In The News
Duckworth: Trump sees these true patriots as enemies
(CNN) - Marching and chanting, grieving and kneeling, countless Americans have braved tear gas and rubber bullets over the past six weeks to send an unequivocal message to their elected leaders: that they will not stand idly by as racial injustice continues to tear at our country. In this moment of national reckoning, and particularly as we celebrated Independence Day last weekend, I can think of nothing more patriotic. These citizens understand that doing the tireless, often thankless … Continue Reading
July 07, 2020
Duckworth on Russia bounties: How dare Trump still call himself our commander in chief?
While President Donald Trump has spent the past couple of weeks golfing, campaigning and making sure the buck stopped anywhere but with him, American service members in hot spots around the world likely were wondering whether there might be a bounty hanging over their heads - and whether the president of the United States would even care enough to respond if that were the case. In a report confirmed by other major news organizations, The New York Times wrote on June 26 that Russia paid … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Duckworth to hold up confirmations to ensure impeachment witness Vindman's promotion isn't blocked
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Thursday announced she'll hold up the confirmation of more than 1,000 military promotions until Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirms that the promotion of impeachment witness Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman won't be blocked. Duckworth, a retired Army officer who lost both legs because of injuries sustained in the Iraq war, said she intends to block 1,123 promotions until Esper "confirms in writing that he did not, or will not, block the expected and deserved … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth Decries Trump Inaction On Bounty Report
Former combat veteran, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, condemned the inaction of US President Donald Trump over reports that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan. After reports of the bounties surfaced, Duckworth said Trump, "went right on placing Russian interests ahead of American lives." "Not once, not once in the past 72 hours has he found the time to express outrage that American servicemen and women are dead," … Continue Reading
June 27, 2020
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Demands Senate Hearing Into Report Russia Secretly Offered Bounties To Afghan Militants For Killing U.S. Troops
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling for a Senate hearing into a report Russia secretly offered bounties to militants in Afghanistan for the killing of American troops, and that President Donald Trump has known about it for months, but did nothing. "First, Donald Trump encouraged Russia to interfere in our democracy, and they did. Now, Russia is secretly paying militants to kill U.S. troops. Trump has known for months but apparently done nothing to stop them," Duckworth … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Senator Who Used to Fly Black Hawks Calls for Answers on Army Helicopter Probe
Former Army UH-60 Blackhawk pilot and Senate Armed Services Committee member Tammy Duckworth told the Army's top official this week that she wanted to know who is responsible for the use of low-flying helicopters to suppress crowds of protesters in Washington, D.C. The Democratic senator from Illinois also talked to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy about "the need" to ban the Confederate Battle Flag from all Army installations after the Navy and the Marine Corps made similar moves in the wake of … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Senator Tammy Duckworth: Our Black Servicemembers Deserve Better Than Military Bases Named After Confederate Officers
John Brown Gordon was no American hero. A slave-owner and rumored Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, Gordon betrayed his nation by serving as a Confederate general during the Civil War, and then used his position among Georgia's elite to stoke white supremacy long after the last bullet of the war had been fired. And today, the United States Military that he took up arms against continues to honor his memory. Situated halfway between Savannah and Atlanta, Fort Gordon is an Army training base … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Bill would block presidents with no military service from being buried in Arlington Cemetery
A United States senator and combat veteran introduced a bill that would block presidents or vice presidents with no military service from being buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said the legislation is aimed at preserving the limited space left available in the cemetery for those who have served in the Armed Forces. The bill would not affect anyone already interred at the cemetery. The U.S. Army recently recommended restricting eligibility for burial at … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
It broke my heart to watch two generals walk like lapdogs behind a five-time draft-dodger
Last week, Donald Trump trampled the First Amendment rights of Americans to peaceably assemble for a redress of grievances. Even before any curfew went into effect, the Trump administration ordered federal law enforcement to violently remove Americans who stood in his way of a disgusting, crass photo-op. The president may have been waving a Bible, but in using police to forcibly remove a priest and seminarian from his camera shot, he revealed his contempt for the truly faithful. As if that … Continue Reading
June 08, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Among Co-Sponsors of ‘Justice in Policing' Bill
Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are among a large group of Democratic lawmakers sponsoring a police reform bill in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. The senators joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) along with Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in introducing the bill, titled the “Justice in Policing Act of 2020” … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Tammy Duckworth: Trump’s Use Of Military Against Protesters Is ‘Disgusting’
