Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Introduces Bill To Combat Opioid Addiction As Nation Sees Rise In Overdose Deaths Amid COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act, a bill to stem the opioid epidemic by expanding telehealth and treatment access and reining in the excessive volume of addictive opioids on the market. According to a recent analysis of opioid use in America, 128 people die in the United States each day due to opioid overdose and an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer from substance use disorders related to prescribed … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin Joins Leahy, Murray, Tester To Call On President Trump To Increase PPE And Testing Capacity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to call on President Trump to utilize resources already passed by Congress and signed into law to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity. Durbin, Leahy, Murray, and Tester also are leading Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a letter to President Trump, Durbin, Leahy, Murray and Tester wrote: "It was … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin Joins Leahy, Murray, Tester To Call On President Trump To Increase PPE And Testing Capacity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to call on President Trump to utilize resources already passed by Congress and signed into law to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity. Durbin, Leahy, Murray, and Tester also are leading Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a letter to President Trump, Durbin, Leahy, Murray and Tester wrote: "It was … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $739 Million In Hospital Funding For COVID-19 Care In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $739,971,747 in federal funding to support hospitals in Illinois providing COVID-19 care in communities across Illinois. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Provider Relief Fund and will help support more than 60 hospitals serving areas treating a large number of COVID-19 patients - many of which are communities of … Continue Reading
July 15, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Mayors Lightfoot And Rockingham
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who is President of the Illinois Municipal League, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and federal relief programs. Topics included assistance to state and local governments, testing, and relief for local small businesses. "I am thankful for the leadership of Mayors Lightfoot and Rockingham during this unprecedented crisis. I appreciated hearing about how … Continue Reading
July 08, 2020
Durbin Meets With Hospital Leaders In Decatur To Discuss COVID-19 Response
DECATUR - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Mary's Hospital to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care and the economy across central and southern Illinois and priorities for relief legislation. Durbin and hospital leaders discussed the need for a direct and immediate infusion of funds for our hospitals, as well as policies to stabilize funding for rural hospitals, support the health care workforce, and increase the … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Implement And Expand Online SNAP Purchasing Nationwide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill to address hunger needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchasing choices by enabling additional retailers to participate in the program. The Expanding SNAP Options Act would provide funding for the creation of a universal online and app-based portal to make access to … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Senate Passes Durbin Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the unanimous passage of his resolution encouraging U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate smallpox as an example of why concerted global collaboration and coordination is needed for the COVID-19 … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Durbin Presses HHS Secretary Azar On Illinois Hospital Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), on a call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urged HHS to address COVID-19 relief funding shortfalls at safety net hospitals, including children's hospitals, in Illinois. Durbin discussed how the latest round of $10 billion in Provider Relief Fund missed some of the most prominent safety net hospitals in Illinois, and how many are urging for more assistance in order to stay financially viable during the … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Durbin, Rubio Introduce Bill To Expand Health Care Workforce To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced bipartisan legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Nurse Corps, and National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) programs to bolster health emergency surge capacity and restore the pipeline of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals to address existing health workforce shortages throughout our country. The COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly, Foster Discuss COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (R-IL-02) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today, on a call with more than 20 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and leaders of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. The group discussed how to increase federal support to hospitals through CARES Act funding formulas and … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Durbin, Grassley Statement On Appeals Court Ruling Striking Down HHS Policy To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today released the following statement regarding the ruling in the federal Court of Appeals for D.C. that struck down a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule that required direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements to include the list price of the drug: "Even in the midst of a pandemic that threatens all of us, Big Pharma fought for months in court to prevent patients from knowing the price of … Continue Reading
June 16, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2 Million In Telehealth Funding For Illinois Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that seven Illinois health care providers have been awarded a total of $2,077,152 in federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "This federal funding will … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Pressing For Expanded Access To Affordable Health Care In Any Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Bill
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading 33 of their Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming COVID-19 relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to ensure that people … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Durbin Speaks With Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ILCADV) about resources for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin also discussed his support for provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act, including funding for Violence Against Women Act grant programs and financial assistance for emergency shelters and services for survivors and their children … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Durbin: Health Heroes Act Can Address Health Care Workforce Shortages To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about his Health Heroes 2020 Act (S.3634), bicameral legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs to cover graduate education costs for more than 300,000 clinicians in order to help address existing health workforce shortages throughout our health care system. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing health workforce shortages, while … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Push For Community Health Center Funding To Help American Families
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and 38 other bipartisan Senate colleagues in urging Congress to immediately support community health centers that provide Americans with critical health care, including testing and treatment of COVID-19. Underlying public health gaps have resulted in alarming health disparities among communities of color with respect to COVID-19 infections and mortality. Community health centers play a vital … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Durbin Asks DOJ For Update On Price Gouging Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today requested updated information about the current prevalence of COVID-19-related price-gouging activity and the steps that are being taken to address it from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In a letter to DOJ's Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force (Task Force) leader Craig Carpenito, Durbin requested more information on how the DOJ Task Force is working to investigate and prevent price-gouging involving personal protective equipment, medical … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Cook County Board President Preckwinkle
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on a call with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Board members discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin discussed the CARES Act and provisions he fought to include that provide vital federal funding to our nation's hospitals, including John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. President Preckwinkle and Board members outlined how that … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Durbin Continues To Push To Pass Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, during a speech on the Senate floor, asked for unanimous consent to pass a resolution that encourages U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response given the Trump Administration's failure to participate in global summits on plans to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic … Continue Reading