Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Speaks With FDA Commissioner About COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process & Youth E-Cigarettes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with Food and Dru Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn today about how he would ensure integrity in the COVID-19 vaccine approval process, citing concerns that political pressure on the vaccine timeline is undermining the FDA's scientific integrity and public trust. Durbin also discussed last Wednesday's long-awaited e-cigarette product application deadline, and pressed for FDA to strongly enforce its own regulations to … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
Durbin, Booker Introduce Bill To Reverse Trump Withdrawal From The World Health Organization
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a bill to ensure the United States fulfills its commitments to the World Health Organization (WHO). Under the Abiding by U.S. Commitments Act, the United States will continue payments of its dues to the WHO and the other international organizations of which it is a member. Earlier this year, the White House announced it would begin the process of terminating the United States' relationship with the World Health … Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Casten, Davis Lead Illinois Delegation In Urging HHS To Expand Use Of University Of Illinois' COVID-19 Saliva-Based Testing Initiative
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) today led the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a bipartisan letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging federal resources to support the expansion of SHIELD T3, an innovative system of COVID-19 testing and tracing, developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In a letter to HHS Secretary Alex … Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Durbin To Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Companies: How Will You Ensure Scientific Integrity In Face Of Political Pressure From President Trump?
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent letters to each pharmaceutical company with a vaccine candidate under Operation Warp Speed asking how they plan to maintain scientific and data-based standards in the face of White House political pressure regarding the COVID-19 vaccine approval process. In letters to Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, Novavax, and Janssen (part of Johnson & Johnson), Durbin highlighted how President … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Durbin Joins AIDS Foundation Of Chicago To Discuss Importance Of Protecting Access To Health Care
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's virtual breakfast about the inequities in health care for the LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS communities and about the Trump Administration's continued attempts to dismantle and invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In his remarks, Durbin also spoke about the need to improve the United States' COVID-19 pandemic response and the importance of protecting people's access to health care. "The ACA has provided … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Durbin Speaks With General Perna, COO Of Operation Warp Speed, About COVID-19 Vaccine Development
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer for Operation Warp Speed, about the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates. On the call, Durbin pressed General Perna about maintaining the integrity of any vaccine candidate's safety and efficacy, and to not cut corners or permit political interference in the effort to quickly develop a vaccine. Durbin's call came on the same day as … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Durbin Discusses Health Care Protection During Pandemic With Union Leaders
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with union leaders from UNITE HERE Local 1 to discuss health care and his efforts to help workers who've lost jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic stay on their employers' health care plans. Durbin has urged for the inclusion of federal COBRA funding in the next coronavirus relief package and supports a provision in the House-passed HEROES Act that would provide premium assistance to cover 100 percent of COBRA premiums … Continue Reading
August 20, 2020
Durbin Examines How USPS Changes Have Affected At-Risk Communities In Getting Medications Delivered By Mail
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to a group of Illinois organizations-representing hundreds of thousands of seniors, patients with disabilities and complex conditions, and health care providers-asking how the recent United States Postal Service (USPS) changes have affected or may affect at-risk communities in getting prescription medications delivered by mail. In a letter to the Illinois chapter of the AARP, Illinois State Medical Society, Illinois Health and … Continue Reading
August 06, 2020
Durbin, Moran, Colleagues: Include NIH Research Funding In Next COVID-19 Relief Package
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) led 22 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urging for $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be included in a fourth COVID-19 relief package to avoid significant harm to the research pipeline in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than $10 … Continue Reading
August 06, 2020
Durbin Urges Senate To Expand Health Care Workforce To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19 In Next Relief Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the Senate to include in the next COVID-19 relief package a bipartisan bill he introduced with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) that would provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Nurse Corps, and National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) programs to bolster health emergency surge capacity and restore the pipeline of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals to address existing health workforce … Continue Reading
July 30, 2020
Durbin, Kennedy Urge DEA To Use Authority To Reduce Excessive Opioid Production Quotas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to apply its authorities to prevent and limit the pharmaceutical industry's excessively high opioid production levels. Durbin and Kennedy were authors of the 2018 legislation that enhanced DEA's opioid quota-setting authority by improving transparency and enabling DEA to adjust quotas to prevent opioid diversion and abuse while ensuring an adequate supply for legitimate … Continue Reading
July 29, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Response With Senior Living Facility Represenatives
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with CEOs of numerous Illinois senior living facilities to discuss safety and care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin and Duckworth discussed improving the nation's testing and contact tracing efforts and access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for those working and living in senior living facilities. "It is inexcusable that, more than five months into this pandemic, we still cannot ensure adequate … Continue Reading
July 28, 2020
Durbin: We Must Support Rural Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his Senate colleagues to pass legislation that would ensure rural hospitals have the needed support to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain financial stability to continue serving their communities into the future. During a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted his bipartisan Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act, a bill he introduced with Senator James Lankford (R-OK), that would address the threat of closure for the most … Continue Reading
July 22, 2020
Durbin To Trump And Senate Republicans: Don't Rip Away Health Care For Millions During Public Health Crisis
WASHINGTON - As the Trump Administration and Senate Republicans continue to push the Supreme Court to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care coverage for millions of Americans, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) condemned the Administration's reckless effort in the middle of a public health emergency. Durbin highlighted how the abolition of the ACA would be devastating to women nationwide by eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions, allowing insurance companies … Continue Reading
July 22, 2020
Durbin Speaks With FDA Commissioner About COVID-19 Vaccine Development
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn about the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates under Operation Warp Speed. On the call, Durbin pressed Hahn about maintaining the integrity of the FDA's safety and efficacy standard, and not cutting corners or permitting political interference in the effort to quickly develop a vaccine-especially given the controversy surrounding President … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin Introduces Bill To Combat Opioid Addiction As Nation Sees Rise In Overdose Deaths Amid COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act, a bill to stem the opioid epidemic by expanding telehealth and treatment access and reining in the excessive volume of addictive opioids on the market. According to a recent analysis of opioid use in America, 128 people die in the United States each day due to opioid overdose and an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer from substance use disorders related to prescribed … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin Joins Leahy, Murray, Tester To Call On President Trump To Increase PPE And Testing Capacity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to call on President Trump to utilize resources already passed by Congress and signed into law to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity. Durbin, Leahy, Murray, and Tester also are leading Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a letter to President Trump, Durbin, Leahy, Murray and Tester wrote: "It was … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin Joins Leahy, Murray, Tester To Call On President Trump To Increase PPE And Testing Capacity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to call on President Trump to utilize resources already passed by Congress and signed into law to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity. Durbin, Leahy, Murray, and Tester also are leading Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a letter to President Trump, Durbin, Leahy, Murray and Tester wrote: "It was … Continue Reading
July 21, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $739 Million In Hospital Funding For COVID-19 Care In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $739,971,747 in federal funding to support hospitals in Illinois providing COVID-19 care in communities across Illinois. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Provider Relief Fund and will help support more than 60 hospitals serving areas treating a large number of COVID-19 patients - many of which are communities of … Continue Reading
July 15, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Mayors Lightfoot And Rockingham
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who is President of the Illinois Municipal League, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and federal relief programs. Topics included assistance to state and local governments, testing, and relief for local small businesses. "I am thankful for the leadership of Mayors Lightfoot and Rockingham during this unprecedented crisis. I appreciated hearing about how … Continue Reading