Press Releases
Following Duckworth Visit, Japan Announces Regulatory Change to Allow Import of More U.S. Ethanol
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today applauded the regulatory change in Japan that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois's economy. Duckworth traveled to Japan in February to meet with Japanese government officials and stakeholders and urge the nation to import more Illinois biofuels for a more sustainable energy future, including meetings with Japan Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry … Continue Reading
April 04, 2023
Duckworth Applauds Finland Officially Joining NATO, Urges Sweden Be Added as Full Member Immediately
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of both the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, today issued the following statement in reaction to Finland formally joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance: "With Finland officially joining NATO today, our alliance is now stronger and more capable than it has ever been-which is especially important as Vladimir Putin continues to wage his unjustified and … Continue Reading
April 03, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Urge Office Of Personnel Management to Address Delays in Delivering Federal Retirement Benefits
[CHICAGO, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) led nine of their colleagues in sending a bicameral letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) urging the agency to address the delay with processing and delivering federal retirement benefits to federal employees. OPM, which manages government employees' health insurance and retirement benefit programs, has a substantial retirement … Continue Reading
April 03, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Illinois Delegation in Urging President Biden to Grant Federal Disaster Declaration for 5 Illinois Counties Following Severe Weather
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging the White House to grant Governor JB Pritzker's request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for five counties. The letter follows tornadoes, high winds, hail, and flash floods that caused widespread damage across Boone, Crawford, DuPage, Marion, … Continue Reading
March 31, 2023
Duckworth, Grassley, Wyden, Lankford, Markey Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Whistleblowers at DOE & NRC
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK) and Ed Markey (D-MA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to make sure federal law provides U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) civil servants with the same due process rights provided to corporate employees who experience retaliation for blowing the whistle on nuclear safety violations. The bipartisan Department of Energy and Nuclear … Continue Reading
March 31, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Introduce “No Check, No Sale” Bill to Close the Charleston Loophole
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to introduce the Background Check Completion Act, legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of … Continue Reading
March 31, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Boost Gun Violence Prevention Research at CDC, Urge Stronger Action on Gun Safety in Wake of Tragic School Shooting
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As the nation reels from yet another tragic school shooting this week, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) to reintroduce legislation to fund research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and … Continue Reading
March 30, 2023
Duckworth Introduces Bill to Help Invest in Tech Talent in Our Armed Forces
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation to help invest in our military's technological workforce. While cultivating a strong and competitive workforce in computer programming, coding and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is key to bolstering our military readiness and national security, a September 2021 policy brief from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology revealed that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is failing to … Continue Reading
March 30, 2023
Duckworth Meets with Nominee to be Secretary of Labor Julie Su
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Julie Su, President Biden's nominee to be the next Secretary of Labor. Duckworth has previously voiced her strong support for Su and during their meeting, they discussed Su's priorities for the Department of Labor, if confirmed to this position. Video and photos from today can be found here and here. "It was a pleasure to meet with Julie Su today and to hear her vision for the Department of Labor. With her proven … Continue Reading
March 30, 2023
Duckworth Touts Support for Workforce Development with Dubuque Chamber of Commerce
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with Dubuque Chamber of Commerce members, local business leaders and local government officials to underscore her commitment to helping create good-paying regional jobs and career training programs in Illinois and throughout the nation. The Dubuque Chamber of Commerce represents businesses throughout the Dubuque area, which sits near the Mississippi River and encompasses Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. The area plays a crucial … Continue Reading
March 30, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $2.3 Million for School-Based Mental Health Training
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program for DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the Illinois State Board of Education. This funding, which was provided by last year's landmark gun violence reduction law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, will support the training of school-based mental health … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth Meets with IEMA Director to Discuss Illinois Emergency Preparedness
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau to discuss how Illinois can strengthen its state and federal government partnership to help in future emergency and recovery efforts. IEMA coordinates Illinois's disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery programs. Photos from today's meeting are available here. "As we've seen over the last few years with historic flooding and other … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth Chairs Commerce Committee Hearing on Improving Next Generation Aviation Technologies, Advocates for American-Grown Sustainable Aviation Fuel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation-which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-chaired today's full committee hearing to examine innovative, lower emission and sustainable aviation technologies to help support the next generation of commercial aircraft. During her remarks, Duckworth … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth Announces $750,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Sesser
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that $750,000 she secured through a Fiscal Year 2022 Congressionally Directed Spending Request will be sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the City of Sesser for the rehabilitation of its sanitary sewer collection system. The funding Duckworth requested will be used to update and renovate the City's severely outdated sewer collection system, addressing a vital public health threat. In 2014, the Illinois … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth Applauds Senate Repeal of Decades-Old Authorizations for the Use of Military Force That Would Formally End Gulf and Iraq Wars if Signed Into Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Just days after marking the Iraq War's 20th anniversary, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of both the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and U.S. Senate Armed Services Committees, joined her Senate colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation, which Duckworth is a cosponsor of, that would repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars. For years, Duckworth has spoken out about … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth, Murray, Hirono Reintroduce EACH Act to Help Guarantee Abortion Coverage For Millions of Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and many states enacting extreme abortion bans, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA)-Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee-and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) today re-introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, a bicameral bill that would help guarantee abortion coverage-without restrictions-for millions of Americans. The EACH Act ends the Hyde Amendment and lifts … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Budzinski Urge United Airlines to Reconsider Decision to Halt Service at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), as well as Mayor of Springfield, Illinois, Jim Langfelder, today spoke by phone with Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, about the company's decision to cancel service at Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport beginning in June. On the call, the lawmakers urged United Airlines to reconsider the decision. "It's disappointing that an … Continue Reading
March 28, 2023
Duckworth Discusses Quad Cities Water Infrastructure with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), author of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which is helping rebuild our nation's crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure, this morning met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Rock Island District Commander Colonel Jesse Curry to discuss critical water infrastructure projects in the Quad Cities region, which includes several hundred miles of the Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway. Duckworth, a … Continue Reading
March 28, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Shaheen, Senate Colleagues in Letter to Pentagon Underscoring National Security Imperative to Provide Abortion Leave for Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and their Senate colleagues this week in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In their letter, the lawmakers highlighted key U.S. national security priorities tied to providing access to non-covered reproductive healthcare for servicemembers. In the wake of the … Continue Reading
March 27, 2023
Duckworth Urges FTC to Investigate Pharmaceutical Sourcing Giant for Potential Anticompetitive, Unfair and Deceptive Distribution of Federally-Approved Medication
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following public reports indicating that pharmaceutical giant AmerisourceBergen-which is the sole wholesale distributor of Mifepristone-developed business plans refusing to distribute the pill to retail pharmacies in certain states while continuing to provide it to healthcare providers in the same state, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today is calling on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the company for this anticompetitive, unfair and deceptive … Continue Reading
