Press Releases
Duckworth Applauds Biden Administration’s Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers with Disabilities
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Secretary of Transportation announced the first-ever Bill of Rights for airline passengers with disabilities: "Far too many Americans living with a disability-many of whom are Veterans like myself-face unnecessary and harmful challenges during air travel. As someone who has experienced these challenges firsthand, I understand how inaccessibility profoundly impacts travelers with disabilities, so I'm … Continue Reading
July 08, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $2,000,000 for WIU’s New Emergency Operations Center
[MACOMB, IL]- U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,000,000 in new Congressionally Directed Spending they secured in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill for Western Illinois University's (WIU) new Emergency Operations Center. The federal funds will renovate WIU's library to add a permanent emergency operations center (EOC) for the region. The center will also train public safety professionals and provide apprenticeships for the next … Continue Reading
July 07, 2022
Following a Duckworth Request, President Biden Honors Trailblazing Brigadier General Vaught with Medal of Freedom
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), issued the following statement after President Biden heeded her call and awarded Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, a retired Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House today for her barrier-breaking military career and life-long advocacy for the women who serve in … Continue Reading
July 07, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Secure $15 Million for New Air Traffic Control Tower at Peoria International Airport
[PEORIA, IL]-U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today announced $15 million in federal funding awarded to the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to construct the airport's new Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). Durbin, Duckworth, and Bustos secured language in the IIJA making the outdated air traffic control tower eligible for federal … Continue Reading
July 05, 2022
Duckworth Joins Hirono and Colleagues to Urge DoD to Support and Protect Female Servicemembers Seeking Abortion Services
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator 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) Subcommittee on Airland, joined U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), another member of SASC, and her colleagues in urging the Department of Defense to take immediate steps to support and protect female servicemembers seeking abortion services following the Supreme Court's dangerous and deeply harmful decision … Continue Reading
July 04, 2022
Duckworth Statement on Highland Park July 4th Parade Massacre
[HIGHLAND PARK, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement regarding this morning's mass shooting at Highland Park's July 4th parade after joining Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and other officials to give an update on the status of the investigation: "Absolutely terrifying. Illinoisans who set out this morning to celebrate our Independence Day and watch Highland Park's Fourth of July parade found themselves running for their … Continue Reading
July 01, 2022
Duckworth Joins Shaheen and Colleagues in Letter to Senate Leadership Urging Extension of ACA Subsidies
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and eleven of their Democratic colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), urging congressional leadership to prioritize making permanent the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits in upcoming reconciliation legislation, which are set to expire at the end of this year. "Americans deserve a stable health care market … Continue Reading
July 01, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Join Bipartisan Effort led by Casey to Demand Answers from Department of Justice on Lack of Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) and a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding information on web accessibility across the federal government. "On behalf of the 26 percent of Americans living with a disability, including the 40 percent of people over age 65 who have a … Continue Reading
June 30, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $14 Million for Variety of Health Care Programs and Initiatives
[SPRINGFIELD, IL]- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $14,446,505 for a variety of health care programs, initiatives, and community projects across the state. "Across the state, Illinoisans have access to incredible institutions and programs that are devoted to helping folks avoid, treat and research a wide variety of conditions and illnesses," Duckworth said. "I'm proud to announce this support with Senator Durbin to ensure … Continue Reading
June 30, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $2.4 Million For Education Programs For Illinois Medical Professionals
[SPRINGFIELD, IL]- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,438,724 for education programs for Illinois medical professionals. The funding will go toward Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's Graduate Medical Education Program and Loyola University of Chicago's Nurse Faculty Loan Program. "For more than two years, healthcare workers and medical professionals have helped us navigate a deadly, global pandemic, and the institutions … Continue Reading
June 30, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Members of Illinois Delegation in Advocating for Chicagoland to be Home of New Medical Research Agency
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) led members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in requesting that a new medical research agency, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), proposed by President Biden and funded this past year by Congress, is headquartered in the Chicago-area. The lawmakers highlighted Chicagoland's unique position with its geographical location, array of jobs, companies, students and … Continue Reading
June 30, 2022
Duckworth Statement on Supreme Court’s Disastrous Decision to Strip EPA’s Authority to Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Tackle Climate Crisis
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement in reaction to the Supreme Court's disastrous decision in West Virginia v. EPA, stripping the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s authority to help regulate greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to our climate crisis: "Our climate crisis is a real and existential threat that we need to tackle immediately-and today, the Supreme Court severely limited our ability to do so by stripping away one of … Continue Reading
June 29, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $5.5 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois
[SPRINGFIELD, IL]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $5,505,820 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from neurological diseases to biological chemistry research. "When we support biomedical research, we unlock opportunities to achieve … Continue Reading
June 28, 2022
Duckworth Announces Class of 2026 Service Academy Appointments
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the appointments of 11 Illinois students she nominated to attend a United States Military Service Academy. Each year Duckworth, along with a nomination committee, selects from hundreds of Illinois high school applicants a group of outstanding students to receive Congressional nominations to attend West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy or the Merchant Marine Academy. "It takes a special … Continue Reading
June 28, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $9.8 Million For Head Start Programs in Illinois
[SPRINGFIELD, IL]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $9,818,557 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support Head Start services for children under the age of five in receiving wrap-around support in early learning and development. The funding will go to Wabash Area Development, Inc. and Parent & Child Together for West Central Illinois, allocating $5,218,606 and $4,599,951 to the … Continue Reading
June 27, 2022
At Duckworth's Request, GAO to Conduct Study into Barriers in Healthcare Access Faced by Americans with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) accepted her recent request to launch a comprehensive, wide-ranging study into the persistent barriers that Americans with disabilities of all backgrounds experience in accessing healthcare, including access to medical treatment, services, equipment and more: "Despite having strong protections under the law, Americans with disabilities face persistent … Continue Reading
June 27, 2022
At the Birthplace of the Environmental Justice Movement, Duckworth Continues Push for Clean Air, Water and Land for All
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined local advocates and public officials on a tour of the birthplace of the environmental justice movement, Chicago's Altgeld Gardens. After touring the neighborhood and discussing its legacy in the environmental justice movement, Duckworth hosted a forum with community groups to discuss her comprehensive Environmental Justice for All Act, which focuses on achieving … Continue Reading
June 24, 2022
Duckworth Responds to Dangerous, Outrageous Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade, Taking Away Constitutional Rights for Millions
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after an ultra-conservative majority of the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade: "I am outraged and horrified-this outcome is a nightmare that robs women of their right to make their own choices about their healthcare and their bodies, and it paves the way for a nationwide abortion ban that Republicans have been seeking for decades. Millions of American families-including my own-have relied on … Continue Reading
June 23, 2022
In Light of White House Meeting with Big Oil CEOs, Duckworth Joins Colleagues in Urging Biden to Help Lower Gas Prices
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm met with oil executives today-and as the Biden Administration seeks new solutions to lower gas prices that have ballooned rapidly since Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to urge the White House to focus on solutions to boost petroleum production output and bring down prices without … Continue Reading
June 23, 2022
Duckworth Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Gun Safety Package to Help Curb Gun Violence and Save Lives
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bipartisan package of commonsense gun safety reforms to help curb our nation's gun violence epidemic: "After decades of inaction, I'm proud to have joined both Democrats and Republicans in finally breaking the log jam and passing this bipartisan gun safety package that will enhance background checks, help states implement red flag … Continue Reading