In The News
Sen. Duckworth presses HUD to get its story straight concerning Cairo relocation effort
CAIRO - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth continues to push Housing and Urban Development officials to get their story straight concerning the relocation effort in Cairo. Duckworth, D-Ill., has said on numerous occasions that the lack of consistent information from HUD officials is both frustrating and confusing to residents and other concerned city leaders and federal officials. Ben Garmisa, a spokesman for Duckworth, said the senator's continued insistence for clarity on the nuts-and-bolts issues … Continue Reading
August 24, 2017
Duckworth on transgender ban: When I was dying it didn't matter who saved my life
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Thursday implored members of Congress to resist any effort by the White House to move forward with a proposed ban on transgender troops serving in the military, saying it didn't matter whether a soldier was "gay, straight, transgender, black, white or brown," and that such a measure would be "disruptive" and "counterproductive." "When I was bleeding to death in my Black Hawk helicopter after I was shot down, I didn't care if the American troops risking their … Continue Reading
August 11, 2017
'We Cannot Give In': Sen. Duckworth's Uniquely Personal Stand Against Trump
My family has served this nation in uniform, going back to the Revolution. I'm a daughter of the American Revolution," then-Representative Tammy Duckworth explained in an October 2016 debate for the open Illinois Senate seat. "I've bled for this nation, but I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound. Because people are quick to sound the drums of war, and I want to be there to say, 'This is what it costs, this is what you're asking us to do.' Families like mine are the … Continue Reading
August 08, 2017
Purple Heart Vet ‘Incredulous’ Her Senate Colleagues Approved Trump Nominee Who Authored ‘Torture Memos’
WASHINGTON ? When Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) thinks about one of the authors of the Bush-era "torture memos" joining the Trump administration, her mind goes back to when she was flying missions to Abu Ghraib prison at the time that photos emerged of U.S. military personnel torturing prisoners. "When those pictures came out, pretty much almost universal reaction among my fellow soldiers and myself was utter disgust," Duckworth said in an interview with HuffPost. "Our reaction, and pardon my … Continue Reading
August 03, 2017
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Introduced Legislation To Stop The US From Deporting Veterans
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Thursday introduced a suite of new legislative proposals barring deportation of military veterans convicted of nonviolent offenses, and requiring naturalization offices at all military training sites to ensure noncitizen soldiers can gain citizenship. The Illinois Democrat's bills, which are similar to legislation being proposed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the House, would also let deported veterans convicted of nonviolent offenses reenter the country to … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Senators seek tougher law for foreign gov’t lobbyists
Washington - A group of Democratic senators is introducing legislation to crack down on lobbyists who fail to disclose their work on behalf of foreign governments. The legislation being introduced Monday would ensure the Justice Department has the authority to impose civil financial penalties on lobbyists who fail to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The bill is being introduced by Illinois senators Tammy Duckworth and Richard Durbin and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Tammy Duckworth Blasts Trump Transgender Ban With Her Harrowing Experience In The Iraq War
On Wednesday morning, President Trump tweeted that after "consultation" with military generals and experts, he had arrived to the decision to bar all transgender individuals from working in the U.S. military in "any capacity." The announcement sent shockwaves through the country; politicians from both parties, activists, and celebrity figures alike swiftly condemned the decision. On Wednesday evening, Democratic senator and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth sounded off on Trump's military … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Tammy Duckworth: Trump is derelict in his duty
(CNN)When I enlisted in the United States Armed Forces in 1992, I swore an oath - the same oath members of my family dating back to the Revolution had sworn - to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same." I also pledged to follow the orders of the officers appointed above me, as well as the President of the United States. In 2004, I lost my legs fighting in a war with which I disagreed, and following … Continue Reading
July 10, 2017
'We're still in crisis mode,' Sen. Duckworth says after visiting Cairo on Sunday
CAIRO - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said that her visit to Cairo on Sunday revealed that both a lack of appropriate communication and conflicting information is aggravating the housing situation and the community's attempts to rebuild. "It's definitely a crisis and there's still a lack of information being passed on to the appropriate people," Duckworth said following a meeting with public housing residents, and a discussion with community leaders at City Hall. Duckworth said that, for … Continue Reading
July 10, 2017
Duckworth sees pressing need for federal funding in combating opioid addiction
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL - Both Republicans and Democrats agree there is an opioid epidemic in the United States. It devastates men, women, and kids; particularly in the metro east region. "Residents in Madison and St. Clair counties are buying opioid prescriptions at a rate that's much higher than national average. And more families are seeing the harsh addiction of opioid realities and what they look like," said Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth. According to Duckworth, the president's budget … Continue Reading
July 05, 2017
Sen. Tammy Duckworth: Peoria ag lab is important for national security
PEORIA - A bipartisan push to restore funding for the federal research laboratory in Peoria to the proposed Trump administration budget has focused largely on agricultural and economic implications. But U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Wednesday framed the maintenance of the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research - more commonly known as the ag lab - as an issue also vital to the security of the country. "This is really an issue of national security importance," Duckworth … Continue Reading
June 25, 2017
Duckworth Calls Republican Healthcare Bill ‘Devastating’
CHICAGO (CBS) - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth calls the healthcare bill from her republican colleagues "devastating." Sen. Duckworth considers the Senate GOP bill just as bad as the one from House republicans. She says under it, 385,000 Illinois residents could lose health insurance, while insurance companies could drop coverage for mental health, addiction and maternal care. "It would gut Medicaid, a program that met as many as tens of millions of new mothers, children, seniors and veterans, … Continue Reading
May 21, 2017
Sen. Duckworth urges George Washington University grads to 'get involved, not discouraged'
With the Washington Monument behind her, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Sunday implored the graduates of George Washington University to "get involved, not discouraged" by the divisive politics in the nation's capital and the "battle for the heart and soul of our nation." Duckworth, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, was invited to give this year's commencement address at the private university in Washington. Duckworth was also awarded an honorary degree alongside Lt. Gen. Nadja West, the Army … Continue Reading
May 05, 2017
Trump's Army secretary pick withdraws shortly after Duckworth joins critics
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Friday joined the growing Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump's Army secretary nominee, and he withdrew from consideration later in the day as criticism continued to intensify. Mark Green stepped aside amid condemnation of his remarks about LGBT Americans and Muslims, making him the second Trump nominee for Army secretary to withdraw. Green said in a statement that "false and misleading attacks" against him have made his nomination a distraction. He … Continue Reading
April 28, 2017
Duckworth blocks transportation planning rule
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has pulled the plug on a well-intentioned but highly controversial plan to get metropolitan planners all on the same page for once. Approved unanimously by the House late yesterday was a Duckworth bill that previously had cleared the Senate rolling back an Obama-era regulation that, according to her, could have allowed the governors of Indiana and Wisconsin to hold up Illinois transportation projects, and vice versa. The bill, Duckworth's first since entering … Continue Reading
