Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Statement On President Trump Ending United States' Relationship With World Health Organization
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he would move to terminate the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic and after the death toll in the United States surpassed 100,000 Americans: "Today's announcement by President Trump ignores the deadly reality of this pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Durbin Visits Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Discusses Legislation To Strengthen America's Food Supply Chain
URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Urbana, Illinois, today to learn more about local efforts to help feed those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Durbin joined his colleagues to introduce legislation to strengthen the food supply chain after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and … Continue Reading
May 28, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $11.8 Million For COVID-19 Testing In Rural Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $11,821,279 in federal funding to support COVID-19 testing in rural communities. The funding comes from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act signed into law on April 24th and will help support more than 200 Rural Health Clinics around Illinois. Each clinic will receive approximately $49,000 in federal funding. Congressional Democrats fought … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Durbin Discusses Contact Tracing With Founder Of Partners In Health, Dr. Paul Farmer
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health (PIH), about COVID-19 contact tracing. PIH worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop the country's first state-wide coronavirus contact tracing program, and has subsequently worked with the State of Illinois on its contact tracing plans. Durbin asked Dr. Farmer about what America will need to develop nationwide contact tracing capacity to identify individuals who may … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate Leadership To Include Funding For Children's Hospitals And Health Providers In Future COVID-19 Relief
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to press Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children's hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, the Senators raised concerns that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months. Starting in January, … Continue Reading
May 26, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Release Plan To Expand Health Care Coverage & Affordability During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Patty Murray (D-WA) to release a Senate Democratic plan to expand health care coverage and affordability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a white paper, the Senators outline a series of common sense legislative priorities that the Senate should take up immediately, including Durbin's proposal to help laid-off workers remain on their employer … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Impact With AARP Illinois State President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with AARP Illinois State President Rosanna Marquez about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on older Americans. On the call, Durbin and Marquez discussed the necessity of protecting the Affordable Care Act and expanding Special Enrollment Periods to ensure that health care remains accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin also spoke about his support for provisions in the Heroes Act that would provide federal subsidies … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Durbin: We Must Protect The Immigrant Health Heroes On The Frontlines Of COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on Senate Republicans to support the House-passed Heroes Act, which would extend work authorizations for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Durbin: Senate Republicans Are Continuing Their Assault On The ACA Admist A Public Health Crisis
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Cory Wilson to the Fifth Circuit Court, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called out Senate Republicans for pushing forward judicial nominees with records of strident opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the midst of a public health pandemic. Two of the three hearings the Senate Judiciary Committee has held since the Senate reconvened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have been to … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Durbin Presses HHS On Transparency Of Remdesivir Distribution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a briefing call with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dr. Robert Kadlec, regarding the distribution process for the COVID-19 therapeutic remdesivir. Last week, Durbin led 12 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to HHS seeking transparency and information regarding the distribution process for remdesivir and called for the agency to brief them on the allocation … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Durbin: When Will Senator McConnell Feel 'Urgency' To Act On COVID-19 Legislation?
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for failing to act on any COVID-19 related legislative matter on the Senate floor for the past three weeks. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, which increases aid for our health care system and state and local governments, extends unemployment insurance benefits, helps keep laid-off workers on their employer … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Durbin Discusses Global Food Security With Alliance To End Hunger
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a virtual conference led by the Alliance to End Hunger to discuss global food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin, who is Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus, discussed the importance of protecting and increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Illinoisans and funding the World Food Program to ensure those facing hunger abroad can afford to put food on the table. Durbin called for these … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Durbin Asks For Unanimous Consent To Consider 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 have the Senate consider 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 vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Telehealth Funding For Chicago Area Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that three Chicago-area health care providers have been awarded federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "This federal funding will allow more patients to … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Durbin, Alexander, Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Address Medical Supply Vulnerability Due To Coronavirus
WASHINGTON - Amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), along with a group of nine Senators, today introduced the Commission on America's Medical Security, bipartisan legislation to safeguard America's medical supply chain and address shortages due to the United States' dependence on foreign-made medical equipment. Approximately 40 percent of finished drugs and 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured overseas-primarily … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Press CDC On Shortage Of Coronavirus Test Kit Supplies
WASHINGTON-Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield for information on the potential shortage of enzymes needed for CDC coronavirus test kits. Health officials in Illinois have indicated they may not have enough testing supplies to cover their diagnostic needs over the next two weeks. Further, they have not received word from the CDC about … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Call On President Trump To Utilize FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund To Aid State & Local Response To Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON-Following Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's state of emergency declaration in response to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to immediately consider any disaster declarations so states can utilize the $42.6 billion currently available in the Disaster … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Durbin, Senate Dem Leaders Announce New Targeted Economic & Community Relief Proposal To Help States With Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with Senate Democratic Leaders today announced a new, targeted economic and community relief proposal to help communities and individuals deal with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. The proposal is based on input from policy experts and state and local officials about what is needed to help workers, their families, and the communities they live in to manage the economic disruption and services crisis at the local level in both the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Durbin, Colleagues Push DeVos To Issue Clear Guidance On Coronavirus For Schools And Families Following Widespread School Closures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in leading 31 other Democratic Senators in urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to provide clarity and guidance for school districts and institutions of higher education, as well as families and students, following widespread school closures across the country due to the spread of the coronavirus. In a letter to Secretary DeVos, the Senators stressed that it is crucial that the Department of Education provide … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Durbin Presses CDC On Need For Additional Coronavirus Test Kit Supplies
WASHINGTON - Amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the urgent need for additional coronavirus test kit supplies in Illinois and around the country in order to improve diagnosis and treatment efforts. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin urged the Trump Administration to respond to this issue quickly with clear, factual information and strategies to boost the … Continue Reading