In The News
There’s a new push to save child care on college campuses
Child care is so expensive for parents in college that it often exceeds the cost of their education. For years, one federal program has been helping lower those costs, until this year when the program has faced cuts under the Trump administration. Now, Democratic lawmakers are leading a push to save it. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Sen. Tammy Duckworth are reintroducing a bill Thursday to dramatically grow the $80 million Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Senator Tammy Duckworth demands ICE to stop using Hines VA Hospital parking lot in letter to secretary
U.S. Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth has penned a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, opposing the use of Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital property as staging for immigration enforcement agents. Duckworth says the hospital has been ordered to "surrender" parking spots for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to use as a staging area, amid the Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz" immigration crackdown in the Chicago area. According to a spokesperson for … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Sorensen and Duckworth announce funding to help create jobs in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Two Illinois lawmakers just announced a major donation of money to the community. Congressman Eric Sorensen and Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Wednesday that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $70,000 to the Region 1 Joint Planning Commission in Rockford. They were given the money to bring jobs to families in the area. “I want my neighbors in Rockford to be able to stay and raise their families in my hometown, but that means we need to continue bringing … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Democrats on Senate Armed Services Committee call for hearing on use of military in American cities
Every Democratic member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has joined to ask its Republican chairman to convene a hearing with Pentagon leaders about the Trump administration’s growing use of members of the U.S. military on the streets of American cities. In a letter to Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the 13 Democratic senators argue that the committee and the American people deserve answers on the cost of deploying personnel and equipment to U.S. cities, the impact on military readiness … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth wants ICE agents out of Hines VA Hospital parking lot
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is demanding Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins abandon his plan to use 12 parking spots at Edward Hines, JR. VA Hospital as a “staging area” for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — a complaint the department is calling “baseless.” Duckworth’s letter to Collins asks for “swift, decisive action to remove ICE from VA property and facilities.” The use of the parking lot prompted a protest at the west suburban hospital on Monday. “It is … Continue Reading
September 16, 2025
What Trump priorities, EPA firings mean for sewage spills in metro-east city
Cahokia Heights is facing some new challenges to fix failing infrastructure that regularly causes sewage to spill out of city pipes, according to two of the community’s representatives in Congress. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski recently traveled to the metro-east to meet with residents, state and federal agencies, elected officials and the media to discuss completed infrastructure projects, next steps and obstacles posed by President Donald Trump’s … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
Officials demand answers from Noem, Hegseth on Naval Station Great Lakes' use for immigration arrests
In a letter to top federal officials, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are demanding the federal government lay out parameters for using Naval Station Great Lakes for its immigration operation and that federal agents properly identify themselves while operating in Illinois. The letter, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, demands answers in writing from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on how the base … Continue Reading
September 07, 2025
Pacific allies are ready to help fix US shipbuilding, senators say, but confusion is standing in the way
US allies in the Pacific are ready to help fix American shipbuilding. But the problem is that Washington hasn't been clear on what support it needs or how to coordinate it, US lawmakers say. Shrinking yards, delayed programs, and spiraling costs have left the US shipbuilding industry struggling to maintain and sustain the Navy's fleet, as well as support commercial endeavors. Meanwhile, rival China's state-backed yards are turning out warships and commercial vessels at an alarming … Continue Reading
September 07, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Trump "essentially just declared war" on Chicago, but there's no "indications" of deployment
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said Sunday that President Trump "essentially just declared war on a major city in his own nation" referring to his recent remarks about Chicago. But she outlined that "we don't have any indications" that the administration is getting ready to send troops into the nation's third-largest city, despite signals in recent weeks that he is preparing to do so. "This is not normal," Duckworth said of Mr. Trump's statements on "Face the Nation with Margaret … Continue Reading
September 06, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth locked out from meeting with DHS officials about Trump's immigration enforcement plan
