Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Announces $82 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Children's Health Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $82,238,025 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for crucial health and human services programs that help to provide care for children and prevent disease. Today's funding is part of a $2.3 billion nationwide announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services to support child care for working families and ensure that more underserved Americans … Continue Reading
April 07, 2009
Addressing the Global Food Crisis
Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Senator Richard J. Durbin I want to thank my friend Dan Glickman for that generous introduction - and for his and Cathy Bertini's tireless leadership in the fight against global poverty and hunger. I want to thank them, in particular, for their leadership on The Chicago Initiative on Global Agricultural Development. I also want to acknowledge and thank Marshall Bouton for his leadership of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The … Continue Reading
April 02, 2009
On World Autism Day, Durbin, Casey, Menendez Introduce Bill to Establish a National Comprehensive Autism Strategy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On a day designated by the United Nations to highlight the growing global health crisis of autism, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Robert Menendez (D- NJ) today introduced legislation that would create a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of families affected by autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Treatment Acceleration Act requires health insurers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of … Continue Reading
April 01, 2009
Durbin, Kennedy, DeGette & Platts Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Smoking Prevention Efforts
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) joined U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO-1) and Todd Platts (R-PA-19) today in introducing companion pieces of legislation in the Senate and the House that provide Medicare and Medicaid coverage to tobacco cessation treatments for senior citizens, people with disabilities and low-income adults. Each year, tobacco use kills an estimated 438,000 Americans-about 1 in 5 of all deaths in the United States. … Continue Reading
March 27, 2009
Durbin Announes $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers … Continue Reading
March 27, 2009
Durbin Announces $15 Million for Community Health Centers in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that 36 community health centers in Illinois will receive $15,181,564 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants, allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be used to expand services offered by adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. "Health centers provide a … Continue Reading
March 24, 2009
Durbin, Collins, Schakowsky Introduce Bill to Improve Mental Health Services on College Campuses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act creates a competitive grant program that would provide funding to colleges to focus on both outreach to identify students with mental health needs and treatment of students coming to counseling centers … Continue Reading
March 23, 2009
Durbin Announces $78.8 Million in Recovery Act Funding for VA Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) facilities located in Illinois will receive $78,827,369 in funding for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding, allocated through the Veterans Health Administration, will be used for upgrades and repairs at six VA hospitals, construction at three VA extended care facilities and repairs and equipment purchases at seven VA cemeteries. … Continue Reading
March 18, 2009
Durbin Announces Over $3.7 Million to Provide Meals to Illinois Seniors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $3,770,526 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide meals to thousands of low-income seniors in need. Today's funding will also assist communities and the national aging services network in restoring nutrition services that have been cut and restoring positions which may have been eliminated or reduced. The funding is distributed as follows: … Continue Reading
March 17, 2009
Renewing American Leadership on the Global Water Crisis
Remarks by Senator Richard J. Durbin Renewing American Leadership on the Global Water Crisis To the Center for Strategic and International Studies Russell Caucus Room, United States Senate March 17, 2009 **as prepared for delivery** I want to thank John Hamre for that generous introduction, and thank my friend, Congressman Earl Blumenauer for his inspiring leadership in our efforts to bring clean water and basic sanitation to the world. Congressman Blumenauer was the … Continue Reading
March 17, 2009
Durbin, Cochran, Space and Bilirakis Introduce Legislation to Expand Congenital Heart Disease Research
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined with Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Representatives Zack Space (D-OH) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) to introduce bipartisan legislation that increases awareness, education and research into congenital heart disease - a rapidly growing national health problem. The Congenital Heart Futures Act aims to prevent premature death and disability and increase the quality of life for the nearly 1.8 million people in the … Continue Reading
March 17, 2009
Durbin: Water Crisis a "Mortal and Long-Term Threat" to Global Health, Stability
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered remarks on the global water crisis today and introduced legislation to dramatically improve access to clean water and sanitation. "Access to safe drinking water is a right that everyone in the world ought to enjoy but too few are able to realize," Durbin said. "Water access is no longer simply a global health and development issue; it is a mortal and long-term threat that is increasingly becoming a national … Continue Reading
March 10, 2009
Congress Gives Approval to Nearly $230 Million in Funding for Illinois Projects
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Omnibus Appropriations Act that was approved today by Congress includes $229,727,154 in funding for Illinois projects. SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS: CHICAGO TRANSIT ($36 MILLION): Today's legislation includes over $36 million in funding to create a new transit line, the Circle line, in Chicago and expand transit service along the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) … Continue Reading
March 10, 2009
Durbin, Cochran Introduce Legislation to Help Organ Transplant Patients
[Washington, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the quality of life for people with kidney disease. The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Transplant Patients Act would assist thousands of Americans under the age of 65 who are being cut off from Medicare payments for drug therapy after 36 months by extending coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant … Continue Reading
March 06, 2009
Durbin and Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Legislation to Provide Support to Families of Severely Disabled Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing legislation to provide essential support services to family caregivers of severely disabled veterans. The Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009 establishes a program to provide technical, financial and practical support to family caregivers of veterans or members of the Armed Forces seriously injured in the line of duty since September 11, 2001. Durbin … Continue Reading
March 03, 2009
Durbin, Gregg, Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Comprehensive Bill to Reform FDA's Food Safety Systems
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) today introduced bipartisan legislation that will dramatically improve the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the safety of the nation's food supply. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act will give the FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation's food safety systems. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), … Continue Reading
February 26, 2009
Durbin: President Obama's Budget Restores Responsibility and Invests in the Future
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget President Obama delivered to Congress today is an important break past policies and responsibly invests in the future of the country. "We've inherited a mess - the result of mistaken policies, misplaced priorities and an era of profound irresponsibility," Durbin said. "This irresponsibility ends right now. The President's budget is up-front and honest about the challenges we face and makes the tough choices necessary to … Continue Reading
February 26, 2009
Durbin, Lowey Introduce Legislation to Address Nationwide Nursing Shortage
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Citing a report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that predicts the United States will face a shortage of more than one million nurses by 2020, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation in the Senate - Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) will introduce companion legislation in the House next week - to address one of the major causes of the nationwide nursing shortage - an insufficient number of nurse educators. Last year, nursing … Continue Reading
July 23, 2008
Durbin Introduces Bill to Improve Mental Health Services on College Campuses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today introduced legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act creates a competitive grant program that would provide funding to colleges to focus on both outreach to identify students with mental health needs and treatment of students coming to counseling centers for help. "The shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech focused national attention on college … Continue Reading
April 19, 2007
S. 1172: Hunger Free Communities Act
Mr. President, President Eisenhower once stated, ``Every gun that is made, every warship that is launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in armaments is not spending its money alone: it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.'' In as trying a time as we live in today, his statement cannot ring more true. We are in … Continue Reading