Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Call for Senate Hearings on Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 34 of their colleagues in calling on U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to quickly hold a hearing on legislation to expand federal background checks to all firearm sales. The Senators asked Graham to hold a hearing on the Background Check Expansion Act - which Duckworth and Durbin helped reintroduce earlier this year - and is similar to … Continue Reading
March 06, 2019
Duckworth, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Level Playing Field for Women & Veteran Small Business Owners in Small Business Contracting
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate a discrepancy that puts women and Veterans with a service-connected disability who own small businesses at a disadvantage when competing for federal government contracts. "If we want to help main street, we need to make it easier for small businesses to expand their business and hire new workers," Duckworth said. "This bipartisan legislation will help do that by … Continue Reading
March 01, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Call on Amtrack to Make Changes to Prevent Another Equipment Failure at Union Station
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] -Following yesterday's Amtrak computer system failure at Chicago Union Station, which lasted more than 12 hours, caused significant delays and overcrowding, and impacted both morning and evening commutes, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Amtrak CEO and President Richard Anderson asking for swift policy and operational changes to prevent future equipment failures. Today, Anderson admitted that Amtrak made a series of errors, … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Duckworth Statement on Andrew Wheeler’s Confirmation as EPA Administrator
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After the Senate voted to confirm Andrew Wheeler as the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "There are a number of reasons I voted against Andrew Wheeler's confirmation-including his refusal to address climate change, his agency's handling of the Sterigenics public health crisis that endangered the health of countless Illinoisans, his many conflicts of interest and his … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Duckworth, Beyer, Van Hollen & Feinstein Re-introduce Legislation to Strengthen Voting Rights and Support Civic Participation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), along with a group of 15 Senators, re-introduced the Pre-Registration of Voters Everywhere (PROVE) Act today to expand voter registration efforts nationwide and increase American citizens' participation in their democratic process. The PROVE Act would allow citizens who are 16 and 17 years old to pre-register to vote so they can be added to voter … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Senate Passes & House Introduces Duckworth, Durbin, Foster, Underwood, Bicameral Resolution Honoring Victims & Injured Police Officers of Aurora Shooting
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) honoring the victims and injured police officers of this month's shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, in which a gunman killed Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton Parks, Josh Pinkard, and Trevor Wehner, and injured Aurora Police Officers Adam Miller, Marco Gomez, John Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera, and Diego Avila. U.S. … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Duckworth Statement on End of Trump-Kim Jong Un Hanoi Summit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement following the conclusion of Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi: "I am relieved to hear that the U.S. refused to end sanctions in return for the dismantling of only one of Kim Jong Un's many nuclear sites and that the administration did not sacrifice our leverage simply for the optics of making a deal. We must be strong and consistent in negotiations with the DPRK and make it clear that any … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Duckworth: Military Must Reduce Barriers to Reporting Sexual Trauma
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At today's Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Hearing, U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the obstacles that can prevent survivors of sexual assault from reporting it. In particular, Duckworth asked military leaders about the practice of disciplining survivors of sexual trauma for other actions unrelated to an assault, like if they had been drinking underage when the incident occurred. This practice is a significant barrier that … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Duckworth Advocates for Illinois’ Role in Future of Carbon Capture at EPW Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed Illinois' unique geography to facilitate carbon capture at today's U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) hearing on the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act. Duckworth questioned Kurt Waltzer, Managing Director of the Clean Air Task Force, on the importance of using saline storage in places like the Illinois basin to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
In First Hearing as Ranking Member of Transportation & Safety Subcommittee, Duckworth Highlights Need to Improve Infrastructure & Reduce Bottlenecks in Chicagoland
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) held her first hearing as the new Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety about improving safety and reliability of our nation's freight transportation system and intermodal connections. The hearing, which featured testimony from Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) Executive Director Joe Szabo on reducing freight congestion in the Chicagoland region and elsewhere, was the first in a … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Chicagoland Lakefront Protection Project
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a Chicagoland Lakefront Protection project to help protect shorelines under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Beneficial Use of Dredged Material pilot program. Public beaches and shorelines in Evanston, Glencoe, Lake Bluff and North Chicago will receive sand dredged from Waukegan Harbor to better protect nearby homes and businesses. The new pilot program will also provide federal resources … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
In First Hearing as Ranking Member of Transportation & Safety Subcommittee, Duckworth Highlights Need to Improve Infrastructure & Reduce Bottlenecks in Chicagoland
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) held her first hearing as the new Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety about improving safety and reliability of our nation's freight transportation system and intermodal connections. The hearing, which featured testimony from Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) Executive Director Joe Szabo on reducing freight congestion in the Chicagoland region and elsewhere, was the first in a … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Duckworth Statement in Advance of Trump-Kim Jong Un Summit in Hanoi
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement in advance of Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi: "Donald Trump accomplished little during the first summit aside from elevating a brutal and cruel dictator on the world stage. It is critical for this meeting to not be another PR stunt and for the President to obtain serious, measurable and verifiable commitments that lead to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Duckworth, Murkowski, Chu & Walorski Re-Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Expand Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), along with U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA-27) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2) today re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses, the only human body part not currently covered by … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Duckworth, Perdue Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Investments in Airport Modernization Projects
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and David Perdue (R-GA) today re-introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize airport infrastructure by allowing airport projects to access cheaper public and private capital financing. The TIFIA for Airports Act would expand eligibility for Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) credit assistance to state and local airport projects, including passenger terminals and runways. "Modernizing our nation's aging … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Duckworth Statement in Advance of Trump-Kim Jong Un Summit in Hanoi
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement in advance of Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi: "Donald Trump accomplished little during the first summit aside from elevating a brutal and cruel dictator on the world stage. It is critical for this meeting to not be another PR stunt and for the President to obtain serious, measurable and verifiable commitments that lead to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $2 Million to Expand Affordable Housing in Rockford
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a $2,167,468 federal grant to the Rockford Housing Authority to help low-income families, seniors and Americans living with disabilities access to affordable housing options. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), which subsidizes rent for eligible individuals and families who find single-family homes, townhouses … Continue Reading
February 25, 2019
Minutes Before Vote, Duckworth Pushes Senate to Reject Latest Anti-Choice, Anti-Doctor GOP Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon urging her colleagues to vote against the latest Republican attempt to criminalize reproductive care no matter the cost. The misleadingly-named Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act aims to scare doctors into performing ineffective, inappropriate procedures on fetuses born with fatal abnormalities, even if such treatment goes against recommended standards of care and is against … Continue Reading
February 25, 2019
Duckworth Statement on Death of Colonel Jill Morgenthaler
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following the death of Ret. Colonel Jill Morgenthaler, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "Colonel Morgenthaler devoted her life to helping others be all they can be. A true patriot, she was a leader and decorated officer who knocked down barriers in the military and motivated a generation of women through her service and her inspirational speeches. Above all, she was a dear friend and I am in absolute shock over her loss." … Continue Reading
February 22, 2019
Duckworth Discusses Public Service and Global Conflict at University of Chicago Institute of Politics Event
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined former Chief Strategist to President Obama David Axelrod at the University of Chicago yesterday to discuss her commitment to public service, the role of the American military around the world, improving public service opportunities for young adults and the importance of women in the leadership roles throughout our workforce. Yesterday's event was hosted by the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics (IOP) and the Pearson … Continue Reading
