Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin and Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Support Vulnerable Students Amid Coronavirus Crisis
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a bipartisan group of Senators led by Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jon Tester (D-MT), in pressing Congressional leadership to include significant funding for the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO), which are integral to supporting vulnerable students and their families that have been impacted by COVID-19, in the upcoming relief package. The Senators' letter comes as the … Continue Reading
May 18, 2020
Duckworth, Blumenthal, Markey, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Create COVID-19 Victim Compensation Fund for Essential Workers
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced a bill that would create a new fund to provide compensation for injuries to any individual, or their families, who are deemed an essential worker and required to leave their home to perform services and who have become ill or died as a result of COVID-19. The Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act is modeled after the September 11th … Continue Reading
May 18, 2020
Duckworth Statement on Nomination of Normal Mayor Chris Koos to Serve on Amtrak Board of Directors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, released the following statement after Normal, Illinois, Mayor Chris Koos was nominated to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors: "As the ranking member of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over Amtrak, I applaud the decision to nominate Mayor Koos to join the Amtrak Board of Directors," Duckworth said. "Mayor Koos has long advocated for common sense … Continue Reading
May 18, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Grassley, McKinley, Bustos Secure COVID-19 Testing for BOP Inmate Transfer; Eight BOP Locations Removed from Quarantine List
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Congressman David McKinley (WV-1), and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), announced today that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), in coordination with the United States Marshall Service (USMS), will now test all inmates for COVID-19 prior to transferring them to BOP quarantine sites. Further, eight BOP locations have been removed from the list of BOP quarantine sites. The … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Duckworth Leads Call for Administration to Extend Full Federal Benefits to all National Guard Troops Activated During COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), today wrote to Donald Trump expressing concern that his order to extend National Guard Title 32 authority for only 89 days in response to COVID-19 precludes troops from qualifying for additional federal benefits they would normally be granted if Title 32 was extended for 90 days or more. In their letter, the Senators urge the President to … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Duckworth, Harris, Hirono Introduce Resolution Condemning Anti-Asian Discrimination Caused by the COVID-19 Outbreak
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) this week introduced a resolution condemning anti-Asian racism that has been prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak. In March, the FBI released an intelligence report finding that hate crimes against Asian-Americans were likely to surge with the spread of the virus. Since that report, we have continued to see hatred and violence toward Asian-Americans. An advocacy group has collected more than … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $473 Million to increase COVID-19 Testing in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $473 million and a distribution of 620,000 testing swabs this month to expand COVID-19 testing efforts. The federal funding, provided through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was approved by Congress as part of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Congressional Democrats fought to ensure that this legislation included a … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Duckworth, Maloney Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Create COVID-19 Victim Compensation Fund for Essential Workers
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12) today announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill that would create a new fund to provide compensation for injuries to any individual, or their families, who are deemed an essential worker and required to leave their home to perform services and who have become ill or died as a result of COVID-19. The Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act is modeled after the September 11th Victim … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss COVID-19 Impact with Illinois Municipal League
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Illinois Municipal League about the financial strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on state and local governments. On the call, Durbin and Duckworth discussed provisions in the recently introduced Heroes Act that would offer fiscal relief to localities of all sizes to replace the over $10 billion drop in state and local revenues expected by next July. The bill also proposes changes to the … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Duckworth and Durbin Join Klobuchar, Murray and Colleagues in Urging Administration to Keep Voters and Election Officials Safe Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with jurisdiction over federal elections, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and 23 colleagues in a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calling on the Administration to issue updated and comprehensive … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Telehealth Funding for Chicago Area Healthcare Providers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that three Chicago-area healthcare providers have been awarded federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "Expanding the reach of Illinois's healthcare … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Duckworth, Underwood Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Veterans’ Health Care Costs and Protect Their Access to Health Care During COVID19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Jon Tester (D-MT) today introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce health care costs and ensure parity for Veterans impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. The No Coronavirus Copays for Veterans Act would make sure that Veterans who receive health care from the Veterans Health … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Duckworth and Colleagues Call for Creation of New Fund to Support Essential Frontline Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote to Congressional leadership calling for the creation of a federal fund to reimburse essential frontline workers for costs incurred while serving the American public during the pandemic. The Essential Frontline Worker Compensation Fund would help workers safely stay on the job and afford medical costs, … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Several Duckworth Priorities Included in House Democrats’ New COVID-19 Relief Package
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled the next COVID-19 relief package, the Heroes Act, as well as highlighted several priorities she successfully worked to include in the proposal: “Despite Republicans saying they have ‘yet to feel the urgency of acting immediately’ to help lift Americans out of this crisis, Congressional Democrats hear the millions of struggling … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $14 Million to Expand Behavioral Health Service, Strengthen COVID-19 Response
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that four treatment providers and community health clinics in Illinois will receive a total of $14 million in federal grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand behavioral health care services and help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants - which are partially funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will be … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Introduce VoteSafe Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Representatives James Clyburn (D-SC-6) and Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) to introduce the VoteSafe Act, legislation to expand voting options and improve the safety and accessibility of polling places across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. "COVID19's persistence, and the possibility of a fall resurgence, have made it abundantly clear that we must prepare for an Election Day … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Senators Duckworth and Markey Introduce New Legislation to Ensure Paycheck Protection Program Reaches More Small Businesses of Color
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Ed Markey (D-MA), members of the Small Business and & Entrepreneurship Committee, announced legislation to appropriate Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding better targeted towards small businesses of color. Minority-owned small businesses have been disproportionally shut out from the existing PPP due to a lack of existing banking relationships and needs for smaller loan amounts. The lack of SBA data on demographics for … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Duckworth Hosts Community Health Centers Conference Call on COVID-19 Challenges
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke by phone with community health center leaders from across Illinois today to discuss the challenges faced by these health providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duckworth spoke with leaders from the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, Howard Brown Health in Chicago, Heartland Health Services in Peoria and Shawnee Health Service in Carterville. During the call, Duckworth highlighted priorities she will push for in a future … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Markey and Colleagues to Introduce Legislation to Ensure All Students Have Access to Internet during Coronavirus Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 37 colleagues to introduce the Emergency Educational Connections Act, legislation aimed at ensuring all K-12 students have adequate home internet connectivity and devices during the coronavirus … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
Duckworth Joins Bicameral Effort to Address COVID-19’s Impact on Communities Plagued by Environmental Injustice
[WASHINGTON, DC] - As Congress considers additional funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Senate and House have introduced legislation seeking to address the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has on communities experiencing environmental injustices. U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tom Carper (D-DE), founding members of the Senate's first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, introduced legislation that would provide $50 million for … Continue Reading