Durbin: The Legacy President Biden Will Leave Behind Is Nothing Short Of Remarkable
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin applauds President Biden's major accomplishments during his Administration; thanks him for his decades long service to our nation & decision to put his country first
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) thanked President Joe Biden for his service to our nation and touted the President’s many accomplishments during his Administration—calling him “one of the most successful modern presidents.” During his speech, Durbin commented on his influential career as a U.S. Senator from Delaware, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Vice President under President Obama for eight years, and as the President of the United States. Durbin and President Biden have been friends and colleagues for more than 30 years.
Durbin began his speech by comparing George Washington’s voluntary decision to decline a third term to President Biden’s decision to not run for a second term.
“Although the two-term limit would not be enshrined in law until almost 200 years later, George Washington’s actions—choosing not to run for President, largely in response to the nation’s heated political climate—set a precedent—a valuable one. In the years since then, Washington’s voluntary decision to decline a third term has greatly shaped our nation’s conceptions of political power and the presidency. And, on Sunday, President Joe Biden’s decision to decline the Democratic Party’s nomination was certainly in the spirit of that tradition,” Durbin said.
During his speech, Durbin reflected on President Biden’s life, legacy, and character. Joe Biden was a Senator-elect from Delaware when he learned that his wife and three children had been in a car accident, and that, tragically, his wife and daughter had lost their lives. Joe Biden was sworn into the United States Senate at his recovering sons’ bedsides. As Vice President, Joe Biden lost his beloved son Beau to his battle with brain cancer.
“A passionate policymaker, committed representative, and all-around good man, President Biden represents the best of us. And what can never be in doubt is his fierce dedication to our nation. Throughout his entire public career, President Biden put our country first. Through immense personal tragedy, through setbacks and obstacles, President Biden held steadfast onto his faith in America,” Durbin said. “Because, when our nation needed him most, Joe Biden was there.”
During the 2020 presidential election and after four tumultuous years under Donald Trump’s leadership, America voted Joe Biden into office.
“Joe Biden was determined to beat Donald Trump four years ago, to bring decency, rationality, and empathy back to the White House—to put our country back on track and restore the soul of the nation. And he did just that,” said Durbin.
Durbin continued his speech by touting the major accomplishments during President Biden’s Administration.
“Thanks to Joe Biden, we recovered from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Americans were vaccinated, we passed the American Rescue Plan that financially supported working families, addressed the public health crisis, and rescued the economy, and normalcy slowly but surely returned to America. Thanks to President Biden, we have created nearly 16 million jobs. The unemployment rate has been at or below four percent for 30 consecutive months—the longest stretch in half a century. Thanks to President Biden, ‘Infrastructure Week’ went from being a broken promise by former President Trump to a reality. We passed a bipartisan infrastructure law that replaced our aging infrastructure, expanded access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet, and better prepared us to address the climate crisis,” Durbin said.
“Speaking of the climate, thanks to President Biden, we took historic action to address the climate crisis through the Inflation Reduction Act—the most significant investment in clean energy, sustainability, and climate resilience in the history of America. And we laid the groundwork for American leadership in the sectors of the future with the CHIPS & Science Act—bolstering American competitiveness for generations to come. Because of Biden’s leadership, we were able to enact the most significant gun safety legislation passed in nearly 30 years—the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Thanks to President Biden, nearly $170 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven for nearly five million Americans, prescription drug prices have been lowered, we made historic health insurance coverage gains, and the fight for reproductive rights remains central. And as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m proud to say that we have confirmed 202 Article III judges and [counting] to the federal bench. [We kept] Joe Biden’s promise [by confirming] the first Black woman in the history of the United States to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” Durbin continued.
In addition to his domestic accomplishments, President Biden helped restore faith in America as a world power, global leader, and responsive ally. For the past four years, the United States has been competing more aggressively with China, rebuilding and expanding NATO, and standing up for democracy and countering the threats of autocrats like Putin.
Durbin concluded, “The legacy President Biden will leave behind is nothing short of remarkable. A grateful nation thanks him for his dedication to each and every American. History will surely remember him as one of the most successful modern presidents. He acted in the tradition of great Americans such as George Washington, and he put the interests of his country and his political party over his personal interest. His decision could not have been easy. But it’s the mark of a true statesman. I am honored to call Joe Biden a colleague, a friend, and a fellow American.”
Video of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.
-30-