Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin, Underwood Discuss Maternal Health Care At UIC Maternal Health Research Center Of Excellence
CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) for a roundtable discussion with health care professionals about UIC’s selection by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence to develop innovative approaches to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths. “Every year in the U.S. we lose approximately one thousand pregnant or postpartum women. I… Continue Reading
07.02.24
Durbin, Duckworth, Applaud NIH's Announcement Of UIC As Newest Maternal Health Research Center Of Excellence
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) applauded the announcement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that it has awarded two new grants to expand its Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence, including one at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Launched last year as part of NIH’s Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, the Centers of Excellence develop and evaluate … Continue Reading
06.28.24
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4.4 Million In Medical Research Grants For Illinois
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4,452,852 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions. A large portion of the funding will be put towards research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from cancer research to metabolic research. “Federal investment in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatments for… Continue Reading
06.28.24
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $6.2 Million In Health Care Related Grants For Illinois
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $6,218,045 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions. The funding will be put towards programs across the state to support efforts to improve health equity. “While we continue to make strides in the medical and health care fields, there are still clear inequities in outcomes that we must address,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced funding … Continue Reading
06.28.24
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $525,000 In Federal HHS Grants For Lawrence County Department Of Health
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded President Joe Biden’s executive actions to offer relief to hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including allowing undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to seek protection and streamlining the process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) holders and other immigrants to change their immigration status. In March, Durbin led a group o… Continue Reading
06.25.24
Durbin Statement On Surgeon General Advisory Highlighting Firearm Violence As Urgent Public Health Issue
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement on a new U.S. Surgeon General Advisory calling the American people’s attention to firearm violence as an urgent public health issue that demands response: “The Surgeon General’s advisory sounds the alarm on gun violence, a uniquely American crisis. I’ve worked with doctors treating gunshot victims, spoken with survivors about the physical and emotional scars from… Continue Reading
06.24.24
On The Two-Year Anniversary Of The Dobbs Ruling, Durbin Recommits To Protecting Women's Reproductive Freedom
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court: “For the past two years, the Dobbs ruling has sown chaos, fear, and division. Abortion is now completely banned in 14 states, leaving large swaths of the country without care. Some statewide bans include jail time for health care providers who perform a… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Delivers Floor Speech Calling On His Colleagues To Protect IVF Access Ahead Of Right To IVF Act Vote
WASHINGTON – Ahead of the Right to IVF Act vote, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to vote for this crucial legislation. The legislation, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, establishes a clear and enforceable nationwide right to receive, provide, or cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) services and other assisted reproductive technologies. It also expands insurance coverage for such care. During h… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Statement On Senate Republicans Voting Against The Right To IVF Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against the Right to IVF Act. The legislation, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, establishes a clear and enforceable nationwide right to receive, provide, or cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) services and other assisted reproductive technologies. It also expands insurance coverage for such care. “Whether, when, and how to expand… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Durbin Statement On The Supreme Court's Decision On FDA v. Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision on Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which held that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) actions regarding the regulation of the abortion pill mifepristone: “In acknowledging that a group of anti-abortion activists has no standing to d… Continue Reading
06.10.24
Durbin Reacts To Creation Of Federal Multi-Agency Task Force To Combat Sale Of Illegal E-Cigarette Products
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. The task force aims to employ all criminal and civil enforcement tools to crack down on the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarette products. Joining DOJ and F… Continue Reading
06.05.24
Durbin Statement On Senate Republicans Voting Against The Right To Contraception Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against the Right to Contraception Act. This bill, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, would protect the rights of patients to access and use contraception and of health care providers to provide contraception and information about contraception. It would codify the right to contraception that the Supreme Court first recognized in G… Continue Reading
06.05.24
Durbin Talks High Prescription Drug Prices, Children's Online Safety With FTC Chair Lina Khan
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Lina Khan, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The two discussed their efforts to prevent Big Pharma from exploiting patent policy to inflate its profit margins at the expense of delivering affordable and accessible medications to Americans. Pharmaceutical companies often improperly list patents the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Orange Book in an attempt to delay FDA app… Continue Reading
06.04.24
Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Federal Approval Of Illinois As Participant In Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration Program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today applauded the federal approval of Illinois as a participant in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program. This program, created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provides sustainable funding to reimburse through Medicaid the full cost of services that CCBHCs… Continue Reading
06.04.24
Durbin Urges His Colleagues To Support The Right To Contraception Act Ahead Of Vote On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON – During the week marking the 59th anniversary of the landmark Griswold v. Connecticut decision, in which the Supreme Court ruled that all married Americans have a constitutional right to use contraception, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support the Right to Contraception Act when it comes before the Senate tomorrow. This bill, which Durbin is a cosponsor of, would protect the rights of patients to access … Continue Reading
05.29.24
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $8.6 Million For Medical Research And Health Center Programs In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $8,602,005 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions. A large portion of the funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from neurological disorders to cancer research. This round of grant funding will also support the development of a program for Black asthmatic … Continue Reading
05.24.24
Durbin, Rubio Urge Health Resources And Services Administration To Revise NHSC Application Process To Address Health Care Workforce Shortages
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today sent a letter to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) urging a revision to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) application process to make it more accessible and attractive to all stakeholders as the United States faces a health care workforce shortage. More than 21,000 primary care, oral health, and behavioral health practitioners across the United States participate in this pro… Continue Reading
05.24.24
Durbin, Coons, Braun Introduce Resolution To Designate May As ALS Awareness Month
WASHINGTON – U.S Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate ALS Caucus, today joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce a resolution to designate May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and often known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a debilitating disease that affects 1 in 300 people – approximately 30,000 Americans. There is no cure for this fatal disease currently. “ALS is a devastating diagnosis—one that is, c… Continue Reading
05.23.24
During Appropriations Hearing, Durbin Stresses Importance Of Rejecting Draconian Budget Cuts And Fully Investing In Medical Research At NIH
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, today participated in a subcommittee hearing entitled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).” During the hearing, Durbin, a longtime advocate for funding NIH, stressed the importance of rejecting domestic budget cuts—proposed by House Republicans—which… Continue Reading
05.23.24
Durbin, Young Applaud Committee Passage Of Their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) today applauded the advancement of their Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) with a strong bipartisan vote of 19-2. The legislation extends funding for public health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability,… Continue Reading