Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
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. … Continue Reading
August 07, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
August 05, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
August 05, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
August 01, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 29, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 29, 2022
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' … Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 26, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 20, 2022
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, … Continue Reading
July 19, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 18, 2022
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 … Continue Reading
July 18, 2022
Durbin: Overturning Roe Has Unleashed A Health Care Crisis In This Country
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, detailed the unfolding health care crisis across the United States in the wake of the conservative Supreme Court's majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also continued to call on his colleagues to support enshrining into law a statutory right to an abortion. "In the weeks since the Alito-Thomas Supreme Court majority erased … Continue Reading
July 15, 2022
Durbin Discusses Federal Funding For Youth Mental Health Services
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced $1,000,000 in new Congressionally Directed Spending-also known as an earmark-that he secured in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill for Thresholds to renovate their Young Adult Program building to expand their services to more youth. Their building supports young adults by offering both behavioral therapy, educational opportunities, and transitional living treatment. "There's … Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Durbin Questions Witnesses In Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Legal Consequences Of The Dobbs Decision
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "A Post-Roe America: The Legal Consequences of the Dobbs Decision." Durbin questioned Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, on maternal mortality and the consequences of overturning Roe. According to a study in the American Journal of Public … Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Abortion Provider To Congress: The End Of Roe Is A Public Health Crisis
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee released prepared testimony from Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, during today's hearing entitled "A Post-Roe America: The Legal Consequences of the Dobbs Decision." McNicholas has 15 years of experience as an abortion provider and a specialist in Family Planning including academic practice, resident education, clinical research, and health care advocacy. Her testimony … Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Lieutenant Governor Of Illinois Testifies On How The Dobbs Decision Is Already Harming Individual States
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee released Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton's prepared testimony during today's hearing entitled "A Post-Roe America: The Legal Consequences of the Dobbs Decision." Stratton is the first Black woman to serve as Illinois's Lieutenant Governor, a position she has held since 2019. Her testimony focuses on the steps that Illinois has taken to protect access to abortion, the challenges of out-of-state patients coming to Illinois to seek care, … Continue Reading
June 16, 2022
Durbin, Tillis, Grassley Introduce Legislation To Improve Coordination Between USPTO And FDA
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation that would establish a task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve communication … Continue Reading