12.15.20

Durbin: Time to Move Past Election and Help President-Elect Biden Lead

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on Republican elected officials to honor their oaths of office and uphold our democracy by recognizing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President-elect and Vice President-elect. Durbin slammed the last-ditch effort by 17 Republican attorneys general and more than half of the House Republican Caucus joining in a lawsuit and accompanying amicus brief before the Supreme Court, which incredibly argued that the courts should nullify the votes of more than 20 million Americans. Durbin also thanked local election officials who stepped up, spoke truth to power, and carried out their jobs successfully amid efforts from President Trump to overturn the election results in multiple states.

“The fact that it took six weeks for my colleagues to recognize reality and stop undermining our democratic process is sad and disappointing. When we were sworn in as Members of Congress, we took a simple oath: Support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic… It's not an oath to one person, nor one president. It's not conditional if one receives enough angry phone calls. It's not dependent on whether the responsibilities are difficult, and it's certainly not optional if one has to face a more challenging electorate. And yet with the exception of only a few in this Senate chamber, the silence in upholding this oath in the face of President Trump's blatant attempts to undermine our democracy has been overwhelming,” Durbin said. “I believe we have such a moment here that demands leaders of both parties to carry out their oaths of office and defend our treasured democracy. Quite simply, silence is unacceptable.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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