In The News
For Duckworth, the Alabama embryo court ruling is personal
Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s journey to begin a family was not a smooth one. And without in-vitro fertilization, it would have been an improbable one. The Illinois Democrat told National Journal that she had put family plans on pause for her military career. “My unit that I had just left command of was notified that it was deploying to Iraq,” she said. “At which point, of course, I volunteered to go with them because I couldn’t see letting the unit that I commanded for three years go off to war … Continue Reading
February 27, 2024
Duckworth leads reproductive rights charge after Alabama IVF ruling
WASHINGTON - Democratic senators, led by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, are pushing for the protection of reproductive rights in the aftermath of a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF). The ruling, which deemed frozen embryos created through IVF as children under state law, has sparked outcry among lawmakers advocating for reproductive freedoms. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined Senator Duckworth and fellow Democrats on Tuesday to unveil the … Continue Reading
February 27, 2024
Sen. Tammy Duckworth to bring up vote on bill to protect access to IVF nationwide
Washington — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said she plans to bring up a vote on legislation that would safeguard access to in vitro fertilization nationwide on Wednesday, as the issue has come into the political spotlight in recent weeks following a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that has led clinics in the state to halt the treatments. "They aren't just going to stop in Alabama. Mark my words, if we don't act now, it will only get worse," Duckworth said at a news … Continue Reading
February 27, 2024
Duckworth, trying to compel suddenly pro-IVF Republicans, pushes protections bill
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said she will bring her bill to protect a federal right of access to in vitro fertilization to the U.S. Senate floor on Feb. 28. In the wake of concerns raised by the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision last week declaring that embryos used in IVF were children, Duckworth said she hoped Republicans would not block a move to adopt the Access to Family Building Act by unanimous consent. “Let’s see tomorrow, when the rubber hits the road, whether they show up and show … Continue Reading
February 27, 2024
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth demands vote on federally protecting IVF treatments
CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) is demanding a vote Wednesday on a bill to protect in-vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments federally. "My girls are my everything. I likely would not have ever been able to have them had I not had access to basic reproductive rights that Americans, up until recently, had been depending on for decades," Duckworth said. Her renewed push for the bill comes after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos should be … Continue Reading
February 25, 2024
Duckworth: ‘It’s been crickets’ from GOP colleagues on bill to protect IVF
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) went after her GOP colleagues on Sunday, claiming their words defending in vitro fertilization (IVF) are empty after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling last week. The ruling handed down Monday classifies fertilized embryos as children, meaning failed IVF procedures could result in criminal charges for hospitals and doctors. Multiple major Alabama hospitals have stopped offering IVF because of the decision. Duckworth said no GOP colleagues have supported her bill … Continue Reading
February 25, 2024
Sen. Duckworth skeptical Republicans will back IVF bill after court rules embryos are people
Reacting to a controversial new Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos should be considered people under the law, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said on Sunday that she was "devastated" for how this could affect treatments like in vitro fertilization. She also called out conservatives whom she suggested were being disingenuous in distancing themselves from the case. "Let's make it clear: Republicans will say whatever they need to say to try to cover themselves on this, but they've been … Continue Reading
February 18, 2024
Sen. Tammy Duckworth visits Sweden to deliver message that NATO allies can continue to count on the U.S.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is in Sweden, where she is meeting with Swedish defense and foreign affairs officials as the nation is poised to join NATO at a time when the GOP presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, seeking another White House term, is encouraging Vladimir Putin to attack members of the alliance. Duckworth traveled to Sweden over the weekend — and will continue on to the Netherlands later this week — with two missions on the agenda. She is a member of the Armed … Continue Reading
February 15, 2024
Bipartisan Senate bill seeks to improve emergency communications for first responders
A new bipartisan Senate bill would codify the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s research and engineering laboratory and task it with developing technologies for tracking and communicating with people trapped in confined spaces. The ITS Codification Act from Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., calls for the NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to function as the federal government’s primary lab for studying radio frequency … Continue Reading
February 09, 2024
DNC Chicago 2024 host committee tours Chinatown ahead of Lunar New Year
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Democratic National Convention host committee is touring local neighborhoods, with their first stop being Chicago's Chinatown just ahead of Lunar New Year. Nearly 2 billion people around the world will celebrate Lunar New Year starting on Saturday, February 10. Many in Chinatown hope this year of the dragon will usher in some extra good fortune. Friday, Senator Tammy Duckworth led the DNC host committee on a tour of the historic neighborhood, stopping by Ichiban Candy … Continue Reading
