In The News
Mindy Kaling, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and more on belonging in America
Tammy Duckworth U.S. SENATOR FOR ILLINOIS It wasn't so much one moment but the pivotal realization that the strength of our nation lies in our diversity, especially when we interact internationally. In the mid-90s, as a young platoon leader and First Lieutenant, I participated in Operation Brightstar, a NATO training exercise in Egypt. We were out in the desert with air crews from all different parts of NATO and somebody had gone up to one of the guys in my aircrew to ask to look at the … Continue Reading
May 10, 2022
Duckworth makes impassioned plea for abortion bill: D.C. Memo
Roe remains at center stage today: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., took to the Senate floor Tuesday to throw her support-in unusually personal terms-behind a pending bill that would enshrine access to abortion as a federal right. Duckworth said the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade "gave me my chance to be a mom. . . .I was only able to get pregnant through (in vitro fertilization), a fertility process that Roe lays the foundation for." Duckworth spoke in favor of the … Continue Reading
May 10, 2022
‘Shame on you:’ Sen. Duckworth slams anti-abortion Republicans in Senate debate
May 05, 2022
Duckworth bill aims to boost Pentagon’s 3D-printing capabilities
As the Pentagon shifts its focus from the nearly two-decade fights in the Middle East to competition against adversaries like Russia and China, the ability for front-line American troops to resupply on the fly is of increasing importance. On Wednesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduced a bill directly aimed at boosting the Defense Department's use of bioindustrial manufacturing and 3D printing in order to give small, dispersed units more ways to resupply. The bill would require the Defense … Continue Reading
April 27, 2022
Duckworth Re-Introduces PROVE Act
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth joined 12 fellow Democratic Senators yesterday in re-introducing legislation to expand voter registration and civic engagement initiatives. Duckworth re-filed the Pre-Registration of Voters Everywhere Act, known as the PROVE Act, that would allow for U.S. Citizens aged 16 and 17 to pre-register to be added to voter rolls when they turn 18. Additionally, the PROVE Act also provides $25 million in grants, over two years, for states to distribute to schools and … Continue Reading
April 25, 2022
Federal money to replace lead pipes is just a first step to cleaner drinking water in Chicago
Seven of the top 10 states with the most lead pipes carrying drinking water into homes are in the Great Lakes region, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Illinois and Chicago also have the dubious honors of being at the top of the lists as the state and city with the most lead pipes of anywhere in the country. This means that millions of people drink and cook with water delivered through aging lead pipes. With water bills on the rise, many households are paying more for water … Continue Reading
April 21, 2022
Lead water line replacements in Illinois may soar well past 1 million
There are nearly 700,000 lead water lines to homes and businesses across Illinois - more than half in Chicago - that have to be replaced because they are made with brain-damaging lead, government officials warned. What's more, that number could be well over 1 million as the state has identified an additional 820,000 water service lines that are made of "unknown material," Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John Kim said at a hearing in Chicago held by U.S. Sen. Tammy … Continue Reading
April 20, 2022
Senator Duckworth comments on new environmental regulations
WASHINGTON - Following the announcement of the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act Phase 1 regulation, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth issued this statement: "Today's announcement from the Biden administration is an important development that will help restore the integrity of NEPA in a fair and balanced way, while increasing efficiencies across agencies and protecting our communities that have been ignored for too long. As the Bipartisan … Continue Reading
April 15, 2022
Congress Might Finally Do Something About The Exorbitant Cost Of Prison Phone Calls
For nearly 20 years, Martha Wright-Reed struggled to pay for phone calls with her incarcerated grandson, Ulandis Forte. He was imprisoned too far away for frequent visits, so phone calls were the main way they could stay in touch. But a few 15-minute phone calls a week cost $200 a month, and Wright-Reed found herself choosing between paying for her medication and speaking with her grandson. Wright-Reed has since passed away, and her grandson is no longer in prison. But a bill bearing her name … Continue Reading
April 13, 2022
'Crib bumper' ban passes congress, Biden expected to sign
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new bill to protect babies from injury is making its way to the President's desk. New legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) aims to protect infant lives by banning the sale of padded crib bumpers - which have been proven to pose an unnecessary, deadly risk to sleeping infants. The bill passed Congress yesterday and is now headed to the White House to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. … Continue Reading
April 07, 2022
Help for Long COVID? 2 Dems Introduce Bill to Help Those Still Suffering Months Later
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced a new bill Thursday they say will help ensure accessible and affordable medical care and treatment for long COVID patients, including underserved populations. Long COVID is related to a combination of lingering symptoms in patients who recovered from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, muscle pain and anxiety are just a few debilitating complications attached to the mystery … Continue Reading
