September 28, 2025
Democrats love late-term abortion.
Some are very high-profile people. They could be running for President or be an MSNBC darling. But others lurk in the depths of the swamp, happy to be under the surface in the dark, murky waters, collecting power, money, and titles, and delivering for their lobbyist pals. These are the ones we must shine a light on and expose. Enter U.S. Senator of Illinois, Dick Durbin, the Senate Democratic Whip—abortion zealot and fake Catholic.
Senator Dick Durbin was recently recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Archdiocese of Chicago and as a result, landed in the hotseat in the media cycle this week.
The Pro-Life Generation (PLG) called out the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity for its tone-deaf decision to honor former Senator Dick Durbin with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the upcoming Keep Hope Alive benefit on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Our own Kristan Hawkins described the award as “both ironic and deeply troubling,” arguing that it represents a grave misjudgment and a betrayal of the Church’s moral responsibility to uphold the sanctity of Life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion” and that “this teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.” The Church teaches that direct abortion is gravely contrary to moral law, regardless of the circumstances. Thus, any political support for abortion legislation, especially for procedures as controversial as late-term abortion, is fundamentally incompatible with Catholic doctrine.
With that being said, Durbin has been blocked from receiving Holy Communion in the Diocese of Springfield, so why is he even able to receive an award?
Durbin’s Record on Late-Term Abortion
Senator Durbin’s legislative history is marked by consistent support for abortion death, including opposition to restrictions on partial-birth abortions and late-term abortions. Pro-life advocates have highlighted that Durbin’s voting record reflects a pattern of support for policies that permit abortion at stages when the baby is viable outside the womb, a stance that has fueled the current backlash over the archdiocese’s decision to honor him.
Durbin’s Justification for Late-Term Abortion
In a 2024 Senate hearing on “threats to reproductive health care,” Durbin defended the necessity of late-term abortions, citing reasons such as threats to maternal health, severe fetal abnormalities, and the impact of restrictive state laws that delay access to abortions earlier in pregnancy. Of course, Durbin fails to realize that abortion itself causes severe physical and mental health issues.
Durbin insisted that these circumstances justify the availability of abortion later in pregnancy, presenting them as the primary drivers behind such procedures. He further referenced supposed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to support his claims, arguing that late-term abortions are rare and almost exclusively performed under dire circumstances. These are manipulative, false, and a distorted view to justify something so heinous, and something clearly against the faith he pretends to be a part of—simply put, Catholics cannot be pro-abortion.
The National Review set the record straight on this, calling out the Senator in March of last year.
What Happens Next with Dastardly Durbin?
We at Students for Life Action (SFLAction) call for the immediate rescission of the award and urges the archdiocese to publicly distance itself from Durbin’s “radically anti-Catholic and pro-abortion stance,” as SFLAction President Kristan Hawkins calls it. Pro-life leaders must insist that such recognition should be reserved for individuals who defend the dignity of every human person, especially the preborn. We must not fall asleep at the wheel; we cannot let these people operate in the shadows or be honored in any way when they have shown such contempt for humanity.
Their true selves must be exposed.
And to quote the late, great poet Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”