Jun 20, 2023Sponsored
Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023
Summary not yet generated.
DemocratIllinois · U.S. Senator
Richard
Durbin
U.S. Senator for Illinois
In office
29 yrsSince Jan 1997
Next election
2027Re-elected 2021
Age
81Born Nov 21, 1944
Party
Democrat
What they stand for
Durbin has spent years focused on a few core fights. Each is tied to bills actually introduced or votes actually cast.
- 01Criminal sentencing and pretrial detention reformDurbin has sponsored the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026 (S.3959), which has been reintroduced across ten Congresses, and the Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2026 (S.3960), aimed at modifying how pretrial detention is applied in federal drug cases. He also sponsored the REMEDY Act (S.2620), which has been introduced in prior Congresses as well.
- 02Environmental regulation and climate fundingDurbin sponsored the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026 (S.4153), addressing federal oversight of PFAS substances, and the America's Clean Future Fund Act (S.2712), which would establish a dedicated funding mechanism for climate-related federal investments. He also sponsored the REDUCE Act (S.3192), introduced in the current Congress.
- 03Consumer financial protections and credit rate limitsDurbin sponsored the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2025 (S.2781), which would place a ceiling on interest rates charged to consumers. He also sponsored the American Business for American Companies Act of 2026 (S.3811), reintroduced across four Congresses, addressing corporate financial practices.
- 04Health care access, rural hospitals, and public healthDurbin sponsored the Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2025 (S.502), reintroduced across seven Congresses, which addresses financial pressures on rural hospitals. He also sponsored the Promoting Dental Health Act (S.4008), which concerns dental health coverage or access, and the Caring for All Families Act (S.437), reintroduced across ten Congresses.
- 05Student, youth, and servicemember support programsDurbin sponsored the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act of 2025 (S.3253), targeting student loan costs for military servicemembers, and the Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2025 (S.299), a reintroduced measure focused on mentoring programs. He also sponsored the enacted Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 (S.2051) and the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2025 (S.2889).
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01 · Background
Who they are, where they came from
Richard J. Durbin is an attorney and politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since January 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin is in his fifth Senate term. Since 2005 he has served as the Senate Democratic Whip, and since 2025 as the Senate minority whip — the longest-serving Democratic whip since the position was established in 1913. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2021 to 2025 and led the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during that period. In his legislative work, Durbin has sponsored enacted legislation including the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 (S.2051) and the SIREN Reauthorization Act (S.265). He has also introduced bills addressing criminal justice sentencing (S.3959), pretrial detention practices for drug charges (S.3960), rural hospital access (S.502), student loan costs for servicemembers (S.3253), consumer credit rate limits (S.2781), environmental regulation of PFAS chemicals (S.4153), climate funding (S.2712), corporate crime accountability (S.4104), and restrictions on firearms transfers to cartels (S.367), among others.
02 · Recent significant work
What they’ve done lately
Feb 2, 2023Sponsored
SIREN Reauthorization Act
Summary not yet generated.
Mar 26, 2026Sponsored
Protect Your Points Act of 2026
Summary not yet generated.
Mar 19, 2026Sponsored
Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026
Summary not yet generated.
Mar 16, 2026Sponsored
Corporate Crime Database Act of 2026
Summary not yet generated.
03 · Money
Where the campaign funds come from
Durbin raised $79,858 in the cycle, with 40.1% from individuals and 8.8% from PACs; 47.9% arrived via other receipts. The largest PAC entry is Durbin Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, at $35,243; additional named PAC contributors include Brinker International Inc PAC ($5,000), National Association of Realtors PAC ($3,000), and The NEA Fund for Children & Public Education ($2,000). Itemized contributions account for 66.7% of individual giving. Outside spending in the cycle totaled $710,112 opposing Durbin — led by Americas PAC ($366,260), Our America Fund ($287,852), and Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund ($56,000) — against $22,680 in supporting expenditures, also from Americas PAC, all separate from contributions to his own campaign.
Total raised · 2026
$80K
Cash on hand
$976K
Spent
$778K
By source
- Individuals$32K · 40.1%
- PACs$7K · 8.8%
- Other$38K · 47.9%
Individual donor mix
Small-donor share (under $200)33.3%
Top PAC contributors
Outside spending · 2014
Supporting Durbin
- AMERICAS PACFEC ↗$23K
Independent expenditures from super PACs and other groups, separate from contributions to the candidate’s own campaign. These committees may not coordinate with the campaign.
Every claim on this page links to a public source. We don’t tell you whether Richard Durbin is a good or bad senator— that’s your call. We just make the facts easy to find.