U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin spoke on May 20 against actions by the Trump Administration that he said would restrict Americans’ voting rights, as well as the recent Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which held that Louisiana’s congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Durbin said these issues are important because they concern fundamental democratic rights and protections for all citizens. He began his remarks by recalling his experiences during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, saying, “The issue is our right to vote in this democracy and in this country. For many of us, that’s never been a big question. We registered. We vote regularly… get our ballots, do our civic responsibility, push the ballot into the machine in my hometown, and get a little sticker to wear on your lapel that says, ‘I voted.’ It’s simple. It’s easy. But I can remember when voting was not so easy for a lot of people.”
Durbin described how Republicans’ SAVE America Act would make it harder for Americans to vote by requiring proof of citizenship beyond common forms of identification such as driver’s licenses or government-issued IDs including REAL ID cards. He cited research showing more than 21 million eligible voters lack documents readily available to prove their citizenship.
He also referenced a Bipartisan Policy Center analysis of data from the Heritage Foundation finding only 77 instances where noncitizens successfully cast ballots between 1999 and 2023.
“Today, the right to vote is under attack,” Durbin said. “In this country, we are witnessing a brand of politics we have never seen before.” He continued by criticizing partisan gerrymandering and what he called unreasonable voter registration requirements: “All Americans need to have a fair say in who represents them… We’re now witnessing a never-before-seen political pressure campaign to rig our elections by enabling politicians to choose voters—not the other way around.”
Addressing the Supreme Court ruling in Callais, Durbin said its conservative majority has further weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act: “The impact is already being felt… Across the South… you see decisions being made to eliminate African American representatives from congressional districts.” He quoted Justice Kagan’s dissent: “the Voting Rights Act was ‘born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers.’ We cannot allow that blood to have been spilled in vain.” Durbin called on Republicans to support legislation updating safeguards for voting rights.
He concluded with concerns about broader efforts across states: “Attacks on voting rights aren’t happening in a vacuum… Purging voter rolls, closing polling places, restricting mail-in voting… serves one purpose—to limit access to the ballot box.”
Durbin has served Illinois residents through work with federal agencies and health programs; participated in Senate committees focused on judiciary matters; supported community immigration processes; represented Illinois while convening bipartisan delegations; advocated for health initiatives such as childhood asthma programs; and held leadership roles including Senate Democratic Whip—all according to the official website.
