whether we can put up with what we have seen so far.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Rural hospitals are the academic engines of many rural communities-- the biggest employer, one of the most important businesses in town. They operate on razor-thin margins and serve the largest share of patients who are uninsured or covered through public programs. As more people lose coverage, rural hospitals and clinics face even greater pressure to cut services. I have seen it happen in downstate Illinois. Hospitals in some of the larger towns have announced that they are no longer going to provide OB/GYN services, as an example. For a farmer who may already live miles from the nearest hospital, losing that local hospital or local clinic or maternity ward or emergency department can literally be a matter of life or death.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Yet, instead of lowering these costs, President Trump and congressional Republicans have spent the past year making the problem much worse. They allowed the ACA's enhanced premium tax credits to expire, despite repeated warnings about what it meant for families. And they slashed $1 trillion from the program called Medicaid. That is a program which is critically important. Think about this for a moment: Every other birth in my State of Illinois is paid for by Medicaid. Seventy percent of the men and women who are in nursing homes in my State are covered by Medicaid. And now the Republicans have proposed slashing $1 trillion from Medicaid in their so-called Big Beautiful Bill despite pleas from rural hospitals and others that these cuts could be devastating.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“They moved to one of the cheapest plans available, which still carries a $7,200 deductible. It is not just the Steffens in Nebraska. I heard directly from farmers in Illinois, who report the same or similar health insurance price hikes. Ben is a farmer from McLean County. He is self-employed. He buys health insurance for himself and his family and their daughter. He told me his family is healthy but their health insurance now costs $1,458 each month. That is nearly $17,500 annually just in premiums. Ben told me: Health care is drowning me. He went on: That's crushing me. Something has to change. Think about it: A farmer working to support his family and feed this country is paying almost $17,500 a year just to keep his family insured.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“These credits helped working families afford coverage, especially people that do not get health insurance through their employer, including small business owners, independent contractors, and farmers. The average monthly premium for people buying coverage on the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace increased 58 percent this year alone, and many Americans have been forced to switch to plans with higher deductibles just to keep their monthly premium within reach. Others have dropped health insurance altogether. ACA enrollment in my State dropped by 15 percent because premium costs pushed my constituents out. For farmers, this healthcare affordability crisis is particularly painful. Farming is not a 9-to-5 job with a benefits package. Many farmers are self-employed.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“These are the real health crises of the day--all entirely of this administration's own making. But my Republican Senate colleagues have chosen to ignore real life-and-death issues to relitigate COVID conspiracy theories--not in an effort to find out what might have gone wrong or how to prepare for the next pandemic, instead, to try and tear down a man who has devoted his entire life to lifting others up. Dr. Fauci deserves an apology for the way he was treated by my colleagues, and the American people deserve better than the pitiful display we saw in the Senate last Wednesday.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Measle cases are at a 35-year high in the United States of America. Whooping cough has resurged. Our response to the hantavirus and cyclospora outbreaks has been abysmal. And hundreds of thousands of people have died due to the administration's vaccine skepticism and public health cuts. If my Republican colleagues want to hold hearings, perhaps they should hold one on the impact of President Trump's cuts to NIH research funding, which has slowed research into heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's; or they can investigate how the FDA has lost 20 percent of its staff under this administration, deeply damaging food safety efforts. If they were truly concerned for America's health, they would hold hearings on the fact that ACA premiums are doubling for many families across the United States because of the Republicans' Big Beautiful Bill.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Fauci is an example of American excellence, a brilliant scientific mind, and yet the Republican Party has chosen to make this doctor who has saved countless lives a political target. Last week, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subpoenaed Dr. Fauci, in front of the Congress, for a hearing with the express goal of humiliating and vilifying him. For nearly 3 hours, my Republican colleagues berated, cursed, and insulted a man who has dedicated his life to protecting the health of American families. This behavior is below the dignity of the Senate. Put simply, it was an embarrassment. If my colleagues had genuine concern for America's public health, they would turn their attention instead to the destruction wrought by this administration's anti-science agenda. Listen to this rollcall.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“He has advised seven Presidents, of both parties, and seen our Nation through countless public health crises-- from SARS to avian flu, swine flu, Zika, Ebola, and on and on. Aside from his work against COVID-19, Dr. Fauci may be best known for his work on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Fauci's tireless efforts on HIV/AIDS, both domestically and worldwide, through the creation of PEPFAR--the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief--is the main reason why this horrible disease is no longer a death sentence. In recognition of his achievement, Dr. Fauci was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008, our Nation's highest civilian honor, by then-President George W. Bush. Dr.