Press Releases
Duckworth Speaks with Emergency Physicians from Across Illinois about the COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke by phone with Illinois members of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) about the COVID-19 pandemic and their efforts to ensure any re-opening plan includes a clear strategy to avoid unsafe medical practices or a potential spike in COVID-19 cases. Duckworth and the emergency physicians also discussed the urgent need for more testing capacity, personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital funding. "It was a … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Legislative Black Caucus about the COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-founder of the Senate's first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, spoke by phone with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus about the COVID-19 pandemic. During this call, Duckworth discussed the shortcomings of recent relief packages and highlighted priorities she will push for in a future bill, including more funding for state and local governments, additional money for unemployment insurance and SNAP, more PPE for frontline and … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for $50 Billion in Childcare Relief in Next Coronavirus Package
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in leading 27 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to include their plan for $50 billion in childcare relief in the next coronavirus package, saying it is an indispensable part of the nation’s response to the pandemic. The plan outlines steps to stabilize the childcare system, keep providers in business, and ensure parents are able … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for More Funding for Social Service Nonprofits in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) AND Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats To Announce Bill To Increase National Production Of Medical Supply Chain
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today to announce legislation that lays out a framework for an effective COVID-19 response by increasing production and adding oversight and transparency to the supply chain for critical medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the President to utilize all available authorities under … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth Condemns Trump’s Plan to Unnecessarily Gather 1,000 Cadets for His West Point Graduation Speech, Raises Concerns with Army Secretary
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and West Point’s Board of Visitors, condemned Donald Trump’s plan to gather 1,000 cadets for a West Point graduation speech in the midst of the COVID-19 public health crisis and expressed her concerns to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in a phone call this week.“Trump’s reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for More Funding for Social Service Nonprofits in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss COVID-19 Relief and Labor Protections with Illinois AFL-CIO
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Tim Drea, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Illinois AFL-CIO executive committee. On a call with the Illinois AFL-CIO, Durbin and Duckworth shared their priorities for the next COVID-19 relief package, including federal assistance for COBRA health coverage, strengthening unemployment insurance, and providing state and local governments financial … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Bicameral Letter Urging Federal Communications Commission To Coordinate With Other Federal Agencies To Inform Low-Income Families They Can Receive Broadband Services
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in leading 139 of their colleagues in both the House and Senate to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Urge Administration to Ensure Support for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and a group of 12 Senate colleagues in urging the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to ensure that immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other serious crimes can continue to access programs during the COVID-19 pandemic through which they can obtain legal status independent of abusers and … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Statement on BOP's Decision to Designate Thomson Prison a 'Quarantine Location'
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement in response to the announcement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson has been designated as one of 11 nationwide "quarantine locations" for thousands of newly-admitted inmates to the federal prison system. "We are disturbed to learn that BOP is preparing to transfer hundreds of … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Shimkus, Bost Discuss COVID-19 Response with Southen Illinois Hospitals
DURBIN, DUCKWORTH, SHIMKUS, BOST DISCUSS COVID-19 RESPONSE WITH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HOSPITALS [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL-15) and Mike Bost (R-IL-12) today, on a call with more than 30 CEOs of southern Illinois hospitals and AJ Wilhelmi, President of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Express Concern over ArcelorMittal Inspection Summary, Urge EPA to Take Action
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed concerns over the results of a recent Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) inspection summary of ArcelorMittal USA's Burns Harbor facility that showed the company's self-monitoring program and its contract laboratory, Microbac, were both deemed unsatisfactory in terms of its procedures and laboratory methods. In August 2019, after a blast furnace wastewater failure, the Burns Harbor … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Administration to Take Action to Ensure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds Reach Small Businesses
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and 19 of their Senate colleagues in writing a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, calling on the Administration to develop strong supervisory mechanisms to identify instances of unjust enrichment and ensure that Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds reach struggling small businesses who truly need the money. Recent … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin and Colleagues Push to Ensure College Students Have Food on the Table Amid COVID-19 Crisis
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 14 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for the activation of the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) as an eligible form of Individual Assistance to help college students access critical nutrition assistance during the COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Urge EPA Region 5 to Monitor Factories on Chicago’s Southeast Side
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), chair and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do more to ensure five factories and facilities on Chicago's Southeast Side do not threaten the health of Chicagoans living in surrounding communities. In a letter sent last week, the Senators urged EPA Region 5 … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Following Reports That Trump Owes Millions to Chinese Bank, Duckworth Requests Investigation into Decision to Ship Tons of PPE and Medical Supplies from the U.S. to China
[WASHINGTON, DC] - In light of public reports that President Trump owes tens of millions of dollars to the Bank of China, one of the four largest state-owned commercial banks in that country, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today wrote to U.S. Representative James Clyburn (D-SC-06), the Chairman of the bipartisan Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, requesting an investigation into Trump's decision to facilitate the transportation of 17.8 tons of donated personal protection … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Statement on BOP Transfer of Inmates to Thomson Prison
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement after learning that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is transferring at least 20 inmates from Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) Chicago, where there is a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, to the United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson, in Thomson, Illinois: "BOP's response to the threat of COVID-19 in federal prisons has been … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Duckworth Hosts Telephone Roundtable for Illinois Nurses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted a telephone roundtable with members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA), American Nurses Association of Illinois (ANA-Illinois) and Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN) to thank the front line healthcare workers for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duckworth was joined by INA Executive Director Alice Johnson, Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing Executive Director Susan Swart and … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Duckworth Helps Announce Bill to Expand Health Care Workforce to Meet Nationwide Challenges
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) helped U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, announce bicameral legislation to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs to cover the graduate education costs of approximately 300,000 clinicians in order to help address existing health workforce shortages … Continue Reading
