Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin, Schakowsky: SNAP Benefits Provide Critical Safety New for Country's Most Vulnerable
[CHICAGO] - As the House of Representatives threatens to slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) met today with SNAP beneficiaries and program advocates to discuss SNAP's vital importance to the most vulnerable Americans. "At a time when one out of every seven households struggles to keep food on the table, SNAP has responded by providing over 47 million Americans with essential … Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Durbin, Blumenthal: With Adverse Event Reporting on the Rise, Legislation Needed to Protect Consumers of Dietary Supplements
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced legislation that would help consumers distinguish between dietary supplements that are safe and those that have potentially serious side-effects or drug interactions. Recent investigative reports by "USA Today" and "Rock Center" have exposed the lack of information about dietary supplement products while they are on store shelves. With no authority to require information about a dietary … Continue Reading
July 31, 2013
Durbin: Energy Drink Companies Should Not Market Their Products to Children Under 18
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered opening remarks at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee examining the potential health risks of energy drinks and the marketing of these products to youth. Senator Durbin's remarks as prepared are below. A live webcast of today's hearing is available on the Commerce Committee website: http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/ Durbin coauthored a report entitled "What's all the Buzz about?" that shows inconsistencies in the … Continue Reading
July 31, 2013
Durbin to Raise Concerns Over Energy Drinks at Commerce Committee Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) will deliver an opening statement today at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee examining the potential health risks of energy drinks and the marketing of these products to youth. The hearing will also present an opportunity for members to review an investigative report, released by Durbin and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ed Markey (D-MA) that revealed evidence of energy drink marketing practices that … Continue Reading
July 30, 2013
Durbin Raises Concerns Regarding Safety of Dietary Supplements on Senate Floor
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding questions raised by an article published in USA Today that featured a dietary supplement that contained the chemical DNP - a hazardous pesticide that was used as a weight-loss drug before it was declared toxic for humans. Durbin spoke about the need to ensure that consumers are able to make informed decisions, and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the information it needs to respond … Continue Reading
May 06, 2013
Durbin, Maloney Re-Introduce Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act today, which will allow employees to take unpaid leave to care for a same-sex spouse or partner, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent. "Regardless of the make-up of one's family, all employees should be given the same rights to care for a sick loved one in a time of need," Durbin said. "For 20 … Continue Reading
April 26, 2013
Senators Durbin, Lautenberg, Harkin, and Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Stop Tobacco Smuggling, Close Tobacco Tax Loopholes, and Increase Federal Tobacco Taxes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the "Tobacco Tax and Enforcement Reform Act," legislation that would reduce illegal tobacco trafficking, eliminate tax disparities between different tobacco products, and increase the federal excise tax rate on tobacco products. The legislation lays out a comprehensive set of reforms that would help the federal government and states collect … Continue Reading
April 10, 2013
Durbin, Markey, Blumenthal: Energy Drinks Report Shows Labeling, Marketingf, Ingredients Create Questionable Concoction for Consumers
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Three Democratic lawmakers today released a report entitled, What's all the Buzz about?, that shows inconsistencies in the labeling and classification of energy drinks, extensive marketing to adolescents and young adults through social media and events, and high caffeine levels that exceed the level considered safe in soda by the Food and Drug Administration. The report was compiled using responses from fourteen energy drink companies received by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) and … Continue Reading
March 27, 2013
Durbin, Waxman Urge Poison Control Centers to Share Data on Dietary Supplements with the FDA at No Extra Cost to Taxpayers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - While recognizing that both the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are providing important services under serious budgetary constraints, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) today called on the AAPCC to share dietary supplement data with the FDA at no additional cost to taxpayers. While poison control center data may help detect harmful products and identify safety … Continue Reading
March 22, 2013
Senators Urge FDA to Act Quickly to Develop New Tobacco Warning Labels
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging quick action to develop new graphic warning labels for cigarette packages and advertising. Earlier this week, the FDA and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced they would not appeal a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that vacated an … Continue Reading
