Press Releases
Duckworth Travels to Asia to Reassure Japanese & South Korean Partners, Encourage Further Investments in Illinois
[TOKYO, JAPAN] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) last week led a Congressional Delegation to South Korea and Japan to meet with high-level business leaders and government officials to continue her successful efforts promoting Illinois abroad. Duckworth, along with representatives from Intersect Illinois, met with businesses and convened leaders in quantum, manufacturing and technology to reassure the international leaders Illinois’s economy is still strong, well-positioned and ready for … Continue Reading
August 25, 2025
Duckworth Joins Pritzker, Illinois Leaders to Reject Trump’s Military Deployment Plans
[CHICAGO, IL] — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Governor JB Pritzker and elected officials, business, faith and education leaders, community advocates and law enforcement leaders to condemn the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the National Guard or active-duty military in Chicago despite objections from state and local leadership. After witnessing weeks of federal overreach from Washington, a broad coalition of leaders from across the city gathered to present a united … Continue Reading
August 24, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Reports Trump is Planning Military Deployment to Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today amid reports that the Trump Administration is planning another inappropriate deployment of American troops into American cities, this time to Chicago, without coordinating with state or local officials and despite the state not requesting any deployment: “It comes as no surprise Donald Trump is once again attacking Chicago, but that doesn’t change that Trump’s continuing pattern of … Continue Reading
August 22, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Illinois Democrats in Urging President Trump to Grant Federal Disaster Declaration for Illinois Counties Following Severe Summer Weather
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led all Democratic members of the Illinois delegation in sending a letter to President Trump urging the White House to grant Governor J.B. Pritzker’s request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Illinois, to help Calhoun, Cook, and Jersey Counties recover from severe storm damage. In late July, severe … Continue Reading
August 21, 2025
Duckworth, Schatz, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Reproductive Rights, Expose Violations Globally
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) today led a group of 17 Senators in introducing the Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Act, legislation that requires the U.S. State Department to include reproductive rights in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The State Department omitted reproductive rights from its most recent human rights report released earlier this month, renewing a practice started under the first Trump … Continue Reading
August 20, 2025
Duckworth, Kim Lead Senate Delegation to South Korea & Japan to Strengthen National Security & Economic Ties, Expand Auxiliary Shipbuilding and Quantum Partnerships
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) are leading a Senate delegation to South Korea and Japan to strengthen economic ties between our countries as well as bolster national security by expanding quantum cooperation and exploring auxiliary shipbuilding … Continue Reading
August 12, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss Disastrous Impacts of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Health Care in Central Illinois
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today convened health care leaders to discuss how Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill will harm Central Illinois and rip health care from as well as increase costs for Illinoisans. Duckworth and Durbin met with leaders from Memorial Health, Springfield Clinic, Hospital Sisters Health System and SIU Medicine to discuss the looming crisis of more than half a million Illinoisans … Continue Reading
August 12, 2025
At Scott Air Force Base, Duckworth Meets with U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Leadership
[ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with and received a briefing at Scott Air Force Base from U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) leadership, including Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Jered Helwig and Director of Global Patient Movement Operations and Command Surgeon Colonel (Dr.) Christopher Backus. She also met with Commanders of the 126th Air Refueling Wing, 932nd Airlift Wing and the 375th Air Mobility Wing. During her … Continue Reading
August 12, 2025
Duckworth Visits MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Discusses Federal Aviation Priorities and Infrastructure Improvements
[MASCOUTAH, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation—today met with MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Director Darren James and airport leadership to hear concerns about the impacts of Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cuts. She also toured ongoing improvement projects supported by federal funding she secured, including the MetroLink Red Line extension project. “MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an essential economic hub … Continue Reading
August 07, 2025
Duckworth Joins Warren, Colleagues in Demanding Details from Air Force on Qatari Jet Funding
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in calling on Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to provide details on using funding from the Sentinel nuclear program to pay for retrofits for the luxury jet Qatar is giving President Trump. “We write with concerns about how the Air Force is managing nuclear modernization funds, including whether those funds are being raided to retrofit a personal … Continue Reading
August 05, 2025
Duckworth Demands Answers from FAA Amid Troubling Series of Commercial Aircraft Runway Fires and Emergency Evacuations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Amid a series of commercial aircraft emergency evacuations, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation—is demanding detailed answers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the age and abilities of the passengers on board, whether passengers had carry-ons while exiting the aircraft and how long each of these evacuations took. In the letter, Duckworth asks the FAA to produce a study the agency was … Continue Reading
August 02, 2025
Senate Passes Military Construction and Agriculture Government Funding Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Senate passed a funding bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, as well as for Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Duckworth and Durbin worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in the appropriations bills, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Labor, Health and Human Services & Defense Funding Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, as well as for Defense for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Duckworth and Durbin worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in the appropriations bills, both through Congressionally Directed … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Duckworth, Murray, Booker, Schumer Reignite Push to Help Veterans Struggling with Infertility Grow Their Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in reintroducing legislation to help make it easier for our Veterans who struggle with infertility to build their families. Their Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025 would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers’ and Veterans’ health care to include—among other … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Pen Letter to Illinois’ Public Broadcasting Stations Seeking Answers on Impact of Republicans’ Drastic Rescissions Package
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to every public radio and TV station in Illinois requesting answers about the projected impact of the Republicans’ rescissions package that clawed back $1.1 billion in previously appropriated funding to public broadcasting. “This month, President Trump and Republicans in Congress rescinded funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as a result of the … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Urge Administration to Reinstate EPA Employees Retaliated Against for Exercising Free Speech Rights
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 14 of their colleagues in pressing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to reinstate employees placed on administrative leave after they signed a “Declaration of Dissent” expressing concern with the agency’s direction under the Trump Administration. In their letter, the Senators stress that employees have the legal … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Duckworth-Murkowski Bipartisan Bill Passes Committee to Provide Public Health Commissioned Officers With Essential Leave Benefits Enjoyed by All Other Uniformed Services
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Bipartisan legislation introduced by combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) that would help expand leave benefits for the devoted health professionals serving in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Despite being responsible for leading our nation’s emergency … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Environmental Justice Caucus Co-Chairs Duckworth, Booker, Markey Slam Trump Administration for Plan to Eliminate EPA’s Ability to Protect Public Health from Climate Change
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA)—co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus—issued the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his proposal to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding, a landmark determination that requires the EPA to address greenhouse gas emissions and pollution because of the threat that climate change poses to public health … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Demanding Public Release of Epstein Files
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) in their efforts to direct the U.S. Department of Justice to publicly release all files relating to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. The Senators introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act to provide full transparency for the American people, … Continue Reading
July 30, 2025
As Famine Ravishes Gaza, Duckworth Votes Against Trump Administration’s Sales of American Weapons to Israel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after voting to disapprove of the Trump Administration’s proposed foreign military sales to Israel: “I’ve long pressed the Netanyahu Administration in public and private to take substantive steps to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. But conditions on the ground are getting worse, not better. Israel’s unacceptable choice to restrict humanitarian and food aid from entering Gaza—for … Continue Reading