NIH needs a Director who will fight back against President Trump’s misguided and dangerous proposals that threaten to delay new cures and treatments. I do not believe Dr. Bhattacharya is that person.
Congress Member Profile|U.S. Senator|Democrat|Illinois
Richard J. Durbin
Source: Wikipedia • View full (CC BY-SA)
SoupScoreanalysis-first civic rating · view full breakdown
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Voting Record — 789
Yes34%
No63%
Present0%
Not Voting3%
Party align93%
Cross-party6%
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District Map
Senate District (Statewide)
U.S. Census Bureau boundary data.
Social & Web
External Resources
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. SenatorDemocratIllinois
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Richard J.'s ATmosphere Activity
20 recent posts · 127 sponsored · 341 cosponsored
Recent ATmosphere posts, sponsorships, and cosponsorships.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have imposed devastating cuts to NIH research funding for cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infectious diseases.
Today, I voted against President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. 🧵
Air traffic controllers do critical work to ensure we take off and arrive safely at our destinations.
I met with Illinois-based air traffic controllers and Toby Hauck, President of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center, to discuss how the federal government can better support them.
On #EqualPayDay we’re reminded of the millions of women across the country who are being paid less than men for the same job. This wage gap is even worse for women of color and disabled women.
Women deserve equal pay and economic security. We must close the wage gap.
This is just SOME of the hypocrisy coming from the Trump Administration.
President Trump’s targets have included the press, universities, and law firms.
These attacks have a chilling effect on free speech.
I just met with John Eisenberg, President Trump’s pick to be the Assistant Attorney General overseeing national security.
The American people are demanding a Justice Department that puts the Constitution before any president.
They must be able to say “no” to any unlawful directives.
Senior Trump Administration officials in charge of handling our country’s deepest secrets disclosed classified war plans over unsecured text messages. This is outrageous & dangerous to our national security.
There must be accountability for this grave mistake.
The Trump Administration is taking the wrong approach to keeping violent criminals off our streets.
Pardoning the January 6th rioters makes us less safe.
DOGE and DHS are illegally requesting sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS.
This violates privacy laws and harms people who follow federal tax laws. That’s why I joined a letter with my colleagues to demand answers.
Five-year-olds shouldn’t be forced to navigate our immigration system alone… which is why the law says unaccompanied migrant children should be given a lawyer to greatest extent possible.
The Trump Administration is leaving at least 26,000 kids to fend for themselves.
I’m receiving devastating reports from immigration advocates.
The Trump Administration is canceling contracts for legal representation for unaccompanied children… leaving 26,000 kids on their own to navigate the immigration system.
This isn’t what our country stands for.
For years, Big Pharma has manipulated the patent system to keep prices sky high. Today, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. Tillis to address abuses in pharmaceutical patents and help lower Rx drug prices by improving coordination between USPTO and FDA.
Rain, sleet, snow, wind—or a regular Chicago March day—doesn’t stop letter carriers from doing their jobs delivering mail, prescriptions, and small business products across the country. Letter carriers deserve our thanks and support, not attacks from Trump, Musk, and DeJoy.
As the world continues to plunge into a climate crisis, President Trump has rolled back programs and funding that protect our homes and communities.
The Administration’s actions will leave Americans more vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Trump’s formula for American greatness: Eliminate federal aid to schools and cut medical research. What a fool.
President Trump’s dangerous demagoguery knows no bounds. Shredding the Department of Education, a federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation, is depraved and deeply damaging to the future of this country.
My thoughts on President Trump's Executive Order to demolish the U.S. Department of Education. 🧵
SoupScore Breakdown
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Voting History789 total votesExpandCollapse
Voting History
789 total votes
Recent roll calls with party-majority context so it is easier to scan how this member tends to vote.
| Date | Bill | Question | Position | Party Maj | Align? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-02 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (49-45) |
| 2025-08-02 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (49-44) |
| 2025-08-02 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-45) |
| 2025-08-02 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (53-44) |
| 2025-08-02 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-41) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (50-45) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (51-43) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (51-44) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Amendment Agreed to (81-15) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Final passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Bill Passed (87-9, 3/5 majority required) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Amendment Agreed to (87-9, 3/5 majority required) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | NO | NO | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (21-75) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | NO | NO | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (15-81) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | NO | NO | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (14-81) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (45-50) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (42-53) |
| 2025-08-01 | H.R. 3944 (119th) | Vote on amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Amendment Rejected (44-51) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Points of Order Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 3114) | YES | YES | ✓ | Motion Rejected (44-51, 3/5 majority required) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-45) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (54-43) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (52-44) |
| 2025-08-01 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-41) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-45) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-45) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-44) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (52-45) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (53-44) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-44) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (53-45) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | Confirm nominee | YES | NO | ✕↔ | Nomination Confirmed (59-39) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (52-45) |
| 2025-07-31 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-41) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-44) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | End debate | YES | NO | ✕↔ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (59-38) |
| 2025-07-30 | S.J. Res. 34 (119th) | Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 34 | YES | YES | ✓ | Motion to Discharge Rejected (24-73) |
| 2025-07-30 | S.J. Res. 41 (119th) | Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 41 | YES | YES | ✓ | Motion to Discharge Rejected (27-70) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-44) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (52-44) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-44) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (53-45) |
| 2025-07-30 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-47) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (50-49) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (54-44) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (53-45) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (51-47) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (52-47) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (51-47) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-47) |
| 2025-07-29 | — | Confirm nominee | NO | NO | ✓ | Nomination Confirmed (50-47) |
| 2025-07-28 | — | End debate | NO | NO | ✓ | Cloture Motion Agreed to (50-45) |
Alignment stats consider only votes where a clear yes/no majority existed for the legislator's party. Cross-party marks divergence where the vote matched the opposite party majority. ↔ indicates cross-party divergence.