In The News
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/home-heating-assistance-in-illinois-gets-208-million-federal-boost/
Illinoisans in need of assistance to cover rising heating bills this winter can get some help from the state's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which has received additional funding from the federal government. The state's U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D) noted the release of $208,170,481 in federal funding came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services following a letter sent by a number of senators in October. The letter noted an additional … Continue Reading
October 26, 2022
Delay to Incentive Pay Boost for Guard and Reserves Draws Rebuke from Lawmakers
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing the Pentagon over a delay in National Guardsmen and reservists receiving higher incentive pay caused by the department failing to deliver a report to Congress on time. At issue is a provision in last year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that required the Defense Department to give members of reserve components incentive pay equal to the bonuses given to active-duty service members. The bill required the Pentagon to complete a report … Continue Reading
October 21, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth push for National Landmark status for Chicago church where Emmett Till's service was held
CHICAGO - Chicago native Emmett Till is being honored with a statue in Greenwood, Mississippi. The nine-foot bronze statue stands just miles from the crumbling remains of the store where he was accused of whistling at a white woman - an event that lead to his kidnapping and murder. Till's death, and most notably his funeral, sparked a new day in the Civil Rights movement. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted that he have an open casket service despite his face being unrecognizably … Continue Reading
October 18, 2022
Amputee Action Item: Medicare Coverage for Power Wheelchairs
Among the many absurdities in the US system of health insurance, the rules that govern what is and isn't "medically necessary" stand out. Advanced prosthetic limbs that support balance, mobility, independence, and mental health don't fit the definition. Neither do many power wheelchairs that provide the same benefits. In the last couple of years, the Amputee Coalition, other disability advocates, and Congressional allies have made serious progress toward overturning some of these nonsensical … Continue Reading
October 13, 2022
KARE 11 Investigates: Senators demand answers about veteran TBI denials
Members of Congress are demanding answers in the wake of a KARE 11 investigation exposing broken promises, unqualified doctors and inadequate medical testing by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Despite reforms promised in 2016, after KARE 11 first exposed that unqualified VA doctors were conducting examinations for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), U. S. Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois are questioning whether the TBI misdiagnosis problem … Continue Reading
October 11, 2022
Senator Duckworth visits Ukrainian soldier amputee
A Ukrainian soldier, who lost his right leg in battle, is now receiving care and prosthetics in the United States. U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran and amputee herself came to visit him Tuesday (October 11) in … Continue Reading
October 11, 2022
US Should Offer More Medical Aid to Severely Wounded Ukrainian Troops, Pair of Senators Say
The U.S. military should be treating more Ukrainian service members suffering major injuries on the battlefield against Russia, a pair of U.S. senators said Tuesday. Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., made the comments after visiting a Ukrainian soldier who received a prosthetic leg from a clinic in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with the help of charitable foundations. "I suspect that we as a nation will work on more [help for Ukrainian service members] … Continue Reading
October 07, 2022
Ukrainian Woman Reunited With Family After Being Released From Immigration Detention
A woman escaping the war in Ukraine who was detained without explanation in Chicago earlier this year has been reunited with family members after months of waiting and uncertainty. Inna Antoniak was released from a Kansas City-area immigration detention facility in late September, more than two months after she was detained by ICE agents at O'Hare International Airport. "First I heard crying, and it was my aunt," Vitalina Olevych, Antoniak's aunt, recounted learning of her release. "She was … Continue Reading
October 05, 2022
Noted: Sen. Duckworth introduces bill to improve internet access for people with disabilities
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced a bill Thursday that aims to improve internet access for people with disabilities. Access has been especially difficult for blind and low-vision people, who have had issues using websites and have been pushing for improvements for years. Some of the most common issues, according to advocates supporting the bill, involve images and other items, such as buttons or headings on a website, being unlabeled or mislabeled in a way that blind people cannot … Continue Reading
October 05, 2022
It's personal for Tammy Duckworth
Protections for people with disabilities haven't kept pace with the digital age, especially when it comes to ensuring online accessibility and ease of use for devices. It's a personal issue for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who lost both her legs in Iraq when her Army helicopter was shot down in 2004. She and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) have new legislation that would require the Justice Department to issue regulations spelling out websites' responsibility to comply with the Americans with … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Sen. Duckworth introduces bill to improve internet access for people with disabilities
