March for Life: Durbin & Burris Cancel Weekly Constituency Breakfast Meeting: Coincidence?

Today, hundreds of thousands will gather in Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life in protest of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling which legalized abortion in America. The nation’s highest judicial body handed down this controversial decision in 1973.

“We are expecting the largest turn-out ever,” Randall Terry, director of Insurrecta Nex told the Illinois Family Institute. “It’s time to take a firm stand against abortion in America and Friday’s gathering in D.C. will let legislators know we care about the innocent unborn.”

IFI has learned this week’s constituency breakfast — or “Coffee” as it is now referred to on Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) website — had been cancelled. The IFI attempted to contact Sen. Durbin’s office in Washington, D.C. for comment, but an automated message stated, “if you’re calling during regular office hours and we don’t answer, call back later because we are experiencing high call volume.”

IFI then put in a call to Durbin’s Chicago office. “What breakfast?” asked a staffer who answered the phone. The IFI next contacted Dick Durbin’s office in Springfield. When simply asked if the staffer knew about the weekly constituency breakfast, with no mention of its cancellation, she said “no” and abruptly hung up.

IFI was more successful in its attempt to obtain information about what now is referred to as a coffee, from Sen. Roland Burris’ (D-IL) Washington, D.C. office. “We will be starting the coffees up again in February. There is no date yet, but if you call back on February 1st, we should have that information available at that time.” Burris’ office did, however, confirm the coffees had taken place on every Thursday in the month of January, until this year.

It is not known why the constituency breakfast or “coffee” is not being held this Thursday.

Durbin’s website states:

Have coffee and doughnuts with Senator Dick Durbin and other members of the Illinois Congressional delegation during your visit to Washington, D.C. … When the Senate is in session, all Illinoisans and their guests* are welcome to meet with Senator Dick Durbin each Thursday at 8:30 A.M.

Contrary to Senator Durbin’s website — which asserts the Coffees began in 1985 — these meetings with Illinois constituents actually began shortly after then newly elected U.S. Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL) took office in 1998. Durbin and Fitzgerald came up with this bi-partisan idea which was meant to provide access to the legislators from Illinois constituents visiting Washington, D.C.

Both Durbin’s and Burris’ office would not comment further on the subject.

Some suggest the breakfast or coffee was cancelled because of the annual pro-life rally in the Capitol City. It is also asserted this month’s “Coffees” were cancelled due to the huge crowds which are expected to attend.

“It appears as though Sen. Durbin and Sen. Burris are intentionally closing the door on their Thursday morning “coffee” meeting at a time when thousands — possibly tens of thousands — of pro-life Illinois citizens will be in town for the March for Life,” said IFI Executive Director Dave Smith. “I certainly hope that is not the case, however, by cancelling this week’s particular “coffee” it does suggest that Illinois’ U.S. Senators do not want to be in the uncomfortable position of having to defend their radical pro-abortion votes to so many pro-life constituents.”