“If we do nothing, as the Republicans suggest, we're going to see health care costs reach a point where small businesses can't afford it and families can't afford it. We're going to see people turned down from pre-existing conditions. We're going to find the Medicare doughnut hole - a gap in coverage that's going to hurt a lot of seniors.”

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.