Press Releases
Duckworth Reaction to Atlanta Shooting Spree
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after multiple shootings in Atlanta left at least eight people dead, including six Asian women. "My heart is with the families who lost loved ones last night in Atlanta. While there's still so much we don't know about these tragic shootings, we do know that our Asian American community is understandably-and justifiably-outraged after enduring a year of heinous hate crimes and increased … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Duckworth Co-Chairs Hearing on Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects in U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works' (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water & Wildlife-which has jurisdiction over the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act-co-led a joint hearing of the full Committee and the Subcommittee on the challenges facing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. During this hearing, Duckworth discussed the importance of prioritizing water infrastructure as part of … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Close Dangerous Loophole to Protect Domestic Abuse Survivors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and colleagues in introducing bicameral legislation to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence. The Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act is narrowly crafted to close loopholes that allow domestic abusers to legally obtain weapons. The bill is named in memory of Lori Jackson, an … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Designate Bronzeville Church that Held Emmett Till’s Funeral as a National Historic Site
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced bipartisan legislation to designate the church that held Chicagoan Emmett Till's pivotal funeral in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood as a national historic site. Till's funeral was held at the neighborhood's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ after the 14-year-old was brutalized and lynched in Mississippi in 1955. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, made the decision to hold a public, open-casket wake to make sure the … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth Votes To Confirm SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today voted to confirm Isabel Guzman as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Guzman was confirmed with a 81-17 vote. "Isabel Guzman's proven leadership and personal experience as a small business owner will be assets to President Biden's Administration as they work to help our nation's small businesses reach the other side of this … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $76 Million for Chicago Airports
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $76,539,502 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport to help the airports with COVID-19 related expenses. "Our Chicago airports are an important economic engine for the region, and making sure they continue to have the support they need to operate safely during … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Corn Growers Association
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today held a virtual call with members of the Illinois Corn Growers Association to discuss her Illinois and legislative priorities for the upcoming year. Duckworth discussed the importance of biofuels, addressing climate change and improving transportation, infrastructure and trade. "The strength of America's farmers is a reflection of our strength as a nation," Duckworth said. "I enjoyed meeting with the Illinois Corn Growers … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Ask HUD to Examine Issues at Concordia Place Apartment Complex in Chicago
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region Five Office to swiftly examine reported issues raised by residents of the Concordia Place Apartment complex on the south side of Chicago. In a letter to James A. Cunningham, the HUD Deputy Regional Administrator, Duckworth, Durbin, and Kelly highlighted news reports on the unsafe and … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $2 Million for Quad City International Airport
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,750,066 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to Quad City International Airport to help the airport with COVID-19-related expenses. "Our Illinois airports are an important economic engine for the region, and making sure they continue to have the support they need to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical," Duckworth … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1 Million for Quincy Regional Airport
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $1,003,408 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to Quincy Regional Airport to help the airport with COVID-19-related expenses. "Our Illinois airports are important economic engines for the state, and making sure they continue to have the support they need to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical," Duckworth said. "I'm … Continue Reading
March 15, 2021
Duckworth Votes to Confirm Haaland as Interior Secretary
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after voting to confirm Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior. Haaland was confirmed by a 51-40 vote to serve as Interior Secretary under President Biden. "Secretary Haaland is a barrier-breaking leader who is qualified to take on this role to protect our public lands and will help bring a much-needed perspective to the U.S. Department of the Interior," Duckworth said. "Making our national parks and … Continue Reading
March 12, 2021
Duckworth, Booker Request Guidance from Biden-Harris Health Equity Task Force on Addressing Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today urged Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, to provide guidance and recommendations to states, localities, territories and tribes on how to address disparities and reduce inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Specifically, the Senators asked the Task Force to engage communities of color, people with disabilities and other disproportionately impacted groups … Continue Reading
March 12, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Introduce Assault Weapons Ban
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee joined Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA.) and a group of Senate colleagues to introduce the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021. This bill would ban the further sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines for civilian use. "We cannot continue to stand by while our siblings, parents and … Continue Reading
March 12, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Expansion of Illinois Community Health Centers Included in Federal Vaccination Program
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the expansion of Illinois Community Health Centers (CHCs) that will be eligible to directly receive vaccines through the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Federally Qualified Health Center Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. The program will expand its reach to 35 CHCs across Illinois. Vaccines sent to Illinois CHCs through this new federal program are in addition to the existing weekly … Continue Reading
March 11, 2021
Duckworth, Merkley and Warren Call on CDC for Safety Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant Individuals
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are calling for more guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 vaccines safety and efficacy for pregnant and lactating individuals. Though the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended pregnant and lactating individuals be prioritized, they have received conflicting information from a variety of resources, including … Continue Reading
March 11, 2021
Duckworth Among Center for Effective Lawmaking’s “Most Effective” Democratic Senators
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was named the fifth-most effective Democratic Senator in the 116th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a non-partisan joint initiative by the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, ranks lawmakers at the end of each Congress by the member's ability to advance policy proposals through the legislative process and into law. Duckworth was also named the most effective Democratic … Continue Reading
March 11, 2021
Duckworth, Capito, Shaheen, Collins Pass Bipartisan Resolution To Honor Girl Scouts of America
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), co-chairs of the Girl Scouts' Honorary Troop Capitol Hill, today re-introduced a resolution recognizing the 109th birthday of the Girl Scouts of America and celebrating its legacy of building powerful female leaders. The Senate passed this resolution upon introduction by voice vote. "Not a day goes by that I don't use the leadership skills Girl Scouts helped … Continue Reading
March 11, 2021
Duckworth, Senate Colleagues Re-Introduce Bill To Strengthen Police Accountability & Encourage Independent Investigations of Law Enforcement’s Lethal Uses of Force
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Ed Markey (D-MA), re-introduced legislation that would help restore trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve by helping prevent police-involved deaths and encouraging independent, impartial investigations into law enforcement officials' use of deadly force. The Police Training and Independent Review Act would create a financial incentive for states to require … Continue Reading
March 11, 2021
Duckworth Discusses Service Opportunities for Military Families during SASC Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - During a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke about the importance of creating service opportunities for military family members so they can engage with their communities, gain new skills and even progress toward educational opportunities. The hearing focused on the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service's report about the selective service system and ways to expand and … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
Duckworth Discusses Protecting Veterans from Deportation at USC Gould School of Law Symposium
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today participated in a symposium on Veterans deportation hosted by the University of Southern California's (USC) Gould School of Law. In the virtual Q&A, Duckworth discussed the challenges deported Veterans face in attaining citizenship and VA benefits, her visit to the Deported Veterans Support House on Veterans Day in 2019 and her successful efforts in helping previously-deported Veterans-Miguel Perez and Roman Sabal-attain … Continue Reading
