Press Releases
Duckworth Tours Mississippi River, Highlights Importance of Waterways Infrastructure for Illinois Agriculture
[DAVENPORT, IA] -Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured waterways infrastructure along the Mississippi River with U.S. Representatives Rod Blum (IA-1) and Dave Loebsack (IA-2) as well as members of the Illinois and Iowa Corn Growers Associations, where she highlighted the importance of water infrastructure to support economic growth in Illinois. Duckworth, who serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, discussed her … Continue Reading
August 02, 2017
Duckworth and Durbin Announce $3 Million for Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport Improvements
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a $3,000,395 federal grant to the Springfield Airport Authority to help modernize and improve the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. This funding will support the rehabilitation of approximately 11,000 feet of the service road connected to the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. "As a general aviation pilot, I know how important small and municipal airports are to communities across the state of … Continue Reading
August 01, 2017
Duckworth: Bush Torture Memo Author Should Be Disqualified from Any Government Service, Not Given Spot in Trump Administration
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Drawing on her 23 years of service in the Reserve Forces, Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke out in opposition to torture memo author Steven Bradbury's nomination to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation today. Speaking before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Duckworth outlined how Mr. Bradbury's authorship of the torture memos demonstrated poor judgement and compromised our nation's values, putting our … Continue Reading
August 01, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $37 Million in Emergency Preparedness Grants
[CHICAGO, IL] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office for Terrorism Preparedness & Emergency Response has awarded a total of $37,392,579 to support emergency preparedness programs throughout Illinois. "When an emergency situation strikes, it is critical that our public health systems and first responders are adequately prepared to successfully manage the situation," said … Continue Reading
August 01, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Christopher Wray’s Confirmation Vote to be FBI Director
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Christopher Wray as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "Given this President's irresponsible conduct towards the FBI and the Department of Justice and his inappropriate firing of FBI Director James Comey, it is essential that the FBI remain independent of politics and the next FBI Director avoid any improper interference … Continue Reading
August 01, 2017
Duckworth, Murray, Gillibrand, Casey, Durbin Introduce Legislation to Expand Campus Child Care and Help Student Parents Graduate
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Patty Murray (D-WA) reintroduced legislation today with the help of U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to help increase access to on-campus child care for student parents, who make up more than one quarter of all college students in America. Despite the growing number of student parents enrolled in postsecondary … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democrats Lay Out Key Principles For Tax Reform In Letter To President Trump & Senate Gop Leaders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 43 of their Democratic Senate colleagues, today wrote to President Donald Trump, Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, urging Republicans to come to the table and work with Democrats in a bipartisan way on the Senate's next critical legislative item - tax reform. Durbin, Duckworth, and their colleagues laid out their three main tenants ahead of … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin & Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Enforcement of Foreign Lobbying Transparency Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced legislation today to strengthen registration requirements for foreign government lobbyists and to crack down on foreign agents who fail to comply with the law. The Foreign Agent Lobbying Transparency Enforcement Act would give the Department of Justice (DOJ) the ability to impose civil financial penalties on lobbyists who fail to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Duckworth Amendment Would Increase Funding for Great Lakes Science Center
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, the top Democrat on Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, announced that her amendment to secure $15 million of funding for the Great Lakes Science Center in each of the next five years was approved unanimously by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Her amendment to the Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation for Wildlife Act was modeled after bipartisan legislation from U.S. Senators Debbie … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Federal Funding to Improve Emergency Services in Cairo
[CAIRO, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a $25,000 federal grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development to support the purchase of equipment necessary for improvements in Cairo and throughout Alexander County. This funding will be used to acquire a truck for emergency services that will improve response times. "This grant will help ensure that the people of Alexander County don't need to rely … Continue Reading
July 28, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate Healthcare Vote
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After a majority of the Senate rejected the so-called "skinny" version of Trumpcare, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "I am glad the majority of my colleagues agree that legislation that would have robbed millions of working Americans of their health insurance and caused healthcare expenses for working families to skyrocket will not become law. Now is the time to set Trumpcare and partisanship aside and start working on the fixes … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Duckworth Meets With FBI Director Nominee Christopher Wray
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met yesterday with the nominee to be the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray. Duckworth and Wray had an extensive conversation about the need for an independent, impartial FBI Director and the important role community engagement plays in effective criminal, counter-terror and hate crime investigations. A photo of their meeting is available here. "Given this President's inappropriate conduct … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Duckworth Calls for Stronger Protections for Americans with Disabilities Amid Healthcare Debate on Senate Floor
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today about the importance of protecting access to quality, affordable health care for people with disabilities as Senate Republicans attempt to strip health care from the disability community on the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Duckworth shared the story of Jessica Baker, a young woman from Illinois whose life changed in a moment when a car crash left her in a wheelchair … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Duckworth Discusses Importance of Disability Rights Protections on ADA Anniversary
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) at a rally today on the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to address the critical importance of strengthening rather than chipping away at disability rights protections. Duckworth discussed how ADA protections have drastically improved the lives of millions of Americans - including our nation's Veterans - highlighting her … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Sanctuary Cities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After the Department of Justice's latest attack on sanctuary cities, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "America is at its best when we welcome immigrants who work hard every day to build a better life for themselves and their families, but this policy takes us down a much darker path. Using law enforcement to needlessly tear families apart is unacceptable - it compromises public safety by fostering mistrust and suspicion between … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Discriminatory Announcement Blocking Transgender Soldiers from Serving in the Military
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After President Trump's tweets announcing his intention to prevent transgender soldiers from serving in the U.S. military, U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "When my Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, I didn't care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender or anything else. All that mattered was they didn't leave me behind. If you are willing to risk your … Continue Reading
July 25, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate Vote on Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After Senate Republicans voted to proceed with debate on Trumpcare, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "The American people have rejected every version of Trumpcare that has been presented so it's absolutely stunning that Senate Republicans voted to move forward with a process that could rob as many as 32 million Americans of their health insurance, cause healthcare expenses for working families to skyrocket and jeopardize a … Continue Reading
July 24, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act to fix a provision in the federal law that unintentionally discourages members of the military from consolidating or refinancing pre-service student loans and taking full advantage of all student benefits provided to servicemembers. "Loan refinancing and consolidation is a practical, effective way to manage student loan debt," said Durbin. "Congress … Continue Reading
July 24, 2017
Duckworth Calls for Economic Justice, Criminal Justice Reform at NAACP National Convention
[BALTIMORE, MD] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke about the need for economic justice and criminal justice reform across the nation during her remarks at the 108th Annual NAACP National Convention's legislative panel. Duckworth highlighted the importance of supporting minority-owned businesses, making education more accessible as well as affordable and restoring trust between law enforcement and the communities they protect. A photo of the panel discussion is available … Continue Reading
July 21, 2017
Duckworth Helps Reintroduce Legislation to Increase Transparency in America’s Campaign Finance System
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and 41 other Senators to reintroduce legislation to create a more transparent federal campaign finance system by ensuring both businesses and organizations spending money in elections disclose their individual donors to the public. The Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2017 (DISCLOSE Act) would also require any company spending money in an election to … Continue Reading
