Press Releases
Duckworth Discusses Rising Costs and the Impact on Agriculture Industry with Illinois Corn Growers
[OGLESBY, IL] - Today, at the Illinois Corn August Board Meeting, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with leaders to discuss the impact that rising costs have had on Illinois farmers and the agriculture industry. Among their shared priorities, Duckworth and the members underscored the importance of supporting family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump’s policies drive up the costs of supplies and … Continue Reading
August 15, 2026
Duckworth Joins Senate Defense Democrats in Demanding Accountability from Hegseth After Reports of Crisis Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined all of her fellow members on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) minority, as well as the Democratic leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, in demanding answers from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Senators’ letter follows reports that the aircraft carrier’s crew has endured food and water … Continue Reading
August 14, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Join Democratic Colleagues in Demanding HHS Rescind Cancellation of Lifesaving Research Grants That Improve Patient Safety and Care
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), along with 26 of their Democratic Senate colleagues, in demanding that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. reverse the Department’s destructive cancellations of lifesaving health research grants administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). … Continue Reading
August 14, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Schneider Announce More Than $7.95 Million in Federal Funding for Illinois Airports
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today announced a total of $7,951,873 in federal funding for the Chicago Executive Airport and the Decatur Airport. This funding stems from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program, which supports the planning and development of public-use airports. “Illinois airports are critical economic engines for our … Continue Reading
August 13, 2026
Duckworth Joins Blumenthal in Reintroducing Legislation to Protect Airline Passengers and Crew from Toxic Cabin Air
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee (CST) on Aviation, Space and Innovation—joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) in reintroducing the Cabin Air Safety Act, bicameral legislation to protect airline pilots, flight attendants and passengers from toxic cabin air. Building on cabin air reporting provisions secured in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 … Continue Reading
August 13, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Sorensen Statement on Announced Closure of Tyson Plant in Joslin
[JOSLIN, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today released the following statement on the announced closure of the Tyson Foods plant in Joslin, Illinois, which will result in the loss of about 2,500 union jobs in the region: “Today’s news is devastating for the 2,500 skilled union workers impacted by the closure of the Tyson plant in Joslin, especially at a time when American families are … Continue Reading
August 10, 2026
Duckworth, Lawmakers Slam Trump’s Efforts to Tear Apart Military Families, Convert Military Bases into Deportation Traps
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in leading an extensive group of Senate and House Democratic lawmakers in pressing the Trump Administration on its efforts to coordinate to arrest, detain and deport hundreds of Veterans and military families. In their letter to the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Customs and Border … Continue Reading
August 08, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution Celebrating 150 Years of the Chicago Cubs Baseball Team
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded Senate passage of their resolution commending the Chicago Cubs baseball team as it celebrates its 150th anniversary on August 29, 2026. The resolution notes that since 1876, more than 182,000,000 fans have attended games of the Chicago Cubs, and millions more have listened to games on the radio and watched games on television across the United States and the world. U.S. … Continue Reading
August 07, 2026
Duckworth Calls for More Regional Coordination Between U.S. and Pacific Partners to Protect Americans from Overseas Scam Operations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today stressed the urgent need for the State Department to increase multilateral coordination with Pacific partners to crack down on scam operations stemming from the region, which have defrauded far too many Americans in Illinois and across the country. During the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing, Duckworth highlighted how our nation’s capacity to handle these foreign scam operations has been significantly weakened … Continue Reading
August 06, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Budzinski Discuss with General Boyd the National Guard’s Plan to Deactivate the Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today spoke with Illinois Adjutant General Major General Rodney Boyd about the National Guard’s plan to deactivate the Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility (CRF) by March 31, 2027. “For over 16 years, the highly skilled airmen and women at the 183rd Wing have provided skilled jet engine maintenance for F-16s and … Continue Reading
August 06, 2026
Duckworth Leads Colleagues in Push to Stop Trump from Hiding the True Cost of the Iran War and Dishonoring the Sacrifices of Our Heroes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led 17 of her Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would stop Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to obscure how long his illegal war against Iran has lasted, dishonor the sacrifice of our troops injured and killed in combat and hide the true cost of his disastrous war from the American people. The Senators’ Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act would ban the Secretary of Defense … Continue Reading
August 06, 2026
Duckworth Helps Introduce Sweeping Legislation to Counter Trump’s Authoritarian Takeover, Restore IG Independence and Defend Our Democracy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in unveiling the For Our Republic Act, a comprehensive legislative package to fight back against President Trump’s aggressive authoritarian takeover of American democracy. Among many priorities, the new legislation includes Senator Duckworth’s Inspectors General Independence Act, which would prevent Donald Trump and future Presidents from appointing their own … Continue Reading
August 05, 2026
Duckworth-Led Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Youth Suicide Passes Senate
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Curtis (R-UT), Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to help prevent youth suicide successfully passed through the Senate. The Senators’ bipartisan Youth Poisoning Prevention Act would ban high-concentration sodium nitrite from being available to the public. There is no recognized household or consumer use for high-concentration sodium nitrite, yet retailers are still allowed to sell this … Continue Reading
August 05, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Join Call to Stop Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027. “We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen … Continue Reading
August 05, 2026
Duckworth-Murkowski Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Dangers of AI Toys Passes Committee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to help protect children from the dangers posed by toys that use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) today. The Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would help equip families, pediatricians and policymakers with the independent evidence … Continue Reading
August 04, 2026
Duckworth, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Cyber Operations in Indo-Pacific Region
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced bipartisan legislation to close strategy and resource gaps in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) cyber cooperation activities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific Cyber Cooperation Strategy Act would require the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to institutionalize cyber cooperation between … Continue Reading
August 04, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding for Energy Projects That Were Politically Targeted and Illegally Cancelled
[WASHINGTON D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Patty Murray (D-WA) to send a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. The Trump Administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants … Continue Reading
August 04, 2026
Duckworth, McCormick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Low-Cost Financing for Transportation Infrastructure
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) introduced the Transit for Urban Renewal and Business Opportunities Act (TURBO Act), legislation that would expand and modernize a key federal financing tool used by state and local governments to deliver critical transportation infrastructure through public-private partnerships. “Far too often, roads that need repaving and transportation facilities that need revamping are left unfixed because states and towns … Continue Reading
July 31, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Challenge FAA’s Decision to Extend Chicago O’Hare’s Flight Cap for a Full Year
[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 U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford to express their concerns regarding the yearlong extension of the daily cap of 2,708 flights per day at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). In April, the FAA announced that the 2,708 daily flight cap would remain in effect from May to October … Continue Reading
July 30, 2026
Duckworth Joins Warren, Lawmakers in Investigating Reports that DoD Failed to Provide Sufficient Care for Servicemembers Injured in Iranian Strike
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 11 colleagues sitting on the Congressional Armed Services Committees in opening a new investigation into reports that the Department of Defense (DoD) failed to provide adequate medical care to servicemembers injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. In a new letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers asked him to … Continue Reading