“We borrow 40 cents out of every dollar that we spend. We borrow most of it from countries like China. They have become major creditors of the United States and have more power over our economy than we want them to. So dealing with this is not only the right thing economically, it's certainly right from a moral viewpoint.”

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.