Press Releases
Durbin, Colleagues Urge HHS To Provide Transparency On Distribution Of Remdesivir
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led 12 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking transparency and information regarding the distribution process for the COVID-19 therapeutic remdesivir. Durbin and the Senators cited significant concerns raised by hospitals, health providers, patients, and medical societies regarding the opaque process under which the federal government is determining distribution of remdesivir, … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin Calls On Senate Colleagues To Support The HEROES Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged his Republican colleagues to support the Heroes Act, Congressional Democrats' proposal for the next coronavirus economic stimulus package. The legislation increases aid for our health care system and state and local governments, extends unemployment insurance benefits, helps keep laid-off workers on their employer health plans, provides additional direct payments, and extends hazard pay to … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Democratic Caucus To Fight For American's Health Care & Slam Republican Efforts To Rip Coverage From Millions Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus to file an amicus brief in the case of California v. Texas (formerly Texas v. Azar), the case brought by several Republican Attorneys General and supported by the Trump Administration, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court and represents a direct threat to the Affordable Care Act and health care coverage for hundreds of millions of Americans. Senate Democrats argue … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin Honors Aurora "Cross Man" Greg Zanis On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) honored the life of Aurora, Illinois, resident Greg Zanis, who was known as "The Cross Man". Zanis passed away last week after a fight with terminal cancer. For 20 years, Zanis hand-made and personally delivered 27,000 handmade memorials - wooden crosses, Stars of David, and crescent moons - at sites of mass shootings or natural disasters to honor the fallen. "You may never have heard his name, but chances are, you … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin: Congress Must Support The Immigrant Health Heroes On The Frontlines Of COVID-19
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on his colleagues to support the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, legislation to quickly address the plight of immigrant doctors and nurses … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Introduce VoteSafe Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Representatives James Clyburn (D-SC-6) and Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) to introduce the VoteSafe Act, legislation to expand voting options and improve the safety and accessibility of polling places across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Voting is foundational to our democracy, and during an election year, the coronavirus pandemic has created additional obstacles to … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Durbin: We Need Federal Workplace Safety Standards To Protect Workers And Consumers During COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that examined Republican proposals to give businesses liability immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the hearing, Durbin said that protecting health and safety must be the first priority, not giving corporations immunity when people get sick or when workers are forced to work in unsafe conditions. "I wish this hearing was entitled 'why has our government failed to … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Durbin Statement On Introduction Of Democratic Coronavirus Economic Stimulus Package
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding introduction of the Heroes Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional Democrats' legislation for the next coronavirus economic stimulus package: "Tragically, more than 80,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19, and more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs in the economic fallout. Working families are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Durbin, Grassley, Booker Call On Ninth Circuit To Uphold Congressional Intent Of First Step Act Provision In Bipartisan Amicus Brief
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), lead authors and sponsors of the First Step Act - landmark criminal justice reform legislation - today submitted a bipartisan Amicus Brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States of America v Alan L. Mapuatuli, a case related to the reduction of the second strike and third strike drug mandatory minimums. The bipartisan Brief argues that Congress intended the First Step Act (FSA) to … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Durbin To McConnell: Stand By Workers First, Not Corporations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the importance of putting worker health and safety first as we deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin criticized Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) demand to give corporations legal immunity from COVID-19 related liability before considering another COVID-19 emergency aid bill for small businesses, state and local governments, and health care providers. Durbin … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Durbin, Colleagues Announce Bill To Improve Medicare Payments Program And Provide Financial Relief For Health Care Providers On Frontlines Of COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) today to announce that they'll introduce legislation to reduce interest rates and modify repayment obligations for health care providers who've sought financial assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic through Medicare's Accelerated and Advance Payments Program. This program was expanded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to allow for hospitals, … Continue Reading
May 11, 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 11, 2020
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Group Of Senators In Urging Indemnity Support For Pork Producers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today in sending a bipartisan letter with 12 of their Senate colleagues to Congressional leaders seeking additional funding for programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would assist pork producers faced with depopulating livestock herds because of restaurant and meat processing plant closures during the pandemic. "The crisis is immediate. Pork … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Durbin, Smith 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) introduced 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, signed into law in March, 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 … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Durbin: Unimaginable That President Trump & Republicans Are Continuing Efforts To Eliminate ACA During Global Health Pandemic
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans for their continued efforts to eliminate the Affordable Care Act amid a global health pandemic. Durbin cited the pending Supreme Court case in which the Trump Administration and Republican-led states are seeking to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, which would rip health insurance away from 20 million Americans and eliminate … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats To Trump Administration: Stop Playing Politics With The U.S. Postal Service
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) in leading a group of 27 Senators in sending a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, urging him to reject politically motivated conditions on financial relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which is a critical lifeline for many Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senators also expressed their strong opposition to the use of COVID-19 as a pretext to … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Durbin, Merkley, Colleagues Urge SBA And Treasury To Reject Payday Lenders From Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), urged the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department to reject requests from payday lenders to gain eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In a letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Senators warned that payday lenders target the … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Northwestern University President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke with Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro and Interim Vice President for Research Milan Mrksich to discuss the response of higher education to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin also talked with Schapiro and Mrksich about continuing to fund research at Northwestern University's Center for Synthetic Biology, which is developing a quick-screen device to test for COVID-19 or similar infectious diseases. "For many college … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Durbin: United States Cannot Step Away From World Effort To Find Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the importance of continuing to work with the global community to fight the coronavirus pandemic and support the development of a vaccine. Durbin spoke about the shortsightedness of the Trump Administration's refusal to join countries around the world this week to discuss how to raise funds to research, manufacture, and distribute a possible vaccine and treatments to COVID-19. Durbin also slammed President Trump's … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Durbin Highlights Immigrant Health Heroes On The Frontlines Of COVID-19 On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on Senate Republicans to support the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers … Continue Reading