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 a… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Push For Robust Federal COBRA Subsidies In The Next COVID-19 Legislation With Chicago Federation Of Labor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Robert Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), 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 benefits. Experts estimate that 10 to 15 million of these newly unemployed individuals have also lost their employer-sponsored health insurance. Du… Continue Reading

Durbin Raises Racial & Ethnic Disparity In COVID-19 Pandemic During Call With CDC Director

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield about the alarming disparities among communities of color in COVID-19 mortality. During the call, Durbin mentioned his Chicago HEAL Initiative and a letter he sent to Dr. Redfield last week about funding for state and local efforts to bolster community workforce capacity for contact tracing and other outreach efforts in addressing this public h… Continue Reading

Durbin: Instead Of Responding To COVID-19 Pandemic, Senate Republicans Charging Ahead With Judicial Nomination Of Justin Walker

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Justin Walker to the D.C. Circuit Court, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for prioritizing this nomination over responding to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 70,000 Americans. Durbin noted that there are many important and timely COVID-19 topics that the Senate Judiciary Committee and its subcommittees should be focused on,… Continue Reading

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 workfor… Continue Reading

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 benefits.… Continue Reading

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 more… Continue Reading

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 repr… Continue Reading

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 Americ… Continue Reading

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 lives… Continue Reading

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 confi… Continue Reading

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 n… Continue Reading

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 messages … Continue Reading

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 - gra… Continue Reading

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 ta… Continue Reading

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 transferred … Continue Reading

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 Ra… Continue Reading

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 Ameri… Continue Reading

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 direct … Continue Reading

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 incr… Continue Reading