US CONGRESS · SITTING

Richard J. Durbin

Senator for Illinois · Democratic · United States

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“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 ↗

The complete record

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“Mr. President, the Senator has left the floor, but to follow up on the comments of the Senator of North Carolina, I would just say that we should all be reminded of the fact that half of the people in America do not know that their futures lie in the Dow Jones average. They may not own stock or they may own it in a retirement account and not follow the stock market on a day-to-day basis. What they do worry about is whether or not they have enough money for groceries and gasoline for the car, to pay the rent or the mortgage, and perhaps to sock away a little money for the educations of their kids. Those are the fundamentals. I think many of them are concerned, as I am, that the volatility of our economy, at this point, does not point in the right direction.”
Senate8 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mrs. Duckworth) is necessarily absent.”
Senate8 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), are necessarily absent.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“At a time when the President and his administration are challenging the rule of law in our country as never before, Justice Jackson's presence on the highest Court in the land could not be more important. I am incredibly proud of all she has accomplished so far during her time on the Supreme Court. I know that Justice Jackson will continue to honor all those who came before her and sat on the bench. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“Justice Jackson issued a strong compelling dissent, and she wrote: [D]eeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. She continued: And having so detached itself from this country's actual past and present experiences, the Court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that . . . institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America's real-world problems. Mr. President, it is one of the great honors of my life to preside over the confirmation hearing of Justice Jackson during my time as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Justice Jackson's story is one of breaking barriers and paving the way for future women of color to follow in her footsteps.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“She has devoted her life to serving our country, and she has done so at every level of the Federal Judiciary. At every turn, she has upheld the Constitution and faithfully followed the rule of law. She is impartial, thoughtful, and even-handed, evaluating every case from, in her words, a ``neutral posture.'' Since her confirmation, Justice Jackson made her mark on the Court, establishing her status as a sharp and inquisitive questioner of the parties before her. And whether she authors majority opinions or dissents, she always demonstrates a brilliant legal mind. Just a year into her tenure on the Court, Justice Jackson's first major opinion reaffirmed that Medicaid patients unlawfully denied care or abused by healthcare providers can sue under section 1983.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“And more than 50 years later--50 years--we took another step forward by confirming Justice Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Court. I want to give credit where it is due. This was the initiative of President Joe Biden, who made it clear when he was elected President this was his highest priority when it came to the Supreme Court. President Biden kept his word. With Justice Jackson's confirmation to the highest Court in the land, we not only made history, but we also carried on the great American tradition, elevating our Nation's best and brightest legal minds to a sacred position of service, a seat she now occupies for life. There is no one more deserving of this high honor and profound responsibility than Justice Jackson. She is one of the best.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“It honored the struggles of the past and the men and women who fought for a future where skin color and gender are no longer a barrier to full participation in American society, voting, or seeking the highest positions in our government. America's history is defined by our enduring effort to bridge the gap between that ideal and our slow march toward progress. But with each generation, we edge closer to making that ideal a reality. In 1965, we ensured that the Federal Government could rigorously protect the right to vote--a right that protects all other rights, for that matter--with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Two years later, after passing that civil rights bill, we confirmed the first Black American to ever serve on the Supreme Court, Justice Thurgood Marshall.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, 3 years ago today, this Capitol served as the background for one of the most notable events in recent American history. On April 7, 2022, our country made a monumental stride forward. The Senate confirmed a once-in-a-generation legal talent, a jurist with outstanding credentials and invaluable lived experience, and the first-ever Black woman and former public defender to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Jackson's confirmation shattered the glass ceiling and paved the way for future women of color to follow in her footsteps. Her name will be remembered in history for generations to come. When the Supreme Court first met in the Capitol Building in February of 1801, there were a million slaves in this Nation of 5 million people--a million slaves in a nation of 5 million people.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate7 April 2025Source ↗
