Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Slams Congressional Republicans For Refusing To Address Health Care Costs As Tuesday’s Elections Prove Americans Are Rejecting President Trump’s Policies
WASHINGTON - As open enrollment has begun and Americans across the country are seeing the rise in their monthly premiums, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about the health care affordability crisis, which has been manufactured by congressional Republicans as they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and end the government shutdown. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, … Continue Reading
November 04, 2025
Durbin Slams Congressional Republicans For Refusing To Address Health Care Costs As Americans Are Notified Of Rising Premiums
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senate Democrats in speaking on the floor about the health care affordability crisis, which has been manufactured by congressional Republicans as they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and end the government shutdown. If these credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans are expected to lose their health care coverage, including more … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Department Of Insurance Director To Discuss Skyrocketing Aca Premiums As Republicans Fail To Work With Democrats To Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met virtually with the Illinois Department of Insurance Director, Ann Gillespie, to discuss the skyrocketing premium increase for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans. Instead of meeting with Democrats to address this health care crisis, Republicans have shut down the federal government. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans are expected to lose their … Continue Reading
October 29, 2025
Durbin Slams Republicans For Having No Plan To Reduce Health Care Costs For Americans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor demanding that congressional Republicans work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which allow tens of millions of Americans nationwide to afford their health insurance premiums. Instead of meeting with Democrats to address this health care crisis, Republicans have shut down the federal government. If these enhanced tax credits are allowed … Continue Reading
October 27, 2025
As Illinoisans Are Notified Of Their Rising Health Care Premiums, Durbin Slams Republicans For Failing To Address Expiring ACA Tax Credits
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor as Illinoisans with marketplace health plans begin to receive notifications that their health insurance premiums for 2026 will skyrocket an average of nearly 80 percent because congressional Republicans have refused to work with Democrats to save the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. If Republicans allow these tax credits to lapse, more than four million Americans … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin Meets With The Association of American Cancer Institutes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Association of American Cancer Institutes’ (AACI) President, Dr. Robert Winn, to discuss the Trump Administration’s devastating cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Trump Administration has frozen or cancelled billions in NIH grant funding; fired thousands of NIH staffers; and proposed a Fiscal Year 2026 budget that requests a 40 percent cut to medical research … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Durbin On ACA Premium Crisis: No American Should Be Forced To Choose Between Their Home And Health Care
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor criticizing congressional Republicans for allowing the government shutdown to continue because their caucus refuses to negotiate with Senate Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. If these enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans could lose their health coverage, and more than 20 … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Durbin Slams Senate Republicans For Failing To Address Rising Health Care Costs For American Families
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor criticizing congressional Republicans for allowing the government shutdown to continue because their caucus refuses to negotiate with Senate Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. If these tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans could lose their health coverage, and more than 20 million Americans … Continue Reading
October 08, 2025
Durbin Urges Republicans To Work With Democrats To Address The Imminent Health Care Increases
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor urging Congressional Republicans to finally work with Democrats to fund the government and address the imminent health care crisis if the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire. Republicans have shut down the government and gone on a prolonged summer vacation, despite the fact that health care costs are about to spike dramatically for tens of millions of Americans. Democrats are … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Statement On Republican-Led Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Tonight, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to secure a bipartisan deal to keep the government open past tonight’s deadline. Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress. “Tonight, President Trump and congressional Republicans made clear they would rather shut down the government than address their … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Shutdown And Their Refusal To Negotiate To Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today condemning the Republicans’ refusal to negotiate with Democrats on the government funding deadline. Absent Republicans deciding to negotiate in the final hours, at midnight tonight, September 30, 2025, the appropriations for the federal government will lapse, and the government will shut down. Durbin began by emphasizing that the last government shutdown occurred under President Trump’s … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Health Care Affordability Crisis And Their Refusal To Address It In Government Funding Debate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today highlighting the health care crisis that President Trump and congressional Republicans are perpetrating on the American people—including the damage done by the Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Trump Administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Republicans’ reconciliation package cut $1 trillion of Medicaid funds, and the Trump … Continue Reading
September 30, 2025
Durbin Calls For Extension Of ACA Tax Credits To Protect Americans’ Access To Health Care As Government Funding Deadline Looms
WASHINGTON - Last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits as part of any bipartisan compromise to fund the government beyond September 30, 2025. During his remarks, Durbin warned of the implications of allowing these tax credits to expire, which would result in more than four million Americans losing their health insurance coverage and 20 million more facing … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Durbin, Cramer, Schneider, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill Addressing Shortage Of Doctors, Nurses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to quickly address our nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses. The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would recapture 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for physicians that … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Durbin: RFK Jr. is a Danger to the Children of America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor slamming Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for unjustly firing Dr. Monarez from her position as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after she pushed back against Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous skepticism of vaccines and medical research. In his remarks, Durbin emphasized that Secretary Kennedy’s crusade to spread distrust in safe and effective vaccines and to … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Durbin Slams Republican Party's Failure To Extend The Affordable Care Act's Enhanced Subsidies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor yesterday highlighting the dangers of the upcoming expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. First created in 2021 as part of theAmerican Rescue Plan, these credits have reduced the price of health insurance for millions of Americans, but they are now in jeopardy due to congressional Republicans’ callous inaction. Durbin began his speech by recounting his experience … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
Durbin Meets With Cook County Board Of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, and Cook County Health Leadership
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Cook Country Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, as well as leadership of Cook County Health to discuss Medicaid cuts in President Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). They also discussed President Trump’s continued attacks on Chicago, in addition to his deployment of ICE agents to the city on Monday as part of his newly announced “Operation Midway Blitz.” “The Trump Administration, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2025
Durbin Meets With Lurie Children's Hospital CEO To Discuss Medicaid Cuts In Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Lurie Children’s Hospital CEO, Dr. Tom Shanley, to discuss Medicaid cuts in President Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). They also discussed the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal. In light of HHS Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous vaccine misinformation crusade, they also discussed how … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Durbin Condemns Republicans' So-called 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' That Rips 15 Million Americans Off Their Health Care To Fund Tax Breaks For Billionaires
WASHINGTON - Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a rebuke of congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which slashes approximately $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation and congressional Republicans’ failure to address expiring health care subsidies, up to 17 million Americans are projected to … Continue Reading
September 03, 2025
Durbin Meets With Illinois Dental Associations As Trump Administration Slashes Critical Funding For Medicaid, Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sat down with leadership of Delta Dental of Illinois and the Delta Dental Plans Association to discuss expanding access to dental care as congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration continue to attack critical health care programs by slashing $1 trillion in funding for Medicaid and more than $300 billion from the Affordable Care Act over the next decade. “Dental care is a critical, but often-overlooked, part of … Continue Reading