Durbin Speaks Out Against Gun Violence After Chicago Police Officer Dies In Line Of Duty, Gunman Attempts Attack At White House Correspondents’ Dinner

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor to denounce both political and gun violence in the wake of Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew's death while in the line of duty, as well as the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Durbin began his remarks by honoring Officer Bartholomew, who lost his life after a suspect opened fire in a hospital following his arrest for armed robbery. Durbin spoke to Officer Bartholomew's reputation as a reliable member of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and a caring father. A second Chicago police officer was also shot during the incident, and they remain in critical condition.

"The City of Chicago is in mourning. On Saturday, Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew was fatally shot after taking a robbery suspect to the hospital. Officer Bartholomew had been on the force for 10 years. In that decade, he became known, by his station and his community, as someone you could always count on. When it snowed, he was the first one outside to shovel. At the station, officers often heard him singing his lungs out in the locker room," Durbin said.

"[Officer Bartholomew was a] Loving father and a faithful husband to his wife, Renee. Loretta and I offer our deepest condolences to the Bartholomew family," Durbin said. "Officer Bartholomew's partner, a 21-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, remains in critical condition. We should all pray for their fast and full recovery."

Durbin then spoke about the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, reiterating his call for an end to political violence.

"But only 12 hours after this awful shooting in Chicago, our nation watched in horror as a different gunman attacked the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Let's be clear: whether right or left, political violence has no place in America," Durbin said.

"I am grateful no one was seriously injured at the Hilton. This attack, however, shows a sobering pattern of escalating political violence. Last year, we witnessed the horrific assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melisssa Hortman and her husband, Mark; the attempted murder of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife; and the assassination of Charlie Kirk," Durbin said.

Durbin concluded his remarks by emphasizing the need to speak out against divisive political rhetoric, and he, again, called on his colleagues to work across the aisle to address the scourge of gun violence in the United States.

"Political violence is corrosive to democracy. It is an American crisis - one that is made worse by the growing arsenal of dangerous guns in our country. These weapons flooding our streets make what is already an incredibly difficult job for our nation's law enforcement and security personnel even more dangerous," Durbin said.

"For our communities, our law enforcement officers, our country, we've got to do more to stop gun violence. It is a national scourge," Durbin concluded his remarks.

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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