Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Pushes For Legislation To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted plans to seek Senate passage for his bipartisan Drug-price Transparency in Communications (DTC) Act, a bill he introduced in May with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that would require pharmaceutical companies to list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. Durbin's bipartisan legislation would empower patients and … Continue Reading
November 05, 2019
Durbin: NAFTA 2.0 Is A Trojan Horse Giveaway To Big Pharma
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor, as part of his "Pharma Fleece Awards" series of floor speeches highlighting egregious cases of pharmaceutical industry greed, slammed PhRMA and the Trump Administration for a giveaway tucked into NAFTA 2.0 that will keep drug prices high for Americans. Durbin highlighted provisions in the NAFTA 2.0 trade agreement that cement monopoly protections for pharmaceutical corporations by blocking generic competition, resulting … Continue Reading
November 01, 2019
Durbin, Kennedy Urge DEA To Use Its New Authorities To Lower Opioid Quotas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today, in a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, called on DEA to use its new authorities-passed into law by Durbin and Kennedy last year-to prevent and limit opioid diversion by properly regulating the pharmaceutical industry and appropriately reducing opioid production quotas for 2020. In its 2020 proposal, DEA explained it would only lower opioid production quotas based upon … Continue Reading
October 31, 2019
Durbin, Kennedy Secure Amendment In Appropriations Bill To Ensure DEA Uses Its Authority To Reduce Opioid Production Quotas For Pharmaceutical Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today secured an amendment in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Commerce, Justice, and Science funding bill to ensure the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is properly regulating the pharmaceutical industry by providing the tools necessary to limit the over-production of prescription painkillers that fueled the nation's opioid epidemic. The FY 2020 Commerce, Justice, and Science funding bill passed the Senate today along with … Continue Reading
October 31, 2019
Durbin Joins Colleagues To Introduce New Bipartisan Bill To Help Reduce Police Officer Suicides
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to introduce a new bipartisan bill to track law enforcement suicides. The Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act requires the FBI to collect voluntary, anonymous data on police suicides and attempted suicides from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Collecting this data will help inform … Continue Reading
October 30, 2019
Durbin Statement On Senate Republicans Voting Against Protecting Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against a resolution to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions by limiting the proliferation of "junk plans" - short-term insurance plans that are allowed to discriminate against Americans with pre-existing conditions. Durbin, along with every Senate Democrat, was a cosponsor of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to protect Americans with … Continue Reading
October 29, 2019
Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass MOMMA Act To Reduce Maternal & Infant Mortality Rates
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. Durbin's legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for moms and babies of color who are significantly more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy. On average, maternal mortality claims the lives of 700 … Continue Reading
October 22, 2019
Durbin, Schakowsky Introduces Legislation To Lower Drug Costs In Medicare Through Price Negotiation & Competition
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today introduced legislation that would increase competition and help lower drug costs for seniors and persons with disabilities who are enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. The Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act would empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices through the creation of Medicare-administered … Continue Reading
October 17, 2019
Durbin Slams DEA Following IG Report, Outlines Opioid Actions Needed To Regain Public Trust
WASHINGTON - Following the October 1, 2019, report from the Department of Justice's Inspector General (IG) that paints a damning picture of past missteps by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that have contributed to the nation's opioid epidemic, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon to outline additional steps DEA is taking to regain public trust in the agency's ability to prevent and respond to the opioid crisis. In a … Continue Reading
October 09, 2019
Durbin Highlights New Federal Law To Support Rural Emergency Medical Services
NAUVOO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined leaders from the Nauvoo Fire Protection District to discuss passage and implementation of the Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act. Originally introduced by Durbin in May 2018, along with U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the bipartisan SIREN Act authorized new funding for a federal grant program that supports rural fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in training and … Continue Reading
October 03, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration To Protect Health Coverage For People With Pre-Existing Conditions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and 37 other Senators in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions by limiting the proliferation of "junk plans" - short-term insurance plans that can exclude coverage for essential benefits and provide no protections for Americans with pre-existing … Continue Reading
September 30, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Democratic Colleagues File Paperwork To Force Senate Vote To Reserve Harmful Trump Administration Rule That Rolls Back Pre-Existing Condition Protections
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democrats, led by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), in filing paperwork that will force a Senate vote to protect people with pre-existing conditions from yet another attempt by the Trump Administration to gut the Affordable Care Act. Senate Democrats filed a discharge petition on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would roll back President Trump's 1332 waiver rule-a rule which would sabotage … Continue Reading
September 23, 2019
Durbin Urges Trump Administration To Withdraw Proposal To Cut Food Assistance From Millions Of Americans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined 14 Senators in raising serious concerns about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) proposed rule to eliminate categorical eligibility, which would take food assistance away from millions of families currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In particular, the proposal could restrict access to school meals for tens of … Continue Reading
September 23, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $5 Million To Increase Substance Use Disorder Treatments
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services a $4,559,743 federal planning grant to help fight the opioid epidemic by increasing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery services under Medicaid. "We are facing one of the worst drug epidemics in our history," said Durbin. "This critical federal investment will … Continue Reading
September 12, 2019
Durbin, Kennedy Applaud DEA For Lowering Opioid Quotas For Fourth Year In A Row
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today praised the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) proposal to reduce production quotas for nearly all Schedule II prescription opioids by an average of 32 percent for next year. The DEA is responsible for establishing annual quotas determining the exact amount of each opioid drug that is permitted to be produced in the U.S. each year. After two decades of dramatic increases to the volume of opioids allowed to come … Continue Reading
September 05, 2019
Durbin Highlights Bipartisan Legislation To Strengthen Rural Health Workforce
GRANITE CITY - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a news conference to highlight bipartisan legislation to address critical rural health workforce shortages. Introduced last month, the Rural America Health Corps Act would create a new program that builds upon the existing National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program by providing new, dedicated student loan forgiveness funding for health care providers that serve in rural communities. Twenty percent of Americans live in rural communities, yet … Continue Reading
September 04, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $38 Million To Combat Opioid Epidemic In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Illinois a total of $37,906,897 through the State Opioid Response Grant Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Overdose Data to Action Funding Program. Under today's announcement, the State of Illinois will receive $28,989,372 in funding through the State Opioid Response Grant Program. Also under today's … Continue Reading
September 04, 2019
Durbin Highlights Bipartisan Legislation To Strengthen Rural Health Workforce
CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a news conference to highlight bipartisan legislation to address critical rural health workforce shortages. Introduced last month, the Rural America Health Corps Act would create a new program that builds upon the existing National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program by providing new, dedicated student loan forgiveness funding for health care providers that serve in rural communities. Twenty percent of Americans live in rural communities, yet … Continue Reading
August 27, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $450,000 In Federal Funding To Support Maternal Health In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been awarded $450,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) Program. The funding will support IDPH efforts to identify, review, and characterize maternal deaths, and identify prevention opportunities. "No nation as rich and advanced as the United … Continue Reading
August 27, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $30 Million For Cancer Research In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that three Illinois-based organizations have been awarded nearly $30 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery studies in their communities. "This federal funding will support the important work being done at some of Illinois' best research institutions," Durbin said. "Strong investments in … Continue Reading