Press Releases
Following New Reports of Pentagon Covering Up More Troop Casualties in Iran War, Duckworth and Ryan Call on Congress to Pass Their Bill to Ban Pentagon from Manipulating Casualty Records
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following new reports that the Pentagon has covered up 4 additional American servicemember deaths in President Donald Trump’s Iran War, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (D-NY-18)—both Iraq War combat Veterans—are calling on Congress to pass their legislation that would prevent the Trump Administration from continuing to do this. The lawmakers’ Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act would ban Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from … Continue Reading
September 18, 2026
Duckworth, Schumer Call on Airlines to Guarantee That Emergency Medical Kits Aboard Their Commercial Planes Include Life-Saving Epinephrine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation—and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today called on every U.S.-based passenger airline to guarantee that the emergency medical kit (EMK) kept on-board their aircraft include epinephrine—a life-saving medication to treat passengers who go into anaphylactic shock—in delivery methods designed that can be easily self-administered by individuals without … Continue Reading
September 17, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democrats Call on Hegseth to Report Total Costs of Iran War
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and 43 of their colleagues, nearly the entire Democratic caucus, in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in demanding a full accounting of the costs of the ongoing war with Iran. The letter also criticized the Department of Defense for withholding basic budget information from Congress and the American public even as U.S. … Continue Reading
September 16, 2026
Duckworth-Blackburn Bipartisan Bill to Improve Emergency Communication Technology That Could Help Save Lives Passes Committee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) passed bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) that would improve emergency communication technology that could help save lives. The bipartisan ITS Codification Act would codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), which currently serves as the research and engineering laboratory at the National Telecommunications and … Continue Reading
September 15, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $66 Million for Illinois Airport Improvements
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $66,345,494 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements at various airports across the state. This funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will help improve taxiways, accommodate more passengers and make travelling through Illinois airports safer and more efficient. “Illinois’s airports not only keep … Continue Reading
September 15, 2026
After Duckworth Push, DoD Inspector General Releases First Quarterly Iran War Report
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) push, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG), as the Lead OIG on the war, released its first quarterly watchdog report on Operation Epic Fury after Duckworth called for and then secured Inspector General (IG) oversight of Donald Trump’s costly, illegal war against Iran. The report details how the first four months of this war, ending in June, cost American taxpayers a whopping $33.7 billion … Continue Reading
September 14, 2026
In Chicago, Duckworth Visits Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park to Highlight Illinois’s Leadership in Quantum Innovation
[CHICAGO, IL] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) last week visited Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) to tour the construction progress and meet with leaders from IQMP and PsiQuantum about opportunities to harness quantum innovation and strengthen national security. IQMP is a first-of-its-kind campus built to house a central base on Chicago’s South Side where quantum companies, researchers, manufacturers and suppliers can come together to tackle challenges in healthcare, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2026
Duckworth Commemorates 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks with Day of Service
[CHICAGO, IL] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, today joined volunteers at Chicago Union Station to help pack 520,000 meals that will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository as part of a day of service commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Photos from the event are available on the Senator’s website. “Twenty-five years … Continue Reading
September 11, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats in Urging Supreme Court to Block Postal Rule Limiting Mail-In Voting
[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, and joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gary Peters (D-MI), along with U.S. Representatives Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), in leading a bicameral amicus brief challenging the legality of President Trump’s executive order and U.S. Postal Service … Continue Reading
September 09, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Illinois Congressional Delegation Announce Over $68 Million for Accessible Transportation Upgrades
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-2), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-3), Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL-4), Mike Quigley (D-IL-5), Sean Casten (D-IL-6), Danny Davis (D-IL-7) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) announced that several Illinois communities will receive federal funding to make transit accessible for all travelers, thanks to Duckworth’s All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act provisions in the Bipartisan … Continue Reading
September 09, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin, Budzinski Call for Replacement Mission for 183rd Wing in Springfield Following Announcement of Planned Deactivation of the Wing’s Repair Facility
