Press Releases
Duckworth, Portman, Booker, Schatz Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Just and Reasonable Phone Rates in Criminal Justice System
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) today introduced the Martha Reed-Wright Just and Reasonable Communications Act to strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. This bipartisan bill would help families keep in touch with their incarcerated family members, which studies have shown can help reduce recidivism rates and thereby save taxpayer dollars. This targeted legislation would address long-standing … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Duckworth Tours Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River Base
[ST. LOUIS, MO] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)-who serves as Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife-today visited the Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River Base to tour the facility and meet with officials from the U.S. Coast Guard, including Sector Commander Captain Richard M. Scott. Duckworth and the officials discussed the Maritime Transportation System, which includes the coordination of locks, marine terminals … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss COVID-19 Prevention and Vaccination Measures with IDVA
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and former Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA), and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Acting IDVA Director Terry Prince and Acting IDVA Assistant Director Anthony Vaughn about addressing and preventing a fatal COVID-19 outbreaks at the Illinois Veterans Homes (IVH). The call came after a Illinois Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General's (OIG) … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Statement on City of Chicago’s Decision to Delay General Iron Permit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today released the following statement after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot delayed the permit for Reserve Management Group (RMG) to expand metal recycling operations at a site on Chicago's Southeast Side, following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan's request: "It's clear there is an urgent need for expert evaluation of the public health … Continue Reading
May 06, 2021
Duckworth Tours Melvin Price Lock and Dam in Alton, Highlights Importance of Illinois Agriculture and Infrastructure
[ALTON, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)-who serves as Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife-today visited the Melvin Price Lock and Dam to tour the facility and meet with officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ceres Barge Line and the Waterways Council, Inc. Duckworth and the officials discussed the importance of safe and efficient inland waterway infrastructure, as well as dredging needs along the inland … Continue Reading
May 06, 2021
Duckworth Tours Cahokia Mounds and Discusses National Historic Site Designation
[COLLINSVILLE, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today toured the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and met with the site's superintendent, Lori Belknap, and HeartLands Concervancy to learn more about the history of the site and discuss designating Cahokia Mounds as a National Historic Park. Duckworth recently helped introduce legislation to designate the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site as a National Historic Park to help preserve the historic, cultural and natural resources … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $9 Million to Support Vaccine Education & Availability in Illinois
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $7,325,365 to Illinois to support education efforts about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination availability. The CDC also allocated an additional $1.977 million dollars for Chicago to boost current vaccination efforts. The funding was made available by the recently passed American Rescue Plan. "Making … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Duckworth Urges Biden to Take Action to Help Restore Critical U.S.-Kurdish Partnership in Syria
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, today wrote to President Biden expressing her strong support for our Kurdish partners in Syria and asking Biden to take action to help restore this important partnership, which was damaged significantly by former President Trump's actions. Specifically, Duckworth urged Biden to direct foreign aid and humanitarian … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Senator Duckworth Appoints Kalina Thompson as Chief of Staff
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the departure of her longtime Chief of Staff Kaitlin Fahey today as well as the appointment of Kalina Thompson as her new Chief of Staff. Thompson has served on Duckworth's team over the past eight years and most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff. Fahey, an Elmhurst native, has worked for Duckworth since 2006 in several roles, including as Chief of Staff in her House office, as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Urge U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs To Assist Illinois State Veterans’ Homes
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and former Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist the IDVA following a Illinois Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General's (OIG) report released last week, which documents a number of failures within IDVA leadership in addressing and preventing a fatal COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 30, 2021
Duckworth Meets With U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District Commander
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife, met virtually this week with Colonel Paul Culberson, Chicago District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to discuss water infrastructure investments, including the advancement of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam Project. Duckworth, who co-founded the Senate's first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, and Culberson … Continue Reading
April 30, 2021
Duckworth Statement in Response to Bustos Announcement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) announced she would not be running for re-election: "Representative Bustos has served as, and will continue to serve as, an excellent representative for her community-she's a hard worker who listens to her constituents, delivers tangible legislative wins for working families and provides stellar constituent service. I've enjoyed working with her on … Continue Reading
April 29, 2021
Senate Passes Duckworth’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Rebuild our Nation’s Water Systems, Help Ensure Clean Water for All
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The U.S. Senate passed sweeping bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today aimed at investing over $35 billion in projects that put Americans back to work fixing and upgrading our nation's crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure. Duckworth's Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 (DWWIA 2021), which was introduced in March and unanimously passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee the following … Continue Reading
April 29, 2021
Duckworth, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Military Families Struggling with Hunger
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is Chair of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Airland Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation to support active military families experiencing food insecurity and help ensure no one willing to serve this nation in uniform struggles to feed their families. Duckworth's Military Hunger Prevention Act would … Continue Reading
April 29, 2021
Duckworth, Murray Introduce Bill to Help Wounded Veterans Start a Family
The Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2021 would repeal VA's outdated ban on IVF for veterans with service-connected injuries and expand adoption options [WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced the Veteran Families Health Services Act-comprehensive legislation that would, among other things, ensure that servicemembers' and veterans' fertility … Continue Reading
April 28, 2021
Duckworth Meets With DOJ Civil Rights Nominee Kristen Clarke
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met virtually with Kristen Clarke, nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Duckworth and Clarke discussed the Senator's priorities including the importance of hiring a Deputy Assistant Attorney General focused on protecting disability rights, continuing to develop initiatives to stop hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community and improving DOJ … Continue Reading
April 28, 2021
Bipartisan Bill Introduced by Duckworth, Portman and Blumenthal to Protect Infants from Deadly “Crib Bumpers” Passes Senate Committee
Since 1985, dozens of deaths and more than 100 serious injuries have been directly attributed to these dangerous products [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to protect infant lives by banning the sale of crib bumpers-which have been proven to pose an unnecessary, deadly risk to sleeping infants-passed the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) Committee unanimously … Continue Reading
April 28, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $22 Million for Rural Water Infrastructure in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife, and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $21,954,500 in federal funding today to help improve water service, quality, access and sanitation in rural communities throughout Illinois. The funding comes from the Water and Environmental Program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Rural Development. Last month, … Continue Reading
April 28, 2021
Duckworth, Warren, Baldwin and Colleagues Urge Biden Admin to Issue Delayed OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led a group of colleagues in urging the Biden administration to issue the delayed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to finally provide workers with enforceable health and safety protections specific to COVID-19. "More than a month has now passed since your deadline for issuing an ETS. The consequences of each day of delay are dire - … Continue Reading
April 28, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $2 Million in Grants to Head Start Programs in Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $2,649,316 in federal funding to Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council to support access to Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the region. This investment comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "Head Start and Early Head Start programs are critical for kids throughout Illinois to have the … Continue Reading
