Press Releases
On One Year Anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Duckworth Urges Trump to Recognize Official Death Toll and Improve Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico
On One Year Anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Duckworth Urges Trump to Recognize Official Death Toll and Improve Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico [WASHINGTON, DC] - On the one year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) denounced Donald Trump's recent statements denying the number of American citizens that were killed as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) … Continue Reading
September 18, 2018
Duckworth, Casey, Hassan, Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Strengthen the ADA & Help Small Businesses Become Accessible
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation today with the Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee Bob Casey (D-PA), U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to make it easier for small businesses to become accessible for people with disabilities and help those businesses comply with the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act bolsters the existing Disabled Access Credit … Continue Reading
September 18, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Address Opioid Crisis
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following the Senate's passage of bipartisan legislation last night to address the opioid crisis, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 takes important steps to combat the opioid epidemic by establishing comprehensive opioid recovery centers, investing in community-based prevention efforts and giving law enforcement stronger tools to help confiscate illegal substances, such as fentanyl, that are being … Continue Reading
September 17, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Announce over $40,000 for Rural Development in Stephenson County
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $40,019 in federal funding today to help increase energy efficiency in Stephenson County. This funding comes from the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP), which is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) office of Rural Development. "Investments like these help communities in Stephenson County to reduce energy costs through advancements in renewable energy and energy efficiency," said … Continue Reading
September 14, 2018
Senate Passes Bipartisan Duckworth-Hirono Bill to Honor Chinese-American WWII Veterans
[WASHINGTON, DC] - The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation this week introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to recognize the tremendous contributions made by more than 13,000 Chinese-American World War II Veterans. The Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act will authorize Congress to award the highest civilian honor - a Congressional Gold Medal - to these dedicated Veterans, including the approximately 50 … Continue Reading
September 13, 2018
Durbin & Duckworth: Appropriations Bill Provides Critical Funding for Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced Illinois priorities included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Energy & Water; Military Construction & Veterans Affairs; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills. The legislation passed the Senate yesterday and will now head to the House of Representatives for final passage. "This bill supports Illinois is a variety of ways, like … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Duckworth & Cohen Introduce Legislation to Improve School Bus Safety As Students Go Back to School
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As students across Illinois return to school for the beginning of the new school year, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) introduced the School Bus Safety Act to help keep students safe as they travel to and from school while also helping prevent accidents involving school buses. Their legislation would implement safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board to make school buses safer by ensuring there are seat … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Duckworth Meets With Southeast Chicago Residents to Discuss Toxic Pollution Threatening Their Community
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined members of Chicago's Southeast Environmental Taskforce and a dozen neighborhood residents for a group discussion yesterday about the health and safety impacts of toxic pollution from industrial sites on the southeast side of Chicago. Members of the community then accompanied Duckworth on a tour of some of the area's contaminated and polluted industrial sites. The visit helped Duckworth gather information as she explores possible … Continue Reading
September 11, 2018
Duckworth Discusses Rail Safety Improvements at Metra Railcar Shop in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured Metra's 47th Street Railcar Shop today with Metra CEO Jim Derwinski and other Metra officials where federal Positive Train Control (PTC) funds are being utilized to upgrade trains and make them safer for commuters and workers. PTC utilizes enhanced communications technologies to help eliminate preventable rail accidents, such as over-speed derailments, train-to-train collisions and work zone intrusions. Metra is working to meet the … Continue Reading
September 11, 2018
On Anniversary of September 11th Attacks, Duckworth Volunteers at Jesse Brown VA Food Pantry and Announces Legislation to Expand National Service Opportunities
[CHICAGO, IL] - On the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today participated in a day of service by volunteering at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center Food Pantry, where she packed groceries to distribute to Veterans in need. Duckworth also met with AmeriCorps members to discuss the importance of community service. During the roundtable, the Senator announced her plans to reintroduce the 21st Century American Service Act in the … Continue Reading
September 07, 2018
Duckworth & Durbin Request Federal Investigation into Rudy Giuliani’s Ongoing Work for Foreign Entities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), asked the Department of Justice's (DOJ) National Security Division to immediately review whether President Trump's personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, is violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by failing to register the political and public relations … Continue Reading
September 06, 2018
Tammy Duckworth: Confirming Judge Kavanaugh Would Threaten Reproductive Rights & Access to Health Care for Women
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined women from across the country to highlight how much is at stake for women's health with the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Speaking at the U.S. Capitol, Duckworth explained how overturning Roe v. Wade could prevent women like her from having children through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and how women of color with pre-existing … Continue Reading
September 06, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Join New Effort to Protect Seniors and Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]- U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 41 other Democratic Senators on legislation to overturn the Trump Administration's expansion of "junk health insurance plans." As of today, 44 Senators have cosponsored the resolution of disapproval of the Trump Administration's final "junk health insurance plan" rule, which only needs the support of 30 Senators to force a vote. These year-long "junk plans" can exclude … Continue Reading
August 31, 2018
Duckworth Says Final Goodbye to American Hero John McCain at the Capitol
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said her final goodbye to an American Hero, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today as he laid in state at the U.S. Capitol building. Duckworth first met McCain while he was visiting Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed, where she was recovering after her Black Hawk was shot down by an RPG in Iraq. Senator Duckworth also announced that she will support U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Jeff Flake's (R-AZ) bipartisan legislation to rename … Continue Reading
August 30, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Join Murray and 41 Colleagues Opposing Use of Taxpayer Dollars to Arm Teachers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After a recent report that U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering allowing states and school districts to purchase firearms and pay for firearm training with federal taxpayer dollars, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 41 colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary DeVos urging the abandonment of this plan. In March, Congress reiterated its opposition to federal funds being for … Continue Reading
August 30, 2018
After Recent Study on Kindergarten Preparedness in Illinois, Duckworth and Durbin Announce $62 Million for Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $62,694,857 in federal funding today to help children from in Illinois access Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Central Illinois, Northwest Illinois and the Chicagoland area. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, helps build … Continue Reading
August 30, 2018
Duckworth: Allow American People to Review Records of Brett Kavanaugh’s Involvement in Bush Administration’s Torture Policies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called for the public release of any documents related to Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh's involvement in the Bush Administration's use of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment on prisoners and enemy combatants. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Duckworth asked the Chairman to share with the public all records from Kavanaugh's time as a Bush White House staffer related … Continue Reading
August 28, 2018
Duckworth Investigates Potential Pay-To-Play Allegations Involving Michael Cohen, Trump Donor & Department of Energy
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following reports that a major donor to the Trump inaugural fund hired President Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to help secure billions of federal dollars for a nuclear power plant project, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is asking U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry for more information on how the agency is evaluating the loan application. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump donor Franklin L. Haney agreed to pay Michael Cohen, who recently pleaded … Continue Reading
August 27, 2018
Duckworth Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Bill to Expand the ABLE Savings Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to expand eligibility for the ABLE program, which allows individuals with disabilities and their families to enroll in tax-free savings accounts to help cover the costs of long-term care and other expenses, such as housing, employment training, education and transportation. The Achieving a Better Life (ABLE) Age Adjustment Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Richard Burr (R-NC) … Continue Reading
August 25, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Passing of American Hero John McCain
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the passing of an American hero, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "My heart is heavy today as I join countless Americans across our country in mourning the loss of one of our nation's greatest leaders and statesmen, one of my personal heroes, Senator John McCain. Throughout his life - as a Naval Aviator, a Prisoner of War who endured years of torture, a Congressman, and a six-term Senator - … Continue Reading
