Press Releases
Duckworth Condemns Confirmation of Torture Memo Author Steven Bradbury
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke at length on the Senate floor this afternoon urging her colleagues to vote against Steven Bradbury's nomination to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation. Citing Bradbury's role as a lead author of the so-called "torture memos" and his work finding legal loopholes to justify the Bush Administration's use of torture methods like waterboarding, sleep deprivation and cramped confinement, Duckworth … Continue Reading
November 12, 2017
Duckworth Joins Call for Investigations into Reported Violations of Immigration Enforcement at Sensitive Locations
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following reports that a young girl with cerebral palsy was detained on her way to receive surgery, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and 12 other senators today in calling for an investigation into ongoing violations of federal policies regarding immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals and religious institutions. Senator Duckworth has been outspoken … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
During WashU Veterans Day Keynote Address, Duckworth Underscores Importance of Continued Service
[ST. LOUIS, MO] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) underscored the value of continued service to our country-in and out of uniform-during a keynote address at Washington University's Veterans Day ceremony tonight. Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years. Since she was recovering from her combat wounds at Walter Reed, Duckworth has made her … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Duckworth Slams Equifax CEO for Failing to Safeguard Veterans’ Personal Information
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered powerful remarks sharply criticizing Equifax executives in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing yesterday for putting our nation's Veterans at significant financial risk and doing too little to protect them in the wake of the company's recent massive data breach. Speaking to Equifax CEO Paulino do Rego Barros, Jr., Duckworth outlined the ways in which Veterans are specifically put at greater risk of fraud and abuse as a result … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Duckworth: Wehrum and White’s EPA Nominations Add to Trump’s Pattern of Nominating Unqualified, Ethically-Challenged People for Taxpayer-funded Positions
[WASHINGTON, DC] -U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pressed Kathleen Hartnett White, President Trump's choice to lead the Council on Environmental Quality, on her previous statements expressing opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as well as her financial ties to former WH Special Advisor Carl Icahn during Hartnett White's Senate confirmation hearing. Shortly after Duckworth's questioning yesterday, Icahn publicly revealed the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Duckworth & Durbin call on Congress to Pass Dream Act, Support Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD), U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) to discuss the importance of allowing Dreamers to serve in the military. Duckworth and Durbin also called on Congress to pass the Dream Act to immediately shield … Continue Reading
November 07, 2017
Duckworth Helps Introduce Legislation to Ban Assault Weapons
[WASHINGTON] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and 21 colleagues today to introduce the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017, a bill to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture and importation of military-style assault weapons like the one used over the weekend in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Last month, Duckworth also co-sponsored legislation to close the "bump stock" loophole exploited by the Las Vegas shooter that allows … Continue Reading
November 05, 2017
Duckworth, 15 Veterans in Congress Issue Bipartisan Joint Statement on Dangers of War with North Korea
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Representatives Ted W. Lieu (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and 13 other Veterans who serve in Congress over the weekend in issuing a bipartisan joint statement outlining the dangers of a war with North Korea ahead of the President's visit to South Korea. Duckworth wrote to President Trump last week asking him to provide the American people with an analysis of how many American servicemembers and innocent … Continue Reading
November 03, 2017
Duckworth Helps Cut Ribbon on New Army Aviation Support Facility
[KANKAKEE, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined the Illinois National Guard to cut the ribbon on the new Army Aviation Flight Facility and Readiness Center at the Greater Kankakee Airport, which will house three Illinois National Guard units, including the unit Duckworth once commanded. The two-story, 185,200 square foot facility includes hangar space designed for the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a weapon simulator training space and a task-load combat simulated flight … Continue Reading
November 01, 2017
Duckworth: As Drumbeat of War with North Korea Accelerates, Trump Shouldn’t Hide the True Costs in Either Dollars or American Lives
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called on President Trump today to provide the American people with an analysis of how many American servicemembers and innocent civilians would lose their lives if we went to war with North Korea. Though the President has needlessly and recklessly escalated tensions with Kim Jong-Un's regime in recent months, his Administration has not provided the American public with an official analysis of what the true costs of … Continue Reading
November 01, 2017
Duckworth Statement on House GOP Tax Plan
