Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Urges Republicans To Work With Democrats To Address The Imminent Health Care Increases
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor urging Congressional Republicans to finally work with Democrats to fund the government and address the imminent health care crisis if the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire. Republicans have shut down the government and gone on a prolonged summer vacation, despite the fact that health care costs are about to spike dramatically for tens of millions of Americans. Democrats are … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Statement On Republican-Led Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Tonight, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to secure a bipartisan deal to keep the government open past tonight’s deadline. Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress. “Tonight, President Trump and congressional Republicans made clear they would rather shut down the government than address their … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Shutdown And Their Refusal To Negotiate To Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today condemning the Republicans’ refusal to negotiate with Democrats on the government funding deadline. Absent Republicans deciding to negotiate in the final hours, at midnight tonight, September 30, 2025, the appropriations for the federal government will lapse, and the government will shut down. Durbin began by emphasizing that the last government shutdown occurred under President Trump’s … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Health Care Affordability Crisis And Their Refusal To Address It In Government Funding Debate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today highlighting the health care crisis that President Trump and congressional Republicans are perpetrating on the American people—including the damage done by the Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Trump Administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Republicans’ reconciliation package cut $1 trillion of Medicaid funds, and the Trump … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Calls For Extension Of ACA Tax Credits To Protect Americans’ Access To Health Care As Government Funding Deadline Looms
WASHINGTON - Last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits as part of any bipartisan compromise to fund the government beyond September 30, 2025. During his remarks, Durbin warned of the implications of allowing these tax credits to expire, which would result in more than four million Americans losing their health insurance coverage and 20 million more facing … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Durbin, Cramer, Schneider, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill Addressing Shortage Of Doctors, Nurses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to quickly address our nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses. The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would recapture 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for physicians that … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Durbin: RFK Jr. is a Danger to the Children of America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor slamming Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for unjustly firing Dr. Monarez from her position as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after she pushed back against Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous skepticism of vaccines and medical research. In his remarks, Durbin emphasized that Secretary Kennedy’s crusade to spread distrust in safe and effective vaccines and to … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Party's Failure To Extend The Affordable Care Act's Enhanced Subsidies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor yesterday highlighting the dangers of the upcoming expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. First created in 2021 as part of theAmerican Rescue Plan, these credits have reduced the price of health insurance for millions of Americans, but they are now in jeopardy due to congressional Republicans’ callous inaction. Durbin began his speech by recounting his experience … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
Durbin Meets With Cook County Board Of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, and Cook County Health Leadership
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Cook Country Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, as well as leadership of Cook County Health to discuss Medicaid cuts in President Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). They also discussed President Trump’s continued attacks on Chicago, in addition to his deployment of ICE agents to the city on Monday as part of his newly announced “Operation Midway Blitz.” “The Trump Administration, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2025
Durbin Meets With Lurie Children's Hospital CEO To Discuss Medicaid Cuts In Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Lurie Children’s Hospital CEO, Dr. Tom Shanley, to discuss Medicaid cuts in President Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). They also discussed the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal. In light of HHS Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous vaccine misinformation crusade, they also discussed how … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Durbin Condemns Republicans' So-called 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' That Rips 15 Million Americans Off Their Health Care To Fund Tax Breaks For Billionaires
WASHINGTON - Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a rebuke of congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which slashes approximately $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation and congressional Republicans’ failure to address expiring health care subsidies, up to 17 million Americans are projected to … Continue Reading
September 03, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Dental Associations As Trump Administration Slashes Critical Funding For Medicaid, Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sat down with leadership of Delta Dental of Illinois and the Delta Dental Plans Association to discuss expanding access to dental care as congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration continue to attack critical health care programs by slashing $1 trillion in funding for Medicaid and more than $300 billion from the Affordable Care Act over the next decade. “Dental care is a critical, but often-overlooked, part of … Continue Reading
August 07, 2025
Durbin Visits Erie Family Health Center During National Health Center Week
CHICAGO - Today U.S. Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a press conference with health care leaders at Erie Family Health Center to discuss recent funding cuts to Medicaid and mark National Health Center Week. “I’ve been honored to work alongside Erie Family Health Centers for years in the fight for affordable health care and lower prescription drug costs,” said Durbin. “This week is National Health Center Week, a time to recommit to protecting health centers, many of whom will suffer … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Durbin Offers Amendment To Reinstate All NIH, Other Critical Grants That Have Been Unlawfully Terminated By The Trump Administration
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin’s (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, submitted an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education appropriations bill to reinstate NIH and other critical grants that were arbitrarily and unjustifiably terminated by the Trump Administration. Durbin spoke about his amendment during today’s Committee markup on the Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill. Durbin’s amendment was voted down … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Durbin, Cassidy REMEDY Act To Lower Prescription Costs By Promoting Generic Competition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today introduced a bipartisan bill to tackle certain efforts by the pharmaceutical industry to extend monopolies on lifesaving drugs. The Reforming Evergreening and Manipulation that Extends Drug Years (REMEDY) Act would promote competition by removing barriers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for lower-cost generic drugs. Many high-cost, brand-name drugs are shielded from … Continue Reading
July 28, 2025
Durbin, Senators Request Answers From FDA Regarding Dangerous Decision Allowing JUUL E-Cigarettes To Stay On The Market, Addict Children
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a group of eight Senators in sending a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Makary sounding the alarm and demanding answers over FDA’s senseless decision to authorize JUUL’s e-cigarettes, including its menthol-flavored vaping pods. JUUL is the e-cigarette brand that ignited the youth vaping “epidemic”—as it was characterized by Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA’s Commissioner in the first Trump Administration—and … Continue Reading
July 25, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth Seek Answers On So-Called One Big Beautiful Bill's Impact On Hospitals In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois requesting information about the projected impact analysis of the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation, 15 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including … Continue Reading
April 08, 2025
Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republicans Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor slamming the Trump Administration for its attempts to dismantle the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the harmful impacts it will have on medical research across the country, including in red states. Durbin began his remarks by highlighting the importance of NIH funding to patients nationwide. Durbin said, “There is certainty in funding medical research. Certainty in knowing that while not all … Continue Reading
March 31, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Plans To Cut Medicaid In Order To Provide Tax Cuts To Billionaires
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed Congressional Republicans for their plan to slash Medicaid funding to give tax breaks to billionaires through their budget resolution. House Republicans have proposed $880 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program in order to pay for President Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires, and Senate Republicans have similarly put this program in the crosshairs. “Why? Not because they want to lower health … Continue Reading
March 27, 2025
Durbin, In Response To Trump Admin Cuts To NIH: People Are Going to Die If We Don't Fund Medical Research
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a roundtable forum, entitled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer's, & Other Diseases,” which was hosted by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT). The forum underscored the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s decision to lay off researchers and freeze funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Durbin began his … Continue Reading