March 19, 2013
Durbin, Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Protect Medicare Card Holders from Identity Theft
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced legislation to require the federal government to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare identification cards and communications to Medicare beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers the Medicare program, has fallen behind most other public and private organizations in recognizing the danger of displaying Social Security numbers. The … Continue Reading
March 01, 2013
Durbin: Sequester Poses Imminent Threat to Bio-Medical Research in Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] - Illinois' leading research universities and hospitals stand to lose nearly $40 million in funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) as a result of the sequestration budget cuts that take hold today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said at a news conference at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Illinois received a total of $746 million in NIH funding last year. "Sequestration was meant as a budget threat, not a budget strategy, and the cuts to … Continue Reading
December 06, 2012
Durbin, Blumenthal: FDA Taking Energy Drink Concerns Seriously
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After a meeting with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today said they are confident that the FDA is taking their concerns about energy drinks seriously. The Senators said: "At our meeting the FDA made it clear it is moving forward in a number of areas to protect vulnerable populations against high levels of caffeine in energy drinks. The energy drink makers are … Continue Reading
November 27, 2012
Durbin, Blumenthal: FDA Reviewing Safety of Caffeinated Energy Drinks and their Additives
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In response to a series of letters from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that they are currently reviewing the safety of energy drinks containing caffeine and other ingredients that act as stimulants and may require regulatory action if evidence of a health risk is found. Since April, both Senators have been calling on the FDA to take action to regulate energy drinks and to … Continue Reading
November 15, 2012
Citing Rising Public Health Concerns About Energy Drinks, Durbin, Blumenthal Call for Meeting with FDA to Discuss Action Plan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received a total of 18 adverse event reports of fatalities following the consumption of 5-Hour Energy and Monster energy drink, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called for a meeting with the FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, to discuss the steps the agency is taking to ensure the safety of these products. "Over the past year, there has been alarming … Continue Reading
November 14, 2012
Durbin, Emanuel Announces $100,000 Federal Grant to Increase Availability of Locally Grown Produce in Chicago Public Schools
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the Department of Agriculture has awarded $100,000 in funding to Chicago Public Schools District 299 to help make more locally grown produce available in their school cafeterias. This "Farm to School" grant will be used to fund a school garden program to teach students about agriculture and nutrition and to provide schools with fresh produce for healthy lunches. The funding will also be … Continue Reading
September 12, 2012
Durbin, Blumenthal Once Again Ask FDA to Address Their Energy Drink Concerns
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today asked the Food and Drug Administration to respond to their specific concerns regarding the interaction of ingredients in energy drinks and the effect that the caffeine in energy drinks has on children and adolescents. In April, Durbin sent a similar letter to the FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg; however, both Senators felt that the FDA's response did not fully address the specific concerns that were … Continue Reading
July 25, 2012
Durbin Announces an Over $150,000 Investment in Illinois First Responder Capabilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has made a $151,966 investment in three fire departments in Illinois. Today's funding will help support and improve the capability of each department to respond to fires and other types of emergencies. "Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens," Durbin said. "As these brave men and … Continue Reading
July 17, 2012
Durbin Chairs Hearing on Safety and Effectiveness of Flame Retardant Chemicals
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Dick Durbin (D-IL), chaired a hearing on the safety and effectiveness of flame retardant chemicals today, following a Chicago Tribune four-part investigative report on flame retardant chemicals and furniture flammability standards. The hearing focused on whether those chemicals and flammability standards are adequately protecting consumers and the … Continue Reading
July 16, 2012
Durbin, Kirk: FRA Takes Action to Increase Track Safety During Extreme Weather Events
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) commended the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for stepping up efforts to increase track safety during extreme weather events - like the excessive heat earlier this month that caused a Union Pacific train derailment and bridge collapse at the Northbrook-Glenview border. Earlier today, the FRA issued a safety advisory which contained guidance that would help ensure railroads and safety agencies are adequately … Continue Reading