Title
Special recognition honoring United States Senator Richard J. “Dick” Durbin.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, Senator Richard J. “Dick” Durbin has devoted more than four decades to public service, representing the people of Illinois with distinction in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, having first been elected to Congress in 1982 and to the United States Senate in 1996; and
WHEREAS, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, Senator Durbin has called Illinois home for his entire life; is married to Loretta Schaeffer Durbin; has three children and six grandchildren; and has dedicated his life to serving the people of Illinois and the United States; and
WHEREAS, Senator Durbin is the longest-serving, popularly elected senator in Illinois history and has served as the State's senior Senator and Senate Democratic Whip since 1999, making him the longest-serving Whip of either political party in the history of the United States Senate; and
WHEREAS, throughout his distinguished career, Senator Durbin has championed legislation and initiatives that have strengthened the nation by expanding access to health care, advancing medical and scientific research, improving transportation infrastructure, protecting consumers, supporting veterans and military families, preserving the Great Lakes and the environment, promoting criminal justice reform, increasing college affordability, reducing tobacco use, and investing in communities throughout Illinois; and
WHEREAS, his legislative accomplishments are many, and include helping to establish the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, leading the enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act and the bipartisan First Step Act, creating protections for consumers through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, establishing a national caregiver support program for veterans, and securing the creation of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Senator Durbin played a key role in advancing major legislation through the Senate during his tenure as Democratic Whip, earning a reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective legislator, and as a staunch advocate for the people of Illinois, traveling extensively throughout the state and working to improve the lives of working families across the United States; and
WHEREAS, as Chair of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Durbin played a historic role in advancing the confirmation of 235 federal judges, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black female Supreme Court Justice; and
WHEREAS, Senator Durbin has been a steadfast partner in advancing Lake County’s transportation priorities, helping secure more than $145 million in state and federal grant funding for nine major Lake County Department of Transportation projects, improving safety and mobility through investments in roadways, intersections, railroad crossings, and traffic flow, including his instrumental support in securing an $18 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for the Cedar Lake Project; and
WHEREAS, through Senator Durbin’s efforts, the Lake County Health Department received over $87 million dollars in federal grants since 2016, allowing us to provide critical medical care, housing support, and behavioral health services for all Lake County residents, regardless of their ability to pay; and
WHEREAS, Senator Durbin has demonstrated an enduring commitment to environmental conservation and public open space by championing preservation of the former Fort Sheridan military base, leading to the establishment of the 317-acre Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, and by securing $11 million in federal funding for the Upper Des Plaines River Watershed ecosystem restoration project at Dutch Gap Forest Preserve, directly enhancing flood mitigation, restoring critical natural habitats, and improving quality of life for Lake County residents; and
WHEREAS, thanks to Senator Durbin, the Lake County Public Works Department was able to make significant improvements to the Des Plaines River Water Reclamation Facility, allowing the County to use fewer chemicals, improve efficiency, provide additional capacity and better maintenance and operation effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, Senator Dick Durbin has a long history of recruiting and supporting others to serve in public office, including United States Senator Tammy Duckworth and other political leaders across the nation, as well as encouraging public servants to run for higher office, including then United States Senator Barack Obama to run for President of the United States, creating a legacy of passionate and steadfast leaders devoted to public service; and
WHEREAS, Senator Durbin announced that he will retire at the conclusion of his current term in January 2027 after more than four decades of distinguished congressional service.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOGNIZED, that this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, and the people of Illinois are grateful for Senator Durbin’s integrity, leadership, and decades of dedicated public service; and
BE IT FURTHER RECOGNIZED, that the Lake County Board does hereby honor Senator Richard J. “Dick” Durbin for his extraordinary service to the State of Illinois and the nation and extends sincere gratitude and best wishes upon his retirement from the United States Senate.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on August 11, 2026.