“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. 1294 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“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.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Donna Kelley Eastman believed that a wise and compassionate government could help people live better lives and that she had a personal responsibility to help make that happen. She loved being in her garden and orchard in the springtime and witnessing the promise of another new beginning. She loved her country and community and, most of all, her family. Loretta and I offer our deep condolences to Barry, Donna's beloved husband of 62 years; their children Teresa, Matthew, and Melanie; and their families, including Donna and Barry's six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; to Donna's sister Pam; and to her countless friends. We will all miss her. I couldn't have asked for a better ambassador. ____________________”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“She worked for Paul Simon for the 18 years he served in this body. And when he retired in 1996, it was my good luck that Donna agreed to join my staff. She ran my southern Illinois district office in Marion until she retired in 2008. Donna loved helping people and making their lives better, like so many of the dedicated Federal employees who are being fired illegally today. No case was too hard for Donna. She knew how to cut through redtape and how to calm people who were frustrated, frightened, or angry. She treated every person with dignity and respect. If you were lucky enough to meet Donna Eastman, you would not forget her. She was tall--5 feet, 11 inches--with a firm handshake, a warm smile, and an infectious laugh. She was quick-witted, caring, generous, and genuine.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“The first of these two Pauls was Senator Paul Douglas, the brilliant economist and World War II hero who served in this Senate--in the same seat I now hold--and gave me my start in government when he hired me as a college intern to work in his Washington, DC, office. The other Paul was Senator Paul Simon, my greatest political teacher and dear friend. When he retired, he encouraged me to run to succeed him in this body. Paul Simon was the most decent public servant I have ever known--a man of uncommon integrity, vision, and accomplishment who was gifted with a capacious intellectual curiosity. And he was helped by a staff of men and women who shared his compassion and tireless work habits. Donna Eastman was one of those helpers. She was also my friend. And I was sad to learn that she passed away this past Saturday.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, when people ask me to describe my politics, I sometimes say that I try my best to follow the Gospel of St. Paul. By that, I mean I try to follow the examples of two good and wise men who showed me that politics, at its best, can solve real problems and advance our common good.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I plead with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Please, there has got to be someone over there who will step up and have a McCain moment that will save healthcare for millions of Americans, and I am praying that it happens. I yield the floor.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“How did Sophia of Palatine afford the lifesaving care for her son? He was covered by Medicaid. She wrote to my office. She said: I don't want Medicaid. My son needs [Medicaid]. I could not be able to afford the thousands of dollars of medical care [to keep him alive without it]. Amber from Springfield, IL, told my office in no uncertain terms: You cut Medicaid, you endanger my sick child's life. That is what it is. It is a life and death issue. It is not how many dollars you have leftover when you file your taxes. It is a life and death issue that we are debating. I want to thank those who have spoken this evening already--Senator Schumer and Senator Merkley--for their leadership on this issue.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, I am going to close by saying that this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and I think a lot of other people too. They have gone through experiences much like my own. I know they realize that we have few moments of opportunity of service in the Senate to really make a difference in the lives of American families, to give hope to people who have given up because of a mother who is in a nursing home or because of a child with an illness. I received letters. Sophia, a single mom from Palatine, IL--17 years of age, she gave birth to a baby boy. Her son was born with many medical complications. He had to undergo two surgeries in his first day of life. Can you imagine? By the age of 4, he had undergone eight separate surgical procedures to address ongoing medical challenges.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“All of us want good health insurance, and to cut the programs for no reason other than to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people makes no sense whatsoever. It is not sensible. It is not thoughtful. It is not humane. That is what this debate is all about. Are we going to protect health insurance for Americans so that they have some peace of mind that they have access to good care, or are we going to cut them off, and tell them they are on their own, whether it is mental health counseling, addiction counseling, or the birth of a child, or basic healthcare? That is what is at stake here. That is what is at stake. So I would plead with my colleagues--and I know that it is unlikely. I have seen the votes. I know the party discipline. I have seen it on my side of the aisle. I am sure it is on the other side of the aisle.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“And then a few weeks after she was born, we learned she had a serious congenital heart defect. I was a law student. I didn't have much income, and I had no health insurance. So my wife and I took our baby girl over to Children's Hospital here in Washington, DC. We sit in the charity ward, and we waited until our name was called. And we saw a doctor who I prayed to God would be able to save our baby's life. I never felt more helpless in my life than I did at that moment, to have this little girl come into this world and her father couldn't provide health insurance. Luckily, she survived. Great people did great favors for our family that I will never forget. I have never forgotten when there is a health crisis or health issue that is debated on this floor.