Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Durbin, Doggett Introduce Bill To Prevent Tax Dodging Corporation From Receiving COVID-19 Relief
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35) today introduced the American Assistance for American Companies Act¸ a bill to ensure that inverted corporations cannot benefit from federal COVID-19 financial assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. For years, the tax inversion loophole has allowed large multinational corporations to do a paper shift of their corporate citizenship from the United States to … Continue Reading
06.22.20
Durbin Joins Push To Bring Heroes Act To Floor For Debate And Vote After More Than One Month Of Inaction
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to lead a group of 18 Senators in urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the Heroes Act to the Senate floor for a debate and vote after more than one month of inaction since the House of Representatives passed the major legislation to address the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Nearly 30,000 additional Americans have lost their lives to the coronavirus since the House of… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly, Foster Discuss COVID-19 Response With Illinois Hospitals
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (R-IL-02) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today, on a call with more than 20 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and leaders of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. The group discussed how to increase federal support to hospitals through CARES Act funding formulas and program… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss Support For Nonprofits With Cardinal Cupich And Catholic Charities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with Cardinal Blase Cupich and Sally Blount, the incoming CEO of Catholic Charities Chicago, about meeting the needs of vulnerable populations amid the public health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonprofits like Catholic Charities are experiencing a huge loss in revenue and resources being stretched more than ever. Durbin and Duckworth discussed their support for additional federal assista… Continue Reading
06.16.20
Durbin To McConnell: Stop Holding Up COVID-19 Relief For Corporation Lawsuit Immunity
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke about the importance of helping unemployed and uninsured Americans, hospitals, and state and local governments amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and slammed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's delay in passing a bill to give critical assistance to people in need. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin criticized McConnell's refusal to pass an additional COVID-19 relief bill unless corporations receive federal liability immu… Continue Reading
06.15.20
Durbin Calls On Illinois Community Colleges To Partner With State & Local Health Departments To Recruit And Train COVID-19 Contact Tracers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Illinois community college presidents urging them to partner with the State of Illinois and local health departments to recruit and organize training courses for COVID-19 contact tracers. In the letter, Durbin encourages college presidents to help meet the need to ensure that training courses are offered by reputable institutions rather than by predatory for-profit colleges that could exploit Illinois students with over-priced a… Continue Reading
06.12.20
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Pressing For Expanded Access To Affordable Health Care In Any Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Bill
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading 33 of their Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming COVID-19 relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to ensure that people w… Continue Reading
06.10.20
Durbin Discusses State And Local Government Pandemic Relief With Illinois Civic Federation Trustees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Civic Federation Trustees, which include business, education, and other civic leaders in Illinois, about the financial strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on state and local governments. On the call, Durbin discussed his push to increase funding for state and local governments, to ensure funding is distributed to all localities regardless of size, and to provide increased flexibility for the use of these funds to replace lost… Continue Reading
06.10.20
Durbin, Duckworth To Senate Leaders: Protect Health, Safety, And Financial Security Of Illinois' Essential Workers In Next COVID-19 Relief Bil
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include additional support for the essential workers in Illinois and across the country to effectively protect the health, safety, and financial security of workers in the short term, and ensure that they are in the strongest position possible as the economy recovers. In a letter to the Senate leaders, Durbin and D… Continue Reading
06.10.20
Durbin Speaks With Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ILCADV) about resources for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin also discussed his support for provisions in the House-passed Heroes Act, including funding for Violence Against Women Act grant programs and financial assistance for emergency shelters and services for survivors and their children through … Continue Reading
06.10.20
Durbin: Health Heroes Act Can Address Health Care Workforce Shortages To Meet Nationwide Challenges Highlighted By COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor about his Health Heroes 2020 Act (S.3634), bicameral legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs to cover graduate education costs for more than 300,000 clinicians in order to help address existing health workforce shortages throughout our health care system. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing health workforce shortages, while simultaneously … Continue Reading
06.09.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Threat At Federal Prisons With Federal Public And Community Defenders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with members of the Federal Public and Community Defenders, including Thomas Patton, Federal Public Defender for the Central District of Illinois, and John Murphy, Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Illinois, about the failure of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to maintain a safe environment for inmates and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin heard how BOP has failed to reduce the prison populati… Continue Reading
06.05.20
Durbin Joins Bipartisan Push For Community Health Center Funding To Help American Families
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and 38 other bipartisan Senate colleagues in urging Congress to immediately support community health centers that provide Americans with critical health care, including testing and treatment of COVID-19. Underlying public health gaps have resulted in alarming health disparities among communities of color with respect to COVID-19 infections and mortality. Community health centers play a vital ro… Continue Reading
06.05.20
Durbin Asks DOJ For Update On Price Gouging Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today requested updated information about the current prevalence of COVID-19-related price-gouging activity and the steps that are being taken to address it from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In a letter to DOJ's Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force (Task Force) leader Craig Carpenito, Durbin requested more information on how the DOJ Task Force is working to investigate and prevent price-gouging involving personal protective equipment, medical s… Continue Reading
06.04.20
Durbin Calls On Congress To Protect Immigrant Doctors & Nurses On Frontlines Of COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, thanked the health care heroes on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted one special group of health care workers - immigrants. Durbin also called on his colleagues to support the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, legislation to quickly address the plight of immigrant doctors and nurses w… Continue Reading
06.04.20
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Bill Extending Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill extending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act allows borrowers 24 weeks instead of eight weeks to use their loan funds, and provides small business owners with greater flexibility in the use of loan funds. "Extending the PPP reflects the reality of this pandemic. Many small businesses in Illinois are struggl… Continue Reading
06.03.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Response With Cook County Board President Preckwinkle
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today on a call with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Board members discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. Durbin discussed the CARES Act and provisions he fought to include that provide vital federal funding to our nation's hospitals, including John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. President Preckwinkle and Board members outlined how that fe… Continue Reading
06.03.20
Durbin Continues To Push To Pass Resolution To Reaffirm U.S. Commitment To Global Effort To Find COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, during a speech on the Senate floor, asked for unanimous consent to pass a resolution that encourages U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response given the Trump Administration's failure to participate in global summits on plans to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international … Continue Reading
06.03.20
Durbin: Instead Of Addressing Challenges Facing Our Nation Today, Senate Judiciary Committee Criticizing The Mueller Investigation
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Oversight of Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 1," U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called out Senate Republicans for using today's hearing as a distraction from the important work Congress should be doing to address the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, and the other challenges facing our nation today. Durbin noted that the Senate Judiciary Committee could and should be focused on the COVID-19 pandemi… Continue Reading
06.02.20
Durbin: We Cannot Ignore The Impact Of The COVID-19 Pandemic On Incarcerated Individuals
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19," U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on incarcerated individuals and to take advantage of smart, safe alternatives to incarceration that are readily available in order to protect inmates, detainees, staff, and the surrounding communities. Durbin noted t… Continue Reading