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Following House Republicans' release of their tax reform plan, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement: "I want to work with both Republicans and Democrats to pass tax reform that is comprehensive, fair and focused on helping Illinois's small businesses and middle-class families. Unfortunately, the House Republican plan misses on each of these fronts. Their proposal would run up the deficit with massive tax cuts for large corporations and … Continue Reading
October 31, 2017
Duckworth: Trump Signing “Shameful” Bill to Overturn Arbitration Rule Hurts Veterans and Servicemembers, Breaks Another Campaign Promise
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today criticized President Trump for breaking his campaign promise to support American Veterans and servicemembers after he signed legislation limiting the rights of victims of financial abuse to get their day in court when bad actors - such as Wells Fargo and EquiFax - are negligent or commit fraudulent acts. The bill signed today blocks a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that would have prevented … Continue Reading
October 31, 2017
Duckworth Helps Introduce Bill to Prevent President Trump from Starting Preemptive War in North Korea without Congressional Authorization
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing legislation today to prevent President Trump from launching a preemptive strike against North Korea without authorization from Congress unless there is an imminent threat or action is necessary to defend American citizens or our allies. The Senators … Continue Reading
October 30, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Call on DHS Secretary to Explain Reported Violations of Sensitive Locations Policy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 18 other Senators in calling on Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke to address the Department's reported violations of policies regarding immigration enforcement at locations like religious institutions, schools and hospitals. The letter comes after officials apprehended the parents of a two-month-old baby at a hospital while they were … Continue Reading
October 29, 2017
Duckworth Highlights Disastrous Impacts of GOP Tax Plan for Working Families in Illinois at Meeting with Local Officials and Realtors
[BARRINGTON, IL] -U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth met with local realtors and elected officials from the Northwest suburbs on Sunday to discuss the disastrous impact the GOP tax plan would have on working families. Specifically, the Republican tax proposal would eliminate the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction that nearly 2 million Illinoisans rely on to avoid being taxed twice, at both the state and federal level, on their hard-earned income. A photo of the meeting is available here. "I want … Continue Reading
October 26, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Urge IL State Board of Elections to Stop Using Inaccurate Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) wrote to the Illinois State Board of Elections (IL SBE) today asking them to stop using the deeply flawed Interstate Voter Registration Data Crosscheck Program (Crosscheck) to help the state maintain the accuracy of its voter registration system. Reports have shown that the system is not only ineffective at catching duplicate registrations, but discriminatory as well. Researchers recently found that "one of … Continue Reading
October 26, 2017
Duckworth & Warren Lead Senators in Pressing Trump Administration to Help American Hurricane Victims on Puerto Rican Islands of Vieques and Culebra
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led five of their colleagues in asking the Trump Administration to prioritize federal assistance to residents of the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra and deploy staff from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Superfund site on Vieques. Both islands' drinking water and food are at an exceptionally high risk of contamination due to their proximity to this site, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons … Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Background Check Expansion Act To Reduce Gun Violence
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 26 of their Senate colleagues to announce the introduction of the Background Check Expansion Act, which will expand federal background checks to the sale or transfer of all firearms by private sellers, with certain reasonable exceptions. Under current law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research … Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
New Duckworth & Kildee Bill Would Help Protect Families from Lead-Contaminated Water
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, today introduced the National Opportunity for Lead Exposure Accountability and Deterrence (NO LEAD) Act of 2017 to help ensure drinking water across our nation is clean and safe from lead and copper exposure. The legislation would create a lead-service-line inventory to help monitor contaminated service lines, ensure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) … Continue Reading
October 23, 2017
Duckworth on Senate Floor: Overturning CFPB’s Arbitration Rule Would Harm Servicemembers Who Are Victims of Scams, Fraud & Abuse
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a powerful speech tonight urging her colleagues to oppose an effort from Senate Republicans to restrict the rights of consumers and Servicemembers who are victims of scams, theft, fraud and abuse. Speaking on the Senate floor, Duckworth shared examples of Servicemembers who filed lawsuits to hold unscrupulous financial institutions accountable and she reminded her colleagues about the recent outrage Equifax and Wells Fargo … Continue Reading
