Press Releases
Duckworth, Booker, SFRC Colleagues Demand Answers Regarding State Department Layoffs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and their fellow members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) in writing a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing deep concerns with imminent Reductions in Force (RIFs) at the State Department and requested answers on the Trump Administration’s process for carrying out these layoffs. The Senators wrote: “RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Duckworth Outraged by Trump Administration’s Plans to Fire Hundreds of State Department Patriots
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today after the Trump Administration announced plans to indiscriminately fire hundreds of civil service and Foreign Service Officers: “Once again, Trump’s illegal, chaotic actions are putting our servicemembers at greater risk, undermining our national security and making all Americans less safe. It was Trump’s first Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, who said ‘If you don’t fund the State Department fully, … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Duckworth Joins Padilla, Booker in Effort to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and 10 of their colleagues in introducing legislation requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency and accountability for the Trump … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Duckworth, Kim, Sewell Renew Push to Improve Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Committees on Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC)—along with U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL-07) reintroduced legislation that would improve access to prenatal care for military families. Specifically, the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act would create a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot program to … Continue Reading
July 09, 2025
Duckworth Grills Trump’s Singapore Ambassador Nominee: “This is Not a Glamour Posting—You Need to Shape Up and Do Your Homework”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, Dr. Anjani Sinha, at his confirmation hearing today, exposing how deeply unqualified he is for this critically important role. During the Senator’s line of questioning, Dr. Sinha failed to answer several basic, important questions, proving he doesn’t know the first thing about maintaining not only the U.S.-Singapore partnership, but any of our relationships with … Continue Reading
July 09, 2025
Duckworth Votes Against Bryan Bedford’s Nomination to Serve as FAA Administrator
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation—voted against Bryan Bedford’s nomination to serve as FAA Administrator. Senate Republicans confirmed Bedford by a vote of 53-43. “At this critical moment for aviation safety, it is deeply disturbing that Senate Republicans just confirmed someone who refused to commit to upholding the 1,500-hour pilot training requirement. With a surge in near-misses, an air … Continue Reading
July 03, 2025
Duckworth Reacts to FCC Chair Needlessly & Politically Delaying Enforcement of Her Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Law that He Once Supported
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after FCC Chair Brendan Carr announced a unilateral delay in all rules implementing her historic, bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which Congress required to be implemented by January 5, 2025. Chair Carr previously voted in favor of adopting the legally-required implementation rules last year—the very rules Chair Carr is now refusing to enforce. “This is yet another … Continue Reading
July 02, 2025
U.S. Senators Duckworth, Markey, Booker Condemn Republican Cuts to Environmental Justice Grants, Slam GOP Weakening of Key Environmental Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—co-chairs of the Environmental Justice Caucus—today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans rammed through Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which would rescind funds already appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental and climate justice block grants and undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The co-chairs filed two … Continue Reading
July 02, 2025
Duckworth, King, Collins and Budzinski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Our Troops and Strengthen Domestic Manufacturing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Mike Bost (R-IL-12) and Jared Golden (D-ME-02) are introducing legislation to ensure our troops are wearing high quality, safe and reliable footwear as part of their uniforms all while strengthening our national security and creating good-paying jobs. The Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act would expand … Continue Reading
July 01, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Senate Republicans Jamming Through Their ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after Senate Republicans jammed through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, selling out America’s middle class for billionaires’ tax cuts: “By passing this monstrosity of a bill, Donald Trump and Republicans are proving they are intent on becoming the party of ‘well, we’re all going to die.’ “This Big, Beautiful Betrayal does not make America stronger, better or safer. It lights trillions of taxpayer … Continue Reading
June 30, 2025
Senate Republicans Block Duckworth Effort to Protect Veterans and Other Americans from Going Hungry as a Result of Trump’s Big, Beautiful Betrayal
