WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on his colleagues to pass a series of bills aimed to reduce systemic racism in America. Durbin cited how the long-overdue national reckoning on race is helping many see more clearly how old, discredited ideas about race that most have rejected as individuals linger on in some of our institutions and laws.
Durbin called on his Republican colleagues to honor the life’s work of civil rights icons – like U.S. Representative John Lewis – by passing bills that can bring about a more just and equitable society, such as the Justice in Policing Act, the Economic Justice Act, the MOMMA Act, the Housing Is Infrastructure Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Durbin also reiterated his support for landmark laws like the Affordable Care Act – which has helped reduce racial disparities in health care – and protect it from being abolished by Republican efforts in the courts.
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“I also believe Maya Angelou was right when she said, ‘You do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, you do better.’ How can we do better to reduce systemic racial injustice and heal the wounds and divisions that false notions of racial superiority have caused in our nation and in our fellow citizens?” Durbin said. “When you know better, you do better. Our eyes have been opened, and now it's time for us to act.”
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.
