Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Durbin Tests Positive For COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after testing positive for COVID-19: "This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and double boosted and only experiencing minor symptoms. Consistent with CDC guidelines, I will quarantine and follow advice from my doctor while I continue to work remotely." -30-… Continue Reading
05.05.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $9 Million To Support Vaccine Education & Availability In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $7,325,365 to Illinois to support education efforts about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination availability. The CDC also allocated an additional $1.977 million dollars for Chicago to boost current vaccination efforts. The funding was made available by the recently passed American Rescue Plan. "With this federal … Continue Reading
04.12.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $65 Million Reimbursement For Illinois COVID-19 Emergency Spending
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $65.3 million in back payments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) thanks to President Biden's decision to waive the 25 percent state cost share requirement for assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, Durbin and Duckworth have been calling for the federal government to cover 100 percent of the costs under the COVID-19 National Emergency Declar… Continue Reading
04.01.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $270 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding to Community Health Centers for COVID-19 Response in Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that 45 Community Health Centers (CHCs) throughout Illinois will receive a total of $270 million in federal funding to support COVID-19 vaccination and health services for vulnerable populations in urban and rural parts of the state. The funding, which was appropriated through the American Rescue Plan, will be awarded beginning in April by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). "Illinois … Continue Reading
03.22.21
Durbin Statement on COVID Relief Program for Live-Event Businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that the $16.25 billion Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program would start accepting applications on April 8 from live-event businesses, such as music clubs, theatres, concert venues, and museums that have been affected by the pandemic: "Illinois' music venues, theatres, and other live-event spaces have been hit hard by this pandemic. T… Continue Reading
03.17.21
Durbin Meets with Illinois Food Banks to Discuss Food Insecurity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with Feeding Illinois, which represents eight food banks that serve Illinoisans, to discuss President Biden's American Rescue Plan, food insecurity, and child nutrition. "Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, one in nine Illinois residents struggled with consistent access to meals, including one in six children. COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges, but President Biden's Rescue Plan makes historic investments to su… Continue Reading
03.16.21
Durbin: America Must Lead Efforts to Address Global Vaccine Shortage
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke about how helping the global COVID-19 vaccine effort will ultimately help America stem the pandemic at home. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin praised the Biden Administration for ramping up production and distribution of vaccines in the United States, noting that weekly vaccine shipments to Illinois have nearly doubled since President Biden took office. He also shared concerns about coronavirus variants and warned th… Continue Reading
03.12.21
Durbin, Axne Lead Colleagues in Urging Treasury & IRS to Help Americans Take Advantage of Tax Exclusion for Unemployment Benefits
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA-03) led a group of bicameral colleagues in urging Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig to take every effort to ensure that individuals who received unemployment compensation in 2020 are able to utilize the tax exclusion that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Durbin and Axne's legislation to provide tax reli… Continue Reading
03.12.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Expansion of Illinois Community Health Centers Included in Federal Vaccination Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the expansion of Illinois Community Health Centers (CHCs) that will be eligible to directly receive vaccines through the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Federally Qualified Health Center Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. The program will expand its reach to 35 CHCs across Illinois. Vaccines sent to Illinois CHCs through this new federal program are in addition to the existing weekly federal … Continue Reading
03.09.21
Durbin: American Rescue Plan will Help Deliver Vaccines, Support Unemployed Americans
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted important provisions in President Biden's American Rescue Plan, which the Senate passed on Saturday, that will help distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines and support unemployed workers and families during the pandemic. "All across the board, the bill that we passed, whether it's money for schools or money for hospitals or money for clinics or money for administering this vaccine, w… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Their Provision Expanding Online SNAP Purchasing Included in American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the Senate-passed American Rescue Plan included provisions from their Expanding SNAP Options Act, which will provide $25 million for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) online purchasing expansion and technology improvements. Their provision helps more retailers with the process of accepting online SNAP benefits, which increases shopping choices for families and addresse… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Illinois Wins in COVID-19 Relief Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statements after the Senate passed President Biden's American Rescue Plan, which will provide emergency relief to Illinois: "President Biden's American Rescue plan will improve Illinois' public health and jumpstart our economy by investing billions of federal dollars in our state. I was proud to help secure provisions with Senator Duckworth to ramp up vaccine distribut… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Durbin Statement on Senate Passage of President Biden's American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after voting for the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which delivers economic relief to American families and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a historic legislative package designed to change the course of the pandemic by ramping up vaccine distribution, getting students back to school, giving families and small businesses a bridge to economic recovery, and investing in advancin… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Durbin, Axne Announce Their Provision to Provide Tax Relief for Unemployed Americans Included in American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA-03) announced that a provision to provide tax relief for Americans who lost their jobs and utilized unemployment benefits last year will be included in the American Rescue Plan. The provision, based on Durbin's and Axne's Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits Tax Relief Act, would waive federal income taxes on the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020 for households earning les… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Inclusion of Maternal Health Provision From Their MOMMA'S Act in American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that a provision based off their bicameral Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA's) Act, sponsored in the House by U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), is included in the American Rescue Plan. The provision gives states a five-year option to extend health care coverage for new moms on Medicaid from 60 days after pregnancy to a full year. In the midst… Continue Reading
03.05.21
Durbin Announced Inclusion of his Provisions to Address Health Care Disparities & Workforce Shortages in American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that provisions from his bipartisan Strengthening America's Health Care Readiness Act will be included in the American Rescue Plan. These Durbin-led policies provide $1 billion in scholarship and loan repayment funding for the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps to address health workforce shortages in underserved areas and tackle health disparities by recruiting from communities of color. These provisions would… Continue Reading
03.04.21
Durbin: America Needs President Biden's American Rescue Plan to Help End the Pandemic, Jumpstart Economy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Republican Senate colleagues to support President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan as they supported former President Trump's COVID-19 relief packages last year on a bipartisan basis. President Biden's American Rescue Plan would deliver economic relief to American families and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a historic legislative package designed to change the course of the pandemic, get students … Continue Reading
03.03.21
Durbin Statement on 100% COBRA Subsidy Included in Senate Version of the American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Senate version of the American Rescue Plan will include a 100 percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums to ensure that laid-off workers can remain on their employer health plans at no cost through the end of September. This provision will provide crucial assistance for millions of families nationwide who are in financial crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pand… Continue Reading
03.03.21
Durbin Calls on Republican Colleagues to Support President Biden's American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Republican Senate colleagues to support President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan as they supported former President Trump's COVID-19 relief packages last year on a bipartisan basis. President Biden's American Rescue Plan would deliver economic relief to American families and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a historic legislative package designed to change the course of the pandemic, get students … Continue Reading
03.01.21
Durbin: We Must Pass the American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Senate colleagues to support President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, which would deliver economic relief to American families and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden's American Rescue Plan is a historic legislative package designed to change the course of the pandemic, get students back to school, give families and businesses a bridge to an economic recov… Continue Reading