Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
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 … Continue Reading
January 05, 2021
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 … Continue Reading
December 23, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
December 21, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
December 17, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
December 16, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
December 15, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
October 21, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
October 16, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
September 29, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
September 28, 2020
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 … Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
Durbin: Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Companies Do Not Back Up Certainty Of President Trump's October Timeline, Signal Likelihood Of Seeking More Controversial EUA Route
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving written responses from each pharmaceutical company with a vaccine candidate under Operation Warp Speed to letters Durbin had sent earlier this month: "Americans seek a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine that can hopefully return a sense of normalcy to their lives. But the proximity of the election cannot dictate the science. The President's interference and political pressuring … Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Durbin, Cortez Masto, Senate Dems Introduce Bill To Protected Unemployed Workers' Health Insurance During Pandemic
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), together with 13 Senate Democrats, today introduced the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, a bill that would protect millions of unemployed or furloughed workers from losing their health insurance by enabling them to access subsidized COBRA coverage and keep their insurance. The bill would provide a 100 percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums owed by unemployed workers, in nearly all … Continue Reading
September 23, 2020
Durbin Slams Trump Administration's COVID-19 Response, Urges Senate To Protect Health Insurance Of Unemployed Americans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed the Trump Administration for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and spoke about the importance of helping unemployed and uninsured Americans, hospitals and health clinics, state and local governments, and small businesses. Yesterday marked 200,000 American deaths from COVID-19. "I listen as spokespeople for the Administration talk about the wonderful job that they've done in defending America from the coronavirus. … Continue Reading
September 22, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Call On Republicans To Stand For Science And Support Bill To Stop Political Interference In COVID-19 Response
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and 30 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the Science and Transparency Over Politics (STOP) Act, legislation to fight back against political interference by the Trump Administration in the work of experts and the nation's public health agencies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The American people must have … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Durbin Slams President Trump's Comments On Vaccine Approval Timeline, ACA Repeal Efforts, And State Of Testing In America During Senate Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, at a Senate Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearing about the Trump Administration's coronavirus response efforts, questioned witnesses about President Trump's claim that a COVID-19 vaccine would be ready "within weeks". Durbin also slammed the President's inaccurate suggestion that the United States has a high number of COVID-19 cases because of the number of tests conducted, … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Durbin Speaks With National Children's Alliance About COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact On Child Abuse
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone today with National Children's Alliance members about the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the 40 Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) in Illinois and the families they serve. On the call, Durbin heard from child protection professionals about their concerns that, despite a lower number of reported cases, child abuse may have increased during the pandemic due to unemployment, economic stress, and isolation with abusive parents or siblings. … Continue Reading