“Having billions of dollars immediately available to plug budget holes without raising taxes is very appealing. And to the delight of Wall Street investors, state and local governments often fail to ask the important questions or consider the long-term impact.”

American politician and attorney

Dick Durbin is an American politician and attorney, serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois since 1997. A Democrat, he is known for his long Senate career and his leadership role in the chamber. Durbin is in his fifth Senate term and has served as Senate Democratic Whip since 2005, and as Senate minority whip since 2025. He is the longest-serving Democratic whip since the post was created in 1913.