Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Durbin Discusses Paycheck Protection Program With Illinois Credit Union League
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke today with members of the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) about negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief package and the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to ensure Illinois small businesses can maintain their operations and pay their employees as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the economy. Durbin also discussed simplifying the Small Business Administration's loan forgiveness application, especially for borrowe… Continue Reading
08.25.20
Durbin Speaks With General Perna, COO Of Operation Warp Speed, About COVID-19 Vaccine Development
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer for Operation Warp Speed, about the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates. On the call, Durbin pressed General Perna about maintaining the integrity of any vaccine candidate's safety and efficacy, and to not cut corners or permit political interference in the effort to quickly develop a vaccine. Durbin's call came on the same day as Food… Continue Reading
08.21.20
Durbin Joins Minority Business Owners To Discuss The Paycheck Protection Program
SPRINGIFELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, and the American Business Immigration Coalition at the organizations' webinar for minority business owners in Illinois to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has allocated more than 225,000 loans worth nearly $23 billion to Illinois small businesses. During the webinar, Durbin spoke about his support for providing a second round of loans to the hardest hit business… Continue Reading
08.21.20
Durbin Discusses Health Care Protection During Pandemic With Union Leaders
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with union leaders from UNITE HERE Local 1 to discuss health care and his efforts to help workers who've lost jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic stay on their employers' health care plans. Durbin has urged for the inclusion of federal COBRA funding in the next coronavirus relief package and supports a provision in the House-passed HEROES Act that would provide premium assistance to cover 100 percent of COBRA premiums so … Continue Reading
08.13.20
Durbin Discusses Fall Reopening With University Of Illinois System President
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Tim Killeen, the President of the University of Illinois System, to discuss fall reopening plans including the University's contact tracing and testing strategies. The two also discussed the need for additional federal relief for higher education. Durbin is a cosponsor of the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which provides an additional $132 billion in support for institutions of higher education and students. "The… Continue Reading
08.11.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief And USPS Service With St. Louis Regional Chamber
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a call with members of the St. Louis Regional Chamber to discuss the latest on negotiations to pass an additional COVID-19 relief bill, including unemployment insurance, small business assistance, and protecting the United States Postal Service (USPS). Durbin shared his support for maintaining the $600 per week federal enhanced unemployment benefits and his recent letter to the USPS Postmaster General DeJoy urging him to take corrective … Continue Reading
08.06.20
Durbin, Moran, Colleagues: Include NIH Research Funding In Next COVID-19 Relief Package
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) led 22 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urging for $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be included in a fourth COVID-19 relief package to avoid significant harm to the research pipeline in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than $10 billi… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Durbin, Duckworth Call On Trump Administration To Deliver Remaining Economic Impact Payments To Illinoisans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today, in a letter to Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig, called for the delivery of remaining Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) to Illinois constituents as soon as possible. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as many as 392,000 adults and children in Illinois will not receive their EIP automatically, amounting to $401 million in unclaimed … Continue Reading
08.05.20
Durbin Slams President Trump & Senate Republican Proposal Conditioning Federal Funds To Schools On Reopening In-Person
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), today during a speech on the Senate floor, slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans for attempting to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. Durbin instead urged his colleagues to pass the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which provides $175 billion to elementary and secondary schools to help meet technology, cleaning, staf… Continue Reading
08.04.20
Durbin: Republicans' Priority In Coronavirus Legislation Is Clear - Corporations Over Struggling Families
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans’ and President Donald Trump’s proposed partisan coronavirus response legislation and their dithering and delay, which allowed the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit to expire last week. Republicans finally released their proposal last week – ten weeks after the House passed the Heroes Act. Nationwide, as many as 30 million Americans are relying on enhanced unemp… Continue Reading
07.31.20
Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate To Reject Conditioning Federal Funds To Schools On Reopening In-Person
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 29 of his Senate colleagues, today urged Senate leadership to reject the Trump Administration's desire to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Appropriations Vice Chairman … Continue Reading
07.30.20
Durbin: I Reject Notion That $600 A Week Keeps People From Going Back To Work
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans' and President Donald Trump's proposed partisan coronavirus response legislation, and the lack of Senate action to save expanded federal unemployment benefits which are set to expire tomorrow. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out Republicans' plan to cut the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit to $200 per week. "There are people prepared to go back to work. And I happen to believe th… Continue Reading
07.29.20
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Response With Senior Living Facility Represenatives
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with CEOs of numerous Illinois senior living facilities to discuss safety and care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin and Duckworth discussed improving the nation's testing and contact tracing efforts and access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for those working and living in senior living facilities. "It is inexcusable that, more than five months into this pandemic, we still cannot ensure adequate te… Continue Reading
07.29.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With Illinois Mayors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with Illinois mayors from cities on the coast of the Mississippi River about the Heroes Act and its provisions to support local governments in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact. With Illinois expecting to lose more than $10 billion in revenue by next summer, Durbin spoke about the $1 trillion in fiscal relief funding for states and localities that the Heroes Act would provide to replace lost revenues. The Rep… Continue Reading
07.29.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With Chicago State University President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with Chicago State University President Z Scott about the next federal coronavirus relief bill. During the call, Durbin discussed key provisions in the CARES Act that offered $14 billion in funding through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to institutions of higher education and spoke about the barriers Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos created to prevent undocumented and low-income students from receiving the emergency studen… Continue Reading
07.28.20
Durbin: We Must Support Rural Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his Senate colleagues to pass legislation that would ensure rural hospitals have the needed support to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain financial stability to continue serving their communities into the future. During a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted his bipartisan Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act, a bill he introduced with Senator James Lankford (R-OK), that would address the threat of closure for the most v… Continue Reading
07.28.20
Durbin, Perdue Urge Congress To Address Shortage Of Doctors, Nurse On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON - In speeches on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator David Perdue (R-GA) today called for Congressional leadership to include their bipartisan, bicameral Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act in the next coronavirus relief package. Durbin and Perdue introduced this legislation earlier this year to quickly strengthen our health care workforce and improve health care access for Americans during the COVID-19 crisis. It has received strong support … Continue Reading
07.28.20
Durbin Slams Senate Republicans' Inadequate Coronavirus Response Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Senate Republicans' and President Donald Trump's proposed partisan coronavirus response legislation, which was finally released last night - ten weeks after the House passed the Heroes Act and four days before expanded federal unemployment benefits are set to expire. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called out Republicans' plan to cut the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit to $200 per week. Nationwide, as ma… Continue Reading
07.27.20
Durbin Statement On Republican's Outline For Fourth Coronavirus Stimulus Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on Congressional Republicans' and the Trump Administration's outlined proposal for a fourth coronavirus economic stimulus package: "Ten weeks after the House passed the Heroes Act, and four days before expanded unemployment benefits expire, Republicans and the Trump Administration have finally outlined their priority for the next coronavirus stimulus package: helping corporations over working fami… Continue Reading
07.24.20
Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Delegation Discuss COVID-19 With Chicago Mayor Lightfoot
WASHINGTON - 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 as the state re-opens. The group discussed how federal support can provide Illinois families and businesses with relief from the health and economic consequences of the pandemic, and what shou… Continue Reading