Brian Desind | Cigar Public
Senator Richard “Dick” Durbin has represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate since 1997, rising to become Senate Democratic whip and chair of the Judiciary Committee. Over his four-decade career in Congress he has sponsored and championed some of the strictest federal tobacco-control measures in American history, from banning smoking on domestic airline flights in 1988 to spearheading recent efforts to impose new taxes and close “loopholes” on cigars, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products. His legislative record reflects a consistent belief that higher prices and tighter restrictions are the most effective tools for reducing tobacco use—especially among youth.
Many of Durbin’s initiatives have directly targeted the cigar industry’s ability to compete. In the “End Tobacco Loopholes Act” he helped introduce in March 2025, Durbin pushed for a uniform federal tax on all tobacco products—cigarettes, cigars, and vaping devices—pegged to inflation for the first time in 16 years. That bill would erase longstanding tax disparities that kept premium cigars affordable relative to cigarettes and e-cigarettes, undermining boutique manufacturers and artisan blenders who rely on price differentiation to reach adult consumers. He also backed FDA oversight expansions and menthol-cigarette bans that set precedents for further restrictions on flavored cigars, threatening the variety and cultural heritage that define the premium-cigar market.
With Durbin’s surprise announcement on April 23, 2025 that he will not seek reelection in 2026, the cigar community gains an opportunity to press pause on the aggressive regulatory agenda he has led for decades. His departure removes a powerful ally of Big Tobacco prohibitionists from Senate leadership and opens the door for more balanced policymakers who appreciate the economic, cultural, and artisanal value of premium cigars. Without Durbin steering tobacco-control strategy from the whip’s office, there is real hope for rolling back punitive taxes and preserving the rich diversity of cigar offerings that enthusiasts and small producers cherish.
