Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $116 Million for Public Health Infrastructure in Illinois
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $116,754,640 to public health departments in Illinois through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program. This funding was made available from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which Congress passed in 2021 without a single Republican vote.
This first-of-its-kind funding provides flexible awards directly to state, local, and territorial health departments, to help ensure they have the people, services, and systems they need to promote and protect health in their communities—including resources to recruit, retain, and train their workforce.
“Whether responding to emerging viral threats like COVID-19 or RSV, preventing violence and opioid overdoses, or protecting the safety of our food supply, public health leaders in Illinois play a vital role in the wellbeing of our community,” Durbin said. “The funding announced today will help our public health departments navigate current challenges and prepare for future ones. It’s also an investment in the people who are on the front lines of public health, working to keep our communities safe.”
“Public health workers have dealt with so much throughout the pandemic and now, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, they’re getting more resources needed to continue their great work serving the people of Illinois and ensuring working families have accessible healthcare,” Duckworth said. “This infusion of American Rescue Plan support will further help the Illinois and Chicago Departments of Public Health address Illinoisans’ current medical needs, and help protect folks’ health in the time ahead.”
The CDC funding will be divided between the Illinois and Chicago Departments of Public Health:
- Illinois Department of Public Health: $87,945,708
- Chicago Department of Public Health: $28,808,932
-30-