Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin, Schneider Press Trump Administration for Answers, Written Confirmation on Use of Naval Station Great Lakes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today are expressing their opposition to the Administration’s use of Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) for support to federal law enforcement operations in Illinois and demanding written confirmation of how the installation is being used. In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
Amid Trump’s Efforts to Slash Critical Agriculture Support Programs, Duckworth Discusses Priorities with Illinois Agriculture Leaders
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with leaders from the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), Illinois Pork Producers and Illinois Farmers Union this week to discuss the support needed for our state’s agriculture industry and our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and protecting and improving farm safety net programs as our American farmers are being … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
As Trump Administration Continues “Operation Midway Blitz,” Duckworth, Durbin and Schneider Meet with Navy Secretary About Naval Station Great Lakes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today met with U.S. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan to discuss the limited logistical support provided by Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials as they ramp up increased immigration enforcement operations across the Chicago area during “Operation Midway Blitz.” At DHS’s request, NSGL has … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
Duckworth Calls Out Trump’s Dangerous and Unconstitutional Abuse of the Military to Police American Cities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — After Donald Trump effectively declared war against the city of Chicago, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—called out this dangerous, wasteful and unconstitutional abuse of the military against American cities. During Duckworth’s questioning at General Christopher J. Mahoney’s confirmation hearing to serve as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mahoney agreed that it wasn’t … Continue Reading
September 10, 2025
Duckworth Joins Schiff, Padilla, Durbin in Amicus Brief Fighting Trump Abuse of Military Deployments
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 15 of her colleagues in filing an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the lawsuit brought against President Trump for his misuse of the U.S. military earlier this year. The lawsuit came from the State of California after Trump deployed thousands of members of the California National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps … Continue Reading
September 09, 2025
Duckworth, Casten Reignite Push to Help Education Support Professionals Access FMLA Benefits
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) today reintroduced legislation to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover 2.7 million education support professionals (ESPs) who are currently blocked from accessing FMLA benefits. The FMLA guarantees a segment of the workforce the ability to take unpaid leave to care for their newborns and sick loved ones without fear of losing their jobs. However, as a result of their … Continue Reading
September 09, 2025
Duckworth Joins Welch, Colleagues in Reintroducing Bill to Bolster SNAP Benefits for Student Loan Borrowers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and colleagues in reintroducing the Student Loan Deduction Act, legislation to allow households utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to deduct monthly payments made on federal and private student loans from their income when calculating eligibility for the food assistance program. “As Trump and Republicans gut food assistance and other basic needs programs and make sure even … Continue Reading
September 08, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Federal Law Enforcement Mobilization to Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Homeland Security launching “Operation Midway Blitz” in Illinois. “Donald Trump’s mass mobilization of federal enforcement to Chicago is wasteful, ineffective, inhumane and makes Illinoisans less safe. “Deploying massive federal law enforcement resources to hunt down non-violent individuals for civil immigration violations doesn’t do a single thing to make our … Continue Reading
September 06, 2025
Amid Trump’s Threats of Military Deployment, Duckworth Meets with Illinois Latino Leaders
[BERWYN, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with leaders from the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, including State Senator Celina Villanueva (IL-SD-12), State Representative Norma Hernandez (IL-HD-77) and 14th Ward Alderwoman Jeylú Gutierrez to discuss Donald Trump’s recent ICE raids across the country, his threatened ICE and military deployments in Chicago and how his threats are harming immigrant communities—impacting everything from economic stability to education and … Continue Reading
September 06, 2025
Duckworth Hosts Town Hall in Rockford
[ROCKFORD, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted a town hall meeting in Rockford to answer constituents’ questions and hear their concerns directly. During today’s town hall meeting, constituents asked her about the profound negative impacts that Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill” will have on Illinoisans caused by the draconian cuts to basic needs services and programs middle class families rely on that Trump and Republicans included in the law to fund a massive tax cut for … Continue Reading
September 05, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin & Schneider Visit Naval Station Great Lakes, Locked Out By DHS
[NORTH CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) to visit Naval Station Great Lakes amid President Trump’s plans to support U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers and his threats to deploy the military to Chicago. “The DHS officials Trump sent to Naval Station Great Lakes didn’t just refuse to meet with us today, they actually locked their doors and fled the base. I’m … Continue Reading
September 05, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Announce NDAA Amendments to Increase Oversight as President Trump Threatens to Deploy Military, ICE to Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced seven amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2026 to push back against the Trump Administration’s threats to deploy the military to cities across the country, … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Urge Bondi, Noem, Hegseth, Patel to Provide Immediate Information About President Trump’s Imminent Military Deployment and Increased Federal Law Enforcement Presence in Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem, Department of Defense Secretary Hegseth and FBI Director Patel requesting immediate information regarding President Trump’s imminent actions to send the military and increase federal law enforcement presence in Chicago. The Senators wrote, “We strongly object to … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Warren to Lead Investigation Into Trump Administration’s Betrayal of Immigrant Service Members, Veterans and Military Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee—and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), opened a new investigation into the Trump Administration’s arrest, detention and deportation of non-citizen service members, Veterans and military families. The lawmakers wrote to the Department of … Continue Reading
September 03, 2025
Amid Threats of Military Deployment, Duckworth Hosts Telephone Town Hall for Chicagoans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tonight hosted a telephone town hall for more than 10,000 Illinoisans to answer constituents’ questions and discuss the Trump Administration’s plans for immigration enforcement and military deployments in Chicago. In tonight’s town hall, Duckworth also highlighted how Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill” will profoundly harm Illinoisans as a result of giving Trump and his billionaire buddies a massive tax cut paid for by increasing taxes on … Continue Reading
September 03, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Request Meeting With Secretary of Navy Regarding President Trump Using Naval Station Great Lakes to House ICE Agents
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senators requested a meeting with the Secretary of the Navy, John C. Phelan, demanding information around President Trump’s plan to use Naval Station Great Lakes to house U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as President Trump’s threats to deploy the military to Chicago are imminent: “Using the military to ‘occupy’ an American city in the absence of an … Continue Reading
September 02, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Ramirez, IL Delegation Members Demand Trump Stop the Politically Motivated, Unlawful Deployment of Military Personnel in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) in a letter with 10 Members of Congress from the Illinois delegation to demand that President Donald Trump and the Pentagon suspend plans for the deployment of military personnel to Chicago. The letter comes as the Administration reportedly prepares to use the Naval Station Great Lakes to deploy federal agents and military personnel in Chicago. … Continue Reading
August 27, 2025
Duckworth Demands an Immediate Investigation into the Trump Administration's Withholding of Childcare Assistance for Low-Income Students
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today requested an immediate investigation into the legality of the Trump Administration's withholding of applications for Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) grants this year. The CCAMPIS program helps student parents, who make up more than one quarter of all college students in America, access affordable child care services as they complete their postsecondary education. Despite a long history of bipartisan support, the … Continue Reading
August 27, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $87 Million for Chicago Airport Improvements
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $87,590,952 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. This funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will help improve taxiways, accommodate more passengers, alleviate noise pollution and make travelling through O’Hare and Midway … Continue Reading
August 27, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $8 Million for Central Illinois Airport Improvements
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $8,293,999 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements at airports across Central Illinois. This funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will help improve taxiways, accommodate more passengers and make travelling easier for passengers. “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state and the … Continue Reading