Press Releases
Duckworth Asks President Biden to Prohibit Deportation of Veterans and Strengthen Naturalization Process for Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is urging President Joe Biden to take immediate action to prevent the deportation of Veterans, repatriate deported Veterans, strengthen the military naturalization process and remove barriers to accessing VA care faced by Veterans living broad. In part, the Duckworth wrote: "Immigrant servicemembers possess critical skills that enhance military readiness, strengthen national security and protect our homeland. That is … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Duckworth Votes to Confirm Haines as Director of National Intelligence
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] -U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after voting to confirm Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence. Haines was confirmed with an 84-10 vote to serve as Director of National Intelligence under President Biden. "After four years of Donald Trump politicizing and attacking our intelligence community, our nation requires a true public servant who will restore experience, expertise and integrity to the role of Director of National … Continue Reading
January 19, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senator Reed, Democratic Senators in Calling for FEMA Cost-Sharing Waiver
[WASHINGTON, DC] - In an effort to protect public health and swiftly free up federal resources to help states with necessary COVID-19 response efforts, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and 31 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in urging the incoming Biden Administration to waive the 25% non-federal cost share requirement for FEMA assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter states: "COVID-19 has upended … Continue Reading
January 19, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Call On Illinois U.S. Attorneys to Prioritize Appropriate Prosecutions of Those Involved in Attack on U.S. Capitol
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on the three United States Attorneys serving in Illinois to prioritize the appropriate prosecutions of those involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol. In a letter sent on Friday to Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr., Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser and Southern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, … Continue Reading
January 19, 2021
Duckworth Discusses Extremism, Logistics Infrastructure and Clean Energy with Austin During His Confirmation Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), discussed several pressing challenges facing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) with Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be Secretary of Defense, at Austin's confirmation hearing today. Video of Duckworth's remarks during Austin's confirmation hearing is available here. "Secretary-Designate Austin is a crisis-tested leader who served … Continue Reading
January 17, 2021
Ahead of MLK Day, Duckworth Honors Dr. King’s Legacy with Call for National Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement commemorating King and honoring his legacy of civil rights activism and service to our communities. The Senator, who has made community service a hallmark of her public life, discussed the importance of serving your nation and community by volunteering, participating in the democratic process, standing up to racial justice and more. Duckworth will also virtually … Continue Reading
January 15, 2021
Duckworth to Facebook: Stop Advertising Military Gear Next to Posts about the January 6th Insurrection
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following last week's violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling on him to immediately remove advertisements from companies promoting and selling products that could equip white … Continue Reading
January 15, 2021
Duckworth Statement on President-Elect Biden’s new COVID Relief Proposal
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today regarding President-elect Joe Biden's new COVID relief plan, American Rescue Plan: "With the number of daily COVID deaths and jobless Americans still trending up, it's clear that the Federal Government must provide more relief to those in need and do more to hasten the end of this pandemic. President-elect Biden's plan does just that by investing in initiatives to dramatically accelerate the pace of … Continue Reading
January 14, 2021
Duckworth Joins Blumenthal, Senators in Calling for Investigation into White Supremacy and Extremism in the Military
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee who served 23 years in the Reserve Forces, joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 13 Democratic senators in calling for the Department of Defense to investigate and address white supremacy and extremist ideology in the ranks of the military following the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. In a letter to Department of Defense Acting Inspector General Sean … Continue Reading
January 14, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Call on President-Elect Biden to Establish 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are calling on the incoming Biden administration to declare the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot in Springfield, Illinois, as a national monument to be managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The riot was the catalyst for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Duckworth and Durbin have been longtime supporters of creating a national monument at the site, … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
Duckworth Meets with Secretary-Designate Lloyd Austin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today held a virtual meeting with Lloyd Austin, President-elect Biden's nominee to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). If confirmed, Secretary-Designate Austin would be the first Black Defense Secretary in our nation's history. "Secretary-Designate Austin is a crisis-tested leader who served honorably and faithfully for more than 50 years, … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
Duckworth Statement on Trump Administration Decision to Weaken Health Assessment on Water-Contaminating Toxic Chemical
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works and Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement today about the Trump Administration's decision to weaken the health assessment for PFAS, a toxic chemical contaminating the drinking water of thousands of Americans: "It is unconscionable - but not surprising - that in their final days the Trump Administration is once again undermining important … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
Duckworth Statement on the Second Impeachment of Donald Trump
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, making him the only President to ever be impeached twice: "Now that the House of Representatives has impeached Donald Trump, the Senate must act immediately to start the trial to convict and remove this dangerous man from office. We must make it clear that there are consequences for … Continue Reading
January 12, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senator Murray, Leader Schumer, Democratic Senators in Demanding Trump Administration to Immediately Address COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Shortcomings
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and their Democratic Senate colleagues in writing to Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Alex Azar demanding the Trump administration take immediate action to fix shortcomings of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution as coronavirus cases continue to climb. In the letter, the Senators call out the administration's failure … Continue Reading
January 12, 2021
Duckworth Praises Gen. Austin While Highlighting Importance of Civilian Leadership of our Military
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after today's U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Hearing on civilian control of the Armed Forces: "General Austin is an excellent officer who served honorably and faithfully for more than 40 years. He broke barriers the entire way and commanded troops with integrity and compassion, and he is certainly capable of leading the Department of Defense. Yet, I can not ignore the fact … Continue Reading
January 12, 2021
Duckworth Leads Group of Senators Asking President-Elect Biden to Take Bold Action to Support Farmers and Rural Communities, Restore RFS Policy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is calling on the incoming Biden administration to take bold action immediately following the inauguration to support farmers and rural communities by restoring the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) policy. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) joined Duckworth on this request. In part, the Senators wrote: "The outgoing administration undermined the … Continue Reading
January 11, 2021
Duckworth Calls for Investigation and Accountability Over Allegations that Certain Servicemembers and Military Retirees Betrayed the Constitution During Coup Attempt
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today wrote to the Acting Secretary of Defense to request that the U.S. Department of Defense's criminal investigative organizations cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police in investigating whether members of the U.S. Armed Forces and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who remain subject to the Uniform Code of … Continue Reading
January 11, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $843 Million to Support Expanded Testing and Vaccine Distribution in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $843,870,238 in federal funding to support COVID-19 testing and vaccination distribution in Illinois. The funding is being awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as directed by the recently enacted Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. "Our state has now surpassed one million total COVID-19 cases, making it clear that we have more work … Continue Reading
January 07, 2021
Duckworth: Rep. Mary Miller Should Resign After Praising Hitler at Capitol Hill Rally Moments Before Yesterday’s Violent Mob
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today is calling for the resignation of U.S. Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL-15) after Miller said at a rally yesterday that "Hitler was right on one thing" in reference to the genocidal Nazi leader's influence on youths. "It is absolutely repugnant, obscene and unacceptable for any American - let alone a supposed 'leader' serving in Congress - to claim Adolf Hitler was right about anything," Duckworth said. "To say that the perpetrator … Continue Reading
January 07, 2021
Duckworth Meets with Transportation Secretary Nominee Pete Buttigieg
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, yesterday held a virtual meeting with Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Biden's nominee to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Duckworth and Buttigieg discussed their shared priorities, such as investing in our nation's infrastructure and transportation workers, creating good-paying jobs, reducing … Continue Reading