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sought to protect Veterans and many other Americans from going hungry because of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” (BBB) that Senate Republicans are rushing to jam through tonight. Duckworth’s effort would have instructed the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee to change the BBB to ensure it would not reduce or terminate SNAP benefits … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
After Trump’s Illegal & Unconstitutional Bombings in Iran, Duckworth Votes to Block Further Use of Military Force Without Congressional Authorization
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—issued the following statement today after voting for an Iran war powers resolution that would force the President to secure a declaration of war or authorization for use of military force from Congress to legally engage in a war against Iran. Senate Republicans blocked the resolution, which failed on a 53-47 vote. “Ever since Donald Trump illegally launched a … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Duckworth Leads Delegation of Illinois Members of Congress in Calling on IRS to Fix Erroneous Late Payment Notices
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Illinois’s Congressional Democrats in demanding answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on why Illinoisans are receiving notices of late payment in error after filing—and paying—their taxes on time. Following reporting earlier this month revealing that Illinoisans were receiving late payment notices and penalties from the IRS even though they had already filed and paid their taxes, and were then unable to get answers or … Continue Reading
June 27, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin: Republicans’ So-called ‘big Beautiful Bill’ Could Shutter 93 Nursing Homes in Illinois Alone
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted new findings that show President Trump’s and Republicans’ reconciliation bill puts 579 nursing homes across the country at risk of closure. Based on this data compiled by Brown University’s School of Public Health, and released by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the Republicans’ One Big … Continue Reading
June 26, 2025
Recently-Retired Veterans Crisis Line Responder Tells Duckworth How Veterans’ Services Were Hurt by Trump Administration’s Mass Layoffs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week questioned a recently-retired Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) responder about her experiences working at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) following the Trump Administration's wrongful termination of VCL workers as part of their purge of the federal workforce. During the hearing, the former VCL responder shared that the Administration's mass firings caused delayed services to Veterans, directly … Continue Reading
June 26, 2025
Duckworth Introduces Bill to Prevent Trump from Misusing Our Military to Police Their Fellow Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation that aims to curb Donald Trump's egregious misuse of the military in civilian law enforcement capacities and keep our nation's servicemembers focused on their core mission of protecting and defending Americans from foreign threats abroad. The Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act would reform gray areas in laws that Trump is exploiting to deploy members of our military to police … Continue Reading
June 25, 2025
Duckworth Hosts Telephone Town Hall, Highlighting Negative Impacts of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tonight hosted a telephone town hall to answer Illinois constituents' questions and discuss how Donald Trump and Republicans' "Big Beautiful Bill" will profoundly harm Illinoisans. In tonight's town hall, Duckworth highlighted how Senate Republicans are currently trying to jam through this legislation-that no one has seen final text for-in order to give Trump and his billionaire buddies a massive tax cut paid for by increasing taxes on … Continue Reading
June 25, 2025
Duckworth Joins Hirono, Wyden, Colleagues in Demanding Answers on Trump’s Rescission of EMTALA Abortion Care Guidance, Urging HHS to Reverse Decision
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On the three-year anniversary this week of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and their colleagues in condemning the Trump Administration's recent rescission of guidance that reaffirmed hospitals and providers' obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide medically necessary emergency abortion care, regardless of where the … Continue Reading
June 25, 2025
Duckworth, Booker Renew Push to Ban the U.S. Sale and Manufacturing of “K-Leather” and Protect Kangaroos from Largest Commercial Slaughter in the World
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced legislation to ban the sale and manufacturing of products made from kangaroo skin, also known as "k-leather." After years of the two lawmakers leading the charge on this issue, this week Mizuno and UMBRO joined cleat manufacturing giants-including Nike, Adidas, Puma and ASICS-in pledging to halt production of k-leather in their soccer cleats and other products. To help build on this momentum, … Continue Reading
June 24, 2025
On the 3rd Anniversary of Roe Being Overturned, Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Bill to Restore Abortion Access Nationwide
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) in introducing the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of … Continue Reading