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and the National Guard Bureau Director General Steven Nordhaus urging the leaders to establish a new Air Operations Group at the 183rd Wing in Springfield, Illinois, following the July announcement that the 183rd Wing’s Central Repair Facility (CRF) would be deactivated in … Continue Reading
September 07, 2026
Duckworth Holds “We Can’t Afford This” Roundtable on How Rising Costs Are Crushing Illinois Families
[ROCK ISLAND, IL] - As families across Illinois continue to endure skyrocketing costs as a direct result of President Donald Trump’s reckless policies, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted a roundtable discussion with local Quad Cities leaders to discuss how they can address what too many Americans are feeling every day: “We Can’t Afford This.” As the average Illinois household has paid more than $4,200 in higher costs for everyday essentials under the Trump Administration, … Continue Reading
September 07, 2026
Duckworth Meets with Union Workers from Quad Cities Tyson Foods Plant Ahead of Closure
[EAST MOLINE, IL] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with union workers and local Quad City leaders to discuss the impacts of the closing of Tyson Foods’ plant in Joslin, Illinois last month, which resulted in the loss of approximately 2,500 union jobs in the region. During the meeting, Duckworth reiterated her commitment to supporting these union workers during the transition and working to ensure they have the resources they need to return to the workforce. Photos from the visit … Continue Reading
September 04, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Demand FAA to Pay Air Traffic Controllers the Congressionally-Approved Raise that Administrator Bedford Continues to Withhold
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation—and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today demanded that FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford immediately hand over the Congressionally-authorized pay raise to the air traffic controller (ATC) workforce that he has held hostage for four months and counting. Despite a 3.8% raise for ATCs being approved by Congress and then signed into law by President Donald … Continue Reading
September 03, 2026
Duckworth Visits Revolution Workshop to Highlight $500,000 Investment She Secured to Support Workforce Training
[CHICAGO, IL] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today visited Revolution Workshop to see firsthand how the $500,000 in federal funding she successfully secured is helping expand the Workshop’s Pre-Apprenticeship and Job Training Program, a program that helps Illinoisans develop key skills needed to enter the construction workforce where they can help revitalize under-resourced communities in Chicago. As the United States continues to face a shortage of workers in the skilled trades, this … Continue Reading
September 03, 2026
Duckworth Visits Illinois Head Start, Calls Out Trump’s New Plan to Jeopardize This Lifeline for Families
[CHICAGO, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined parents, teachers and Illinois Head Start leaders to underscore how President Donald Trump’s latest attack on Head Start would jeopardize services for countless middle-class families across Illinois, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet as a direct result of the Trump Administration’s reckless policies. The Senator’s visit comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan last month … Continue Reading
September 01, 2026
Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Announce Funding Extension for Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project
[CHICAGO, 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 announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved a grant extension for the remaining federal funding previously secured for the proposed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger rail project, an Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline, Illinois. The extension will allow the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to use the … Continue Reading
August 31, 2026
Duckworth, Van Hollen, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Defending Court’s Right to Seek Answers, Transparency in JGG v. Trump
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (NJ) and Peter Welch (D-VT) in submitting an amicus brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in the case of In re Donald J. Trump, et. al, supporting the legal authority of the District Court to inquire whether government attorneys misrepresented or concealed facts before the Court and warning of … Continue Reading
August 28, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Hold Roundtable with Illinois Health Care Provides on the Impacts of the Trump Administration’s Cuts
[MARION, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a roundtable with Illinois health care providers, leaders and advocates to discuss the challenges they’re facing in providing care to rural communities as a direct result of the Trump Administration’s harmful health care cuts. Since being signed into law last July, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill made the largest health care cuts in history, destabilizing the health care … Continue Reading
August 28, 2026
After Years of Federal Investment, Duckworth, Durbin Celebrate Grand Opening of Fully-Accessible Southern Illinois Multimodal Station
[CARBONDALE, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Governor JB Pritzker, Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey, Illinois Secretary of Transportation Gina Biagi and local leaders to celebrate the opening of the new Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS), a project the Senators helped secure more than $18 million in federal funding for and championed for years. The new station features fully accessible facilities, including … Continue Reading