Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4.5 Million In Opioid, Behavioral Health Services For Chicago Community Health Centers
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 community health centers in Chicago, Illinois, a total of $4,503,836 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) Program. Community health centers are community-based organizations that improve access to affordable, high-quality health care in underserved urban and rural … Continue Reading
August 09, 2019
Durbin, Baldwin, Sanders, Warren, Blumenthal To FDA: Hold Avexis Accountable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today blasted AveXis, a subdivision of pharmaceutical giant Novartis, for falsifying data in order to obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new gene therapy, Zolgensma, which was developed through taxpayer funding and is now sold for $2.1 million. In a letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless, the Senators … Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
Durbin Asks Barr To Investigate Opioid Companies That Fueled Addiction Epidemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the role of pharmaceutical companies and their executives in fueling the opioid epidemic in America. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Durbin cited recent Washington Post reporting that revealed 76 billion opioid pills were distributed in America between 2006 and 2012 and that opioid distributors and manufacturers ignored persistent red flags that those pills were being … Continue Reading
August 05, 2019
Durbin Discusses Bipartisan Bill To Speed Up Availability Of Generic Insulin
MOLINE - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the Affordable Insulin Approvals Now Act, a bipartisan bill to speed up approvals of lower-cost, generic, and "follow-on" insulin products in order to help reduce costs of the life-saving drug. Approximately 7.5 million Americans with diabetes rely on insulin every day to survive, yet the drug has experienced a price increase of more than 600 percent over the past two decades in the United States. This legislation, introduced by Durbin … Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Resolution To Protect People With Pre-existing Conditions
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senate and House Democrats to unveil a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would roll back the 1332 waiver rule, another Trump Administration effort to sabotage Americans' health care and another attack on the 130 million Americans-including approximately five million Illinoisans-who rely on the critical pre-existing condition protections the Administration is trying to eliminate. The Trump rule, … Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Durbin Introduces Bill to Increase Federal Research Into Marijuana
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation that would lift federal barriers and increase research into cannabis. The Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act would remove restrictions on federal research into cannabis and expand studies on the potential benefits and harms from cannabis use. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2017 examined the current state of cannabis research and found conclusive evidence that marijuana is … Continue Reading
July 29, 2019
Durbin, Kennedy Urge DEA To Use Its Authority To Reduce Opioid Production Quotas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to apply its new authorities to prevent and limit the pharmaceutical industry's excessively high opioid production levels. Durbin and Kennedy were authors of the 2018 legislation that enhanced DEA's existing opioid quota-setting authority by improving transparency and enabling DEA to adjust quotas to prevent opioid diversion and abuse while ensuring an adequate supply … Continue Reading
July 17, 2019
Durbin Gives Pharma Fleece Award To Opioid Companies That Fueled Addiction Epidemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor, as part of his continued "Pharma Fleece Awards" series of floor speeches highlighting egregious cases of pharmaceutical industry greed, slammed drug manufacturers and distributors for igniting the nation's opioid addiction epidemic by flooding the United States with tens of billions of opioid doses. A story by the Washington Post published last night found that Big Pharma saturated the country with 76 billion oxycodone and … Continue Reading
July 16, 2019
Durbin To McConnell: Americans Want Action On Prescription Drug Prices, Not Foreign Tax Treaties
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor challenged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to end his legislative graveyard and bring bills to the floor that help lower the cost of prescription drugs for American families. This week, the Senate will vote on four different tax treaties with Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and Luxembourg. Durbin questioned why these treaties are more important to McConnell than working to hold pharmaceutical … Continue Reading
July 15, 2019
Durbin Introduces Bipartisan Bill To Speed Up Availability Of Generic Insulin
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the Affordable Insulin Approvals Now Act, a bipartisan bill to speed up approvals of lower-cost, generic, and "follow-on" insulin products in order to help lower costs of the life-saving drug. Approximately 7.5 million Americans with diabetes rely on insulin every day to survive, yet the drug has experienced a price increase of more than 600 percent over the past two decades in the United States. This legislation, introduced in the … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Durbin, Cramer, Smith Introduce Bill To Speed Up Availability Of Generic Insulin
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Tina Smith (D-MN) today introduced the Affordable Insulin Approvals Now Act, a bipartisan bill to speed up approvals of lower-cost, generic, and "follow-on" insulin products in order to help lower costs of the life-saving drug. Approximately 7.5 million Americans with diabetes rely on insulin every day to survive, yet the drug has experienced a price increase of more than 600 percent over the past two decades in the … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Durbin, Lee, Senators Press HHS About Public Health Impact Of "Fentanyl-Related" Scheduling
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kamala Harris (D-CA), all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a bipartisan letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar about their concerns that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have not adequately consulted with public health agencies in … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Durbin: We Must Hold Big Pharma Accountable For High Prices Of Insulin
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on the Senate floor slammed the pharmaceutical manufacturers of insulin for exorbitant price increases of more than 600 percent over the past two decades in the United States. Durbin met with Illinois youth members of JDRF (formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) today to hear their stories about dealing with the skyrocketing prices of this life-saving drug, and the importance of continuing to fund medical research into Type … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Durbin, Grassley Vow To Continue Push To Require Disclosure Of Drug Prices In TV Ads
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today released the following statements regarding a federal judge's ruling that direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements do not have to include the list price of the drug. "Apparently a little daylight is too much for Big Pharma. Rather than level with the American public about the sky-high cost of their drugs-when they run their non-stop ads-Pharma sued to block patients from knowing the price. A federal … Continue Reading
July 09, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Help Introduce Health Care Bill Of Rights
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Jeff Merkley and 14 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce a new resolution supporting a "health care bill of rights" for all Americans. Durbin and Duckworth introduced the health care bill of rights on the first day of oral arguments in Texas v. United States-a lawsuit brought by 18 Republican states Attorneys General, and endorsed by President Trump's Administration, that seeks to … Continue Reading
July 09, 2019
Durbin Statement on Trump Administration Lawsuit Against The Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on the first day of oral arguments in Texas v. United States-a lawsuit brought by 18 Republican state attorney generals, and endorsed by President Trump's Administration, that seeks to eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act, including important protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 20 million Americans gained health insurance - including more … Continue Reading
July 03, 2019
Durbin Calls On Congress To Protect And Strengthen The ACA, Not Undermine It
CHICAGO - With health care once again under attack, U.S Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today stood with advocates and individuals who have been helped by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to address the Trump Administration's latest lawsuit seeking to dismantle the health law and call on Congress to strengthen the ACA, not undermine it. Next week, oral arguments will be heard in the case of Texas v. United States-a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the entire ACA. If the Trump Administration and … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Demand Trump Administration Reverse Course And Uphold Protections Against Discrimination In Health Care
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 28 Senate Democrats, denounced the Trump Administration's efforts to allow health care discrimination, which would affect millions of people across the country. A recent rule proposed by the Trump Administration could scale back protections from an Obama-era civil rights law that protects communities who have historically faced discrimination. In a letter to Department … Continue Reading
June 19, 2019
Durbin: Pres. Trump & Republicans Are Threatening Millions Of American Families By Undermining Health Care System
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans on their continued efforts to destabilize and undermine America's health care system. Durbin cited the pending lawsuit, Texas v. United States, in which the Trump Administration is seeking to eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act, including important protections for people with pre-existing conditions. "Is it any wonder why we are concerned about the lawsuit … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Durbin, Capito, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Address Childhood Trauma
WASHINGTON - Building off sweeping federal legislation they passed in 2018 to help children exposed to trauma, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) today introduced bipartisan legislation to increase support for children who have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma, such as witnessing violence, parental addiction, or … Continue Reading