Press Releases
Durbin, Schakowsky Introduce Bill To Expand Health Care Workforce To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, today introduced 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 … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Durbin, Scott Continue To Press For Robust Federal COBRA Subsidies In The Next COVID-19 Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) joined a conference call with leaders from Third Way, Mathematica, Families USA, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, and Brookings, to discuss why Congress should provide federal subsidies for COBRA health care coverage as part of the next coronavirus relief package. Since the middle of March, more than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Durbin, Senate Dems Call Trump Administration's Testing Blueprint Insufficient, Insist Federal Government Release And Implement National Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), and 39 additional Senate Democrats today in sending a letter to President Trump, calling on his Administration to develop a comprehensive national strategic plan of action by May 24 to ensure states have sufficient tests to begin safely re-opening. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was diagnosed in Washington State on January 20, 2020. After 12 weeks, and the appearance of … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos, Kinzinger Discuss COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16) today, on a call with more than 30 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and leaders of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association and Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, 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 … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Durbin: If We Don't Address Racial Health Care Disparities, Shame On Us
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the racial and ethnic disparities in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and solutions for more equitable health care outcomes for communities of color. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin spoke about the systemic inequalities worsening this pandemic for communities of color in Illinois and urged his colleagues to finally step up and address these inequalities by improving access to health care for all … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin Statement On COVID-19 Cases At Rantoul Pork Processing Plant
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after reports that 20 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at Rantoul Foods in Rantoul, Illinois: "The President's recent executive order would require this plant in Rantoul to stay open, even after 20 employees have fallen ill to COVID-19. That ignores the health and safety realities of this pandemic. Meat plant workers-like so many others-are risking their … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin: Senate Should Be Focused On Public Health & Economic Crisis, Not Confirming Right-Wing Judges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today outlined what the Senate should be focused on as it reconvenes in Washington, D.C., including ramping up coronavirus testing, securing personal protective equipment for frontline workers, providing oversight of the Paycheck Protection Program, and expanding vote by mail ahead of the November election. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for being solely focused on … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $25 Million In Federal Funding To Help Illinois Health Centers Expand COVID-19 Testing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $25,226,505 in federal grants to support expanded COVID-19 testing at 45 Community Health Centers (CHCs) across the state. This funding comes from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which was signed into law on April 24th. Congressional Democrats fought to ensure that this legislation included a total of $25 billion in new funding to help improve our … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Harris Press For Emergency Funding To Combat Hate Crimes During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to ensure that communities have the resources necessary to combat hate-motivated violence following a documented increase in hateful incidents and … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Call For $26 Billion In Next Coronavirus Relief Package To Support Research Workforce
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and 31 of their Senate colleagues today in advocating for protections for the U.S. scientific research community during the coronavirus pandemic. Although coronavirus-related research is a current federal government priority, most other research has slowed or stopped due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research workforce - … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Durbin, Takano, Brown, Jayapal, Warren Unveil Plan To Grant Full Student Loan Discharges To Defrauded Student Borrowers In Next COVID-19 Relief Package
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-41), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), today announced a plan that will grant full student loan discharges to three specific emergency categories of defrauded student borrowers. The plan would require eligible loans to be discharged within 30 days of enactment and provides timelines for the Department of Education to … Continue Reading
May 02, 2020
Durbin, Menendez Press Trump Administration On Deportation Of COVID-19 Positive Migrants
WASHINGTON - Following reports documenting that the Administration has deported dozens of Guatemalan, Mexican, and Haitian nationals who tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in their home countries, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 13 of their Senate colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to mandate COVID-19 testing for all migrants before they are deported or … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Durbin To Illinois Meat Processing Companies: How Will You Protect Workers From COVID-19 Infection In Light Of President Trump's Executive Order?
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, wrote letters to five Illinois meat processing companies today asking them to provide information about how they plan to protect workers from COVID-19 infections in the aftermath of President Trump's executive order to keep meat plants open during the pandemic. In a letter to JBS in Beardstown, Tysons Meats in Hillsdale, Smithfield Foods in Monmouth, Aurora Packing Company in North Aurora, and … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Tax Credit Expansion To Help Working Families During Coronavirus Economic Downturn
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in leading a group of 34 other Senators in a letter to Senate Leaders calling for a temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the next coronavirus relief package. As the economic effects of COVID-19 are expected to last into next year, this would put money back in the pockets of working … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Illinois Community Health Centers
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, on a call with CEOs from Illinois Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Jordan Powell, President and CEO of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA), discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how CHCs are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin thanked the CHC representatives for everything their centers and health workers have done so far to help Illinoisans and pledged he would continue to push for a … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With 10th District Residents & Cook County Commissioner Gainer
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a community conference call with 10th District residents and Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer to discuss COVID-19 relief and how the pandemic is continuing to affect local governments, small businesses, and essential services. Durbin also discussed his support for an extension of the 2020 Census, food insecurity, unemployment insurance, and helping communities of color access testing. "Illinois' local governments are facing … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Durbin To UFCW Members: Worker Health And Safety At Meat Plants During Pandemic Is A Top Priority
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke with the United Food and Culinary Workers (UFCW) to discuss President Donald Trump's executive order to keep meat-processing plants operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin shared his concerns that the executive order ignores the health and safety recommendations of public health experts. He also discussed his support for more personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing for meat … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With VA Secretary Wilkie
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic with Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie. Durbin urged Wilkie to provide more personal protective equipment (PPE) at VA Medical Centers in Illinois for staff and residents who are battling outbreaks. As of April 30, the VA has 8,597 positive veteran cases of COVID-19 nationwide, including 229 at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 106 at Hines VA Medical Center, and … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Durbin Calls On Illinois Education Professionals To Sound The Alarm On For-Profit Colleges
SPRINGFIELD - With high school seniors weighing options about their educational futures during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges. For-profit colleges enroll only eight percent of post-secondary students, but they account for 33 percent of all federal student loan defaults. In … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Durbin, Perdue, Young, Coons To Introduce Bipartisan Bill Addressing Shortage Of Doctors, Nurses
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, along with Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Chris Coons (D-DE) today announced they will introduce bipartisan legislation, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to provide a temporary stopgap to quickly address our nation's shortage of doctors and nurses, which poses a significant risk to our ability to effectively respond to the COVID-19 … Continue Reading