Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin, Colleagues To Azar: Trump Administration's Health Care Sabotage Undermines Coronavirus Response
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in leading 36 other Democratic Senators in calling on Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar to take immediate action to reverse the Trump Administration's health care sabotage, which has undermined our preparedness for and ability to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, the Senators asked Secretary Azar to commit to making any potential coronavirus vaccine … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Durbin Votes For Coronavirus Supplemental Funding Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after he voted for the bipartisan coronavirus emergency response supplemental funding bill. The bill provides $7.8 billion to respond to and prevent coronavirus, including funding for patient monitoring, lab testing, acquisition of test kits and protective equipment, and research into vaccines and therapeutics. The Illinois Department of Public … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Durbin Statement On Coronavirus Supplemental Funding Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on the bipartisan coronavirus emergency response supplemental funding bill. The bill provides $7.8 billion to respond to and prevent coronavirus, including funding for patient monitoring, lab testing, acquisition of test kits and protective equipment, and research into vaccines and therapeutics. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Durbin, Kaine Bill To Support Family Caregivers Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today announced that major components of their Supporting America's Caregivers and Families Act, a bill that would increase funding, training, and support for the more than 34 million family caregivers in America, passed the Senate unanimously as part of the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020. Each year, caregivers provide more than $470 billion worth of unpaid care-more than the entire federal Medicaid budget. The … Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Durbin: We Must Safeguard America's Medical Supply Chain Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON - Amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, during a speech on the Senate floor, previewed legislation he will be introducing this week to safeguard America's medical supply chain and address shortages due to the United States' dependence on foreign-made medical equipment. Approximately 40 percent of finished drugs and 72 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured overseas-primarily from China and India. The ongoing … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Durbin Introduces Bill To Expand Coverage For Seniors' Kidney Transplant Drugs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), introduced legislation to ensure that seniors who receive kidney transplants under the Medicare Part B program are able to access life-saving anti-rejection medications. U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Todd Young (R-IN) joined as cosponsors of the legislation. "Our bill ensures that kidney transplant patients can afford the medication they … Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Durbin: If You Want To Reduce Infant & Maternal Death Rates, Pass The MOMMA Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made a unanimous consent (UC) request to immediately pass his Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. Durbin's legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for moms and babies of color who are significantly more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy. On average, maternal mortality claims the lives of 700 … Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Durbin Calls For Increased Federal Funding To Address Coronavirus
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Trump Administration to do more to address the coronavirus epidemic following the President's minimal and long overdue coronavirus funding request. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out President Trump's continued years-long efforts to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-two federal health agencies that our nation relies upon … Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Durbin Presses Secretary Azar On Administration's E-Cigarette Flavor Policy & Family Separation
WASHINGTON - During a Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to reconsider the Trump Administration's decision to allow cheap, disposable e-cigarette flavors to remain on the market. Over the past two years of this presidency, our nation has seen a 135 percent increase in the number of … Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Durbin Meets With Chicago Department Of Public Health Commissioner To Discuss Coronavirus Response
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Chicago Department Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady to discuss public health priorities in Chicago, including addressing the coronavirus in Illinois. This morning, Durbin attended a Congressional briefing from the Trump Administration about the ongoing response to the coronavirus. Last night, the Trump Administration requested an emergency supplemental funding request of $2.5 billion to combat the spread of … Continue Reading
February 24, 2020
Durbin Measure To Support Family Caregivers Poised To Become Law
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a press conference to highlight his legislation to support family caregivers, which is expected to pass the Senate in the next few weeks as part of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Durbin's bill will increase funding, training, and support for more than 34 million family caregivers in America. "On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came out with a new study, which found that one in five adults in America are unpaid … Continue Reading
February 20, 2020
Durbin, Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Help Fund Responses To Public Health Emergencies As Global Threat Of Coronavirus
CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to introduce the Public Health Emergency Response and Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to create a permanent funding mechanism to ensure quick and effective responses to future public health emergencies. "When a public health emergency hits, we need immediate and sufficient funding to save lives," said Durbin. "With this legislation, our federal health agencies can get ahead of … Continue Reading
February 20, 2020
Durbin, Senators To Trump Administration: Don't Let Tobacco Companies Evade E-Cigarette Product Review
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 10 of his Democratic Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting clarification on his recent comments made on a radio program regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of vaping products. Secretary Azar hinted the Trump Administration could create a big loophole for tobacco companies by saying that "not all vaping products" are required to apply for … Continue Reading
February 18, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration To Request Emergency Funding For Novel Coronavirus Response
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 23 of their Democratic Senate colleagues to send a letter to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney expressing their concern over the Trump Administration's failure so far to outline what additional resources it needs to respond to the rapidly developing coronavirus outbreak. … Continue Reading
February 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Democratic Colleagues In Fighting To Protect People With Pre-Existing Conditions In FY21 Budget
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today in leading 44 other Democratic Senators in a letter to the Administration urging President Trump to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is the law of the land and provides health care coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions including more than five million Illinoisans. Despite Trump's misleading statements about … Continue Reading
February 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Call For Federal Government To Reimburse States, Cities For Coronavirus Efforts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish clear guidelines for how local and state governments-including Illinois-will be reimbursed for costs incurred while assisting the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak. "We write to ask that your department establish clear guidelines for state and … Continue Reading
February 13, 2020
Three Months From E-Cigarette Review Deadline, Durbin & Bipartisan Senators Urge FDA To Protect Kids, Hold Industry Accountable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 16 other bipartisan Senators, today urged Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Stephen Hahn to comply with the agency's requirements to reject e-cigarette applications that do not protect the public health, upon the FDA's May 12 deadline for e-cigarette product review. The Senators, in a letter to Commissioner Hahn, highlighted concerns with FDA's ongoing lax oversight of e-cigarettes and tobacco … Continue Reading
February 12, 2020
Durbin Meets With Rural Illinois Health Care Leaders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) to discuss legislation to support rural hospitals and address rural health workforce shortages. Durbin also discussed his work to lower prescription drug pricing, the SIREN Act, and President Trump's Fiscal Year 2021 proposal to cut Medicaid by $900 billion. Before his meeting with ICAHN, Durbin spoke to the National Rural Health Association and accepted their 2020 … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Durbin Statement On President Trump's FY21 Budget Request
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump submitted his fiscal year 2021 budget request to Congress: "After Congress has repeatedly rejected funding his 'big, beautiful' border wall, the fact that President Trump would request $2 billion for a campaign promise that Mexico was supposed to pay for - while cutting funding from programs like Medicare, Medicaid, … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Durbin: If President Trump Wants To Help Those With Pre-Existing Conditions, Stop Trying To Eliminate The ACA
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on President Trump to end his attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and stand with patients with pre-existing conditions. In last week's State of the Union address, President Trump falsely claimed that he's trying to protect patients with pre-existing conditions - all while his Administration is actively fighting in court to strike down the entire ACA. "Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies can no longer deny … Continue Reading