Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Question EPA on Declared Monitoring & Testing of Air Emissions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today raised concerns at the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) failure to consistently require companies to monitor and test their air emissions for manganese air pollution-a known neurotoxin-on the Southeast Side of Chicago. The members pressed EPA to use its full authority under the Clean Air Act to protect human health and the environment. Today's letter … Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Duckworth, Warren Join Colleagues in Questioning Carl Icahn, Scott Pruitt on Renewable Fuel Standard Waiver for Icahn’s Refinery
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) today in writing to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and Carl Icahn, billionaire former adviser to President Trump and Chairman of CVR Energy Inc., to request information on reports that the EPA granted CVR an "economic hardship waiver" from the Renewable Fuel Standard … Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Disastrous Decision to Withdraw from Iran Agreement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following President Trump's reckless decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "While the Iran nuclear agreement was far from perfect, it has been successful in pushing back Iran's timeline for nuclear weapons development, which was a key goal of the agreement. Donald Trump's reckless announcement today not only threatens to … Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Push for Answers on Thebes Housing Crisis, Press HUD to Fully Abate Rent for Residents
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson for details on his department's decision to close the Mary Alice Meadows (MAM) and Sunset Terrace (ST) housing complexes in Thebes, Illinois, and relocate the approximately 28 families living there. "HUD has cited immediate health and safety concerns present in the MAM and ST units and the inability of ACHA to feasibly remedy these hazards as justification … Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $100,000 for Rural Facilities in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $98,100 in federal funding today to assist rural communities in Southern and Central Illinois with purchasing new vehicles and equipment. This funding comes from the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program, which is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. The program allocates grant funding for rural communities to improve community facilities such as local food … Continue Reading
May 01, 2018
Duckworth Announces Support for Legislation Expanding Access to Medicare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced her support of U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Chris Murphy's (D-CT) Choose Medicare Act, which would allow Americans of all ages to purchase health coverage through Medicare. The legislation would create a new Medicare Part E plan to provide gold-level coverage of essential health benefits and other services. "After 16 months of Congressional Republicans pushing harmful repeal bills that would've left millions of … Continue Reading
April 29, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Resignation of Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement regarding Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Director Erica Jeffries' decision to resign from her position in the midst of the ongoing deadly Legionnaires' crisis at the Quincy Veterans Home: "When gross mismanagement leads to fatal consequences, there must be accountability. However, it would be foolish to believe that the crisis in Quincy was caused by a single individual … Continue Reading
April 27, 2018
Duckworth’s FAM Act Passes House of Representatives
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)'s bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives today as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018. The legislation, which also passed the Senate Commerce Committee and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate, would ensure breastfeeding mothers traveling through all large- and medium-sized airports have accessible, clean and convenient lactation rooms … Continue Reading
April 27, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin to Defense Secretary: Banning Transgender Troops is Harmful to Military
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and 46 other U.S. Senators in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis opposing the Trump Administration's discriminatory ban on transgender servicemembers. The Senators urged Secretary Mattis to reverse course and establish a policy that allows anyone who is willing and able to serve our … Continue Reading
April 26, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Mike Pompeo
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After voting against Mike Pompeo's nomination for Secretary of State, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "Our next Secretary of State should be someone who can effectively represent American values to the rest of the world, rebuild the strength and morale of our diplomatic corps and help restore our standing on the world stage, which Donald Trump has damaged over the course of his presidency. Mike Pompeo will not be that … Continue Reading
April 26, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Withdrawal of Trump’s VA Secretary Nominee Ronny Jackson
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ronny Jackson withdrew his nomination after reports of inappropriate workplace behavior, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement. Duckworth is a combat Veteran and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). "President Trump's firing of Dr. David Shulkin created needless chaos and uncertainty at VA, and his rash decision to replace Dr. Shulkin with … Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Amid Trump Threats to Withhold Funding, Duckworth Calls on DoD & DHS to Ensure National Guard Forces Receive Pay, Benefits for Deployments to U.S. Border
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following threats from Donald Trump to withhold federal funding from California's National Guard and with National Guard deployments to the U.S.-Mexico border well underway, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Jim Mattis and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to ensure National Guard forces are taken care of while activated and during post-mobilization and receive the benefits their service … Continue Reading
April 24, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours Tomorrow in Macomb
[MACOMB, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host “Mobile Office Hours” tomorrow at the Macomb Public Library, where constituent service representatives from her office will be onsite to help Illinoisans with federal agencies and with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer … Continue Reading
April 24, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours Tomorrow in Quincy
[QUINCY, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will launch her new “Mobile Office Hours” tomorrow at the Quincy Public Library, where constituent service representatives from her office will be onsite to help Illinoisans with federal agencies and with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months … Continue Reading
April 19, 2018
Duckworth Places Blanket Hold on HUD Nominees
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today placed a blanket hold on all Trump nominees for positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after the agency failed to respond to her request for detailed information regarding its decision to shutter two Alexander County Housing Authority (AHCA) facilities in Thebes, Illinois. Senators Duckworth and Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent the letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson requesting a response no later than April … Continue Reading
April 19, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Macomb Next Week
[MACOMB, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host “Mobile Office Hours” next week at the Macomb Public Library, where constituent service representatives from her office will be onsite to help Illinoisans with federal agencies and with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer … Continue Reading
April 19, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Quincy Next Week
[QUINCY, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will launch her new "Mobile Office Hours" next week at the Quincy Public Library, where constituent service representatives from her office will be onsite to help Illinoisans with federal agencies and with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth's Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents … Continue Reading
April 19, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $280,000 for Strategic Economic Planning in Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $280,000 in federal funding today to help create jobs and encourage economic development throughout Southern Illinois. This funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Planning Program, which assists communities as they develop and implement plans to enhance their local economies. "It's important for local community and business leaders … Continue Reading
April 18, 2018
Historic Senate Rules Change Allows New Parents to Bring Their Children onto Senate Floor for First Time
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The United States Senate unanimously agreed this evening to allow all Senators to bring their infant children onto the Senate floor, if necessary, during votes while their children are under the age of one. The Senate had previously banned all children from entering the Senate floor, which could have prevented Senators who are new parents from executing their constitutional responsibility of voting on issues of national importance. "I would like to thank my colleagues on … Continue Reading
April 18, 2018
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $475,000 to Modernize Illinois’s Infrastructure
[WASHINGTON, D.C,] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $475,020 in federal funding today for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to replace an outdated bridge in Kankakee County. The funding comes from a program within the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, which works with state and local governments to maintain the nation's highway system. "Repairing and modernizing our nation's aging infrastructure … Continue Reading