April 07, 2022
U.S. Lawmakers Push to Expand Long Covid Treatment
A bill to increase funding for Long Covid treatment and clinics marks the latest push from lawmakers to confront chronic health problems related to the coronavirus that affect millions of Americans. The Treat Long Covid Act is a joint effort from Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, and Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat. Both have been involved in efforts to bolster federal support for Long Covid research, treatment and education. Earlier this week, President … Continue Reading
April 04, 2022
Suburban flooding to be addressed with $1.5M in federal funding
DOLTON, Ill. - Roughly $1.5 million in federal funding is on the way to address sewer repairs in the south suburbs of Dolton, Harvey, Riverdale and west suburban Stone Park. All of these communities have experienced issues with stormwater runoff that has caused flooding and sewage back-ups. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), working with Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, not only want to mitigate flooding, they also want to protect the environment. "With the help of … Continue Reading
April 03, 2022
Extended Interview: Senator Tammy Duckworth on arming Ukraine, capping cost of insulin, investigating Jan. 6
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) - Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) said she intends to push for Congress to approve a nationwide cap on the out-of-pocket cost of insulin before the November election. Duckworth also reacted to calls to arm Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia, calls to investigate the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and the road blocks in access to affordable health care in the Springfield … Continue Reading
March 30, 2022
Exclusive: Widow of D.C. police officer Jeff Smith, who died by suicide, says battling rioters on Jan. 6 "changed him"
The widow of an officer who died by suicide after responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is pressing Congress to pass legislation recognizing the trauma suffered by law enforcement officers who take their own lives, which she told CBS News would be a fitting legacy for her husband. Four officers who responded on Jan. 6 died by suicide within seven months of the attack. Earlier this month, Erin Smith received an email from Washington, D.C., with the result she had spent more than a … Continue Reading
March 28, 2022
U.S. Sen. Duckworth stops by Burr Ridge to celebrate culvert funding
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth stopped by Burr Ridge on Saturday to celebrate securing federal funding for the Elm Street culvert which is expected to prevent flooding and could save the village close to $1 million in construction costs. The funding comes from the America Rescue Plan Act, a pool of federal money set aside to help communities hit hard by COVID-19. The village had long considered replacing the failing bit of infrastructure but with a much smaller and cheaper culvert, about 50 % … Continue Reading
March 26, 2022
The cost of prison phone calls is staggering. Congress has a chance to change that.
Picking up the phone and placing a call in the United States today requires little planning, and not much thought - unless you're in prison or jail, in which case the simple action becomes a tremendous undertaking. Congress now has an opportunity to reduce this burden. The cost to incarcerated people of communicating with the outside world is staggering: A 15-minute conversation with a loved one costs $5.74 on average; in some jurisdictions one minute costs more than one dollar; and that is … Continue Reading
March 25, 2022
Sen. Tammy Duckworth pushes for memorial to working women of World War II - CBS News exclusive
Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, knows firsthand the sacrifices of going to war and being a working mom. The Iraq war combat veteran and mother of two is using Women's History Month to make a renewed push for her legislation to establish a memorial in the nation's capital to honor the nearly 18 million women who worked on the home front during World War II. "We know all about the 'Rosie the Riveters' but I think most people are surprised when they hear we haven't honored them," … Continue Reading
March 25, 2022
Sen. Tammy Duckworth unveils legislation aimed to prevent gas price gouging, hold oil companies accountable
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WMBD) - A U.S. lawmaker is trying to provide relief at the pump and hold oil companies accountable. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is introducing the "Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act," looking to hold big oil companies responsible for price gouging. "Our working families are hurting right now," Duckworth told WMBD's Matt Sheehan during On the Record. "There's no question that big oil is gouging right now. The legislation I'm introducing would make it illegal for big oil … Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
Illinois senator proposes requiring oil companies to keep prices down
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - With Americans paying more at the pump, Democrats and Republicans can't agree on the root of the problem and therefore aren't on the same page about solutions. Democrats say the problem is big oil companies. "They're jacking up their prices," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said. "They're using Putin's unprovoked war as a reason to raise gas prices and increase shareholder and executive payouts. I think it's morally reprehensible." She argued that the companies are … Continue Reading
