Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin, Booker, Schakowsky, García, Trahan Introduce Mentoring to Succeed Act
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-4) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-3), introduced the bicameral Mentoring to Succeed Act in recognition of January as National Mentoring Month. This legislation provides a strong, sustainable support system through mentorship to ensure that children who experience … Continue Reading
January 26, 2023
Duckworth Joins U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), long-time member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, will join the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 118th Congress. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and is an Iraq War Veteran and Purple Heart recipient. She was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I'm … Continue Reading
January 24, 2023
Duckworth Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Preserve Small Business Education Training for Servicemembers, Veterans and Military Spouses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced her bipartisan Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023, which would codify the Small Business Administration's (SBA) "Boots to Business" (B2B) program into law through 2028. The B2B program is an entrepreneurship education and training program for servicemembers, Veterans, National Guard and Reserve Members as well as military spouses transitioning from military service to civilian life. Codifying this program into law … Continue Reading
January 23, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce CMS Funding To Address Physician Shortage In Illinois
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded new Medicare Graduate Medical Education funding to support an additional 14 residency slots for hospitals in Illinois. With this new federal funding, five Illinois hospitals will be able to expand their medical training opportunities for new doctors, in order to help address the nation's physician shortage. "Doctors and health … Continue Reading
January 21, 2023
Duckworth Secures $1 Million in Funding for Rockford Emergency Operation Center to Help Keep Residents Safe
[ROCKFORD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Rockford officials to discuss the construction of a Homeland Security Emergency Operations Center in Rockford, a project for which she secured $1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending. Duckworth met with Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Rockford Fire Chief Michele Pankow and other officials to discuss the project, which will serve as the hub of all response activities for fire, police, public works and other governmental … Continue Reading
January 20, 2023
Duckworth Tours Rockford’s AAR Corp, Underscores Importance of Community Workforce Development
[ROCKFORD, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured AAR Corp's facilities and met with leadership of the aviation service provider. Duckworth viewed multiple ten-story bays that hold the Boeing 737s that AAR is modifying for the military as well as 737s being held for maintenance repair. During the tour, the Senator emphasized the importance of strengthening the Rockford workforce through aviation technical training and job placement programs with local colleges. … Continue Reading
January 20, 2023
Duckworth Highlights Job Creation, Investment and Economic Growth in Northern Illinois
[ROCKFORD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today highlighted Northern Illinois's robust future for investment and job growth throughout the region during a visit to Collins Aerospace. Following a tour and discussion of Collins Aerospace's emerging technology initiatives, Duckworth met with local leaders, including U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, to discuss business growth and investment following the Region 1 … Continue Reading
January 18, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Applaud Nomination of Jeffrey Cummings & Lashonda Hunt To Serve As District Court Judges For The Northern District Of Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee today released the following statement after the White House announced its intent to nominate Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda Hunt to serve as District Court Judges on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: "We are pleased that President Biden is nominating Judge Jeffrey Cummings and Judge LaShonda Hunt to fill judicial vacancies … Continue Reading
January 16, 2023
Duckworth Honors Dr. King’s Legacy at City Year Chicago Day of Service, DuSable Black History Museum
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day today by joining local leaders and speaking about the value of service at Parkside Elementary School on Chicago's southside, as part of City Year Chicago's annual MLK Day of Service. The Senator, who has made community service a hallmark of her public life and has consistently volunteered to help improve her community, supported City Year and community volunteers working to help improve Parkside. … Continue Reading
January 13, 2023
Duckworth Joins Markey, Blumenthal & Colleagues in Demanding Answers from Southwest Airlines for Holiday Meltdown
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and other colleagues in demanding answers from Southwest Airlines CEO Robert E. Jordan for its mass flight cancellations in the final week of December. As the Senators explained in their letter, Southwest cancelled more than 7,500 flights between December 27 and 29-in the wake of winter storm Elliott-even as all other major airlines cancelled 1,077 flights combined … Continue Reading