After touring the Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago on Friday, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they gained some clarity but are still largely in the dark on details of President Donald Trump’s plan to use the base for an immigration roundup over the next month. The Democratic senators and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-IL, tried meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials Friday at the base, but DHS “refused” to meet and instead sent their officials home and … Continue Reading
September 05, 2025
Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth discuss use of Naval Station Great Lakes by ICE agents
U.S. Senators for Illinois Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), were in Chicago's northern suburbs on Friday to discuss the plans to use nearby Naval Station Great Lakes as a base for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The lawmakers said they did get some answers from the U.S. Navy, but when they tried to get more information from the Department of Homeland Security, they were turned away. "DHS fled. They fled, and they're hiding, and … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Senators and congressman visit Naval Station Great Lakes ahead of ICE influx: ‘This is just political theater’
Three members of Illinois’ congressional delegation arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes Friday morning, hoping to meet with naval personnel and officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They ended up only meeting with the Navy. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, got to the base and saw the office building DHS and ICE will be using, but there was no one around. “The office was locked … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth ask feds for details of Trump's Chicago deployment plan
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are requesting detailed information from the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department about President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the military in Chicago. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel, the two Illinois Democrats call the effort a “political game” that is justifying sending troops to American cities, “while … Continue Reading
August 25, 2025
'Stay out of our city': Chicago officials slam Trump’s threat to target the city
CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said Chicago will likely be the next target of his efforts to crack down on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration. Trump indicated that the Midwestern city could receive similar treatment to what he’s done in Washington, D.C., where he’s deployed 2,000 troops on the streets. “I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding, “And then we’ll help with New York.” The comments came as the Pentagon on … Continue Reading
August 20, 2025
Duckworth heads to Japan to boost Illinois' quantum chances in race against China
Sen. Tammy Duckworth landed in Japan early Wednesday on a trip aimed at bolstering Illinois’ relationships around quantum technology, supply chain and national security. And a huge focus is beating China in the race to create a functioning quantum computer. The trip marks Duckworth’s 11th trip to Asia and 14th congressional member delegation trip since 2018. Her trip began in South Korea with a meeting with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, whose SK Group and its subsidiary companies announced plans … Continue Reading
August 17, 2025
US seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea and Japan to counter China
WASHINGTON (AP) — American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies’ shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world’s second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the … Continue Reading
August 05, 2025
Senate Democrat questions FAA on recent airplane evacuations
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) questioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over recent airplane evacuations in a Tuesday letter. In her letter, Duckworth referenced three recent evacuation incidents, all previously noted by the FAA, and stated, “fortunately, for all three incidents, professional and highly trained flight crews were able to guide all passengers to safety with minimal injuries.” “While FAA has yet to disclose how long any of the referenced passenger evacuations took, … Continue Reading
August 05, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth demands answers from FAA on airplane evacuation safety
Following the dramatic video of an American Airlines flight evacuating on a Denver runway last month, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is sending a letter to new FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford demanding answers on evacuation safety. "The FAA needs an evacuation standard that reflects the reality of flying today," Duckworth told CBS News in a statement. "The American people deserve to know whether the FAA is taking this responsibility seriously and complying with the law to ensure the flying … Continue Reading
July 30, 2025
Senate votes down Israel arms sales ban, despite growing Democrat support
The Senate on Wednesday voted down a resolution to bar U.S. arms sales to Israel, exposing new divisions among Democrats and highlighting rising frustration with the country’s conduct in Gaza. The first of two votes pushed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders — which came to 27-70 — renewed efforts to halt American weapons transfers in protest of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Democrats split on the vote, with 12 new supporters who previously backed arms … Continue Reading
July 25, 2025
Local Leaders Commemorate Emmett Till's Birthday, Preservation of Church Building Where Funeral Was Held
Ollie Gordon described her older cousin Emmett Till as her protector growing up. “I can remember he was like our guardian angel,” Gordon said. “He can do whatever, but nobody on the street better do anything because they were going to have to answer to him.” Gordon was 7 years old when Till was murdered. She was living in a house with Till and his mother at the time Till was abducted. For all the talk about his death, Gordon said she wants people to remember that Till was also a fun, loving, … Continue Reading