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Medicaid is the source of funding for that kind of counsel, and to cut back on that is to really sentence these people to a lifetime of fear and, sadly, cost many of their lives. In Illinois, 3.4 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, 1.5 million children. Under the Republican plans to slash Medicaid, 775,000 adults in Illinois who gained health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the same one that John McCain saved in the first Trump Presidency, would lose their coverage almost overnight. How would you like to be in a situation where you don't have health insurance at a critical moment? I know. I was there. I was a student at Georgetown Law School. I got married in my second year. God sent us a beautiful little baby girl right away. We were so happy.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Why in the world would it reach a point where we would cut that kind of coverage, that kind of protection, that peace of mind to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people? It makes no sense. Medicaid and the CHIP program cover nearly 40 million children, half of all the kids in America. Medicaid provides health coverage for 60 percent of seniors in nursing homes, the ones I mentioned earlier, and it is the largest funder of addiction and mental health treatment. I will tell you, I know the cases pretty well of people who are desperate for addiction treatment. They realize that they are addicted. They realize they have a problem, and they are anxious to get started and cleaning their lives up.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“And I asked the hospital administrator in Taylorville, which is about 30 miles from Springfield, to come and invite other hospital administrators from the area and tell me what the Medicaid cuts proposed by the Republicans to give tax breaks to the wealthy will mean to these hospitals. To a person, they said the same thing: They may survive, but it is a big question. And what difference will it make? Well, in some of these hospitals, it means that, instead of 30 minutes' drive to the hospital to deliver the baby, it will be an hour and 30 minutes. I can still remember our first babies in my family. The thought of being in the car for an hour and a half with my wife in labor would scare me to death. That would be the reality for people, and alternatives are just not available.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Take away that hospital, and it not only endangers the people living around it, it also means a lot of jobs are lost, too, and businesses that the people frequent often are going to be threatened as well. So why would we cut Medicaid reimbursement and close these downstate hospitals, giving a tax break to the wealthiest people in America? It makes no sense. Where are our priorities? Where is our humanity to even consider that? I don't understand on the other side of the aisle how Republican Senators--many of whom represent smalltown America, too, and really care in their hearts about it--can stand by and let this happen. The net result of this is going to be the quality of life threatened by the people who live in those areas. I want to tell you a story about a community I visited 2 weeks ago-- two communities. One was Taylorville, IL.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I have lived in and represented the smaller communities downstate in the rural areas. That is how I got to Congress in the first place, and that is how I stayed in the U.S. Senate. What are these cuts Republicans are proposing in Medicaid going to do to rural and downstate Illinois and other rural and downstate areas around the Nation? The reality is very clear: Fewer resources to hospitals in sparsely populated areas mean that many of those hospitals will not survive. Today, more than half of those hospitals are hanging by a thread, operating in the red. To cut Medicaid reimbursement to those hospitals is literally going to close their doors and turn out their lights. How important is a little hospital in a community downstate? It is the economic engine. It is the hub of life for the economy of that area.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“For goodness' sakes, Elon Musk does not need a tax cut. He is a multi-multibillionaire, the wealthiest man in the world. Why in the world would he cut back on any kind of healthcare for Americans to give a man in that station in life a tax break? That is what it is all about. But there is more to the story. I am honored to represent Illinois. I love the whole State. It is where I was born. And I am honored to represent the great city of Chicago. Oh, it is controversial. There are some people in downstate Illinois that say they ought to go off and be their own State, retire them. I am not one of those people. I am proud of the fact that Chicago is part of our State. But my roots are in downstate Illinois, born in St. Louis, raising my family in Springfield.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“It means less prenatal care; the likelihood, I am sorry to say, that kids, some, will be born with problems that could have been avoided and, more seriously, whether or not these children will even survive birth. That is what Medicaid is all about. We are talking about cutting health coverage for those in care facilities, as well as those in hospitals or giving birth. Why? Why would the Republicans even suggest that we cut this just like they did years ago when John McCain cast that deciding vote? Why under a Trump Presidency do they go after healthcare first? Why is that their target? They believe that the vulnerable people who receive this kind of healthcare assistance won't be able to fight back--and they are desperate to raise more revenue for what purpose? To give tax cuts to the wealthiest people in the America.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“And here we come this evening, the same day as this Dow Jones plunge of 4 percent, to discuss--what?--healthcare, again, under President Trump. And this time it is connected to retirement and savings and the future of a lot of families. Let me tell you a story about one. I am going to try to mask the details because I don't want anyone to reflect on the actual person. But he is a friend of mine, and he is a professional in Illinois, a wonderful guy, a community leader. And he had a beautiful family--he still does, for that matter--but his wife developed Alzheimer's. This lovely woman reached the point where she had to be put into a care facility to take care of her day-to-day. It breaks my heart to even think about it, but it was a fact. He didn't see it coming. There is no way he could have.