January 13, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce New Federal Support for More Than 80 Arts Programs Throughout Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced federal support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for over eighty arts programs across Illinois. "Arts like theater, music and design are some of the building blocks of a community's culture," said Duckworth. "I'm glad this federal support will help allow arts programs across Illinois to continue fostering, sharing and promoting connection and creativity in … Continue Reading
January 12, 2023
Duckworth, FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel & Grandson of Martha Wright-Reed Tout Senator’s New Law to Help Working Families Keep In Touch with Incarcerated Loved Ones
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week hosted Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Ulandis Forte for a discussion of how her bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act will help working families keep in touch with incarcerated loved ones and save taxpayer dollars by helping reduce recidivism. Just one week after Duckworth's bill to strengthen the nation's criminal justice system was signed into law by … Continue Reading
January 12, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin statement on U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s Decision to Step Down
[CHICAGO, IL]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after it was announced that United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch will leave the Justice Department early this year: "We thank U.S. Attorney Lausch for serving the Northern District of Illinois with professionalism and without partisanship for the last five years. Although Mr. … Continue Reading
January 11, 2023
Duckworth Responds to FAA System Outage Affecting Millions of Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement after today's FAA system outage that cancelled and delayed thousands of flights: "I'm troubled by the situation, and while I appreciate that the FAA worked quickly to try to minimize the disruption to commercial air travel and get planes back in the air, we need to understand what happened today so we can prevent it from ever happening … Continue Reading
January 10, 2023
Duckworth Joins Congressman Bowman, Senator Warren in Urging President Biden to Help Keep Renters Housed
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Amid historically high housing costs, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16) this week to send a bicameral letter urging President Biden to pursue all possible strategies to address rent inflation, end corporate price gouging in the real estate sector as well as ensure that renters and people experiencing homelessness across this country are stably housed this winter. "We are writing … Continue Reading
January 06, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Applaud President Biden’s Appointments to Serve on Route 66 Centennial Commission
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statements after President Biden announced his intent to appoint 12 individuals to serve as members on the Route 66 Centennial Commission-a commission that was created through legislation championed by Senators Duckworth and Durbin to ensure this iconic American highway-which begins in Chicago, Illinois, and ends in Santa Monica, California-is fittingly recognized for its impact on our … Continue Reading
January 05, 2023
Duckworth’s Bill to Help Connect Incarcerated Americans with Their Families Signed into Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Legislation introduced and championed by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to strengthen the nation's criminal justice system was signed into law today by President Biden. The Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, as amended, will help families keep in touch with their incarcerated family members, which studies have shown can help reduce recidivism rates and thereby save taxpayer dollars. Two weeks ago, the legislation passed the U.S. House of … Continue Reading
January 04, 2023
Bipartisan Duckworth Bill to Establish Memorial Commemorating Efforts of Women On The Home Front During WWII Signed Into Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) that would establish a new memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor the contributions of the estimated 18 million women who helped keep our nation's economy and society running during World War II by working as pilots, engineers, taxi drivers, letter carriers, code breakers and more was recently signed into law by President Biden. The legislation was co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate by … Continue Reading
January 04, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $117 Million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Improve Metra’s UP-North Line
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the federal government is awarding a $117 million grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) they supported to Metra for improvements to the Union Pacific-North line. This funding is expected to be used to replace four miles of track structure, nearly two miles of retaining walls and 11 bridges that will each have a walkway as well as outside beams to reduce damage from potential … Continue Reading
January 03, 2023
Duckworth Sworn Into Second Term as U.S. Senator
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today was sworn into her second term as United States Senator by Vice President Kamala Harris, accompanied by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). Video from today's swearing in is available here, and photos from the reenactment ceremony are available here. "It has been a true honor to serve the great state of Illinois for the past six years, and I look forward to building upon this work in my second term," Duckworth said. "Over the next … Continue Reading
