Critical midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress are only three weeks away.
Polls show some of the issues on voters’ minds include inflation, immigration, crime and abortion rights. An intensifying war in Ukraine has dominated the news in recent days and left many worried about nuclear threats. Illinois’ senior Sen. Dick Durbin sat down with “Chicago Tonight” to discuss those issues and more.
As co-chair of the Senate’s Ukraine Caucus, Durbin said any push to sit down at the negotiation table and offer Russia territory that it illegally took must come from the Ukrainians, not Western pressure.
“It’s only an option if Ukrainians want it to be an option. Their homes have been invaded without any provocation. They have witnessed devastation, and killing, and war crimes the likes of which we’ve not seen in decades,” Durbin said. “For us to dictate politically what they should do next I think is completely wrong. They have to be dominant in their effort against opposition to Putin. And they’ve shown us they have the courage to do it. Let’s not undercut them.”
Durbin also discussed the immigration situation at the U.S. border. Twenty-one years ago, Durbin introduced the Dream Act, which would have created a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants.
Although the Dream Act never passed, Durbin continues to push for immigration reform.
“We need to really sit down and look at our immigration system in its entirety. What we have at the border now is inadequate for the 21st century,” he said.
Though Durbin remains hopeful for legislative progress on immigration, he voiced frustration over Republican rhetoric.
“They’re suggesting all the folks who come across the border are carrying bags of fentanyl and that they’re murderers and rapists. That’s a fiction they’re using to their advantage,” Durbin said. “Here’s the simple reality: These immigrants are not coming here as part of some conniving scheme, but in an effort to find a job and make enough money to survive or send money back home to family.”
Durbin also discussed fears of midterm mayhem if election deniers refuse to accept the results. He called Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s refusal to commit to honoring election results irresponsible.
“That’s almost traitorous. When you swear to uphold and defend the Constitution, you swear to uphold and defend the peaceful transition that election brings in America,” Durbin said.