WASHINGTON - Sen. Tammy Duckworth flew Black Hawk helicopters to fight al Qaeda in Iraq and nearly lost her life doing so. Now, President Donald Trump is using military helicopters ? along with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades ? to intimidate Americans protesting racism and police brutality outside the White House. Duckworth is livid. "The military is not to be used against Americans," the Illinois Democrat said in an interview Tuesday. "He is perverting, at best, the role of … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
MSNBC: 'Lap dogs': Sen. Duckworth slams military leadership's response to Trump
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), an Iraq War veteran, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss her call for national standards for police behavior to address systemic racism and police brutality. Sen. Duckworth also delivers a sharp rebuke of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, for "carrying out the president's twisted idea of what military is supposed to do," and that the use of the troops to control protests "is not the appropriate use of our … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
MSNBC: Sen. Duckworth: Military force against peaceful protesters a ‘betrayal of the troops’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, tells Lawrence O'Donnell that top military leaders need to "stand up" to President Trump when his orders are unlawful, instead of being the president's "lap dogs who are willing to follow him in battle dress … Continue Reading
June 01, 2020
Tammy Duckworth: Fight for the justice that George Floyd Didn't Get
(CNN) First, he said "I can't breathe." Then, he called out "mama" for his late mother. Last Monday, in Minneapolis during broad daylight, George Floyd was slowly, publicly killed by someone whose responsibility was to "protect and serve." Then-Officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been rightly fired, spent at about three minutes ignoring Floyd's cries of pain-refusing to move his knee from Floyd's neck, refusing to let up even as the man under him begged for life and lost consciousness. Then … Continue Reading
May 30, 2020
Senators call for investigation into Pulaski County jail amid COVID-19 outbreak
ULLIN - U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are calling on federal oversight agencies to investigate conditions at the Pulaski County Detention Center amid a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. In a letter sent Friday, Illinois' two Democratic senators called on the investigatory arms of the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Homeland Security to "immediately investigate urgent public health concerns" for detainees and facility staff. Durbin and Duckworth write … Continue Reading
May 28, 2020
Senators Ask Labor Inspector General for Review of OSHA’s Work During the Coronavirus Pandemic
On Wednesday, a group of senators called on the Labor Department inspector general to review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's actions during the novel coronavirus pandemic following criticism the agency is not doing enough to protect workers. Former officials and lawmakers have called on OSHA to have a more active role during the pandemic and issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers from the virus. The AFL-CIO filed a lawsuit against OSHA earlier … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Support Grows to Secure Federal Benefits for Activated National Guard Members
A push to extend the orders of more than 39,000 National Guard members long enough to secure their federal retirement and education benefits now has growing bipartisan support in Congress and the backing of Pentagon leadership. The current orders set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency end June 24 -- one day shy of the 90 days needed to qualify for these benefits. In an appearance on NBC-TV's "Today" show May 22, Defense Secretary Mark Esper gave his qualified support to extending … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
A plan for a compensation fund for essential workers and their families was just announced by a bipartisan group in the House and Senate
Democratic and Republican lawmakers unveiled on Thursday a plan to provide a compensation fund for essential workers and their families who have become ill or died from the coronavirus. The "Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act" would provide compensation to essential workers across a variety of industries, including grocery, retail, delivery, transit, janitorial services, healthcare, and other jobs whose workers have responded to the pandemic. It would also account for family members who became … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth join lawmakers seeking federal Arbery death investigation
A call for a federal investigation into the death of Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery includes Illinois lawmakers. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) signed a letter involving over 80 House and Senate colleagues, in which lawmakers asked for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to being a criminal civil rights investigation. They also asked for an independent organization into how local authorities handled the case. A father and son, identified as Gregory and Travis McMichael, … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
President Trump 'delusional' to think COVID-19 will just go away: Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Illinois's junior senator, Tammy Duckworth, blasted President Donald Trump and his administration Tuesday for the response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling Trump "delusional" after he's made comments recently suggesting the virus will eventually just go away and that testing isn't as important as some critics are saying it is for reopening the country. "The man is delusional, and has no basis in his thinking in any type of science... Here's the deal, if we want to reopen the economy, we … Continue Reading