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“The reaction of the stock market to the Trump tariff tax and the chaos that has been created since he announced we were going into a trade war with virtually every nation on Earth--they watched carefully as the stock market reacted to it today. The Dow Jones Average, which is supposed to be an indicator of the state of the economy, lost 4 percent of its value today. I don't know what that means for most people, but I know that most people watch it because it involves their own retirement plans: IRAs and 401(k)s and other plans that they have based on the value of stock. There has to be a sinking feeling--I am sure there is--in many households and families across America to see so much of the value that they have saved up for a lifetime disappear in one day reacting to the Trump tariff tax and what it meant across the country.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“The Republicans under President Trump, in his second term, want to perpetuate his tax cut that he gave primarily to the wealthiest people in America and add to it at the expense of healthcare for America. When we talk about healthcare in America, one of the programs that is so critical is called Medicaid. In days gone by, Medicaid was a rarely used health insurance plan for the poorest and disabled people in America, but it has changed. It has become much different. And let me tell you why that is an interesting context for where we stand now. Many Americans from coast to coast followed the stock market today.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“This was during Trump's first administration, and he had other priorities, and they certainly didn't include ObamaCare. He wanted to eliminate it. John McCain's courage came through that night. He broke with his party because he knew what was at stake. He knew that, for millions of Americans, there was no alternative when it came to health insurance--it was the Affordable Care Act or nothing--and he had the guts to vote no. Oh, he was pilloried and criticized by the Republican faithful from one end of the country to the other, but those of us who believe he did the right thing will never forget that moment of courage. In a strange way, today--Thursday, April 3, 2025--we are returning to that moment in history.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Donald Trump, President, in his first term, was asking John McCain to cast the deciding vote to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. Madam President, I sat here, and I watched as John McCain came in from that phone call. And no one knew what he was going to do. Really, no one knew. John was the kind of person, you could never quite be sure. And he walked in the well near the table where the Republicans gather for votes, and he stood there. And he barely raised his left arm-- because it was broken while he was a prisoner of war--just enough to get his thumb up and go ``no.'' No. That was it. John McCain, with that ``no'' vote, saved the Affordable Care Act, and millions of Americans' health insurance was protected.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“John McCain, an extraordinary man, served this country in ways that we could hardly ask anyone else to serve: a prisoner of war for over 5 years during Vietnam, came battling back, and was elected to the U.S. Senate from Arizona. And he was a real maverick. You never knew where John was going to end up, but you always wanted to end up with him, if you could, because it was always a spirited contest, and he usually won it. And this vote was dragged out for a long period of time--2:30 in the morning, for goodness' sake. And somebody said: John McCain is the last person to vote, but he has been called off the Senate floor to go into a room behind and take a telephone call from Donald Trump.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I was seated at this desk, and a historic vote was about to take place. The vote was whether or not we would keep the Affordable Care Act--or ObamaCare, as it was known then--extending health insurance to millions of Americans, some of whom had never had it. At the time, President Trump was in office, and he and the majority of the Republicans were determined to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, to eliminate the insurance that millions of American families depended on to protect their kids and themselves. It was the closest possible vote. In the end, at least three Republican Senators voted to save the Affordable Care Act, but the one key vote and the one I remember was John McCain's.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, this has been an amazing week in the U.S. Senate, and I have served here for over 25 years. Just 2 days ago, our colleague Cory Booker, from the State of New Jersey, ended a filibuster on the floor after 25 hours--broke the record, longest speech in the history of the Senate. And an impassioned speech it was. I was happy to be here for a major part of it. There was a big celebration on our side of the aisle. The Galleries were filled in a way I have never seen before, cheering Cory Booker for his achievement. It is a moment all of us who are lucky enough to serve in the Senate will remember the rest of our lives. But I remember another moment that affected more people than this miraculous feat by Cory Booker. It was July 28 of 2017. It was 2:30 in the morning.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth) and the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray) are necessarily absent.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“That burden of tariffs is carried by our companies and paid for by our consumers. Rest assured, the uncertainty and fear these tariffs will create will impact our Nation's workers and our economy. America knows the economy is going the wrong way under Donald Trump. They won't be fooled. Witness what happened in Wisconsin just a few days ago. Even Trump's Rasputin, Elon Musk, cannot buy his way out of this mess. In fact, the only thing these tariffs are liberating is money from the wallets of hard-working Americans into the bank accounts of billionaires. I yield the floor.