In The News
‘Unqualified Yes Man!’ Senator Erupts On Pete Hegseth in Fiery Hearing Clash
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tore into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Wednesday hearing on the Defense Department’s 2026 budget request. After she was given the floor to speak, Duckworth went after the secretary for the costly operation the U.S. conducted on the Houthis in Yemen. That operation, Duckworth noted, “has not restored the transit of U.S. flag commercial vessels through the Red Sea,” and has even resulted in the loss of military aircraft. “You are blowing through money … Continue Reading
June 11, 2025
Democrats Are Daring Trump to Back Their IVF Bill as He Weighs Recommendations on Access
Senate Democrats are daring President Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed “father” of in vitro fertilization, to support their bill protecting access to fertility treatments. “This is his chance to get on board, right?” Sen. Tammy Duckworth said. “Let’s make sure that we continue to enshrine Americans’ rights to access assisted reproductive technology. It’s that simple.” “I’m giving him an opportunity; he should back it,” Duckworth continued. The Illinois senator will introduce on Wednesday … Continue Reading
June 05, 2025
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth Introduces Bill to Get Travelers to the Airport on Time
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth introduced a new bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at helping travelers get to the airport on time by improving the infrastructure that gets them there. The Don't Miss Your Flight Act would use existing highway funds to improve roads, bridges, rail and transit routes leading to airports. "Airports like Chicago O'Hare and so many others are building to keep up with the growth of passenger demand and the surface transportation, whether it's the road or the rail, … Continue Reading
June 05, 2025
Combat vet Tammy Duckworth leads Democrats’ final plea to stop Pentagon purge as trans military ban begins
On the eve of the most sweeping purge of transgender personnel in modern U.S. military history, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat representing Illinois, is leading a last-minute attempt to halt what she and 22 other Senate Democrats call a “foolhardy,” “cruel,” and politically motivated expulsion of thousands of qualified service members. In a scathing letter delivered Thursday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Duckworth—an Iraq War veteran and double amputee who sits on the Senate Armed … Continue Reading
June 05, 2025
Duckworth’s ‘Don’t Miss Your Flight’ bill aims to fix last-minute delays en route to airports
There’s a special kind of angst that comes from being within sight of O’Hare International Airport, only to run smack into traffic or transit dysfunction. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth hopes to reduce that stress. The Hoffman Estates Democrat introduced the “Don’t Miss Your Flight Act” Thursday with co-sponsor Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. It seeks to upgrade ground transportation in and out of airports. “It’s that final bit that makes it difficult for passengers to connect, … Continue Reading
May 28, 2025
US senator makes 4th trip to Taiwan
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Senator Tammy Duckworth is visiting Taiwan from Wednesday to Thursday, marking her fourth trip to the country while in office, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Duckworth will meet with President Lai Ching-te, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, per MOFA. Discussions will cover foreign affairs, defense, economic and trade policy, as well as the security situation in the Taiwan Strait and the broader region. The ministry … Continue Reading
May 28, 2025
US Sen. Duckworth visits Taiwan to discuss regional security and trade
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Strongly pro-Taiwan U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is visiting the self-governing island democracy to discuss regional security and relations with the U.S. Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, will hold a series of high-level meetings with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations during her visit Wednesday and Thursday, said the American Institute in Taiwan, which acts as the de-facto American embassy in Taiwan in liu of formal diplomatic relations. Trade, … Continue Reading
May 27, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth heads to Taiwan, Singapore in bid to 'close the deal' for quantum campus
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday embarked on a six-day trip to Taiwan and Singapore, where she hopes to “close the deal” on a partnership with Foxconn’s research arm at Chicago’s new quantum algorithm center. Duckworth is on her 13th Congressional Member Delegation trip since 2018 — and this trip marks her 11th trip to Asia. She told the Sun-Times her main goal in Taiwan will be to push Hon Hai — better known as Foxconn — to invest in the soon-to-be-constructed Illinois Quantum and … Continue Reading
May 21, 2025
AmeriCorps cuts leave Chicago programs serving kids facing diminished summer
In the shadow of the carousel at an otherwise empty Lincoln Park Zoo, a crowd of children rushing ahead of their families shrieked as they saw two grown-ups dressed as Superman and Supergirl. The superheroes’ sighting checked off a scavenger hunt box on an evening when the zoo was closed to everyone except the hundreds of families served by Chicago HOPES for Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides academic support to children experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Outings … Continue Reading
May 21, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth concerned about cuts to care at hospitals recently acquired by Prime Healthcare
JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) -- Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth were raising concerns Wednesday about cuts to the level of care at some local hospitals. The hospitals are now owned by Prime Healthcare. They were recently purchased from Ascension. A spokesperson for Prime Healthcare says the for-profit company's model is centered on investing in hospitals. But nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet say, since the company acquired the hospital, they've instead seen cutbacks to … Continue Reading
May 20, 2025
Is Sauget air pollution harming people? CDC suggests a deeper EPA probe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed an investigation into whether air pollution in Sauget is harming people, with a particular focus on the emissions from a hazardous waste incinerator there. An estimated 878 people live within a 1-mile radius of the 35-acre Veolia North America-Trade Waste Incineration facility. The closest residential areas are about half a mile southeast of the facility in Cahokia Heights. The national public health agency was able to provide them … Continue Reading
May 17, 2025
Duckworth hosts veterans town hall in Crystal Lake
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, talked about veterans but also bipartisan legislation and other issues at a Crystal Lake town hall Saturday morning. Duckworth, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, focused the town hall, which was held at the IBEW Local 117 hall, on veterans and veterans issues. [ VA responds to Duckworth town hall in Crystal Lake ] David Trost of McHenry asked Duckworth about Medicare and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other similar programs, … Continue Reading
May 16, 2025
Sen. Duckworth criticizes Trump's plans to accept new plane from Qatar and cut staff at the VA
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth spoke Friday on several recent developments concerning the Trump administration, including President Trump’s plan to accept a Boeing jet from Qatar and recent moves on aviation and veterans programs. The royal family of Qatar offered to give a jet to Trump, which he would use as the new Air Force One and then take with him once his term ends. Trump said he would put the jet at his future presidential library and it would not be for personal use. Duckworth was not a … Continue Reading
May 15, 2025
Chinese faucets recalled over potential chemical hazards
The federal government is warning Americans not to buy cheap knockoff faucets online that could leach harmful chemicals and heavy metals into their drinking water. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday that it’s recalling four Chinese-made faucets sold on Amazon over unsafe levels of lead exposure. It said the lead can be especially harmful for babies, young children and pregnant women. The recalls come after American faucet brand Moen noticed cheap foreign-made faucets for … Continue Reading
May 15, 2025
Democrats question Hegseth on Trump’s Qatar jet security risks
Several Democratic senators are questioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over President Trump’s acceptance of a jet from Qatar, stressing in a letter the national security risks and counterintelligence concerns inherent in such a transaction. “The American people deserve to understand this administration’s plans for securing this aircraft, the vulnerabilities its use will present to our national security and the price tag they will be asked to pay for President Trump’s decision to integrate … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Veterans Crisis Line Employees Were Caught in Mass Firings. A New Bill Aims for Staff Protections
Firing Veterans Crisis Line employees would trigger notifications to Congress under a bill being introduced by a Democratic senator aiming to give those employees more protections against being terminated. The bill comes after the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledged in a letter to senators last month that 24 support employees at the suicide helpline were "erroneously" told they were being let go during mass Trump administration firings at the beginning of the year. The VA sent the … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Duckworth announces legislation protecting VA jobs
May 04, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Mike Waltz will have a "brutal hearing" for U.N. ambassador
Washington — Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Sunday that she expects Mike Waltz to have a "brutal hearing" for U.N. ambassador after his surprise departure last week from his post as President Trump's national security adviser. "He's not qualified for the job, just by nature of the fact that he participated in this Signal chain," Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Duckworth argued that everyone in the group chat where the timing and targets of … Continue Reading
April 29, 2025
Duckworth: Trump making Americans weaker, sicker, less secure
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - One hundred days into Trump’s second term lawmakers are split on where the country is headed. Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in Trump’s first 100 days he made Americans weaker, sicker and less secure. “Middle-class families, service members, veterans are all paying the price for his disastrous policies. Not only are grocery prices high, but we’re also seeing that all the veterans that he’s fired from their jobs, all the federal workers, have been fired … Continue Reading
April 22, 2025
Senate Democrats press Hegseth for answers on Trump order to ban transgender troops
More than a dozen Senate Democrats have signed onto a letter demanding a status update from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the military's treatment of transgender servicemembers. The letter, drafted by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and first obtained by NPR, calls for Hegseth to explain to lawmakers how the Pentagon is complying with two separate federal court rulings blocking President Trump's executive order attempting to ban transgender troops from military service. Duckworth, an … Continue Reading