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(Photo: AP)
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The senior senator from Illinois, Durbin's nameplate changes from Minority to Majority Whip. He had been elevated to minority Whip following the 2004 election.
He served 14 years in the House before winning his Senate seat in 1996, to which he was re-elected in 2002 with 60 percent of the vote. Durbin sits on the Judiciary Committee, and in 2004 sponsored legislation that would make it clear that the United States will not use torture against detainees. He also has worked on health issues, and while serving in the House authored legislation to ban smoking on commercial airline flights. Born Nov. 22, 1944, Durbin received B.S. and J.D. degrees from Georgetown University. He and his wife, Loretta, have three children.
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