Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin Joins Senate Democrats On The Floor To Call For Passage Of Veterans Families Health Services Act, Protection For IVF
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined his Democratic colleagues in speaking in support of the Veterans Families Health Services Act, which Durbin cosponsored, ahead of U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) request to pass the bill by unanimous consent. Despite the importance of providing accessible health care to female veterans and claims that Republicans support IVF, U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) objected to the passage of the bill. Durbin began his remarks… Continue Reading
03.07.23
Durbin Meets With Illinois Public Health & Medicaid Officials
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Sameer Vohra and Medicaid Administrator at Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) Kelly Cunningham to discuss workforce shortages in the health care sector, and public heath funding to ensure Illinoisans can continue to get the high quality, affordable care they need. "Our health care professionals put their all into caring for their patients, … Continue Reading
12.14.22
Durbin Meets With Sinai Health CEO Dr. Ezike
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the new CEO of Sinai Chicago System and former Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. During their meeting, Durbin and Dr. Ezike discussed bolstering health care resources in Illinois for violence prevention, closing racial and ethnic health disparities, and addressing workforce shortages in hospitals. Durbin and Dr. Ezike also talked about new goals for the Chicago HEAL Initiative, includin… Continue Reading
09.14.22
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Hearing on Our Health Care Workforce
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety hearing entitled "Flatlining Care: Why Immigrants Are Crucial to Bolstering Our Health Care Workforce." Today's hearing will explore how immigrants can help fill gaps in our health care system to ensure that our communities have access to the health care they need and deser… Continue Reading
09.14.22
Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Hearing On Our Health Care Workforce
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety hearing entitled "Flatlining Care: Why Immigrants Are Crucial to Bolstering Our Health Care Workforce." Today's hearing explored how immigrants can help fill gaps in our health care system to ensure that our communities have access to the health care they need and deserve. The U.S. heal… Continue Reading
09.09.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $19 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $19,453,291 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding, which comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from cancer prevention to mental health research. "Investing in the development of… Continue Reading
09.09.22
On One Year Anniversary of FDA Failing To Meet Court-Ordered Deadline To Regulate E-Cigarette Products, Durbin Urges HHS To Step In
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra condemning the FDA for its failure to meet e-cigarette and synthetic nicotine deadlines, unwillingness to take action against companies that defy the agency's orders, and general lack of urgency when it comes to protecting children from the harms of tobacco and nicotine use. Th… Continue Reading
08.07.22
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of The Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, groundbreaking legislation that will fight inflation, make drug prices more affordable, reduce costs, and make the nation's largest investment in our share of the climate fight ever: "Senate Democrats have heard the American people: do something to fight inflation, lower prescription drug prices, and combat the climate crisis. Today's histori… Continue Reading
08.05.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $20.9 Million For Variety Of Illinois Health Care Programs And Initiatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $20,946,896 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "Illinois has a wide-range of programs and initiatives dedicated to Illinoisans health and well-being. To keep these programs up and running for residents, the federal government has made a significant investment in these vital services that will assist in ensuring vaccines are r… Continue Reading
08.05.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4.6 Million For Medical Research In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4,659,710 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) medical research grant funding for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support advancements in sectors ranging from maternal health care to communicative disorders. "Illinois is home to world-class medical research institutions, but they cannot reach medical break… Continue Reading
08.01.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $23.8 Million For Variety Of Illinois Health Care Programs And Initiatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $23,826,881 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "The wide-range of health care initiatives and programs across Illinois are fundamental to the overall health and well-being of our state's residents," said Durbin. "Thanks to this substantial federal funding for these programs, we can do more to address everything from the state… Continue Reading
07.29.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $11 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $11,061,526 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, from mental health research to cancer biology research. "Federal funding towards medical research is key in advancing the field and ensuring the Unit… Continue Reading
07.29.22
Durbin, Duckworth Press Walgreens On Policy That Fails To Consider Patients' Medical Needs And Right-To-Privacy When Purchasing Reproductive Health Products
WASHINGTON - Following recent reports that a nationwide Walgreens policy allows employees to refuse to dispense contraceptives to customers based on their religious or moral beliefs without sufficient accommodations for the rights and privacy of customers, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer requesting that Walgreens revisit this policy to ensure their customers' p… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $5.3 Million In Federal Funding To Support Maternal Health In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been awarded a total of $5,339,317 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This significant funding will support IDPH in identifying, reviewing, and characterizing maternal deaths, developing new treatments for pregnancy and postpartum complications, and identifying prevention opportuniti… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $519,000 In Funding For Rural EMS Agencies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $518,916 in funding for several rural fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in Illinois. The funding, which was created through Durbin's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act, will go toward supporting EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment. "Across Illinois, rural EMS agencies are first o… Continue Reading
07.26.22
Durbin Calls On Congress To Extend ACA Tax Credits
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his colleagues to extend the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) tax credits-which eliminated or reduced out-of-pocket premiums for millions of people. If Congress doesn't act soon, these tax credits will expire at the end of the year. Thanks to Democrats, who all supported the American Rescue Plan, a record 14.5 million people signed up for ACA plans during the 2022 open enrollment period. Durbin sai… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $12.2 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $12,245,863 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from vascular diseases to mental health research. "Federal investments in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatm… Continue Reading
07.20.22
Durbin: If Republicans Really Care About Inflation, Why Are They Opposing Plans To Lower Prescription Drug Prices?
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged Republicans to join Democrats and lower the cost of prescription drug prices. Due to Big Pharma's price gouging, Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, an average of nearly 4 times more than other Western countries for the exact same medications-many of which are developed in the United States using research paid for by American taxpayers. During his speech, Durbi… Continue Reading
07.19.22
Durbin: Democrats Propose Fairness When It Comes To Prescription Drug Prices
WASHINGTON - Today in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against Senate Republicans' inaction as Big Pharma continues to earn astronomical profits while Americans struggle to pay for the cost of their prescription medications. In his remarks, Durbin emphasized Senate Democrats' efforts to allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription medications, mirroring laws already successfully in effect with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to ease… Continue Reading
07.18.22
Durbin Highlights Efforts By Senate Democrats To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech on the indefensible price gouging of prescription drugs and the efforts by Senate Democrats to lower these prices for American patients. In his speech, Durbin called for legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, which would significantly ease the cost of living for many households across the country. "I wonder if Americans think that the… Continue Reading