Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Durbin, Lankford, Kinzinger, Panetta Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Support Rural Hospitals
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act, which would support financially vulnerable rural hospitals facing risk of closure. The legislation would update Medicare's "Critical Access Hospital" (CAH) designation so more rural hospitals can qualify for this financial lifeline and continue to serve their communities with quality, affordable health care services. Small and rural… Continue Reading
03.03.21
Durbin Called to Oval Office Meeting to Discuss Medical Research with President Biden
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with President Joe Biden and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in the Oval Office to discuss how best to achieve advances in the fight against cancer. For years, Durbin has been a leader in the Congressional effort to restore the United States' commitment to breakthrough scientific and biomedical research. Thanks to Durbin's efforts as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the base budget for the Nat… Continue Reading
02.24.21
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce MOMMA Act to Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality Rates
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the bicameral Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA) Act. The legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for moms and babies of color who are significantly more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy. On average, maternal mortality claims the lives of about 700 American moms each year-an additional 70,000 women suffer nea… Continue Reading
02.24.21
Durbin Discusses Mental Health, Opioid Overdose Epidemic Amid COIVD-19 & Need to Pass Biden's American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the drastic increase in opioid overdose deaths and suicides in 2020. Durbin highlighted that there were more suicides by Black residents of Cook County, Illinois, in 2020 than over the past ten years, with a total of 437 residents taking their lives. At the same time, more than 700 Cook County residents die… Continue Reading
02.08.21
Durbin Discusses Supporting Caregivers with NDWA and SEIU
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the status of a COVID-19 relief bill with Ai Jen Poo, Executive Director of National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana Missouri and Kansas. During the call, Durbin discussed how Congress can better support caregivers and the essential work that these individuals provide. Nearly 90 percent of home… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Durbin, Cortez Masto, Senate Dems Introduce Bill to Protect Unemployed Workers' Health Insurance During Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), together with 11 Senate Democrats, today re-introduced the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, a bill that would protect millions of unemployed or furloughed workers from losing their health insurance in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would allow laid off workers to remain on their employer health plans, through the COBRA program, at no cost. "Recent estimates have shown that millions of wor… Continue Reading
01.14.21
Durbin & Bipartisan Senators Urge FDA to Protect Kids as it Reviews E-Cigarette Applications
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 11 other bipartisan Senators, today urged Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Stephen Hahn to comply with the agency's requirements to reject e-cigarette applications that do not protect the public health, as part of the FDA's long-overdue product review for e-cigarettes that began on September. The Senators, in a letter to Commissioner Hahn, highlighted the high standard the Family Smoking Prevention … Continue Reading
01.05.21
Durbin Urges Illinois Rural EMS Agencies to Apply for New SIREN Grant Program Funds
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the start of the grant application process for a federal grant program that supports rural fire and emergency medical services (EMS). The funding, created through Durbin's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act, supports EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment-for everything from naloxone and first aid kits, to power stretchers or new ambulances. Durbin's b… Continue Reading
12.23.20
Durbin Thanks Health Care Heroes for Their Works and Sacrifices in 2020
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today in a Facebook video message thanked health care heroes, medical researchers, and essential workers for their sacrifices and hard work keeping America safe this year. "This has been an unrelenting, draining, and scary time for many, many months. But your resilience and commitment to others has been a beacon of light during this crisis,"Durbin said. "A hundred years from now, when people tell the story of this pandemic, you will be the heroes o… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Durbin, Duckworth Statement on Omnibus Provision Protecting Food Access for 8,000 Illinois Supportive Living Facility Residents
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statements after they successfully secured a provision in the fiscal year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that will stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from terminating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for a group of supportive living facilities (SLFs) in Illinois that serve 8,000 low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. Without this provision from… Continue Reading
12.17.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19, Health Disparities, Medical Research with Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic with Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Becerra presently serves as California's Attorney General and previously served in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017 representing downtown Los Angeles. If confirmed, Becerra would be the first Latino HHS Secretary. Durbin and Becerra spoke about shared priorities for sup… Continue Reading
12.16.20
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $15 Million for Illinois Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $14.9 million in federal funding awarded to three Community Health Centers (CHC) throughout Illinois. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' health center cluster grant program. Every year, Illinois CHCs serve more than 1.4 million Illinoisans, regardless of their ability to pay. "Community Health Centers are a vital resource for so many Illinoisans an… Continue Reading
12.15.20
Durbin Discusses COVID-19, Health Disparities with Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General Nominee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today discussed the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Vivek Murthy, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be the next U.S. Surgeon General. Murthy previously held the position of Surgeon General during President Barack Obama's second term, and he is expected to take a leading role in Biden's COVID-19 response. Durbin and Murthy spoke about shared priorities for increasing uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, addressing health disparities, including D… Continue Reading
10.21.20
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats To Attorney General Barr: Drop Lawsuit To Gut The Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 17 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General William Barr, urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to rescind its support of the Supreme Court lawsuit brought by 18 Republican state Attorneys General that seeks to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the letter, the Senators highlight how health insurance protections for millions of Americans are at stake in … Continue Reading
10.16.20
Durbin Joins Illinoisans To Highlight What Is At Stake If The ACA Is Struck Down By The Supreme Court
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a news conference at the International Union of Operating Engineers to discuss the Supreme Court nomination and what is at stake if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were to be struck down. Durbin was joined by two Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions who shared their stories highlighting the importance of the protections provided by the ACA. "We are in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has killed more than 217,000 Americans and infected more th… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Durbin Joins Illinoisans With Pre-Existing Conditions To Speak Out Against Republican Threat To Overturn Affordable Care Act With SCOTUS Nomination
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, to discuss the Supreme Court nomination and the importance of coverage for those with pre-existing conditions provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Durbin was joined by several Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions who shared their stories highlighting the importance of the protections provided by the ACA. One week after Election Day, the Supreme Court will take up a case that will deter… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Calling For Investigation Into Political Inference With Coronavirus Information
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in leading 24 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General calling for an immediate investigation into allegations of political interference with public health information at the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Dru… Continue Reading
10.01.20
Durbin, Duckworth Cosponsor Legislation To Build Core Public Health Infrastructure Needed To Save Lives, Fight Threats Like COVID-19
WASHINGTON- This week, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 16 of their Democratic Senate colleagues to introduce the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA). The legislation would establish a new core public health infrastructure program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with up to $4.5 billion in annual funding to bolster the nation's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthen its abil… Continue Reading
09.29.20
Durbin: Confirmation Of Judge Barrett To The Supreme Court Is The Latest Republican Plan To Dismantle The Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today slammed Senate Republicans' reversal on filling a Supreme Court vacancy in a presidential election year and argued it is a thinly-veiled effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after numerous failed attempts to demolish the law in Congress. With President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) actively working to dismantle the ACA, Durbin emphasized the dangero… Continue Reading
09.28.20
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $8 Million For COVID-19 Vaccine Preparedness In Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $6.2 million to the Illinois Department of Public Health and $1.9 million to the Chicago Department of Public Health to help prepare for an eventual distribution of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, upon regulatory review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The funding, which is from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic … Continue Reading