In The News
Tammy Duckworth on Her Fight to Shield Veterans from Deportation
WASHINGTON - Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois and an Army veteran who lost her legs in the Iraq war, has been pushing hard in Congress in recent weeks to try to end the federal government's practice of deporting undocumented immigrants who served honorably in the military. Ms. Duckworth, who was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom and who served alongside undocumented immigrants, recently released a report scrutinizing the practice of … Continue Reading
July 03, 2021
Peoria veterans honored with war memorial dedication ceremony
A small crowd gathered at Peoria County Courthouse Plaza Saturday to honor all local veterans with a memorial. "A Final Salute" featured a granite wall with the names of 233 Peorian veterans who died in combat while serving the United States since World War II. Two statues that resemble soldiers returning to their field base sit behind the wall. The wall sheds light on all of the U.S. wars and conflicts over the past 160 years. A part of the wall also included the unveiling of "Lady … Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Tammy Duckworth Calls On Congress To Better Protect Immigrant Veterans
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) called on Congress to make it easier for immigrant veterans to gain U.S. citizenship for their service, as well as pass legislation to aid those who have been deported under a complicated system she said often penalizes rather than protects. Duckworth, a veteran of the Iraq War and a Purple Heart recipient, spoke before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety on Wednesday shortly after she released a report detailing … Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduces bills aimed at preventing deportation of veterans
(KFVS) - U.S. Tammy Duckworth has re-introduced legislation she says is aimed at preventing servicemembers and veterans from being deported. The bills include the Veterans Visa and Protection Act, HOPE Act and I-VETS Act. "Far too many men and women willing to wear our uniform have been deported by the same nation they risked their lives to defend due the unnecessary and complex barriers they faced during the naturalization process," Duckworth said. "These important bills would make it … Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
A Senator Seeks To Reverse Trump-Era Policies For Deported Military Veterans
Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth is unveiling a legislative package Thursday that would protect from deportation military servicemembers and veterans who don't have U.S. citizenship, as part of a new effort to reverse Trump-era policies. Duckworth is introducing three new bills that would ban the deportation of foreign-born veterans who are not violent offenders; create a new tracking system for noncitizens who currently or previously served; and allow deported veterans who are … Continue Reading
June 23, 2021
Senate must pass bill to enable the government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices
Every time I hear a constituent struggling to afford next month's medications, wondering whether they'll have to choose between paying for a lifesaving prescription and paying rent, the same question - the same frustration - rushes through my mind. In the year 2021, how are we still allowing Big Pharma to have such a stranglehold on our country? How are we still letting the health care industry force the people whose health it's supposed to care for to count pennies in order to give themselves … 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 22, 2021
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 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