In The News
MILITARY TIMES: DoD should reinstate programs granting citizenship through service, Army Veteran senator says
There was a time not so long ago when immigrants could enlist in the military and earn expedited U.S. citizenship. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is leading a crusade to bring that back. In a report sent to the Democratic caucus on Tuesday, Duckworth lays out the history of a handful of policies administrations have used to grant citizenship to immigrant service members, including their suspension and degradation toward the end of the Obama administration and into Donald Trump's term, when … Continue Reading
June 22, 2021
DoD should reinstate programs granting citizenship through service, Army veteran senator says
There was a time not so long ago when immigrants could enlist in the military and earn expedited U.S. citizenship. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is leading a crusade to bring that back. In a report sent to the Democratic caucus on Tuesday, Duckworth lays out the history of a handful of policies administrations have used to grant citizenship to immigrant service members, including their suspension and degradation toward the end of the Obama administration and into Donald Trump's term, when … Continue Reading
June 10, 2021
Senators urge EPA to act in Cahokia Heights, citing possible Clean Water Act violation
U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to force Cahokia Heights to fix flooding issues in the former Centreville area. Duckworth and Durbin sent a letter to the EPA Thursday, urging the agency to assist the city in an effort to avoid possible penalties that may be enforced under the Clean Water Act. Those actions could include issuing an administrative order of compliance, an administrative penalty order, or pursuing judicial civil … Continue Reading
June 08, 2021
Sen. Duckworth talks water infrastructure, Hate Crimes Act and vaccines to Taiwan
(WSIL) -- U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D- Illinois) is hoping to gain more support for a bill she's sponsoring, aimed at revamping the nation's water infrastructures. Duckworth co-sponsored the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last month. The law aims to make reporting hate crimes easier. Duckworth says the bill 'does very benign things'. COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT That law came in the wake of a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders … Continue Reading
June 06, 2021
Illinois US Sen. Tammy Duckworth announces vaccine donation while visiting Taiwan
The United States will donate 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, one of three U.S. senators who made a brief visit to the island Sunday morning as it battles its worst coronavirus outbreak of the pandemic. Duckworth, D-Ill., arrived in Taiwan with Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, as part of a larger trip to the region. Although the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, it is the … Continue Reading
May 27, 2021
Feds Will Study If Pollution From Site Of Planned Southeast Side Metal Scrapper Poses Health Hazards To Neighbors
EAST SIDE - A federal health agency will launch a probe into the potential health risks of pollution emanating from two Southeast Side metal scrappers, which are near where their owner plans to open another scrapper over the objections of neighbors. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will review the "hazards posed by the emissions from industrial metal shredding" at Reserve Marine Terminals and South Shore Recycling at 11600 S. Burley Ave., the agency announced … Continue Reading
May 25, 2021
Senator Duckworth Advocates For Paid Family Leave
Senator Tammy Duckworth is advocating for paid family leave in the US. Duckworth, who was the first US Senator to give birth while in office, says while COVID-19 has highlighted the difficulties parents face, the lack of paid leave is not a new problem. "Even before the pandemic nearly 80 percent, think about that, nearly 80 percent of private sector workers did not have access to paid family leave through their job to care for a new child or a sick loved one," she said. Duckworth says the … Continue Reading
May 21, 2021
Tammy Duckworth, Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey introduce new bill to make public transit more accessible
Nearly 20% of all transit stations in the U.S. aren't accessible to people with disabilities and don't fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities act, according to the Federal Transit Administration. It's a problem Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, says she knows too well. "Oh my goodness, yes. I tried accessing the subway in New York once and could not get on because the elevator wasn't not working, and the next one didn't have an elevator - or the one after that," she … Continue Reading
May 20, 2021
Interview: Tammy Duckworth Insists Every U.S. Transit Station Must Be Accessible
A groundbreaking bill would help make every transit station in America accessible to those with disabilities - and stop critical accessibility improvements from being put off. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), with Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), introduced the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act of 2021, which would establish a $10 billion grant program to help transit agencies and commuter-rail providers retrofit stations to meet the needs of people with physical, … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin ask Biden’s EPA to improve oversight of ethylene oxide probes
Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are asking the Environmental Protection Agency to fix the way the agency investigates and informs the public about harmful air emissions after an internal report last month found a Trump Administration political appointee suppressed an inquiry of cancer-causing gases in the Chicago area. Last month, the agency's inspector general reported that a senior political appointee in former President Donald Trump's Administration suppressed attempts by … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Bipartisan Senate bill introduced to give gyms $30B in relief
Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced legislation Thursday to provide $30 billion in aid to the gym industry, which has been struggling throughout the coronavirus pandemic due to lockdowns and a lack of clients. The bill is companion legislation to a House one introduced by Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in February, which now has 92 Democratic co-sponsors and 20 Republican co-sponsors. "It's critical we support the fitness industry to … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
New bill aims to give struggling fitness and workout studios a $30B shot in the arm
Lawmakers put muscle behind legislation to help the fitness industry on Thursday after a year of strict Covid-19 precautions, capacity restrictions, and forced closures. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., introduced the bipartisan GYMS Act, which would provide up to $30 billion in grants to fitness and workout studios at risk of closing their doors permanently. "Gyms and fitness facilities across the nation had to close their doors last year to help stop the spread of … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Bill Would Expand Paid Parental Leave for All New Military Parents
House and Senate lawmakers have introduced legislation that would give military parents 12 weeks of family leave after the birth or adoption of a child -- a move that would provide flexibility and standardize benefits across the services. The proposed Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act, introduced Tuesday by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., would give both the designated primary caregiver and secondary caregiver up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Sen. Tammy Duckworth visits Edwardsville COVID vaccination site today
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Senator Tammy Duckworth will tour a COVID vaccination site Friday at American Legion Post #199 in Edwardsville. The Illinois Democrat will meet with officials from the Madison County Health Department, Illinois National Guard, and The American Legion for an update on the county's vaccination efforts. They will also discuss how federal and local agencies can support each other to make sure that underserved communities are vaccinated against COVID-19, and how to reassure … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Duckworth urges Biden to demand Turkey curb attacks on Syrian Kurds
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and Illinois Democrat, on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to increase pressure on Turkey to curb its "malign activities" on the Kurdish population in Syria. The letter turns the heat up on Biden to take a stronger line on Ankara, even as the U.S.-Turkey relationship sours further over the president's decision to recognize the 1915 Armenian massacres as genocide. While former President Donald Trump developed a cozy relationship with his Turkish … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $9 Million in Grants for COVID Vaccine Education, Availability
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded more than $9 million to the state of Illinois to support education efforts and to expand availability of the coronavirus vaccine. According to a press release, more than $7.3 million will go to the state of Illinois to educate residents about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as to help expand availability of the treatments. Another $1.97 million will go to the city of … Continue Reading
May 04, 2021
"Long overdue": The Senate just passed $35 billion for clean drinking water
A massive, bipartisan clean water infrastructure bill passed the Senate 89-2 on Thursday. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act would create a $35 billion fund for states and tribes to improve water systems - 40 percent of which would go to underserved, rural, and tribal communities. The legislation would fund projects that address aging infrastructure and improve water quality, remove lead pipes from schools, and update infrastructure to be more resilient to the impacts of … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth ask federal VA to ensure Illinois veterans homes have proper disease planning, protocols after stinging report on LaSalle home, where 36 died from COVID-19
Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth on Monday asked for federal assistance to ensure Illinois veterans homes have proper infectious disease planning and protocols in place following the release of a stinging report detailing large-scale mismanagement at the LaSalle Veterans Home, where 36 residents died of COVID-19. In a letter to U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, the two Illinois senators noted the federal VA was part of on-site inspections with state … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Lawmakers tee up proposals to improve military child care facilities, address barriers to care
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers are teeing up legislative proposals that would tackle child care problems in the military, as thousands of children remain on monthslong waitlists and the Defense Department's backlog to repair existing facilities swells. The Defense Department, along with experts and military advocacy groups, have recognized high-quality child care as a retention and readiness issue for service members. The coronavirus pandemic also has exacerbated the problem, as some child care … Continue Reading
April 29, 2021
Senate passes bipartisan $35B water infrastructure bill
A bipartisan bill to boost funding for states' water infrastructure passed the Senate 89-2 Thursday, sending it to the House of Representatives. The measure, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021, would put $35 billion toward state water infrastructure programs. It authorizes gradual increases in funding for state water infrastructure systems from fiscal 2022 through 2026, beginning with $2.4 billion and ending with $3.25 billion. The bill, written by Sen. Tammy … Continue Reading
