Durbin Joins Harris, Kelly To Announce Legislation To Establish Task Force To Combat Racial And Ethnic Disparities In COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) to announce the bicameral COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act, legislation to bring together health care and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head on. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgen… Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Harris, Kelly To Announce Legislation To Establish Task Force To Combat Racial And Ethnic Disparities In COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) to announce the bicameral COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act, legislation to bring together health care and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head on. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgen… Continue Reading

Durbin, Klobuchar Lead Colleagues To Urge Bureau Of Prisons To Release Critical Demographic Data As Country Confronts Coronavirus Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a group of 14 colleagues on a letter to Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal urging him to release system-wide demographic data in the BOP's public reporting of the number of incarcerated people and staff impacted by COVID-19-including data on the age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, and disability of all incarcerated people and BOP staff who have been tested for, con… Continue Reading

Durbin, Klobuchar Lead Colleagues To Urge Bureau Of Prisons To Release Critical Demographic Data As Country Confronts Coronavirus Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a group of 14 colleagues on a letter to Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal urging him to release system-wide demographic data in the BOP's public reporting of the number of incarcerated people and staff impacted by COVID-19-including data on the age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, and disability of all incarcerated people and BOP staff who have been tested for, con… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Death Of First Female Federal Inmate Due To COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a lead author of the First Step Act - landmark prison reform legislation - today released the following statement regarding the death of Andrea Circle Bear who is believed to be the first female federal inmate to die of COVID-19. Ms. Circle Bear was a 30-year-old federal inmate who gave birth on a ventilator in early April and had a pre-existing medical condition: "Simply put, this trag… Continue Reading

Durbin Calls On CDC To Fund Efforts To Build Community Health Workforce To Tackle Health Disparities In Communities Of Color

SPRINGFIELD - Following reports of alarming disparities among communities of color in COVID-19 mortality, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support state and local efforts to bolster community workforce capacity for contact tracing and other outreach efforts in addressing this public health challenge. To succeed in combatting COVID-19, and lay the groundwork to address underlying social determinants of health, Du… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Call For $50 Billion In Childcare Relief In Next Coronavirus Package

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in leading 27 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to include their plan for $50 billion in childcare relief in the next coronavirus package, saying it is an indispensable part of the nation's response to the pandemic. The plan outlines steps to stabilize the childcare system, keep providers in business, and ensure parents are able to go b… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Democrats To Announce Bill To Increase National Production Of Medical Supply Chain

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today to announce legislation that lays out a framework for an effective COVID-19 response by increasing production and adding oversight and transparency to the supply chain for critical medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the President to utilize all available authorities under the Defen… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With Illinois Broadcasters Association

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Illinois Broadcasters Association about the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on local radio and television broadcasters, including the loss of revenue from advertising, federal relief efforts for small businesses, and the industry's role in continuing to inform Illinois residents about the resources available through the CARES Act. "Our local broadcasters play a critical role during this coronavirus pandemic by keeping Ill… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Community Banks And Credit Unions

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with leaders of Illinois community banks and credit unions to discuss the financial industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including participation in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and recommendations on improvements to the PPP to assist small businesses and nonprofits struggling to stay afloat. Durbin discussed how he and Senate Democrats fought to better address the needs of rural, mi… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On President Trump's Executive Order Keeping Meat Plans Open During Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep meat-processing plants operating during the COVID-19 pandemic: "President Trump's executive order to require meat and poultry producers to continue operations ignores the health and safety realities of this pandemic. The coronavirus is not impressed with a presidential order and neither are the workers … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Relief And Labor Protections With Illinois AFL-CIO

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Tim Drea, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Illinois AFL-CIO executive committee. On a call with the Illinois AFL-CIO, Durbin and Duckworth shared their priorities for the next COVID-19 relief package, including federal assistance for COBRA health coverage, strengthening unemployment insurance, and providing state and local governments financial assistance for lo… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Call For More Funding For Social Service Nonprofits In Next Coronavirus Relief Bill

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education programs, an… Continue Reading

Durbin, Smith To Introduce Legislative Fix To Help State And Local Governments Provide Paid Leave During Pandemic

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced plans to introduce a legislative fix that would help state and local governments provide public employees with paid leave when they need it most. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires many public and private employers to provide paid leave for workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That law provides tax credits to private-sector employers to cover the costs of paid leave. But the package … Continue Reading

Durbin, Schumer, Menendez Highlight Role Of Immigrants On The Frontlines Of COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on a press call with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) immigrant workers who are fighting COVID-19 on the front lines to highlight the urgent need to protect Dreamers and TPS holders, extend their work authorizations, and honor their essential work, not just amid the pandemic, but always. While court decisions on DACA and TPS hang in t… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Join Bicameral Letter Urging Federal Communications Commission To Coordinate With Other Federal Agencies To Inform Low-Income Families They Can Receive Broadband Services

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in leading 139 of their colleagues in both the House and Senate to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the Supplement… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact Of COVID-19 With Howard Brown Health

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Howard Brown Health employees to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on Community Health Centers (CHCs) and his efforts to secure additional federal funding for CHCs on the frontlines of the public health crisis. On the call, Durbin thanked Howard Brown's health care workers for serving more than 35,000 patients each year and for their efforts to launch new initiatives to address COVID-19, including creating a COVID-19 hotline for pat… Continue Reading

Durbin, Bustos, Duckworth Statement On BOP's Decision To Designate Thomson Prison A "Quarantine Location"

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement in response to the announcement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson has been designated as one of 11 nationwide "quarantine locations" for thousands of newly-admitted inmates to the federal prison system. "We are disturbed to learn that BOP is preparing to transfer hundreds of additional… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Shimkus, Bost Discuss COVID-19 Response With Southern Illinois Hospitals

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL-15) and Mike Bost (R-IL-12) today, on a call with more than 30 CEOs of southern Illinois hospitals and AJ Wilhelmi, President 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 bipartisan members of Congress thanked the hospital representatives for everything t… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Expanding Vote-By-Mail Options With League Of Women Voters Of Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) to discuss expanding access to vote-by-mail and the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call with LWVIL members, Durbin spoke about his support for instituting vote-by-mail options nationwide, and securing more funding for state and local election authorities to ensure that all voters can access the ballot box during the pandemic. Durbin also discussed the need to provide finan… Continue Reading