Press Releases
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $70 Million to Support Illinois Airports Amid COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that airports throughout Illinois will receive a total of $69,995,370 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds - which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted. "The aviation industry is facing the … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Telehealth Funding Available to Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau is now accepting applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. The program will provide $200 million in funding, which was appropriated by Congress as part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to help health care providers deliver services to patients at their homes or mobile … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Delegation Discuss COVID-19 Response with Chicago Mayor Lightfoot
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with several members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot about Chicago's ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and how they can continue to assist her efforts to protect Illinoisans. The group discussed how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act can provide Illinois families and businesses with relief during the pandemic, and what should … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Warren, Colleagues to Introduce Bicameral Bill to Require Federal Government to Collect and Report National COVID-19 Demographic Data
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), is introducing the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect and report racial and other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and fatality rates nationwide, and provide a summary of the final statistics and a report to Congress within 60 days after the end of the public health … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues to USDA: Provide Assistance to Specialty Crop Providers During Pandemic
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and 27 Senate colleagues, sent a bipartisan letter calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to ensure that specialty crop producers receive financial assistance from losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Illinois is the number one producer of two specialty crops: pumpkins and horseradish. Illinois is also in the top … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, on a call with more than 20 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and AJ Wilhelmi, President of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin thanked the hospital representatives for everything their hospitals and health workers have done so far to help Illinois patients and pledged he would continue to push for a direct and … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With SEIU Healthcare
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on American workers with President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas, Greg Kelley. During the call, Durbin asked about nursing home and home care workers' challenges during the public health crisis, including securing personal protective equipment and hazard pay. Durbin discussed his proposal for the fourth coronavirus relief package that would have the federal government … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Carper, Duckworth, Foster, Schneider Ask EPA to Improve Communication of Public Health Risks of EtO Emissions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fully adopt the EPA Inspector General (IG) directive to improve its efforts to communicate the potential health risks associated with ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions to at-risk communities, and submit a corrective action plan that includes milestones, … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $218 Million for Illinois Colleges to Provide Emergency Aid to Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $218 million to Illinois institutions of higher education for emergency financial aid to students. The funding - which comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will be used to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation to Trump Administration: Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Cases & Deaths are Unacceptable
WASHINGTON - Today, the Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing strong concerns regarding the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. The members cited that while black residents make up nearly 15 percent of the state's total population, they account for 43 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. The situation in Chicago is … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss DOD Coronavirus Response With Defense Secretary Esper
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, today spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper about the military's COVID-19 response efforts. During today's call, Durbin and Duckworth pressed Secretary Esper for military personnel to help staff the field hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago. Five hundred beds are available at … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief Bill With Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities (FIICU) President Dave Tretter about provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that will offer support to private, not-for-profit colleges and universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin discussed the Education Stabilization Fund, established by the CARES Act, which will provide direct assistance to institutions … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Bipartisan Senators Press USDA to Provide Relief for Local Farmers During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Trump Administration to provide relief for local farmers who are struggling as the nation works to combat the spread of COVID-19. In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators urged USDA to ensure that a portion of the $9.5 billion they … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 & CARES Act Relief with United Way of Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and financial relief for nonprofits in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act with United Way of Illinois and leaders of nonprofit organizations. Durbin spoke about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in the CARES Act that can provide assistance through forgivable, 100 percent guaranteed loans to eligible small businesses and 501(c)(3) nonprofits with less than 500 … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Democratic Colleagues Press Trump Administration to Ensure Workers Receive Unemployment Benefits
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in leading 30 of their Democratic colleagues today in pressing the Department of Labor to ensure workers Congress intended to be covered by the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program receive the benefits they deserve. "[P]arts of the guidance appear narrow or ambiguous, which could make states think they need to exclude workers who Congress clearly intended to … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Durbin Statement on DeVos Settlement in Borrower Defense Lawsuit
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education promised to process student loan forgiveness claims for nearly 170,000 borrowers within 18 months as part of a proposed settlement announced Friday in a federal lawsuit: "One hundred seventy thousand defrauded student loan borrowers won big yesterday in federal court thanks to a settlement that forces Secretary DeVos to finally process claims for relief. … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More than $1.2 Billion in CARES Act Funding for Illinois Hospitals and Health Providers
SPRINGFIELD - 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 hospitals and health providers a total of $1,204,103,180 in grant funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide relief and support ongoing treatment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's funding is part of the CARES Act's "Marshall Pan," which included $100 billion for … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Response In Illinois with Army Secretary McCarthy
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, spoke with U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy today to discuss the Army's COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois. Durbin and Duckworth asked about operations at the McCormick Place Field Hospital and ongoing U.S. Army efforts to support Illinois frontline health care … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Press Trump Administration for Information on Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, today raised serious concerns about the Trump Administration's reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the President has declared a national emergency and mobilized the Federal Emergency Management … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Protect Our Care Illinois Chapter
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the Protect Our Care Illinois Chapter, a leading statewide group of Affordable Care Act (ACA), consumer, and health care advocates. Durbin spoke about the provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that have helped increase health care access and coverage and protect frontline health care workers fighting the pandemic in Illinois. Durbin also discussed … Continue Reading