Hoyer Statement on the Retirement of Senator Dick Durbin

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2026:

"I've been proud to serve alongside my friend Senator Dick Durbin ever since he became a Member of the House of Representatives in 1983. He is the same person now that he was then: a principled leader, a gifted consensus builder, and an energetic advocate for Illinoisans and all Americans. That will remain true after he retires from the Congress at the end of the 119th Congress, as he announced earlier today.

"Dick is a model legislator. That was evident from working with him on the House Appropriations Committee early in his career in Congress. He knew how to bring Democrats and Republicans together to fulfill our institution's most basic responsibility of funding the government. Crucially, as the second highest ranking Democratic leaders in the Senate and House respectively, Dick and I coordinated closely to secure groundbreaking legislation. He was invaluable in the effort to unite Democrats behind historic bills like the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also helped us garner modest Republican support on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other critical legislation.

"Dick has delivered results at a time when gridlock is the norm in the Senate. That is a testament to his congeniality, pragmatism, and determination. From his successful effort to regulate smoking to his ongoing leadership on the DREAM Act, he knows how to cut through the partisan noise and find common ground. His retirement is a great loss for our Congress and country. I have no doubt that my friend's legacy of accomplishment will only grow in the 119th Congress and beyond."