Durbin, Duckworth Press USDA To Provide Financial Relief For Illinois Pork And Beef Producers During COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide immediate and direct financial assistance to help family pork and beef producers in Illinois. In a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators said such financial assistance would help with stabilizing cash flow and mitigate marketplace disruptions in the wake of the economic emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the recently enacted Corona… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With FEMA Midwest Region Administrator

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic response in Illinois with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 Administrator James Joseph. Durbin asked about FEMA's progress on the Alternate Care Facility (ACF) at McCormick Place, as well as ensuring Illinoisans have access to much-needed resources including sufficient medical staff, personal protective equipment, sterilizing equipment, pharmacy caches, and additional Intensive Care Units (I… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Urge HHS To Change Formula For CARES Act Health Provider Funding

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with seven of their Senate colleagues, today expressed concern to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the front-line health providers and settings that were excluded from, or inadequately supported through, the $30 billion first round of CARES Act funding. In a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the Senators urged the Department to alter the methodology for the next round of the CARES Act's total… Continue Reading

Durbin Statement On Selection To Congressional Task Force On Re-Opening America In The Wake Of COVID-19

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after being asked by President Donald Trump to serve on a bipartisan task force, comprised of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, with the purpose of providing counsel to the President on the re-opening of America in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: "I am honored to be asked to serve on this bipartisan Presidential task force to prepare for reopening our economy. We still hav… Continue Reading

Durbin, Senate Democratic Leaders Offer Roadmap to Dramatically Expand Testing Capacity Nationwide

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to outline Democrats' proposals to address the Trump Administration's failure to rapidly expand testing capacity for COVID-19 on a press call. On the call, the Senators discussed a series of steps outlined in a new policy white paper, "A Roadmap to Reopening by Ensuring a Speedy and Ubiquitous Lab Testing System (RESULTS)," as well as a new DPCC report, which… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Administration To Increase Number Of Doctors Available To Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK-04), Abby Finkenauer (D-IA-01), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and colleagues in both the House and Senate, wrote to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) urging the Trump Administration to waive restrictions that prevent doctors on certain employment-based visas from providing medical care at locations or in specialties other than those spec… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses Impact of COVID-19 With Illinois Agricultural Leaders

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on Illinois agriculture with leaders from Illinois agricultural groups. During the call, Durbin heard concerns about the need for immediate and direct financial assistance for family farm and livestock operations, the importance of maintaining stability in both agricultural markets and the food supply chain, and recommendations for additional policy changes… Continue Reading

Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Durbin, Senators Press President Trump To Automatically Extend Work Authorizations For DACA & TPS Recipients

SPRINGFIELD - As our nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today led 37 Senators in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to automatically extend work authorizations for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and other impacted immigrants. More than 200,000 DACA recipients are working in occupational are… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $376 Million to Support O'Hare and Midway Airports Amid COVID-19

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports will receive a total of $376,743,810 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds - which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted. "The aviation industry is fac… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $70 Million to Support Illinois Airports Amid COVID-19

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that airports throughout Illinois will receive a total of $69,995,370 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds - which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted. "The aviation industry is facing the s… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Telehealth Funding Available to Health Care Providers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau is now accepting applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. The program will provide $200 million in funding, which was appropriated by Congress as part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to help health care providers deliver services to patients at their homes or mobile locations … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Delegation Discuss COVID-19 Response with Chicago Mayor Lightfoot

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with several members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot about Chicago's ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and how they can continue to assist her efforts to protect Illinoisans. The group discussed how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act can provide Illinois families and businesses with relief during the pandemic, and what should be … Continue Reading

Durbin, Warren, Colleagues to Introduce Bicameral Bill to Require Federal Government to Collect and Report National COVID-19 Demographic Data

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), is introducing the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect and report racial and other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and fatality rates nationwide, and provide a summary of the final statistics and a report to Congress within 60 days after the end of the public health emergency.… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues to USDA: Provide Assistance to Specialty Crop Providers During Pandemic

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and 27 Senate colleagues, sent a bipartisan letter calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to ensure that specialty crop producers receive financial assistance from losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Illinois is the number one producer of two specialty crops: pumpkins and horseradish. Illinois is also in the top ten… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, on a call with more than 20 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and AJ Wilhelmi, President of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin thanked the hospital representatives for everything their hospitals and health workers have done so far to help Illinois patients and pledged he would continue to push for a direct and immediate… Continue Reading

Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With SEIU Healthcare

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on American workers with President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas, Greg Kelley. During the call, Durbin asked about nursing home and home care workers' challenges during the public health crisis, including securing personal protective equipment and hazard pay. Durbin discussed his proposal for the fourth coronavirus relief package that would have the federal government cover… Continue Reading

Durbin, Carper, Duckworth, Foster, Schneider Ask EPA to Improve Communication of Public Health Risks of EtO Emissions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fully adopt the EPA Inspector General (IG) directive to improve its efforts to communicate the potential health risks associated with ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions to at-risk communities, and submit a corrective action plan that includes milestones, deliv… Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $218 Million for Illinois Colleges to Provide Emergency Aid to Students

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $218 million to Illinois institutions of higher education for emergency financial aid to students. The funding - which comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will be used to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due t… Continue Reading

Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation to Trump Administration: Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Cases & Deaths are Unacceptable

WASHINGTON - Today, the Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing strong concerns regarding the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. The members cited that while black residents make up nearly 15 percent of the state's total population, they account for 43 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. The situation in Chicago is further … Continue Reading

Durbin, Duckworth Discuss DOD Coronavirus Response With Defense Secretary Esper

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, today spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper about the military's COVID-19 response efforts. During today's call, Durbin and Duckworth pressed Secretary Esper for military personnel to help staff the field hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago. Five hundred beds are available at the… Continue Reading