Durbin Statement on President Biden's State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address:
“With President Biden at the helm, we have seen tremendous progress in our country. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is building new infrastructure and pushing our transportation industry forward. Belvidere, Illinois, has its Stellantis operation up and running again and is awaiting a new battery plant because of the deal struck by UAW President Shawn Fain with the support of the White House. The PACT Act, championed by Congressional Democrats, will help our nation’s veterans lead healthier lives.
“But there’s still work to be done. Reproductive freedom and voting rights are under siege by conservative lawmakers nationwide, and Congressional Republicans are standing in the way of codifying equitable access to the ballot box and essential protections for reproductive health care into law. I’m committed to working with my colleagues and the Biden Administration to push through these holds to protect the fundamental freedoms of all Americans.
“We have responsibilities abroad too. I agree with President Biden that we cannot shy away from supporting Ukrainians, who are still bravely staving off Putin’s advances more than two years after his unjust and unprovoked invasion. In the Middle East, we must put a serious effort behind negotiating a ceasefire by all sides that allows for the release of hostages and the delivery of critical aid to Gaza.
“President Biden reminded us tonight that we are a country of progress, possibilities, and resilience. I took this message to heart, and I hope my colleagues will do the same as we work to deliver for the American people.”
Durbin’s guest for tonight’s State of the Union Address was Dr. Zaher Sahloul, President of MedGlobal, a nonprofit that provides critical medical services in areas of crisis. Through MedGlobal, Dr. Sahloul been coordinating humanitarian and medical relief services for innocent people in Gaza caught in the crossfire spurred by the horrific October 7 Hamas attacks. Gaza hospitals have been in desperate need of medical supplies, forcing medical professionals to sometimes rely on vinegar as antiseptics or use Tylenol as the only relief for those undergoing amputations.
Dr. Sahloul has also provided urgent care to desperate populations amidst natural and man-made disasters in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Turkey, and Bangladesh. In 2017, when the Burmese military was attacking its Rohingya population, Durbin traveled to a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, to see Dr. Sahloul’s work firsthand.
In addition to his role in MedGlobal, Dr. Sahloul is a critical care specialist at Advocate Christ Medical Center and Saint Anthony’s Hospital, and an Associate Professor in Clinical Medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Learn more about Dr. Sahloul and MedGlobal’s mission here.
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