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced a bill Thursday that aims to improve internet access for people with disabilities. Access has been especially difficult for blind and low-vision people, who have had issues using websites and have been pushing for improvements for years. Some of the most common issues, according to advocates supporting the bill, involve images and other items, such as buttons or headings on a website, being unlabeled or mislabeled in a way that blind people cannot … Continue Reading
September 23, 2022
Illinois announces agreement in $2.6 billion agricultural deal with Taiwan
CHICAGO - Via a letter of intent, Governor Pritzker announced alongside Taiwanese leaders for the sale of about $2 million of Illinois soybeans and $600 million of Illinois corn over the next two years. The intended sales will take place over 2023 and 2024. "This is a win for our agricultural community - and a testament to the labor that our farmers put in day and day out to make us a top global producer of corn and soybeans," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I have no doubt that Illinois and … Continue Reading
September 22, 2022
Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s IVF experiences are informing her positions on abortion
Sen. Tammy Duckworth has been outspoken about how she used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to grow her family. And now that Sen. Lindsey Graham has introduced a national 15-week abortion ban, Duckworth is highlighting how abortion restrictions could make going through IVF difficult - or even impossible. Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, began considering the future of IVF in a world without Roe v. Wade even before federal abortion guarantees were overturned this summer. Ahead of the … Continue Reading
September 19, 2022
Sister of Lombard man freed by Taliban in hostage swap ‘stunned, very happy’ after 3 a.m. call from Biden
Charlene Cakora's cellphone rang on Monday at 3:36 a.m. On the other end was President Joe Biden, calling from Queen Elizabeth's funeral. He wanted to tell the Lombard woman that her brother, Taliban hostage Mark Frerichs, was being released after being held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years. "He was really brief and sweet and just basically said that my brother is pretty much lucky to have me as a sister," Cakora told the Sun-Times. "I've been having my phone next to me and … Continue Reading
September 15, 2022
Duckworth condemns GOP's proposal to ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Sen. Tammy Duckworth is condemning the push from Republicans on abortion bans. Duckworth spoke with other Democratic senators Thursday and highlighted the work Illinois does to provide abortion care to women from other states. Duckworth says she will not let Republicans "strip away the rights of women." The proposal comes from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. He wants to ban abortions after the fifteenth week of pregnancy - with rare exceptions - and … Continue Reading
August 26, 2022
Senator Duckworth meets and greets families, students and stakeholders in southern Illinois
During the final day of her RV tour across Illinois, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth visited the Eurma Hayes Center in Carbondale today to meet with parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff at Tri County Special Education and answer students' questions about being a U.S. Senator. After the meet and greet, Duckworth held an open house with representatives from SIU; the cities of Carbondale and Murphysboro; local law enforcement; SIH and more where she discussed her efforts to help … Continue Reading
August 23, 2022
Sen. Duckworth and Ag Secretary Vilsack push ethanol incentives during LeRoy visit
A new federal investment in biofuels could impact how much you pay at the pump. U.S, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth next to the gas pumps at the Casey's General Store in LeRoy on Tuesday to promote new incentives for gas stations to retrofit so they can sell E-85, a fuel made mostly from corn-based ethanol. Duckworth, D-Ill., said greater use of biofuels should reduce gas prices. "The higher that we can blend in more ethanol, the better it is … Continue Reading
August 22, 2022
During Sen. Duckworth’s visit, Granite City mayor makes unexpected announcement aimed at helping officers
GRANITE CITY, Ill. (KMOV) - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth was in Granite City Monday talking about the needs of law enforcement. Duckworth hosted a roundtable discussion about the challenges officers face today, which include recruiting new officers, resources and a hostile public. After hearing some local officers were still suffering after the death of Pontoon Beach Officer Tyler Timmins last fall, Granite City Mayor Michael Parkinson acted. He set aside $20,000 to help with mental … Continue Reading
August 22, 2022
In visit to Cahokia Heights, Duckworth says future funding will have oversight
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said during a visit to the Metro East community on Monday that $37 million coming to Cahokia Heights to address the local stormwater system will come with more oversight. The Illinois Democrat toured homes in the area to see the damage from chronic flooding during heavy rains that often contains raw sewage. She was joined by representatives of other federal agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency and Housing and Urban … Continue Reading
August 19, 2022
Sen. Tammy Duckworth touts Democrats' prescription drug price reductions and how it will benefit Illinoisans
Gathering Friday at the family-owned Illini Clinic Pharmacy in Silvis, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act will help lower prescription prices. Before having media availability, Duckworth participated in a roundtable discussion about the IRA with local pharmacy owners, local senior services directors and coordinators, the Illinois Pharmacists Association and Illinois' American Association of Retired Persons. "Not only are we providing more … Continue Reading