February 06, 2024
Former pilot Duckworth gave Boeing's CEO an earful — and he listened
She’s been chair of the Senate’s aviation subcommittee for only a year, but Tammy Duckworth is making her presence felt. When the Illinois senator and former Army helicopter pilot told Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun he should drop his request for a safety waiver on a new, smaller version of the 737 that’s still awaiting FAA certification, Calhoun took her advice. The company dropped its request for a waiver related to the 737 Max-7 for a known de-icing issue, even though it’s likely to cost Boeing … Continue Reading
January 31, 2024
Illinois has the tools and talent to power America’s next stage of semiconductor tech
The world is changing. In the last few decades, technology has permeated every facet of our day-to-day lives. Foreign adversaries now often use technological prowess rather than tanks and troops to project power undermining the very values America holds dear. Over the past 20 years, the United States has lost a third of all jobs in its semiconductor industry, while the global industry has tripled in size. As the cost of domestic semiconductor production increased, our nation was unable to … Continue Reading
January 31, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin announce more than $2.8M in federal support for solar power throughout Illinois
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth(D-IL) and Dick Durbin(D-IL) have announced $2,869,784 to help businesses in rural Illinois transition to solar power. This funding is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program. According to a release from the U.S. Senate, the funding will help selectees purchase and install solar arrays to help power their businesses while saving recipients money on power costs, conserving energy and creating good-paying jobs. The following … Continue Reading
January 29, 2024
Boeing withdraws request for safety waiver for the 737 Max 7
Boeing has withdrawn a request for the Federal Aviation Administration to grant a safety waiver for the 737 Max 7 after the manufacturer reported an issue with the Max's anti-ice system last year. "We have informed the FAA that we are withdrawing our request for a time-limited exemption relating to the engine inlet deicing system on the 737-7," Boeing said Monday in a statement. "While we are confident that the proposed time-limited exemption for that system follows established FAA … Continue Reading
January 25, 2024
Senator Tammy Duckworth calls on FAA to reject Boeing's request for safety waiver for the 737 Max 7
In a letter obtained exclusively by CBS News, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, demanded that the Federal Aviation Administration reject Boeing's request for a safety waiver on the so far uncertified 737 Max 7, the smallest of the four 737 Max variants. "Boeing forfeited the benefit of the doubt long ago when it comes to trusting its promises about the safety of 737 MAX, and the FAA must reject its brazen request to cut corners … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
First on CNN: Amid post-Roe concerns, Democratic lawmakers introduce bill to protect access to IVF
Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at protecting access to infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, amid growing concern that anti-abortion bills may threaten access in some states. On Thursday, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild introduced the Access to Family Building Act, which would make it a statutory right for patients to access assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization or IVF, continue treatments and … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
Democrats Want To Establish IVF As A Statutory Right
The fight to ensure continued access to fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization is a personal one for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who had her two children through IVF. She has known for years that if Roe v. Wade fell, anti-choice groups would come for IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies next. Duckworth, along with Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), introduced the Access to Family Building Act on Thursday, legislation that would create protections for Americans ahead of that … Continue Reading
January 18, 2024
New Democrat-Backed Bill Would Protect IVF Access Nationwide Amid Post-Roe Concerns
Two Democrats plan to introduce legislation on Thursday that would safeguard access to assisted reproductive technology treatments such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF, amid fears that some states’ abortion bans could threaten access to the procedures. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said in a statement to Forbes the bill—dubbed the Access to Family Building Act—would “establish a statutory right to access IVF and other [assisted reproductive technology] for every American” regardless of the … Continue Reading
January 06, 2024
Japan runway collision raises fresh questions about airplane evacuations
Passengers in a plane crash find themselves elbow-to-elbow with strangers in the dark encountering a life-or-death challenge: Squeeze between seats and debris to find an exit. Even before nearly 400 people escaped from those circumstances aboard Japan Airlines flight 516 on Tuesday and fled down inflatable slides to safety, pressure was brewing in Washington for new scrutiny into airplane evacuations. The fatal accident saw the plane crash into a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft after touching … Continue Reading
January 05, 2024
Tokyo crash raises questions about realism of plane evacuation testing standards
The crash between a Japan Airlines passenger jet and a Japanese coast guard plane in Tokyo this week is resurfacing questions about standards used to evaluate whether aircraft can be safely evacuated during emergencies. It took about 18 minutes to evacuate Japan Airlines Flight 516, an Airbus A350-900, the Wall Street Journal reported. That's despite aircraft certification requirements that the plane could be evacuated within 90 seconds, even with half of its emergency exits blocked, and … Continue Reading