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Sabin came up with a form that didn't require a needle. By 1979, polio was eradicated in America. A disease that would strike fear in the hearts of everyone was a distant memory. I think there is a special place in history reserved for researchers and scientists like Dr. Salk and Dr. Sabin, who devoted their lives to saving others--people like Norman Borlaug, Edward Jenner, Madame Marie Curie, and Albert Calmette. There is another person whose name could be on that list as well-- someone who has saved millions of lives, both in America and around the world, through his lifetime of public service. His name: Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Fauci worked for the National Institutes of Health for 54 years, 38 of which he served as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, when I think about the issue of public health, I remember a time in my childhood when one of my friends didn't show up for school. I asked people: Where did she go? They shook their heads and said: Polio. When she finally returned, she couldn't walk without heavy leg braces. I will never forget the agony I saw in her eyes. Sadly, in my childhood, that story was common. For decades, a kid could go to school healthy and be paralyzed before the end of the day. But suddenly--suddenly--it all changed. Dr. Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine. Dr.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“They argue that the surrogacy agreement amounts to slavery and violated the 13th Amendment, a preposterous argument. Voiding and criminalizing surrogacy agreements with nationals from certain countries looks like the first step in a broader troubling plan to restrict surrogacy. Countless couples, families, and individuals facing fertility challenges rely on access to surrogacy and other reproductive services to have children. Most people seeking surrogacy in the United States are Americans. Some are foreign nationals who reside in the United States; others are foreigners who are turning to surrogacy in the United States because of limited access in their home countries. I support thoughtful efforts to ensure that access to surrogacy in the United States is not exploited by those seeking to abuse our laws.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Supreme Court decision holding birthright citizenship as the law of the land, this bill reads like the latest MAGA conspiracy attempt to achieve what they were unable to achieve in the Supreme Court--ending birthright citizenship. State lawmakers from Florida and Texas are using similar legislation to chip away at access to reproductive rights. There was a controversy, and you may remember it, as to whether or not in vitro fertilization is consistent with MAGA principles. They ultimately announced that it was, that IVF was fine, but that just shows you that they have run into a number of cases already where the principles do not bear out the reality of life in America. Some are pushing to ban surrogacy altogether. The case I gave you is a good illustration in my mind of why we shouldn't do that.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“This bill is not only grounded in an objection to birthright citizenship but in some sort of a weird, unusual, national security theory that goes behind this. For the record, the Supreme Court has decided on birthright citizenship. And for the record, the 14th Amendment is as clear as can be: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States. The Supreme Court did not take long to agree with that, and I think that is part of the objection that is behind this amendment--the objection to that Supreme Court decision. Instead of targeting bad actors, this bill would restrict who can access or enter into surrogacy contracts based solely on the nationality of the parties involved.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“If you want to introduce a bill to deal with trafficking or exploitation of children or others, count me in, but this bill goes so much further. The Senator from Florida pointed out at one point a horrifying story of more than 20 children birthed by surrogate mothers. In one case, they were found abused and neglected in a home outside of Los Angeles. I am not in favor of those abuses. I join him in stopping human trafficking. But this bill would not stop child abuse or trafficking. It would not prevent espionage by foreign adversaries. This bill will do nothing to prevent the situation that I just described in Los Angeles. Instead of targeting bad actors, this bill would restrict who can access or enter into surrogacy contracts based solely on the nationality of the parties involved.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“But there are actually--we have had hearings in the Judiciary Committee--there are actually Republicans who believe--listen to this; it sounds preposterous--they believe there is some kind of effort in a nation like China to have babies born in the United States and then bring them back to China and prepare them to come back to the United States someday to undermine our government or something. We have had hearings on that. When you ask them ``How can you prove what you just said?'' they have no evidence. But it is a conspiracy theory, and it is part of the calculation behind this amendment. This bill is purportedly about protecting our national security from foreign adversaries and protecting children from exploitation and trafficking.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“They agreed. She went forward with it. And wouldn't you know, shortly afterward, the IVF worked for the original mother, and she became pregnant as well. So sisters were pregnant by the same father and mother in this situation. It was an act of kindness and courage on the part of her sister to help them out. If you saw them in the park today with their little boy and little girl, you wouldn't pick them out of a crowd, but through IVF and through surrogacy, they have a family that they dreamed of. I think that is the right thing to do--legally and morally the right thing to do. Surrogacy has its place. It is an exceptional procedure. When there are 5- or 6,000 a year in America, it is certainly not one that really can be argued is part of any large conspiracy.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“How many gestational surrogacy births in the United States are there each year? I would ask the Senator from Florida. He may know, but I will tell him. It is somewhere between 5- and 6,000. It is a fraction of a percentage. Now, involved in this debate is the belief by some that we should allow no surrogacy. I am not one of those people. Let me tell you a story of a family I know. Husband--father and mother decided they wanted to have a family. They went to great lengths through IVF so that she could become pregnant. It was a tragedy to them personally when they lost the baby late in the pregnancy. She was crushed. Her sister, who is a medical doctor, said: It appears you have some problems with delivering a child. Let me suggest to you that if you go through IVF, I will be the surrogate mother and carry the baby for you and your husband.