Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Meets With Hospital Leaders In Decatur To Discuss COVID-19 Response
DECATUR - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Mary's Hospital to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care and the economy across central and southern Illinois and priorities for relief legislation. Durbin and hospital leaders discussed the need for a direct and immediate infusion of funds for our hospitals, as well as policies to stabilize funding for rural hospitals, support the health care workforce, and increase the … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Implement And Expand Online SNAP Purchasing Nationwide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill to address hunger needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchasing choices by enabling additional retailers to participate in the program. The Expanding SNAP Options Act would provide funding for the creation of a universal online and app-based portal to make access to … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Senate Passes Durbin Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the unanimous passage of his resolution encouraging U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate smallpox as an example of why concerted global collaboration and coordination is needed for the COVID-19 … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Durbin Presses HHS Secretary Azar On Illinois Hospital Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), on a call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urged HHS to address COVID-19 relief funding shortfalls at safety net hospitals, including children's hospitals, in Illinois. Durbin discussed how the latest round of $10 billion in Provider Relief Fund missed some of the most prominent safety net hospitals in Illinois, and how many are urging for more assistance in order to stay financially viable during the … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Durbin, Rubio Introduce Bill To Expand Health Care Workforce To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced bipartisan legislation to 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 shortages throughout our country. The COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly, Foster Discuss COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (R-IL-02) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today, on a call with more than 20 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and leaders of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. The group discussed how to increase federal support to hospitals through CARES Act funding formulas and … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Durbin, Grassley Statement On Appeals Court Ruling Striking Down HHS Policy To Require Disclosure Of Prescription Drug Prices In TV Ads
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today released the following statement regarding the ruling in the federal Court of Appeals for D.C. that struck down a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule that required direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements to include the list price of the drug: "Even in the midst of a pandemic that threatens all of us, Big Pharma fought for months in court to prevent patients from knowing the price of … Continue Reading
June 16, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $2 Million In Telehealth Funding For Illinois Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that seven Illinois health care providers have been awarded a total of $2,077,152 in federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "This federal funding will … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Pressing For Expanded Access To Affordable Health Care In Any Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Bill
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading 33 of their Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming COVID-19 relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to ensure that people … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Durbin Speaks With Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ILCADV) about resources for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin also discussed his support for provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act, including funding for Violence Against Women Act grant programs and financial assistance for emergency shelters and services for survivors and their children … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Durbin: Health Heroes Act Can Address Health Care Workforce Shortages To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about his Health Heroes 2020 Act (S.3634), 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 workforce shortages, while … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Push For Community Health Center Funding To Help American Families
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and 38 other bipartisan Senate colleagues in urging Congress to immediately support community health centers that provide Americans with critical health care, including testing and treatment of COVID-19. Underlying public health gaps have resulted in alarming health disparities among communities of color with respect to COVID-19 infections and mortality. Community health centers play a vital … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Durbin Asks DOJ For Update On Price Gouging Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today requested updated information about the current prevalence of COVID-19-related price-gouging activity and the steps that are being taken to address it from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In a letter to DOJ's Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force (Task Force) leader Craig Carpenito, Durbin requested more information on how the DOJ Task Force is working to investigate and prevent price-gouging involving personal protective equipment, medical … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Cook County Board President Preckwinkle
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on a call with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Board members discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin discussed the CARES Act and provisions he fought to include that provide vital federal funding to our nation's hospitals, including John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. President Preckwinkle and Board members outlined how that … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Durbin Continues To Push To Pass Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, during a speech on the Senate floor, asked for unanimous consent to pass a resolution that encourages U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response given the Trump Administration's failure to participate in global summits on plans to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Durbin Statement On President Trump Ending United States' Relationship With World Health Organization
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he would move to terminate the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic and after the death toll in the United States surpassed 100,000 Americans: "Today's announcement by President Trump ignores the deadly reality of this pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Durbin Visits Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Discusses Legislation To Strengthen America's Food Supply Chain
URBANA - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Urbana, Illinois, today to learn more about local efforts to help feed those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Durbin joined his colleagues to introduce legislation to strengthen the food supply chain after the COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on farmers, workers, food banks, and … Continue Reading
May 28, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $11.8 Million For COVID-19 Testing In Rural Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive a total of $11,821,279 in federal funding to support COVID-19 testing in rural communities. The funding comes from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act signed into law on April 24th and will help support more than 200 Rural Health Clinics around Illinois. Each clinic will receive approximately $49,000 in federal funding. Congressional Democrats fought … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Durbin Discusses Contact Tracing With Founder Of Partners In Health, Dr. Paul Farmer
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health (PIH), about COVID-19 contact tracing. PIH worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop the country's first state-wide coronavirus contact tracing program, and has subsequently worked with the State of Illinois on its contact tracing plans. Durbin asked Dr. Farmer about what America will need to develop nationwide contact tracing capacity to identify individuals who may … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate Leadership To Include Funding For Children's Hospitals And Health Providers In Future COVID-19 Relief
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to press Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children's hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, the Senators raised concerns that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months. Starting in January, … Continue Reading