Press Releases
Duckworth, Young, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Investment in Small Businesses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Jim Risch (R-ID) in reintroducing the Investing in Main Street Act to increase investment in small businesses by permitting banks to invest up to 15 percent of their capital in Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC). “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy—when they grow, our economy grows,” said Duckworth. “Yet too many small business owners have trouble … Continue Reading
July 15, 2025
Duckworth Stresses Urgent Need to Modernize Our Air Traffic Control Systems at Summit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee—today underscored both the long-term and immediate actions the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must take to improve and modernize our air traffic control systems in order to safeguard our aviation system and the flying public. At today’s Air Traffic Control Modernization Summit hosted by aviation … Continue Reading
July 15, 2025
Duckworth Secures Key Provisions to Protect Rock Island Arsenal, Support Illinois Quantum Technology Research and Safeguard Care for Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — 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), secured several important provisions to support our state’s residents, Servicemembers, Veterans and economy in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC recently approved last week and the full Senate will now consider. Some of the priorities Duckworth secured to help … Continue Reading
July 14, 2025
Duckworth Secures Provisions to Strengthen Public Trust in the Military and Enhance Civil Rights in Committee-Passed NDAA
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—successfully secured a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC approved last week and the full Senate will now consider that would strengthen public trust of the military, enhance civil rights and curb misuse of our military for civilian law enforcement. As the Trump Administration continues to send federal … Continue Reading
July 14, 2025
Duckworth Secures IVF Coverage Expansion for Servicemembers and Military Families in Committee-Passed NDAA
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and had both of her daughters through in vitro fertilization (IVF)—successfully secured a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved last week which would require TRICARE coverage of fertility services, including IVF for servicemembers who rely on it to build their families. … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Duckworth Secures Several Key Priorities in Committee-Passed NDAA To Expand IVF Coverage, Strengthen Oversight of Domestic Military Deployments, Boost American Manufacturing and More
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — 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)—secured several important provisions to support servicemembers and boost American competitiveness and national security in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC approved this week and the full Senate will now consider. Among the provisions that the Senator secured in … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Duckworth Joins Durbin, Colleagues in Pressing Trump Administration on Weaponizing Immigration Court Hearings to Trap, Arrest, Deport Immigrants
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and 20 Senate Democrats in pressing the Trump Administration on its recent initiatives to weaponize immigration court hearings as an inhumane trap to arrest immigrants who are just trying to follow the law by terminating their immigration court cases and deporting them without adequate due process. In a letter to Attorney … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Spending Bill With Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in this appropriations bill, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $942K for Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $942,571 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Authority for Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport to be used for runway rehabilitation. “Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport is an essential economic hub for the Springfield and the source of jobs for so many working families,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin … Continue Reading
July 11, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $400K for Willard Airport
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $400,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Authority for the University of Illinois Willard Airport to be used for runway rehabilitation. “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this federal funding to help modernize and improve … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
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