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“But I want to put this in perspective, if I can, for a moment. At issue here is the issue of surrogacy. How do I explain that in a few words as a layman? It is basically a person who says: This may not be a fertilized fetus that I have been responsible for creating, but I am willing to allow my body to have this fetus during the gestational period until its birth. That is the surrogacy involved in it. Let's put this into perspective for a moment, if we can. How many live births are there in the United States each year? There are 3.6 million. First, let's go in vitro fertilization because that is part of this conversation too. How many in vitro fertilization births are there out of the 3.6 million births in this country? There were 100,000--2.6 percent--in 2023 that were in vitro fertilization Surrogacy.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I have been in the House and the Senate for quite a while. I have written a lot of bills and amendments. I have read even more. I am absolutely confounded by the language of this proposal, S. 3101, by my friend and colleague from Florida. There are so many issues bouncing around in this proposal of a serious nature that we would be foolish to do this by voice vote here immediately in the Senate. This deserves a real hearing, a real investigation, because it involves a lot of elements that affect many people personally, many families personally. We are talking about reproductive rights. We are talking about personal freedom. I don't have a medical license. Some of my colleagues like to practice medicine on the floor of the Senate. I tend to listen to the experts on the subject.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“And last year, he dismantled DOJ's crypto enforcement team and shut down ongoing investigations of the crypto industry, an industry that has made President Trump more than $1 billion since returning to the White House. Blanche himself held crypto assets worth more than $150,000 at the time--and when he finally did divest himself of these assets, he did so by transferring them to his adult children and grandchild. It is hard to believe how Blanche could possibly be an honest broker as Attorney General, especially when he refuses to even admit that the Department of Justice should decide who to prosecute without political interference from the President. During his nomination hearing, one of my Republican colleagues asked Blanche if he and President Trump are friends.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“When I met with Blanche earlier this month, he told me he recognized this decision for what it was: a ``mistake.'' But when I asked him under oath, Blanche insisted that he never made this statement, displaying either a short memory or a dangerous willingness to lie for President Trump. When pressed during his hearing, Blanche even refused to directly condemn those who assaulted law enforcement officers on January 6 and would not commit to permanently ending this slush fund. Blanche has done more than just support the President's allies; he has also used his position to directly enrich the President himself. Earlier this year, Blanche personally signed a document to provide President Trump, his family, and his businesses with immunity for any past Federal tax law violations.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“In fact, both of Clayton's predecessors, Pulte and former DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who took the unprecedented step of meddling in a domestic law enforcement action on election interference, laid bare just how important it is to separate politics from the work of the IC. I voted no on Jay Clayton's nomination to be DNI. Despite this, I hope Mr. Clayton will show fidelity to the rule of law and be an independent voice to safeguard our IC. His track record does not inspire confidence, but time will tell. Todd Blanche Mr. President, tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a key vote on Todd Blanche's nomination to be Attorney General. The Attorney General oversees the Department of Justice--our Nation's premier law enforcement agency--as well as the FBI, DEA, and many other essential Agencies.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Why? Because these people are loyal to the President above all. And that has been his guiding light when picking nominees for appointments. Most importantly, Clayton lacks the basic qualifications necessary for the job of overseeing and coordinating our Nation's 18 intelligence agencies. By law, the Director of National Intelligence is required to have ``extensive national security expertise.'' Not only does he lack extensive national security expertise, he lacks any. The Trump administration has already spent the past 18 months politicizing and denigrating our intelligence community.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Earlier this month, in a clear threat to freedom of the press, the Trump administration issued subpoenas targeting several journalists for the New York Times who reported on security concerns related to the President's brand-new, Qatari-donated Air Force One. Who issued the subpoenas? None other than Jay Clayton in his capacity as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. After sharp questioning by a Federal judge, prosecutors withdrew the demands. And 2 weeks ago, while appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his nomination, Clayton refused--time and time again--to say who won the 2020 Presidential election. We have seen this play out in the Judiciary Committee as the President's nominees for the Federal bench bend over backwards to avoid stating a simple fact: that Joe Biden won in 2020. And Donald Trump lost.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“It is not too much to ask, and to deport them into this dangerous situation is not consistent with the basic values of America. Confirmation of Walter Clayton Mr. President, on a separate subject, yesterday the Senate voted to confirm Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence. He replaces Acting DNI Bill Pulte, a Trump loyalist who purged career intelligence employees and who launched investigations into the President's political enemies as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Similarly, anyone hoping Clayton will show loyalty to the Constitution over the President who appointed him is sorely mistaken. Much like his predecessor, Jay Clayton has peddled the Big Lie and worked to do the President's bidding, using the levers of government to target Trump's perceived enemies. Don't believe me? I will show you.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