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Who in the world ever dreamed that the last election was about whether we want a trade war with Canada? These tariffs are a tax hike on Americans and will cost businesses, consumers, farmers, and workers. If Trump were less focused on annexing Canada and Greenland and Panama--and God knows who else--and raising revenue to pay for billionaire tax cuts, he would clearly see that the American people ardently disagree with his so-called ``Liberation Day.'' In fact, a recent poll found that 60 percent of Americans oppose the tariffs, and that is before they actually kicked in. Look at the stock market today. How are you doing with that retirement account? Most Americans are not doing very well. While the President claims that foreign countries will pay the tariffs, Americans know better.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Americans are sick of paying too much for eggs and gas and for the everyday necessities they need to provide for their families, to commute to work, to pay the mortgage. Trump's tariffs--or what I call Trump's national sales tax--Trump's national sales tax will do exactly the opposite. The 10-percent tariffs the President announced will result in an increase of thousands of dollars in costs for the households of everyday Americans. Experts estimate that Trump's national sales tax--these tariffs--will cost the average family $100 a week. That is $5,000 annually. That is a lot of eggs. Trump is pushing our economy in the wrong direction. During a time when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, this trade war is senseless, frivolous, and dangerous to American families' budgets.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Tariffs Mr. President, on another topic of global importance, President Trump once again announced an escalation of trade wars with many of our closest allies and trade partners. He proclaimed it ``Liberation Day'' yesterday. ``Liberation Day'' is what he called it, but don't expect any ticker-tape parades or flag displays in the windows of American homes to celebrate this ``Liberation Day.'' The American public has been clear: They want to see prices come down, not go up.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“The same Witkoff groveled over Putin's obviously manipulative portrait gift to Trump, and he said those forced at gunpoint in occupied eastern Ukraine to vote in a sham referendum actually really wanted to be part of Russia. He is buying the Kremlin talking points and the long list in total. But as the President negotiates away Ukraine's freedom and America's credibility, Congress has an obligation and a constitutional responsibility to act. So I am glad this week that dozens of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle introduced legislation to make it clear to Russia that broad sanctions will be imposed if Russia does not negotiate in good faith and end this war soon. We owe Ukraine, and we certainly owe our own country nothing less.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Consider the last few months of negotiations between Trump and Putin that led almost nowhere and emboldened Russia. The supposed cease-fire was supposed to narrowly limit Russian attacks, and here we have them bombing hospitals. A supposed deal to stop fighting in the Black Sea was a giveaway to the Russians that undermined the Ukrainians. Or consider President Trump's special peace envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate tycoon from New York who is in competition with Neville Chamberlain for the world's most naive appeaser. Witkoff recently told another Putin apologist, Tucker Carlson, that he liked Putin and didn't regard him as a bad guy.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“His recent column's title tells the story: ``I Don't Believe a Single Word Trump and Putin Say About Ukraine.'' Washington Post columnist Max Boot wrote ``Putin is playing Trump and Witkoff like a Stradivarius,'' asking dismayingly what the rest of us are pondering as well: ``Does Trump seriously believe Putin is negotiating in good faith to end the war in Ukraine?'' Or listen to the senior Republican Senator from Kentucky. Here is what he said: Unless we change course, the outcome we're heading for today is one we can least afford: a headline that reads ``Russia wins, America loses''. . . . An illusory peace that shreds America's credibility, leaves Ukraine under threat, weakens our alliances, and emboldens our enemies. I agree.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“He has decimated low- cost soft power by gutting USAID and Voice of America, giving away our influence and leadership to China and Russia--a move the head of Russian state TV called--get this quote--``an awesome decision by Trump! We couldn't shut them down, unfortunately, but America did so itself.'' By turning our backs on the rest of the world, Donald Trump is undermining the promise of America as a beacon of democracy, freedom, and human rights. All the while, Russian President Putin is laughing at us, watching with glee as America destroys its own leadership and credibility--something he could only have dreamed of in his former KGB days. If you don't believe me, read New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, anyone here remember how Donald Trump promised to end Russia's war on Ukraine in 1 day if he was elected? That is right: 1 day. Well, we are 73 days into his term, with Russia still raining death and destruction upon the people of Ukraine. Instead of ending the war, Donald Trump has alienated and bullied our allies around the world--our allies. He insulted and blackmailed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who has led Ukrainians fighting bravely for more than 3 years, and 46,000 Ukrainians have died in defense of their country.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray) and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray) and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗
“And she has an extensive history of hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender Americans. It is the duty of the head of the Civil Rights Division to protect the civil rights of every American. I cannot and will not support a nominee whose record suggests she is more likely to attack civil rights than defend them. And it is the Solicitor General's duty to represent the U.S. Government before the Supreme Court. I do not believe Mr. Sauer will put the American people's interests above President Trump's. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing these nominees.”
Senate3 April 2025Source ↗

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