Welch Leads Celebration of Senator Dick Durbin’s Dedication to Putting Working People Ahead of Powerful Interests
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch welcomed U.S. Senator Dick Durbin to a joint session of the House and Senate Wednesday, celebrating a career spent fighting for healthcare access, for new Americans, and for a justice system that works for everyone.
“Senator Dick Durbin’s service to Illinois leaves a legacy that stands alongside some of our finest statesmen. For more than 40 years, people have counted on Dick Durbin to be our leading voice in Washington,” Welch said. “Time and time again—whether working with President Obama to expand access to affordable healthcare, leading the fight for fair and representative courts on the Judiciary Committee, or working to build a smart, sustainable future for all—Senator Durbin has delivered. And one of the greatest testaments to his legacy is the work he has done to train and prepare generations of new leaders who are now tasked with building on his historic legacy of service, integrity, and compassion.”
Welch convened the joint session honoring Durbin, including an honorary resolution highlighting Durbin’s instrumental role in passing the Affordable Care Act, confirming Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first African-American woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, and his fight for immigration reform including a path to citizenship. Speaker Pro Tempore Kam Buckner and state Senator Mike Simmons, who began their careers working in Durbin’s Washington office, shared stories of Durbin’s mentorship and his years spent putting the needs of working people ahead of the interests of the wealthy and well connected.
“When I am asked after 44 years in Congress what I will miss the most, the answer is I will miss the opportunity to help as many people as I did as an elected official,” Durbin said. “I was deeply honored to address a Joint Session of the Illinois General Assembly—coming back to where my time in public service all began.”
As lawmakers enter the last days of the legislative session focused on finalizing a state budget that invests in the lifesaving services Donald Trump is trying to cut, Welch highlighted Durbin’s remarks as a reminder of the important work before House Democrats.
“The needs of working families are nowhere on this president’s agenda, but they’ve always been at the heart of Senator Durbin’s service,” Welch said. “As we build a budget that tackles the affordability crisis, invests in food security, and protects healthcare access for our most vulnerable, the words Senator Durbin shared and the example he has lived are a valuable reminder of why—now more than ever—this work is so vitally important for so many.”
