04.15.15

Durbin Honors President Abraham Lincoln On Senate Floor 150 Years After His Passing

[WASHINGTON. D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) honored the life and legacy of Illinois’ own President Abraham Lincoln during a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of the Ford’s Theatre assassination attempt and today marks his death thereafter. Durbin praised President Lincoln’s leadership throughout the Civil War and courage to tackle the divisive issues of his time.

“150 years ago today Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, was assassinated. We’ve learned a lot from his life, from his leadership, and we enjoy the blessings of liberty and our union today because that President, and the men and women who stood by him, saved the union,” Durbin said. “I reflect on this because I come from what’s known as Mr. Lincoln’s hometown of Springfield, Illinois. I’m not an expert on Lincoln, I’m just a fan as so many people are – not just in the United States but around the world. I hope we can remember him today and reflect on the need to extend an olive branch to our personal and political enemies to try to find a way to ‘eliminate an enemy by making a friend’, as Lincoln said.” 

Video of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.